MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Gospel of Matthew: Chapter Seventeen
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Hosea 4:1, “Hear the Word of the Lord, you citizens of Israel for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land [the Northern Kingdom] because there is no truth [no doctrine is being taught and learned], and there is no grace being applied [there was no appreciation and response to the love of God], and there is no knowledge of God in the land.”
Hosea 4:2 “Instead there is lying, deception, murder, stealing, and they break in to commit rape. Therefore, blood touches blood [crime was out of control].”
Hosea 4:6 “My people [citizens of the Northern Kingdom] are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected my knowledge, I also will reject you as my priest [a client nation]. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children [the children will be killed or taken into slavery].”
Matthew 17:1
Καὶ µεθ’ ἡµέρας ἓξ παραλαµβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ’ ἰδίαν.
Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves.
Jesus isolated these three from the others in the group which he was teaching in order to transfigure Himself before them so that they as eyewitnesses, would have this information and be able to write about it. (Apparently, these three were His best students.)
Matthew 17:2
καὶ µετεµορφώθη ἔµπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαµψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱµάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς.
And he was transfigured before them; and His face shined like the sun [gloriously animated], and His garments became as white as light [a glamorous uniform of glory]. (These three had empirical reality of what Christ would look like at the 2nd Advent.)
Transfiguration means that He changed from the appearance of his unglorified mortal body into what He would look like at the 2nd Advent in his glorified resurrected body clothed in His Uniform of Glory.
“Garments as white as light” is a special uniform of glory. So, also the great believers will wear translucent uniforms of glory in the Millennium and in the Eternal State (Revelation 3:4, 5).
Matthew 17:3
καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας συλλαλοῦντες µετ’ αὐτοῦ.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them [Peter, James, and John], talking with Him [Jesus Christ].
During the second half of the Tribulation, Moses and Elijah will be the two heralds announcing the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 11). Since neither finished their ministries, the Lord will graciously allow them to return for just that purpose. Revelation 11:3 states, “And I will give to My two witnesses [human heralds: Moses & Elijah] power [from the Holy Spirit], and they will prophesy [evangelize and teach Bible Doctrine] for one thousand two hundred and sixty days [the last 3 1/2 years of Tribulation], wearing sackcloth [representing warning and the need for the unbelieving Jews to change their attitude and thinking toward the Lord Jesus Christ].” Malachi 4:5, “Behold I am going to send to you [in the middle of the Tribulation] Elijah, the prophet before the coming of the great [for the believer] and terrible [for the unbeliever] day of the Lord [the 2nd Advent].” Luke 1:17, “It is he [John the Baptizer] who will go as a herald before him [Christ] in the Spirit [in the Filling of the Spirit] and in the power of Elijah . . .” Thus, Elijah will also in the Tribulation have the power of the Holy Spirit. John 1:19-21, “This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent him the priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you? (20) And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ [Messiah]. (21) They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah [since they all understood that Elijah would function as a herald for the Messiah before the 2nd Advent]? And he said, “I am not. “Are you the prophet [Moses, the only prophet who spoke face to face with the Lord]?” And he answered, “No.”” In Matthew 17:3, both Moses and Elijah appeared with the Lord in His Transfiguration because they will be his two heralds.
Matthew 17:4
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡµᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσω ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ µίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ µίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ µίαν.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish [He used a 1st Class Conditional Sentence since he assumed that the Lord would go along with his idea], I will make three tents here, one for You, and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
Peter’s rudeness on the Mount of Transfiguration: Peter was so overwhelmed by emotion that he rudely interrupted the conversation that Jesus was having with Moses and Elijah. Peter should have remained silent; rather he impolitely intruded into the conversation between the Lord and his two heralds of the 2nd Advent.
So, Peter was saying, “Things are very nice up here.” It connotes the idea of wonderful environment and Peter wants to stay right there. The environment is excellent for here is Moses and Elijah and the Lord and two other disciples, and it is just a nice situation all the way around. He wants to perpetuate this lovely environment. However, there is just one thing that Peter has forgotten: pleasant circumstances do not make happiness for the believer.
The beautiful thing about the believer who has doctrine is that he can enjoy his pleasant circumstances. He can enjoy people, and many things in life. However, the beauty of Bible doctrine is that it is designed for happiness in adversity as well. And what Peter is really saying here is, Lord let’s stick it out here, let’s forget all about all that mess down below, down in the valley! In other words, Peter wanted a superficial mountain-top experience which he wanted to perpetuate. What Peter was saying was that happiness is a pleasant set of circumstances.
Matthew 17:5
ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός µου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα· ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen [a command from God the Father to Peter] to Him!”
God the Father commanded Peter to shut-up and to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter never had the opportunity to finish his plan. Just as well!
Matthew 17:6
καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ µαθηταὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα.
When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.
James and John at that time were probably thinking, I wish Peter would keep his mouth shut. Peter finally learned to do just that and to learn from his mistakes as well. Later he wrote about this matter and the conflict between empiricism and written Word as per 2 Peter 1:16-21 namely which one is stronger evidence namely what one sees, hears, touches, smells or the Word of God metabolized in the soul? In other words, what is reality to you?
Matthew 17:7
καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἁψάµενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν, Ἐγέρθητε καὶ µὴ φοβεῖσθε.
And Jesus came to them [after Moses and Elijah had left] and touched them and said, “Get up, and stop being afraid.”
The imperative of prohibition should be translated, “stop being afraid.”
Matthew 17:8-10
ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλµοὺς αὐτῶν οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ µὴ αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν µόνον. (9) Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων, Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραµα ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῇ. (10) καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ µαθηταὶ λέγοντες, Τί οὖν οἱ γραµµατεῖς λέγουσιν ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον;
Then, lifting up their eyes [lifted and turned their heads to see but too afraid to get up at first], they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. (9) As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until which time the Son of Man has been risen from the dead [resurrected].” (10) And His disciples [Peter, James, and John] asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first [before the return of Christ at the 2nd Advent]?’
Elijah must come before the 2nd Advent since he will be one of the heralds for the Lord (Malachi 4:5, 6).
Matthew 17:11-12
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν, Ἠλίας µὲν ἔρχεται καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα· (12) λέγω δὲ ὑµῖν ὅτι Ἠλίας ἤδη ἦλθεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτὸν ἀλλὰ ἐποίησαν ἐν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν· οὕτως καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου µέλλει πάσχειν ὑπí αὐτῶν.
And answering Jesus said to them [Peter, James, and John], Elijah truly shall come [before the 2nd Advent] and restore all things [prepare the way as one of the heralds]. (12) But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him [a reference to John the Baptizer] but have done to him whatever they [those involved in the murder of John the Baptizer] desired [no respect for personal choice and life]. Likewise, also the Son of Man shall suffer from them [the Jews will team up with the Romans].
Christ has two advents or two times when he comes to the earth. John the Baptist was the Lord’s herald for the 1st Advent whereas Elijah and Moses will be the human heralds for the Lord’s 2nd Advent. However, if the Jews had accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior, there would have been only one advent. In which case, there would have been no need for John the Baptizer since the Lord Jesus Christ would have begun his reign immediately after his resurrection. (There would not have been a Church Age.)
Matthew 17:13-15
τότε συνῆκαν οἱ µαθηταὶ ὅτι περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς. (14) Καὶ ἐλθόντων πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπος γονυπετῶν αὐτὸν. (15) καὶ λέγων, Κύριε, ἐλέησόν µου τὸν υἱόν, ὅτι σεληνιάζεται καὶ κακῶς πάσχει· πολλάκις γὰρ πίπτει εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ.
Then, His disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptizer. (14) And when they came to the crowd, a man came to Him, falling on his knees before Him and saying, (15) “Lord [this man is a believer], have mercy on my son [treat my son in grace], for he is an epileptic [literally moon struck and sometimes refers to mental illness] and suffers horribly for oftentimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water.”
Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness. In this case, it is a Demon induced illness.
Matthew 17:16
καὶ προσήνεγκα αὐτὸν τοῖς µαθηταῖς σου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν αὐτὸν θεραπεῦσαι.
And I brought him [my demon possessed son] to your disciples [the nine who remained behind], and they could not cure him.
This man had been in contact with nine of the disciples, namely the ones who did not witness His transfiguration. It is not known whether this man knew that his son was demon possessed since the signs of demon possession were not obvious. In any case as per Matthew 10, the disciples were commanded to heal such a one as this man’s son.
Matthew 10:8, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers [after which these cases had to be reported to the priesthood], raise the dead [resuscitation], cast out demons [eliminate the enemy]. You [twelve] have freely received freely give.” They had the authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons, yet these disciples failed because they lacked the faith needed.
Matthew 17:17
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραµµένη, ἕως πότε µεθ’ὑµῶν ἔσοµαι; ἕως πότε ἀνέξοµαι ὑµῶν; φέρετέ µοι αὐτὸν ὧδε.
Then, Jesus answered and said, O faithless [since this is a two termination-adjective, the masculine and feminine have the same endings] and corrupted [the thinking in the frontal lobe has been corrupted by human viewpoint and scar tissue or distorted by emotion] generation [addressed to the nine as part of that generation of Jews], how long shall I be with you [before you learn something. Even though he has been with them for nearly two years, they have not learned much]? How long shall I put up with you [How long would it take for you to get with the program]? Bring him here to Me.
Though Jesus gave the 12 apostles to the Lost Sheep of Israel the authority and power to heal and cast out demons, he hasn’t given this authority and power to anyone in the post-canon period of the Church Age. So, don’t get any wild ideas.
Matthew 17:18
καὶ ἐπετίµησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπí αὐτοῦ τὸ δαιµόνιον· καὶ ἐθεραπεύθη ὁ παῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης.
And Jesus rebuked the demon [regarding his violation of the rules for the Appeal Trial], and he departed out of him [the child]. And the child was cured from that hour.
God granted Satan an appeal trial which is human history. Certain rules were established for this appeal trial. Demon possession was a violation of one of those rules. Since this was a violation, the Lord rebuked that demon. Relate this verse to the passage found in Luke 8 where demons aware of their violation, requested to indwell a herd of swine instead of being sent to the Abyss for the rest of human history. Undoubtedly, after the swine died, they were sent to the Abyss anyways.
Luke 8:26-31, “Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. (27) And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. (28) Seeing Jesus, he [the demon leader] cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I [speaking on behalf of the other demons] beg You, do not torment me [do not send me to the Abyss].” (29) For He had commanded the unclean spirit [demon] to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds [demon possession gave him great strength] and be driven by the demon into the desert. (30) And Jesus asked him [the demon spokesman], “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion” [speaking for at least 2000 demons since 2000 hogs became indwelt] for many demons had entered him. (31) They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss [a compartment in Hades for those demons who had violated the rules of the Angelic Appeal Trial].”
To confirm that there were 2000 swine:
Mark 5:13, “Jesus gave them permission, and coming out, the unclean spirits [demons] entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand were drowned in the sea.”
Matthew 17:19-20
Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ µαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ κατí ἰδίαν εἶπον, ∆ιὰ τί ἡµεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθηµεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό; (20) ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς, ∆ιὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑµῶν· ἀµὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑµῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, Μετάβα ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ µεταβήσεται· καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑµῖν.
Then the disciples [a reference to the nine] came to Jesus privately [when He was alone], and said, ‘Why could we not cast him [the demon] out?’ (20) And Jesus said to them [the nine], Because of your little faith. For truly [an important point of doctrine will follow] I say to you, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed [maybe you do and maybe you don’t], you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move [a hypothetical situation with hyperbole to dramatize the greatness of the Faith Rest-Drill]. And nothing shall be impossible for you [in your spiritual life: In the Old Testament Age, the believer could obtain the highest possible level of spiritual growth via the Faith Rest-Drill as Abraham had given testimony].”
The Third Class-Conditional sentence in Greek can be used for hyperbole as in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “And, if [hypothetical situation with hyperbole] I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries (τὰ µυστήρια) and all the knowledge, and if I had all the faith so that I could move mountains from one place to another, but I do not have virtue-love, I am nothing (outhen: the high form for “nothing” to relate the believer to the Greek Tragedies).
Even though the gift of faith was used in the early church, no one ever possessed a faith for the purpose of moving mountains from one location to another. There would be no spiritual reason for doing that. Remember that this entire passage is dealing with hypothetical conditional sentences in order that Paul might be able to make his point. Paul is going to demonstrate that greatness in the spiritual life is related to loving God, not what spiritual gift one possesses or what the Christian is doing. Since all the temporary spiritual gifts in the early church were spectacular, Paul is making the gift of faith even more spectacular through hyperbole. In this way, Paul’s concluding statement is even more dramatic. If you have all of these sensational spiritual gifts and even if you could move mountains, but you do not have virtue-love (the advanced spiritual life), you are nothing.
Matthew 17:21
This verse is not in the original text.
The ‘Authorized King James Version was completed in about 1603 AD. It was taken from ancient manuscripts dating back to 10 century AD. These manuscripts were called ‘Textus Receptus’. ‘Textus Receptus’ had been terribly corrupted. However, today we have over 5000 manuscripts which go back to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries. And in none of these manuscripts do we find this verse.
Matthew 17:22-23
Συστρεφοµένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Μέλλει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, (23) καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡµέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται. καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα.
And while they stayed in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. (23) And they will kill Him [They, the Jewish religious leaders and the Romans will have Him sentenced to death and placed on the cross to die], and the third day He will be raised. And they were grieved exceedingly.
The cross must come before the crown. The disciples did not want Christ to go to the cross for it did not agree with their maudlin sentimentality “grieved exceedingly”. They revered Christ and sincerely did not want him to go to the cross. Sincerity combined with emotionalism always produces the wrong application.
“The Physical Death of Christ” taken from the booklet, The Blood of Christ by R. B. Thieme Jr. pages 23-25.
The Physical Death of Christ
“The Lord Jesus Christ remained physically alive until after His salvation work was finished (John 19:30). Once His mission for the First Advent was accomplished, He died in a magnificent and honorable way. Jesus Christ was fully in command of Himself on the cross. In spite of all that He had endured there was no last-moment panic or regret by our Lord. His physical death was worthy of His true royalty and of the resounding strategic victory in the angelic conflict that He had just won.
First, with a powerful voice He stated in His dying words the spiritual legacy that He was leaving to believers on earth. Second, at the end of this ‘last will and testament,’ He died physically by His own volition—no one took His life, nor did He bleed to death. With His work on earth finished, the Father’s plan called for Him to depart, so He dismissed His own spirit. Just as His birth, His life, and His spiritual death were unique, so His physical death was also unique. Jesus Christ was the only person authorized to dismiss His own life.
I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. (John 10:17b–18a)
He died physically in fulfillment of His own words. By an act of His own volition, His soul and human spirit left His body, and only then was He physically dead.
Matthew records the fact that Christ made a final statement before He released His soul and spirit.
And Jesus cried out [shouted] again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. (Matthew 27:50)
While Matthew makes no mention of the content, he emphasizes the strength and self-control necessary for Christ to shout His last words. Mark relates another aspect of this event.
And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed [exhaled] His last. (Mark 15:37)
By using the verb ἐκπνεω (ekpneo), “to exhale,” Mark focuses attention on the Lord’s fantastic breath control—Christ exhaled a final statement and did not inhale again.
In Luke’s account, we finally come to the content of our Lord’s final words.
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father [indicating Christ’s restoration to fellowship with God after salvation was complete], INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” And having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)
However, Luke does not record the entire statement. Instead, he provides us with a reference to the passage of Scripture that Jesus quoted from the Old Testament. The complete text is found in Psalm 31:5.
Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth [doctrine]. (Ps. 31:5)
Jesus quoted the words of David. At a time when David desperately needed deliverance from his enemies, he had taken refuge in the God of “truth” or “doctrine.” So, too, the strength, inner resources, and spiritual assets on which Jesus Christ relied on the cross were also provided by the doctrine resident in His soul. Thus, our Lord revealed the momentum of the spiritual life—the perception and application of Bible doctrine.
In His dying breath the Lord Jesus Christ made Bible doctrine the spiritual heritage of the royal family of God. In fact, He exalted His Word above His own person and reputation (Ps. 138:2). Just as the legacy of His spiritual death is salvation, so the legacy of His physical death is Bible doctrine. Just as salvation is the basis for relationship with God, so Bible doctrine is the basis for spiritual growth.
After Christ announced His legacy of doctrine, His soul departed for Hades (Ps. 16:10; Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; Eph. 4:9);35 His human spirit went into the presence of the Father (Luke 23:46; Ps. 31:5); and His body went into the grave (Luke 23:53). This was His physical death.”
Now, let’s look at these key verses in a bit more detail.
Matthew 27:50, “And Jesus again having shouted [indicating his strength] with a loud voice [the Greek noun phone is an articulate sound with meaning] dismissed His spirit.”
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν κράξας φωνῇ µεγάλῃ ἀφῆκεν τὸ πνεῦµα.
Mark 15:37, "And Jesus having uttered a loud articulate [intelligible] sound [one with words], exhaled.”
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀφεὶς φωνὴν µεγάλην ἐξέπνευσεν.
John 19:30, “Therefore, when Jesus had received the G.I. wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And having inclined his head forward, He delivered up [handed over] His spirit.”
Luke 23:46, “And Jesus, shouted clearly with a loud voice [an articulate sound with meaning and words], said, ‘Father [indicating Christ’s restoration to fellowship with God after salvation was complete], INTO YOUR HANDS I ENTRUST MY SPIRIT [His human spirit].’ And having said this, He exhaled.”
καὶ φωνήσας φωνῇ µεγάλῃ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Πάτερ, εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθεµαι τὸ πνεῦµά µου· τοῦτο δὲ εἰπὼν ἐξέπνευσεν.
Psalm 31:5, “Into Your hand I commit [in the Hiphil stem means to commit to the care of someone] my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth [doctrine].” (The Hebrew verse is Psalm 31:6)
בְּיָֽדְךָ֘ אַפְקִ֪יד ר֫וּחִ֥י פָּדִ֖יתָה אוֹתִ֥י יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת:
Matthew 17:24-25
Ἐλθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς Καφαρναοὺµ προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχµα λαµβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ εἶπαν, Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑµῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχµα; (25) λέγει, Ναί. καὶ ἐλθόντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν προέφθασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων, Τί σοι δοκεῖ, Σίµων; οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαµβάνουσιν τέλη ἢ κῆνσον; ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων;
And when they had come to Capernaum, those who received the didrachmas [two drachmas: Roman silver coins] came to Peter and said, ‘Does your master not pay the didrachmas [two drachmas for their taxes]?’ (25) He said, ‘Yes.’ And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? From their sons [the children of the royal families], or from others [the taxpayers]?”
Apparently, Peter was worrying about these taxes. Jesus Christ being God knew what the tax collectors had asked him.
Matthew 17:26
εἰπόντος δέ, Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἄρα γε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί.
Peter said to Him, “From the others [other than the royal families]”. Jesus said to him, “Then truly the sons [Jesus is in the royal family] are exempt [from having to pay taxes].
Since Jesus is in the royal family of David, he should not be taxed. However, Jesus is going to pay the taxes for both himself since the royal family of David was not being recognized at this time and for Peter.
Matthew 17:27
ἵνα δὲ µὴ σκανδαλίσωµεν αὐτούς, πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόµα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα· ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐµοῦ καὶ σοῦ.
But lest we should offend them [and turn them away from the gospel message], go to the sea [in your boat] and cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. And when you have opened its mouth, you shall find a stater [equal to 4 drachmas]; take that and give it to them for Me and you [apparently a temple tax].
Apparently, while out to sea, someone maybe during a drinking party tossed a Roman Stater into the Sea of Galilee. This coin then became stuck in the mouth of fish, and it was this coin that the Lord used to pay the taxes.
