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
Herod the Great
Written by: Max Klein
The man and his dynasty
The Biblical account of King Herod the Great illustrates an evil person desperate to continue his dynasty even to the point of murdering innocent children. However, historical records reveal that in his earlier years Herod had been a great king, loyal to his friends, talented, and pro-Semitic. As he determinedly held on to his crown the stresses upon his soul (from both the inside and outside) became so great that he became increasingly mad. There was a good reason why Herod was called great before he became a murdering tyrant for he had proved himself as a genius in business, in engineering, and in the arena of politics and diplomacy. He was an inventor, a world champion wrestler, a great soldier and one of the greatest conversationalist in the world at that time as well as one of the greatest horsemen and hunters of his day, and had killed more lions and other wild game than anyone at that time. Physically, he was described as being tall, strong and athletic; he had small ears, a well molded nose, black hair, brown eyes and golden skin. Is there any doubt why he received the appellation, “Herod the Great?”
How he came to Power:
John Hyrcanus (134-104) of the Hasmonean (Maccabean) dynasty conquered Samaria, part of Galilee and Idumaea, the Arab region of which Herod's father, Antipater lived at that time. After the death of John Hyrcanus his two sons ruled: Aristobolus I for about one year, and then his brother, Alexander Jannaeus 103-76 BC. After the death of the unprincipled Jannaeus, his wife, Salome Alexandra became queen of what was then known as Judea. She ruled for nine years until 67 BC (a brief golden age) at which time she was strangled by her younger son, Aristobulus II, after which civil war occurred between Salome's two sons, the ambitious and evil Aristobolus II, and the weak Hyrcanus II supported by Antipater the Idumean, the father of Herod.
The Edomites lived in southern Palestine, namely Idumaea between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba for about 400 years before the time of the Hasmoneans. Josephus explains that Antipater’s family converted to Judaism (the main requirement being circumcision) during the forced conversions (convert or lose your land holdings) by the Hasmonean ruler, John Hyrcanus. Having converted to Judaism, Antipater and family were permitted to enter into Jewish politics. In this way, Antipater became a powerful official under the Hasmoneans.
Before the Roman general, Pompey moved into the Middle East, Aristobolus II was at war with his brother, Hyrcanus II who was being supported financially and militarily by Antipater. When the Romans advanced into the Middle East, Aristobolus II and Antipater via Hyrcanus II both sought the support of the Roman general, Pompey for it would be this Roman general who would decide the leadership of Judea under Roman dominance. After interviewing both the ambitious Aristobolus II and Antipater, the father of Herod, Pompey came to the conclusion that Antipater was a man that Rome could trust. However, Aristobolus II rejected that decision and so took up a defensive position in Jerusalem against the Romans. However, after a three month siege, Pompey stormed the well-fortified temple area, and Judaea fell into his hands. While Aristobulus II was taken to Rome in captivity, the weak Hyrcanus II was made the high-priest and given titular leadership of Judea (Antipater, the father of Herod possessed the real power).
Desiring even greater power and influence in Rome, Pompey maneuvered with the Senate to strip Caesar of his army and power. Caesar, realizing this betrayal, disregarded Pompey and the Senate and crossed the Rubicon with his army in January of 49 BC. Crossing the Rubicon meant civil war with Pompey and the Senate. Realizing this, Caesar remarked as he was about to cross, “The die has been cast.” Herod being a genius and a good military man himself realized that Caesar was by far the greater general. Even so, both he and his father provided financial support for their friend, Pompey (Antipater and Herod believed strongly in the principle of loyalty, and so they always remained loyal both to Rome and to their friends). After Pompey was ignominiously defeated by Caesar in 48 BC at the Battle of Pharsalus, Antipater and Herod found themselves in a difficult political situation: they had supported the defeated enemies of Caesar and now risked losing all the power and privileges they had previously enjoyed.
However, soon after, an opportunity to resolve this difficulty occurred. In 48 BC, Caesar had entered Egypt with a force of only 4000 soldiers and soon found himself surrounded by 20,000 Egyptian soldiers. Antipater and Herod immediately raised an army and rescued Caesar. In gratitude, Caesar made Antipater the procurator of Judea, while also bestowing Roman citizenship upon Antipater and his heirs. Just when all was going well for Antipater and Herod, Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC, followed a year later by the assassination of Antipater himself. The assassination of Caesar in 44 BC brought about civil war in Rome. Eventually, Caesar’s nephew (Octavian, also known as Augustus), and Caesar’s cavalry commander (Mark Anthony) joined forces to defeat the two armies led by Brutus and Cassius, two of the men responsible for the assassination of Julius Caesar. This took place at the Battle of Philippi in October of 42 BC. Herod, who had been an old friend of Cassius, had supported him financially in this war against Octavian and Mark Anthony (a more recent friend of Herod). This was the second time that Herod had helped finance the losing side of a civil war in Rome. Again Herod was placed in a difficult political situation with the Romans. Fortunately for Herod, there was a power struggle between Octavian and Mark Anthony and a number of others which meant that the Romans had no time to deal with Herod. Then in October of 41 BC the Peace of Brundisium took place between Octavian and Mark Anthony. By this agreement, Octavian was given the western portion of the empire and Anthony was given the eastern portion. Though Herod and his brother, Phasael had supported Cassius, Mark Anthony recognized Herod as a loyal and brilliant ruler who could be trusted. So, Mark Anthony made Herod and his brother joint rulers over Palestine. However, the Parthian invasion soon removed this joint rule over Judea. Instability in Rome and the lack of truth and humility in the souls of the Jewish people at that time led to dissatisfaction and unrest. So, Antigonus, Hasmonean the son of Aristobulus II took advantage of this situation and conspired with the Parthians to overthrow the Roman government in the Middle East. As a result of this conspiracy, the Parthians invaded in 40 BC and overran the provinces of Syria and Judea. Antigonus was established as a priest-king in Jerusalem. During this invasion Phasael was caught and murdered, and Herod barely escaped to Rome. In Rome, Herod sought the favor of Octavius and Mark Anthony who declared him the new King of the Jews, and provided him with a Roman army to drive out the Parthians which he finally did after 3 difficult years of fighting.
It was now 37 BC and Herod had only five years to relax before another major civil would occur in Rome. This war would be between the western part of the Roman Empire, ruled by Octavian Caesar, and the eastern part of the Roman Empire led by Mark Anthony. Again Herod found himself in a very difficult situation. Whom should he support? The decision to support Mark Anthony was based upon his strong belief in loyalty. So, when Mark Anthony was defeated at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Herod found himself allied with the losing side for the third time in his political career, and yet again in danger of losing his kingdom. After the battle, Octavian went to Rhodes to refit his ships so Herod sailed to Rhodes to confront Octavian and again seek his kind favor. Octavian granted him reconciliation, allowing Herod to maintain his position as king of the Jews, and the two became friends for life. To Rome and to his friends, Herod always remained loyal.
As an Entrepreneur:
He was in control of much trade that existed between east and west for at that
time he had as many as 100 caravans. Though Herod became very wealthy, he was not stingy with his wealth. On three different occasion during times of civil war, he supplied large sums of money first to Pompey, then to Cassius and finally to Mark Anthony. Furthermore, since there was a famine in Palestine in 25 BC, Herod fed the Jews for a year or so with Egyptian grain. This he purchased with some tax money, but mostly with his own funds. Around this time the Olympian Games had become defunct in Rome. So, he restarted these games paying for the first two with his own fortune.
As an Engineer and Builder:
As the greatest engineer and builder of his age (many say that he was the
greatest builder in all of world history), he built not only the city of Caesarea, but its man-made harbor as well which became one of the two greatest harbors in the Roman Empire (the harbor alone was such an engineering marvel that some said it should have been the 8th wonder of the world). In order to secure water for his new city, he had to construct an aqueduct bringing water from the foothills of Mount Carmel, not a simple feat. In this new city he built many buildings including a beautiful amphitheater with near perfect acoustics and hippodrome for chariot races. On Mount Zion he built the famous Temple of Herod which is referenced many times in the New Testament. On this mount on which the Temple would be constructed, Herod built the largest man-made platform ever built even up to this time. Furthermore the retaining wall around the temple-mount took 10,000 men 10 years to build. It was said of this temple, “He who has not seen Herod’s building has never seen in his life a truly grand building” (Talmud-Bava Basra 4a). According to Josephus, it depicted “the whole vista of the heavens.” He also wrote: “Viewed from without, the Sanctuary had everything that could amaze either mind or eye. Overlaid all round with stout plates of gold, the first rays of the sun it reflected so fierce a blaze of fire that those who endeavored to look at it were forced to turn away as if they had looked straight at the sun. To strangers as they approached it seemed in the distance like a mountain covered with snow; for any part not covered with gold was dazzling white . . .” (The Jewish War, p. 305). Herod not only constructed this magnificent temple in Jerusalem, but also built a hippodrome, a theater, amphitheater (28 BC) as well as a sewage system. He rebuilt Samaria (27 BC) and renamed it Sebaste and started many building projects in the Galilee area as well which provided many contracting opportunities for Joseph, the building contractor. In Judea he built many palaces and numerous fortresses including Antonia, Herodium and Fort Masada which continues to awe people even today. Outside of Judea he built many structures in Sparta, Athens and Rhodes etc.
Desired to have a good relationship with the Jews:
Herod’s rule was characterized by tremendous growth and construction by his
obsession for massive and elaborate building projects which provided tens of
thousands of jobs for the Jewish people and great opportunities for the Jewish
entrepreneurs. In order not to offend the Jews, he never had a statue made or a picture painted in his image (Exodus 20:4). In vain Herod tried to win over the Jews, by contributing large sums of his personal money in time of famine, but to no avail, and though he was a legal convert to Judaism, he was never accepted by the religious hierarchy as a fellow member of Judaism. In an extraordinary attempt to win over the Jewish religious hierarchy, he built the most magnificent temple the world has ever seen. Augustus Caesar and Herod’s friend, Agrippa said, “Herod’s realm was far too small for his liberality.”
As a Madman:
In 29 BC Herod puts Mariamne, the only woman he ever loved on trial on a
trumped-up charge of adultery. She was found guilty and executed. At that time
Mariamne was 25 and had born him 5 children after 7 years of marriage. Alexandra, Mariamne’s mother declared Herod mentally unfit to rule and so declared herself queen and was swiftly executed by Herod without a trial. The following year Herod executed his brother-in-law, Kostobar for conspiracy. In 6 BC., Herod accuses his two favorite son, Alexander and Aristobulos, his sons from Mariamne, the Hasmoneas, of conspiracy. Because of his paranoia, he believed false rumors about them, and so they were removed from life. This left Antipater, his eldest son as his heir whom he also killed just five days before his death. Circa 5 BC, he ordered the death of all boys two and under to be killed in and around the Bethlehem area (Matthew 2:16)). Also about this time, there were a couple of Pharisees who did not like the Roman Golden Eagle hanging over the temple gate so they persuaded forty young men to tear it down. Herod’s troops caught these men and even though Herod was dying, he crawled into court and unto his throne and sentenced them to death. To make it interesting, they were killed in different way: some by bow and arrow, some by decapitation, some were dropped into boiling oil, several were hung, several crucified, some rolled over a fire like a rotisserie. Since these were some of the key young men of the land, the word got around that even though Herod was dying, he was still very much in control. Then while he was dying, he ordered all the Jewish nobility to be locked into the hippodrome and for the building to be burned down at his death.
The madman tries to kill the humanity of Jesus. Circa 4 BC a fraternity of scientists, chemists, physicists, astronomers, astrologers etc., possibly numbering a hundred or so, came to Jerusalem to worship the One descended from the family of David, the One born to be the king of the Jews.
Being a very old and famous fraternity having their beginning among the Medes,
Persians and Chaldeans, they were given an audience with King Herod. To Herod’s shock and consternation they announced that the rightful heir to the throne of David had been born. Herod by contrast was not born into his royalty, but a royalty that he and his father had fought hard to achieve. Now, he was coming to the end of his life and so wanted to establish a lasting dynasty. Nothing would prevent him from securing his throne for his offspring. So, he, after careful interrogation of both the magi and Jewish theologians in Jerusalem, ascertained the exact age and location of this one named Jesus and sought to kill him.
All during Herod’s life, he faced tremendous pressure and stress. This stress
eventually produced mental illness in Herod and possible had an effect on his physical health as well. So, toward the last few years of his life, ancient historians described his illness as rapid mood changes, delusions of persecutions, uncontrolled outbursts, hypertensive cerebral attacks, attempted suicide, heart and kidney function deteriorated, poisons accumulated in the blood stream. His mouth had become ulcerated, his breath foul, constant pains in the stomach accompanied by near constant diarrhea for the last three years of his life; his scrotum had become gangrenous and filled with maggots.
The Dynasty of Herod the Great:
At his death, his kingdom was split into two tetrarchies and one ethnarchy.
Antipas and Philip II both received a tetrarchy while Archelaus received an ethnarchy. Antipas’ domain was composed of both Galilee and Perea. Since Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a city of Galilee he lived under the jurisdiction of Antipas. This explains why Pontius Pilot sent Jesus Christ to Herod Antipas for trial and sentencing, but when the Lord would not entertain him with miracles, Antipas sent him back to Pilot. Since Perea was located on the east side of the southern portion of the Jordan River, Antipas also had jurisdiction over John the Baptizer. On one occasion, John questioned how Antipas could rule the Jewish people and at the same time be in violation of the Jewish laws regarding marriage. This offended Herodias who had eloped with Antipas while being the wife of Philip I. For this reason, Herodias conspired to have John the Baptist executed. On the other hand, Philip II benevolently ruled his lands north and east of Galilee and remained in power until his death in 34 AD. His tetrarchy consisted of Syrians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs and a few Jewish people. Archelaus, the full brother of Antipas, was given half of Herod’s kingdom, an ethnarchy (ruler of a nation) consisting of Samaria, Judea and Idumea. Archelaus had a reputation for great cruelty and this fact was known by Joseph. So, when Joseph had come out of Egypt he decided not to return to Bethlehem, a city in the ethnarchy of Archelaus but to live in the tetrarchy of Antipas the Fox, a nickname given to him by the Lord himself. Both Archelaus and Antipas were removed by Roman Emperors: In 6 AD Archelaus was removed by Octavian for murdering too many of his subjects, and Antipas was removed by Caligula in 39AD for allegedly conspiring against Rome. Archelaus was banished to a pathetic little town on the other side of the Alps, Vienna Gaul (France); Antipas and Herodias to Lyons, Gaul another undesirable town not far from Vienna.
The next two rulers were the grandson and great grandson of Herod, Agrippa I followed by his son Agrippa II. These two rulers affected the lives of the apostles where the first three, Antipas, Archelaus and Philip affected the lives of Joseph, John the Baptists and the Lord Jesus Christ. Agrippa I, not a friend of the Emperor Tiberius, found himself in a Roman Dungeon in 36 AD. Fortunately for him, Tiberius died the very next year. Caligula the next ruler and close friend of Agrippa I not only released him from prison, but also gave him the former tetrarch of Philip II. Galilee was added to his domain by Caligula after the banishment of Antipas in 39 AD. When Caligula was assassinated in 41 AD, Agrippa I was in Rome and upon his recommendation to the Senate, Claudius was made the next Roman Empire. In gratitude, Claudius gave Agrippa also the lands of Samaria and Judea. As a result of all of these acquisitions, Agrippa I ruled about the same domain as did Herod the Great. However, it was about this time that Agrippa I murdered James, the brother of John and tried to provide the same fate for Peter.
Justice sometimes comes quickly as it did in his case for in 44 AD when he was in Caesarea and there receiving the adulation of being a god, he was struck down by a death angel of the Lord. He was the last powerful ruler of Herod’s dynasty. When Herod of Chalcis, a brother of Agrippa I died, Agrippa II, the son of Agrippa I was given Chalcis, a small area between Phoenicia and Syria and responsibility over the temple and priesthood. In 53 AD Claudius also gave him the former kingdom of Philip II. When Nero succeeded Claudius, he added some other small properties to Agrippa’s domain. The temple in Jerusalem was both completed (63 AD) and destroyed (70 AD) during his reign. It was this last Agrippa that Paul had met for Paul was not only well known among the Christian community but also was known by all the important people in the Roman Empire. This being the case Festus, the Roman governor of Judea arranged for Agrippa II to meet Paul while he was imprisoned in Caesarea circa 60AD. Paul used this opportunity to present the gospel to Agrippa II, but to no avail.
