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
First Thessalonians Chapter Two
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Outline:
2:1-12. The presentation of the gospel
2:13-16. The response to the gospel
2:17-19. The reward
1 Thessalonians 2:1
For you yourselves know brethren our coming to you, that it was not in vain [ineffective].
Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε, ἀδελφοί, τὴν εἴσοδον ἡµῶν τὴν πρὸς ὑµᾶς ὅτι οὐ κενὴ γέγονεν,
1 Thessalonians 2:2
But also having suffered before and having been shamefully treated in Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.
ἀλλὰ προπαθόντες καὶ ὑβρισθέντες καθὼς οἴδατε ἐν Φιλίπποις ἐπαρρησιασάµεθα ἐν τῷ θεῷ ἡµῶν λαλῆσαι πρὸς ὑµᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πολλῷ ἀγῶνι.
Paul and Silas were dragged into the marketplace, scourged [unlawful to scourge Roman citizens] and then thrown into a dungeon. Even though Paul was in great pain [from the scourging], he went on to Thessalonica and communicated the gospel. Acts 16:37-40, “But Paul said to them, ‘They [the chief magistrates] have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out’ (38) And the floggers reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. (39) And they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept on begging them to leave the city. (40) And going out from the prison, they entered into the house of Lydia. And seeing the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
1 Thessalonians 2:3
For our enthusiastic declaration to you was not in error [inaccurate], nor of uncleanness [out of fellowship], nor a huckster [a tavern keeper watering down the wine after the customer got a little drunk: to dilute the gospel],
ἡ γὰρ παράκλησις ἡµῶν οὐκ ἐκ πλάνης οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀκαθαρσίας οὐδὲ ἐν δόλῳ,
Acts 17:1-4, “And traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. (2) And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures. (3) explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ [Messiah]. (4) And some of them were persuaded [by the evidence] and joined Paul and Silas along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.”
1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we have been tested for approval [the unbeliever saw how Paul and his team functioned under great pressures] by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our souls [do we understand the gospel message and do we have the integrity to present it correctly].
ἀλλὰ καθὼς δεδοκιµάσµεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οὕτως λαλοῦµεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες ἀλλὰ θεῷ τῷ δοκιµάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡµῶν.
Many Christians do not like to present the gospel to the unbeliever who is to some extent indifferent or even hostile to the presentation of the gospel. However, keep in mind that we are not here to please people.
Few Subjects explaining How to become a Christian:
Birth, Death & Happiness
“Behold for I [the archangel Gabriel] bring to you good news of great happiness which is available to all people. Today in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord, and this is the sign for your benefit: you will discover a child wrapped in death-clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10b-12)
Great happiness is available to all people of every background and nationality. God’s desire is for the peoples of the world to have this great happiness in living, even in dying and for everlasting future. This happiness came out of Bethlehem, the city of David, for in that city a Savior was born, the humanity of Jesus. At the instant of his birth, the Lord, that is the Son of God united with the humanity of Jesus. From this union we get the name Lord Jesus Christ. Lord means God which explains why the Jewish people called him Emmanuel which means in the Hebrew “God with us.” Jesus means savior and is a reference to His humanity; he bore the penalty of our sins on his human body on the cross; Christ, a Greek word means the anointed one, the Hebrew, Messiah a reference to His future as the God-Man.
The birth of Jesus and his death on the cross combine to bring you the greatest present one could ever receive namely happiness with God for all eternity. If you would like to receive this eternal present, it is as simple as expressing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, I am believing in Jesus Christ as my Savior. The Father will honor that decision and make you a child of God forever.
“For God loved the world so much so that he gave his uniquely born son with the result that whoever believes in him will not perish [into eternal judgment] but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
It is Free!
Do you know that the greatest possession in life is free? You can be guaranteed a free trip to heaven, to live with God forever after you depart from this earth. It doesn’t require gold, silver or any other valuable possession. You might ask, “Well, what do I have to do?” The answer is nothing. You don’t need to stop doing anything! For example, you don’t need to stop going to a Buddhist temple or any other temple as a prerequisite for the free gift of salvation; you don’t need to stop drinking etc. Also, you don’t need to start doing anything! For example, you don’t need to do a lot of good or attend a Christian Church. A gift is a gift, and a gift is free.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith and this [salvation] is not from yourselves; it is a gift from God, not from works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8b, 9).
It is free for all members of the human race since Christ paid the price for you. 1 Peter 2:24a states, “And he [Jesus Christ] himself carried our sins on his body [on the cross].” How can one receive this gift? Do you have to go to the nearest department store to pick it up? No, it is much closer than that; it is in your thinking. Just use your soul to express faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘Heavenly Father, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.’ After praying that simple prayer, you will live with God forever.
He saved us [provided a free ticket to heaven] not on the basis of deeds which we have done in (human) righteousness, but according to his loving kindness [He offers you this gift] (Titus 3:5a).
ONE MEDIATOR
God the Son in eternity past desired all mankind to be saved [to have an opportunity to live with him eternally in heaven]. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of Our Savior and God who desires all mankind to be saved” 1Timothy 2:3,4a). He wants the best for you.
The Lord Jesus Christ was always God and became man in circa 4 BC. Infinite God united with true humanity. Because of this union of two natures, he is now one person equal both with God and with perfect humanity. This is true of no one else and makes him the only mediator between God and mankind.
For there is only one God and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all mankind [he received your punishment that he might pay for your freedom] (1Timothy 2:5,6a).
Only a mediator between God and man can solve the problems of mankind. So, as the only mediator, Jesus could say, “I am the way [to heaven], the truth, and [eternal] life; no one comes to the Father [in heaven] except through me” (John 14:6b).
What is Faith!
Why are we told to believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation? You see, faith is a system of perception which requires no merit, not like rationalism or empiricism. By putting your faith in the person and work of Christ for your heavenly ticket, you are recognizing that you can do nothing for this free ticket into heaven. God the Father honors this non-meritorious faith since all the work was already done on the cross.
Faith always has an object. When you were a small child attending a math class, your teacher taught you that 2 plus 2 equals 4, and you believed her. Now, when you believed your teacher, you didn’t do any work. Your teacher had all the ability regarding math. The same is true with the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus Christ did all the work. We merely believe in him; we put our trust in him for our salvation. “He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in (human) righteousness, but according to his loving kindness. . .” (Titus 3:5a).
When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are making a decision which excludes human work. You are making a decision which does not require any effort on your part. It is as simple as: ‘Father, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior.’ After praying that simple prayer, you will become a child of God forever.
Now, after John [the Baptizer] had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; change your mind [about Jesus Christ] and believe in the good news [salvation is a free gift, requiring only faith] (Mark 1:14, 15).
He who believes in the Son has eternal life [will go to heaven and live with God], but he who does not believe the Son will not see life [with God], but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).
Every Decision has a Time Frame: the longer the Time Frame, the more important it is.
When I decide to eat a Hershey Chocolate bar with almonds, the time frame of that decision is less than 2 minutes for that is how long it takes me to devour it. In other words, that decision impacts me for a maximum of 2 minutes. One’s decision regarding an occupation or marriage may have a time frame lasting one’s entire life. Thus, it is an important decision, but still, it will only impact him for his temporal life. Your decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ regarding His work on the Cross or not is an eternal decision lasting for all eternity. So, it is the most important decision of all decisions.
The Issue in Salvation is not Sin, but Righteousness
The penalty of sin has been paid in full on the cross. “He himself who bore our sins on his body on the cross. . .” (1 Peter 2:24a) Therefore, sinfulness does not send a person to hell (the Lake of Fire), nor is sinlessness the basis for going to heaven. If sin is not the issue in going to heaven, then what is? To live eternally with a perfectly righteous God, one must be perfectly righteous! Unfortunately, man cannot accomplish perfect righteousness. Fortunately, God has resolved this requirement by imputing His righteousness to the person who places his trust in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all who believe…” (Romans 3:22a)
To Live with Eternal God, we need His Life in an Eternal Body
Human life functions in a mortal body in time only. In eternity, we need eternal life in an eternal body. Eternal life is promised in John 3:36 which states, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life [given at the point of faith in Christ], but whoever rejects the Son will not see eternal life for the wrath of God remains on him.” At salvation, the person receives eternal life which life will function within an eternal body given in the future. 1 John 3:2b states, “. . .But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him [have a resurrection body in which eternal life will function].
We should have great respect and awe for the Integrity of God
The integrity of God that is his righteousness and justice cannot be violated. The righteousness of God in eternity past demanded that every sin be punished. What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes. So, the justice of God the Father punished the humanity of Jesus Christ on the cross for every sin of mankind. This freed the grace of God to offer salvation to all mankind as per John 3:16, “God loved the world [of people] so much so that he gave his uniquely born son with the result that anyone who believes in Him should not be perish [spend eternity in the Lake of Fire] but have eternal life [that he may live with God forever in an eternal body].” However, this same integrity of God must judge anyone who refuses this grace gift. “Whoever believes in Him is not judged, but the one who does not believe is judged already because he has not believed in the uniquely born Son of God (John 3:18). “If anyone’s name was not found in the Book of [eternal] Life, [because he had rejected Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross] he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
1 Thessalonians 2:5
For neither at any time did we use flattering words [did not flatter to gain a hearing] as you know nor with pretense [a cloak] of covetousness [not to enrich ourselves]; God is a witness [to our modus operandi].
οὔτε γάρ ποτε ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας ἐγενήθηµεν, καθὼς οἴδατε, οὔτε ἐν προφάσει πλεονεξίας, θεὸς µάρτυς,
When Paul and his team went into Thessalonica, they just laid it on the line. Furthermore, Paul and his team never used the gospel as a means of making money from the unbelievers. Paul, Silas and Timothy had correct motivation, thinking, decisions and actions.
1 Thessalonians 2:6
Nor did we seek glory from men, neither from you nor from others.
οὔτε ζητοῦντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφí ὑµῶν οὔτε ἀπí ἄλλων,
Paul and his team members never sought human approbation and power. From their integrity, they sought only to please the Lord in the ministry given to them.
1 Thessalonians 2:7
When we might have been burdensome among you [by requesting financial support] as apostles of Christ, we were not, but we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother keeps on providing for her child.
δυνάµενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι. ἀλλὰ ἐγενήθηµεν ἤπιοι ἐν µέσῳ ὑµῶν, ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα·
Paul and his team members could have been a burden to the Thessalonians by asking for money, but they didn’t. They didn’t want to distract these believers in any way from their spiritual growth. Furthermore, Paul and his team were very gentle toward these baby-Christians. While they provided spiritual milk for these newborn baby-Christians, they gently kept them warm through impersonal love. Paul and his team members knew that these new believers had sin natures even as they. However, new believers would have little control over their sin nature and so would require a gentle application of impersonal love.
Principle: A Christian organization should never solicit funds from unbelievers. Furthermore, money should never be an issue for young believers.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
So affectionately longing for you [a love for children who are absent], we were willing to impart to you [to share], not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls [to give from one’s soul], because you have become beloved by us [Paul and his team had the integrity to love].
οὕτως ὁµειρόµενοι ὑµῶν εὐδοκοῦµεν µεταδοῦναι ὑµῖν οὐ µόνον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς, διότι ἀγαπητοὶ ἡµῖν ἐγενήθητε.
After the Thessalonians had responded to the gospel, Paul and his team members taught them the Word of God from their understanding of the spiritual life and furthermore, had great capacity to love these growing believers. Remember that love has four primary components namely knowledge, righteousness, justice and grace orientation. Since Paul and his team members had great capacity for life, great integrity and grace orientation, they would naturally become quite close to their new converts.
1 Thessalonians 2:9
For, brethren, you remember our labor and travail [a woman giving birth]. For laboring night and day in order not to put a burden on any one of you [Paul’s team never asked for funds], we preached the gospel of God to you.
µνηµονεύετε γάρ, ἀδελφοί, τὸν κόπον ἡµῶν καὶ τὸν µόχθον· νυκτὸς καὶ ἡµέρας ἐργαζόµενοι πρὸς τὸ µὴ ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα ὑµῶν ἐκηρύξαµεν εἰς ὑµᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ.
1 Thessalonians 2:10
You are witnesses and so is God how holy [separated to God: expressing divine viewpoint] and uprightly [filling of the Spirit] and blamelessly [Did everything right] we were to you who believed.
ὑµεῖς µάρτυρες καὶ ὁ θεός, ὡς ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως καὶ ἀµέµπτως ὑµῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐγενήθηµεν,
The Pauline team had correct thinking, correct motivation, correct decisions and actions. A right thing done in a right way is right.
1 Thessalonians 2:11
Even as you know how we exhorted [to call someone to your side to help them either by a kind word or by censor] and comforted [ and to encourage] and charged [regarding responsibility] each one of you, as a father to his children,
καθάπερ οἴδατε ὡς ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑµῶν ὡς πατὴρ τέκνα ἑαυτοῦ
Paul and his team members taught the new believers their responsibilities regarding both the Laws of Establishment and the spiritual life just as a father would teach his son. In addition to charging these new believers regarding their responsibilities, there were times when they had to exhort, to encourage and even to censor.
1 Thessalonians 2:12
That you should walk worthy of God, who has called [election] you to His kingdom and glory.
παρακαλοῦντες ὑµᾶς καὶ παραµυθούµενοι καὶ µαρτυρόµενοι εἰς τὸ περιπατεῖν ὑµᾶς ἀξίως τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑµᾶς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν καὶ δόξαν.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also, we thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of hearing from us, you welcomed it as from God, not a word from men, but as it is, truly the Word of God, which also effectually works in you [spiritual energy in the soul from metabolized doctrine] by those who believe [faith perception].
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡµεῖς εὐχαριστοῦµεν τῷ θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως, ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς παρí ἡµῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὐ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλὰ καθώς ἐστιν ἀληθῶς λόγον θεοῦ, ὃς καὶ ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑµῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν.
The following chart with emphasis on Operation Z and the seven compartments of the stream of consciousness will explain in more detail the above verse.
DOCTRINE OF THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Metabolized Bible doctrine circulating in the seven compartments of the stream of consciousness creates two things. First, using a military expression, it creates a FLOT (forward line of troops) line in your soul. This is where you deploy the ten problem solving devices in order to establish a defensive perimeter around your stream of consciousness of your soul to prevent all of your enemies such as problems, difficulties, disasters catastrophes from penetrating into your soul and thereby causing stress. The ten problem solving devices include: rebound, the filling of the Holy Spirit, the faith-rest drill, grace orientation, doctrinal orientation, a personal sense of destiny, personal love for God, impersonal love for mankind, sharing the happiness of God, and occupation with Christ. Secondly, it produces a mirror in the soul from which mirror you can make an objective, accurate self-evaluation.
The Compartments of the Stream of Consciousness are as follows:
1. The Frame of Reference is the first compartment which is defined as the conceptual structure where concepts, principles and doctrines like pieces of a puzzle, are placed in their proper places to form the spiritual life of the Church Age. The frame of reference is where you have the giant computer system that puts new information into its proper area and correlates it with information, principles and doctrines you have previously learned. So, the Frame of Reference is always being updated.
2. From the Frame of Reference, the Holy Spirit then sends all this data to the second compartment namely the memory center. Whereas the frame of reference is the area of retention for metabolization of doctrine, the memory center is the area for recall. The memory center is the mechanism for circulating doctrine into the other compartments of the stream of consciousness. The memory center is an index to the rate of learning Bible doctrine. (Principle: the rate of learning must always exceed the rate of forgetting. When the rate of learning is greater than the rate of forgetting, the total quantity of metabolized doctrine increases both in your frame of reference and in your memory center. When the rate of forgetting is greater than the rate of learning, then the total quantity of metabolized doctrine decreases both in the frame of reference, memory center, and in circulation throughout the rest of your stream of consciousness.) Recall is necessary for the execution of the spiritual life so that in an instant of time you can come up with the right principle, the right answer to make the right moves. In summary, the memory center is the circulating link between the frame of reference and the other five compartments of the stream of consciousness. Lamentations 3:20-23, "Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me. This I recall in my thinking, therefore I have confidence. The unfailing love of the Lord indeed never ceases, for His compassions never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Psalm 119:16, "In your doctrines I will delight; I will not forget Your doctrine." 1 Corinthians 11:24, "And when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, 'This represents My body, which is a substitute for you; keep on doing this in remembrance of Me.'"
3. The third compartment is the Vocabulary Storage. You can never think beyond your remembered vocabulary, and you can never develop a system of knowledge without technical words etc. So, Vocabulary Storage is the location of all technical theological nomenclature, biblical metaphors, teaching acronyms through which Bible doctrine is classified and categorized. You must learn such vocabulary as rebound, faith-rest, dispensations, hypostatic union, protocol plan of God, portfolio of invisible assets, substitutionary spiritual death, common and efficacious grace, election and predestination, reciprocity, the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit and God the Son, the baptism of the Holy Spirit just to name a few. After salvation, the believer as a spiritual baby must learn a vocabulary by which to think, express, apply, and utilize Bible doctrine. You cannot think without vocabulary. Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were found and I ate them [positive volition], and Your words became for me a source of superabundance of happiness and a delight to my heart, because Your name was engraved in my soul, O Lord God of the armies." Moses made it clear that Bible doctrines are composed of words. Deuteronomy 8:3, "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, then He fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your ancestors know, that He might cause you to know that mankind does not live by food alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."
4. The fourth compartment is Categorical Storage where Biblical information is organized into its subject matter. By comparison of Scripture to Scripture, biblical subjects emerge and are brought together into divisions of doctrine, formed for the purpose of classification and utilization. Vocabulary and categorical storage are essential for understanding the mechanics of the spiritual life and causing spiritual advance. Can you imagine not understanding well the following doctrines such as dispensations, salvation, hypostatic union, logistical grace, and the angelic conflict just to mention a few doctrinal categories.
5. The fifth compartment is Conscience in which is stored norms and standards, and priorities related to the absolutes of Bible doctrine. The Greek word for conscience is suneidesis which means 'to know with an absolute standard.' The English word conscience comes from the Latin, consciari which means "to know with." Conscience is the mental faculty by which one distinguishes between right and wrong and motivates the believer under the Filling of the Spirit to do what is right and not to do what is wrong. Romans 2:15, "in that they show the work of the Law printed in their hearts, their conscience confirming the testimony, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending themselves." Accusing and defending oneself is the function of the norms and standards of the conscience of the believer. Acts 23:1, "And Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, 'Brethren, I have conducted myself as a citizen with a good conscience before God up to this day.'" Acts 24:16, "In view of this, I myself keep on doing my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." 1 Timothy 3:9, "but holding to the mystery doctrine with a clear conscience." We never have true happiness in our soul without a clear conscience. 1 Peter 2:19, "For this is grace, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly." 1 Peter 3:16, "and be having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, those who malign your good in Christ will be put to shame." The believer in reversionism destroys his conscience through scar tissue of the soul, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later periods of time [the hypostatic union, Church Age, and Tribulation] some [believers] will become apostate from doctrine, paying attention to deceitful spirits [false teachers] and doctrines of demons by means of hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience with a branding iron." The branding iron is scar tissue in the soul from rejection of the truth. Precedence from the humanity of Christ in the dispensation of the hypostatic union is taught in Hebrews 9:14, "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Metabolized doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness and its application purifies the conscience from dead works.
6. Momentum is the 6th compartment of the stream of consciousness which results in the execution of the unique spiritual life. Momentum comes from achieving the four objectives in the spiritual life; two are tactical and two are strategic. The first tactical objective is a personal sense of destiny which is tantamount to spiritual self-esteem. The first strategic objective is spiritual maturity which then becomes a tactical base from which the second strategic objective is taken namely maximum glorification of God. When Paul wrote 2 Timothy in 67 A.D., he had parlayed spiritual maturity into maximum glorification of God. In other words, through his phenomenal momentum, he had taken all his tactical and strategic objectives. 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the doctrine.” An analogy to spiritual momentum is found in 1 Peter 2:2, "Like newborn babies eagerly desire the unadulterated milk of the word, that by means of it you may grow as a result of salvation." 2 Peter 3:18, "but keep on growing in the sphere of grace and the knowledge about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." The major Greek verb in the momentum department is auxano which means "to grow". The minister communicates the truth as a part of the function of momentum as per Ephesians 4:15, "but communicating the truth associated with love, we may cause them to grow up with reference to the all things with reference to Him, who is the head, Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:3, "We ought always to give thanks to God concerning you, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith has fantastic growth, and the love of each one of you toward one another keeps on growing ever greater."
7. The Seventh or last compartment of the stream of consciousness is wisdom. Wisdom is the sphere for the application of metabolized doctrine to your experiences after salvation. Therefore, the wisdom compartment is directly connected to the execution of the unique spiritual life of the Church Age. The Hebrew word for wisdom is chakmah, the Greek is sophia. Proverbs 2:2, "Make your ear to concentrate on wisdom, apply your heart to understanding." Proverbs 2:10, "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge of doctrine will be pleasant to your soul." Proverbs 18:15, "The heart of the wise acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." Ephesians 1:7-8, "By whom we have redemption through His blood [propitiation, reconciliation and redemption], resulting in the forgiveness of our trespasses, on the basis of the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us by means of all wisdom and a way of thinking," The wealth of God is measured in terms of doctrine and wisdom in the soul. Colossians 1:9, "For this reason also, since the day we heard, we do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled up with knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."
See the Doctrine of the Ten Problems Solving Devices:
1 Thessalonians 2:14
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also have suffered these things by your own countrymen [primarily religious Jewish Thessalonians], even as they also by the Jews [the religious crowd in Jerusalem];
ὑµεῖς γὰρ µιµηταὶ ἐγενήθητε, ἀδελφοί, τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν οὐσῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπάθετε καὶ ὑµεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων συµφυλετῶν καθὼς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων,
The Jewish believers of the churches in Judea were the first ones to be persecuted by their own brethren. The Thessalonians suffered in the same manner from their Jewish countrymen (Acts 17:5-9). As the Jewish believers in Judea remained faithful so you remained faithful to the Lord by growing spiritually under persecution. First the Jewish Christians in Judea were ostracized by friends, relatives, and others in their periphery. When that didn’t work, their businesses were wiped out etc. and some were killed. All the same, they remained faithful. This was the example the Thessalonians did follow.
Religion:
1. Religion is Satan’s counterfeit for salvation and the spiritual life.
2. Religion is a part of Satan’s plan, a part of his strategy, his ace trump.
3. Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to mankind in history, it is a soul-destroyer for it epitomizes Satan’s policy of evil.
4. Religion is not the same as Christianity. All religions operate on a merit system and use human power and have no relationship with God. Christianity from day one is a grace relationship with God which relationship operates on grace and uses God’s power and when executed effectively leads to the most fantastic relationship of reciprocal love.
5. Therefore, religion and Christianity are opposing forces in the angelic conflict, they are antithetical and mutually exclusive.
6. In religion, man by man’s efforts seeks to gain the approbation of God through his works, power, talent, abilities etc. Hence, religion is always a form of reversionism under the influence of evil and always includes some system of legalism.
7. In Christianity, God seeks and finds man through the work of Christ, and from that time on it is strictly a matter of grace.
8. Christianity is a relationship with God through regeneration while religion is a relationship with Satan through reversionism.
1 Thessalonians 2:15
Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us [Paul and his team] and they [religious Jews] do not please God and in opposition to all men [who seek the truth],
τῶν καὶ τὸν κύριον ἀποκτεινάντων Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ ἡµᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων, καὶ θεῷ µὴ ἀρεσκόντων, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων,
The cosmic system is Satan's strategy as the ruler of this world to control believers as well as unbelievers. (However, our study will primarily deal with Satan’s strategy regarding believers.) Satan's cosmic system is composed of two separate power spheres namely Cosmic 1 and 2. Cosmic One is Satan's exploitation of believers through their own arrogance. Cosmic Two is Satan's propaganda to educate and promote antagonism toward anything related to God, or anyone learning or teaching His word. Cosmic one represents Satan's attitude from the time of his prehistoric fall up to the prehistoric angelic trial. Cosmic Two represents Satan's attitude from the time of Adam's fall in the garden to the end of the Millennium. Cosmic One emphasizes arrogance and subjectivity. Cosmic Two emphasizes antagonism and intolerance toward the plan, purpose, and will of God, as well as toward all Christians executing it. Thus, Cosmic One is Satan's philosophy in the prehistoric angelic conflict. Cosmic Two is Satan's philosophy in human history as the ruler of this world.
COSMIC ONE:
1. Emphasizes arrogance; preoccupation with self.
2. Targets the self-consciousness of soul.
3. Results in preoccupation and obsession with self to the exclusion of God and man.
4. Emphasizes self in contrast to God and objective reality.
5. Represents Satan's attitude at the time of his prehistoric fall.
6. Represents Satan's philosophy in the prehistoric angelic conflict when he was obsessed with self in maximum arrogance.
7. The believer in cosmic one assumes the arrogance of Satan in the pre-historic angelic conflict.
8. The believer is a slave to self.
COSMIC TWO:
1. Emphasizes animosity, hatred, antagonism toward God, and His plan.
2. Results in antagonism toward Christ as the living Word and doctrine as the written Word.
3. Stresses human viewpoint over Divine viewpoint.
4. Represents Satan's attitude from the time of man's historical fall to the end of human history.
5. Represents Satan's philosophy as ruler of this world after the fall of man. For this reason, he is obsessed with destroying the plan of God.
6. The believer in cosmic two becomes inculcated with the antagonism of Satan and so becomes a slave to Satan.
Ephesians 2:2, "in which sphere [in spiritual death] you formerly walked [as an unbeliever] according to the lifestyle of this cosmos [Satan’s cosmic system], according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit [Satan] who is now operational [working via Cosmic 1 & 2] in the sons of disobedience [believers not executing the spiritual life]."
The religious Jews who lived during Christ’s 1st Advent did not understand Christ since they rejected revelation from God. Certainly today, cosmic unbelievers and cosmic Christians cannot understand the Christian who is advancing in the spiritual life and executing God’s plan though a Christian can understand those in Satan’s cosmic system through the Word of God.
Gate 7 of Cosmic 2: Religion
Christianity and religion are antithetical. In Christianity, God saves mankind through personal faith in Jesus Christ. In religion, man seeks to impress God with his works. Religion can be classified as the devil's ace trump. For religion has been invented by Satan to counterfeit God's plan, purpose, and will for mankind, to blind the unbeliever from the gospel and to divert the believer from the execution of the protocol plan of God for the Church Age. Religion is part of the devil's strategy in being "like the Most-High God," as stated in Isaiah 14:14. Christianity is not a religion, but an eternal relationship with God through personal faith in Christ. In religion, Homo sapiens seek the approbation of God through good deeds, human merit, and various categories of works. Religion reflects the evil genius of Satan, whereas Christianity represents the perfect integrity of God combined with His grace policy.
For deceit and error to be carried out effectively, Satan has devised a system of counterfeits which are the counterfeits of religion such as:
1. Gospel, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers [through religion, philosophy etc.], so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
2. Ministers, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (14) Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? (15) Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.”
3. Communion table, 1 Corinthians 10:19-21, “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything? (20), No, I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I do not desire you to become fellow worshippers with demons. (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
4. Doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:1, “But the Spirit [the Holy Spirit is the teacher of Bible doctrine] explicitly teaches that in latter periods of time [between the 1st and 2nd Advents namely the Church Age and the Tribulation] some [believers] will withdraw from doctrine, concentrating on deceitful spirits [demon telepathy via black-out of the soul] and doctrines from demons [involvement in Cosmic 1 & 2].”
5. Spirituality, Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians who has hypnotized you [and put a spell on you with an evil eye]? Before [salvation] whose eyes [the mind’s eye of the Galatians namely through perception could understand and even visualize the crucifixion, and so believed] Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. (2) This only I desire to learn from you: did you receive the [Filling of the] Spirit by the works of the Law or by hearing of faith [after they believed in Christ, they received the Filling of the Spirit]? (3) Are you so stupid that having begun in the sphere of the [Filling of the] Spirit [using divine power], are you now being brought to completion by the flesh [using human power out of fellowship to advance spiritually]?
6. System of righteousness, Matthew 19:16-22, “Now behold a man came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to obtain eternal life?” (17) And He replied to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good [What good shall I do]? There is only one [Jesus] who is good. If you desire to enter into [eternal] life [through your righteousness], and you do, then keep the commandments [impossible]. (18) The man inquired, “Which ones?” Jesus replied, “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness [in court]; (19) you shall honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (20) And the young man answered, “All these, I have guarded. What do I still lack?” (21) And Jesus said to him, “If you desire to be perfect [through works] and you do [though it is impossible], go and sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven then [return] here [after you realize that you are not perfect] and follow Me [in regeneration]. (22) After the young man heard the instruction, he departed grieving for he possessed a lot of property.”
7. False gods. All throughout history people have and will worship demons as gods. In the latter half of the Great Tribulation the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will be worshiped as a god. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way since it [the Day of the Lord: the Tribulation and 2nd Advent] will not come unless the departure [Rapture], and the man who is lawless [anti-establishment] shall be revealed, the son of perdition [doomed to destruction], (4) who opposes [the Lord Jesus Christ] and exalts himself above every so called god, or object of worship, so that he is installed in the temple of God [the Jewish temple of the Tribulation], proclaiming himself to be god.”
8. Power (dynamics), 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, “And then [after the Rapture] the lawless one [dictator of the revived Roman Empire] will be revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy with the breath of His mouth [the least power of God] in fact he shall neutralize him by the very appearance of His coming [2nd Advent], (9) the dictator whose presence [in history] shall be according to the modus operandi of Satan with all power and by means of miraculous signs even wonder- miracles of the lie.” Satan promotes him by means of power and miracles.
9. Way of life, Matthew 23:13-36: In this passage, the Pharisees emphasized the external condition of a person and ignored the internal condition. They emphasized taboos and outward morality. They ignored internal sins which made external righteousness a sham. Their outside was clean = morality and taboos, but their inside was filthy = mental sins and lusts.
Religion is Satan's strategy for distracting Homo sapiens from the three categories of truth. First, are the laws of divine establishment as taught in the Mosaic Law. Religion seeks to become the state and once it is in power, it attacks human freedom. Also, the union of religion and state is a major attack on human freedom. Second, is the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Religion distorts salvation through many diverse systems of salvation by works, and third is Bible doctrine for the believer. Religion substitutes false doctrine (or the "doctrine of demons," 2 Timothy 4:1) for truth. Religion sets up a system of works and ritual to replace the protocol plan of God.
Religion motivates and produces, through false teachers, every category of evil, violence, terrorism, and murder to force people into their religion which is not only characterized by the doctrine of demons (2 Timothy 4:1), but it has both false teachers and false prophets to communicate this information. There are at least five characteristics of false teachers in the Church Age.
1. False teachers are masters of hypocrisy. They use a phony facade, first exposed by our Lord in Matthew 7:15, “Beware (constantly be on your guard) of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” and further developed by Paul in Romans 16:18, “For such believers do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own emotions, and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the right lobes of the unsuspecting [those ignorant of truth].” Behind a public relations-facade, false teachers use legalism to convert their victims to religion, Galatians 4:17-18, “They [Judaisers] zealously affect [seek or woo] you [into legalism], not well [not honestly] yes, they wish to exclude you [this means they wish to separate you from me, so that I can’t woo you with grace] in order that you might affect [court or woo] them. (18) But it is good always to be properly courted [by good Bible teachers] in an honorable manner, and not only when I am present with you.”
2. False Teachers flatter their victim, making them feel wanted and appeals to victim’s pride. 2 Timothy 3:5-7 “Holding to a superficial form [outward appearance] of the spiritual life, but they themselves have disregarded its power; avoid such ones as these. (6) For among them are those [immoral Christian men] who creep into homes [slyly enter the homes] and seduce [captivate] silly women [morally weak women because there is no doctrine in their souls] who are overwhelmed by their sins and are carried away by various lusts. (7) Always learning [these women], but they are never able to come to an epignosis knowledge of the truth.”
3. False teachers promote idolatry as a part of the devil's communion table, Habakkuk 2:18-19, “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. (19) Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.” 1 Corinthians 10:19-22, “What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? (20) No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become a sharer in demons. (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord [the Communion table requires fellowship] and the cup of demons [demon influence: living in the cosmic system]; therefore, you cannot partake of the table of the Lord [the Eucharist for this worship requires the spiritual life] and the table of demons [demon influence].”
4. False teachers promote self-righteousness, to include legalism, personality arrogance, authority arrogance, crusader arrogance, and works arrogance, 1 Timothy 1:6-7, “From which some men [pastors] have deviated [apostasy through reversionism]. They themselves have turned aside to ineffective teaching desiring to be teachers of the Law. (7) Since they do not understand either what they are teaching or concerning the things about which they speak dogmatically.
5. False teachers continue to operate throughout the Church Age, as this is the intensified period of the angelic conflict, 1 John 4:1-6, “Beloved, do not believe every personality, but test the person to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have come out into the world. (2) By this you know the person of God: every person [pneuma] that confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. (3) and every person that does not confess Jesus is from God: this is the person of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it is already in the world. (4) You are from God, little children and have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (5) They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. (6). We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the person of truth and the person of error.”
1 Thessalonians 2:16
Forbidding us to speak to the gentiles that they might be saved, with the result that they always fill up [a cup] with their sins [and persecutions]; but the wrath [of God] has come upon them to the uttermost.
κωλυόντων ἡµᾶς τοῖς ἔθνεσιν λαλῆσαι ἵνα σωθῶσιν, εἰς τὸ ἀναπληρῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ἁµαρτίας πάντοτε. ἔφθασεν δὲ ἐπí αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος.
The word “fill up” here means to fill up a cup, and they fill up the cup with their sins and then they drink from that cup poisoning themselves with lust. This is a very apt analogy, for any group of people that seeks to gain control of other people through intimidation, torture, murder or through any other means will suffer the consequences of insatiable lust. On top of that, they will be judged by the justice of the Lord, “for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”
1 Thessalonians 2:17
But, my brothers, when we were taken away from you [I was bereaved of you] for an hour's time, in presence, not in heart, more abundantly we were eager with much desire to see your face.
Ἡµεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, ἀπορφανισθέντες ἀφí ὑµῶν πρὸς καιρὸν ὥρας, προσώπῳ οὐ καρδίᾳ, περισσοτέρως ἐσπουδάσαµεν τὸ πρόσωπον ὑµῶν ἰδεῖν ἐν πολλῇ ἐπιθυµίᾳ
This tells us that Paul hated to leave Thessalonica. They responded so beautifully to the Word of God. They took in doctrine in such a wonderful manner so that it was difficult for Paul and his team to leave. This was great Christian fellowship between the teachers of the Word and the recipients both enjoying the Word together.
1 Thessalonians 2:18
Therefore, we desired to come to you, truly I, Paul, both once and twice; but Satan hindered us.
διότι ἠθελήσαµεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑµᾶς, ἐγὼ µὲν Παῦλος καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δίς, καὶ ἐνέκοψεν ἡµᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς
Since the Thessalonian Christians were so eager to learn the spiritual life from Paul, he eagerly wanted to return to teach them further. It was a wonderful relationship. Satan understanding this mutual love for doctrine and so on two different occasions prevented Paul from returning to Thessalonica for Satan does not want a communicator to teach and the congregation to learn doctrine.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
For who is our confidence [believers completing the spiritual life is the basis of the pastor having confidence that he will receive the Crown of Glory] or happiness [related to the Crown of Glory], or crown of boasting [glory] - Is it not you [major contributors to our receiving this crown] in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming [the Crown of Glory will be distributed shortly after the Rapture of the Church]? (20) For you are our glory and happiness.
τίς γὰρ ἡµῶν ἐλπὶς ἢ χαρὰ ἢ στέφανος καυχήσεως - ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὑµεῖς - ἔµπροσθεν τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ; (20) ὑµεῖς γάρ ἐστε ἡ δόξα ἡµῶν καὶ ἡ χαρά.
The Crown of Glory:
1.The Crown of Glory is awarded to pastors (in the past other communicators such as the apostles) who faithfully study and communicate Bible doctrine to their congregation. The size of the congregation never has anything to do with the evaluation of the pastor.
2. The motivation for the pastor is occupation with the Lord. 1 Peter 5:2-4, “Shepherd the flock of God with you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily on the basis of the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with a ready mentality; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears [Rapture], you will receive the unfading Crown of Glory.”
3. Philippians 4:1 personalizes this concept. “Therefore, my brethren, loved ones [congregation who is respected for their faithfulness], deeply desired ones, my happiness, and my crown [of Glory], keep on being stabilized [in doctrine].”
4. The pastor’s boasting or crown of glory is based on certain members of his congregation reaching spiritual maturity and taking Evidence Testing. The pastor can boast about these believers who utilized the power of God and fulfill the spiritual life.
There are four categories of pastors in the Church Age. The cosmic pastor who lives in cosmic one and cosmic two and is distracted by social action, crusader arrogance, and is totally disoriented to reality. He is very arrogant, self-righteous, and ignorant of Bible doctrine. Then there is the baby pastor who emphasizes his own personality while de-emphasizing the Word of God. All he does is evangelize and gives little moral lectures. Third, there is the adolescent pastor who teaches some truth but is distracted by various forms of high profile. He is selling his own personality (rather than teaching doctrine) by visiting the sick, calling on the congregation, and conducting programs, and obviously has no time to study. He can be a pseudo-intellectual, a crusader, a bleeding heart-liberal, and or a self-righteous legalist with a pleasing personality. He appeals to those with negative volition toward Bible doctrine. Finally, the mature pastor who through personal study and teaching advances to maturity and is leading his congregation there. He emphasizes doctrine and is a prepared person academically, knowing where he stands theologically. He focuses on the message, not his personality.
