MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Gospel of Matthew: Chapter Two
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
While the Bible does not reveal the date of Jesus‟ birth, it is probable that God ordained the 25th of December as this coincides with the Feast of Lights, also called the Feast of Dedication. This was a Jewish military holiday commemorating the conclusion of the Maccabean Wars and the rededication of the temple after victory against the Greek invaders in 164 B. C. After cleansing the temple on that day, the Jews worshipped and celebrated until January 1st. Sometime after the birth of Jesus (from six months to a year later) a fraternity of scholars from the ancient land of the Medes, possibly with a hundred or so people in the entourage, came to Jerusalem to worship the one born the king of the Jews. Being a very old and famous fraternity which had existed continuously throughout the times of the Medes, Persians, Chaldeans, and at that time the Parthians, 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 (Matthew 2:2). Herod, by contrast, was not born into his royalty, but with his father had attained royalty through hard fought military and diplomatic means. Now, he was coming to the end of his life and was willing to do anything, even murder innocent young children, to establish a lasting dynasty in his name. So, after careful and separate interrogation of both the Magi and Jewish theologians in Jerusalem, Herod ascertained the age and location of the one born, ‘King of the Jews’ in order that he might remove this threat to his dynasty.
The Magi were astronomers, astrologers, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and explored all areas of medicine. In other words, they were ‘wise men’. During the time of the Babylonian captivity, Daniel had been made a member of the Magi and had been elevated to become their president (Daniel 2:48). This was considered highly unusual for a Jew, for the Magi were strictly a gentile fraternity, though his acceptance and ascension through their ranks would have been facilitated by Daniel being given a Gentile name and educated under the Chaldean system. We must assume that at some stage in their history they had been told (presumably by Daniel, having been given a prophecy regarding this matter) of a particular star that would appear at the time of the birth of the Messiah. When their astronomers informed them of this sign that the king had been born they set out for Jerusalem. It is possible that the entire fraternity came along.
Matthew 2:2
Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; εἴδοµεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθοµεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ.
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw [calculated that this was] His star in the east [in the land of the ancient Medes] and have come to worship Him.”
The Magi came over a thousand miles to worship the King of the Jews, yet the Jewish religious leaders, now having been made aware of His birth, did not even bother to travel five miles to investigate the matter. As for Herod, he had worked very hard to acquire this kingdom and to win over the hearts and minds of the Jewish people. So, even though most still despised him and though no gentile fraternity had come to worship him, nor had any star declared his kingdom, he was not about to hand it over to someone born king of the Jews.
Matthew 2:3
ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρῴδης ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσόλυµα µετ’ αὐτοῦ,
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled [under a lot of pressure and stress], and all Jerusalem with him.
You should recall that at this time, Herod was suffering from both physical and mental illness and so was not a happy man. Consequently, this news only put greater pressure on him. With the dramatic entry of the Magi into the city the word would have spread to ‘all Jerusalem’ very quickly. Upon hearing this news, the religious leadership of Jerusalem was stressed-out since they were very corrupt and involved in a lot of evil activity which they did not want stopped. The Jewish masses were enslaved in their souls to this religious system, and as such were devoid of truth and ignorant of God’s plan. Without truth they would not be able to evaluate correctly the report of the Magi; furthermore ignorance fears what it cannot understand. So, quite naturally, they would be upset as well.
Matthew 2:4
καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραµµατεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο παρ’ αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται.
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he kept on inquiring of them [the progressive imperfect vividly draws a picture] where the Christ [Messiah] was born.
The Chief priests and scribes were the religious leaders, and so knew all the verses containing information regarding the Messiah, yet none of them went to Bethlehem to investigate; they had no interest in truth. Religious people are never interested in learning about God and His truth since they adhere to a religious system of trying to gain the approbation of God through works. In their self-righteous arrogance they placed themselves in total opposition to God’s grace plan.
Matthew 2:5-6
οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, Ἐν Βηθλέεµ τῆς Ἰουδαίας· οὕτως γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· (6) Καὶ σύ, Βηθλέεµ γῆ Ἰούδα, οὐδαµῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεµόσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούµενος, ὅστις ποιµανεῖ τὸν λαόν µου τὸν Ἰσραήλ.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for in this way, it has been written by the prophet: (6) “And you Bethlehem, Land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah for out of you shall come forth a ruler [the Messiah] who will shepherd my people Israel.” [Micah 5:2]
The good shepherd must be willing to die for his sheep. During the first advent, Jesus suffered substitutionary spiritual death (while being separated from fellowship with the Father, he was punished for the sins of mankind) in order that He might gather His sheep and rule over them at His second advent, the Millennial reign of Christ.
Matthew 2:7
Τότε Ἡρῴδης λάθρᾳ καλέσας τοὺς µάγους ἠκρίβωσεν παρ’ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινοµένου ἀστέρος,
Then, Herod secretly having called the Magi [after he had inquired of the Jewish leadership about the place of birth] he ascertained from them the [exact] time of the appearing star [from this information, Herod was able to determine the age of Christ].
Herod is now putting two and two together. Upon hearing from the Magi of the birth of the Christ, he had them wait separately while he garnered as much information as he could from the Jewish high priests and theologians. They probably gave him an extensive development of the story, but only a part is recorded for us, that which is quoted from Micah 5:2. Herod cleverly keeps the two groups separated so that neither group would come to know his plan to murder the new born child. Now that he has the information obtained from the high priests and scribes, he calls the Magi back. So, he relayed the information about the Messiah’s location to the Magi and sent them on their way.
Matthew 2:8
καὶ πέµψας αὐτοὺς εἰς Βηθλέεµ εἶπεν, Πορευθέντες ἐξετάσατε ἀκριβῶς περὶ τοῦ παιδίου· ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε ἀπαγγείλατέ µοι, ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ.
And having sent them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully for the child, and when you have found him, report to me in order that I too may come and worship him.”
Herod playing the cunning fox decided not to go himself, but to commission these magi to locate the Messiah for him. He felt that through the use of his cavalry patrols and his forts for signaling, he would not lose sight of these Magi even if they should try to betray him. (Of the eleven forts which Herod had built, four of them were around Jerusalem and one of them, Fort Herodian was
just four miles southeast of Bethlehem.)
Matthew 2:9
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπορεύθησαν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὃν εἶδον ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ προῆγεν αὐτοὺς ἕως ἐλθὼν ἐστάθη ἐπάνω οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον.
After hearing the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star which they had seen in the east [This enabled them to plot the direction] went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.
This is the first time they have seen the star since they had seen it in the East. After seeing it in the East, knowing its course, they were able to plot the direction to Jerusalem which confirmed to them that the King of the Jews had been born. Once in Jerusalem, they still required more details in order to locate the child. Micah 5:2 provided the details they needed in order to continue their quest for the King of the Jews. At some point as they approached Bethlehem, they located the star again which they then followed to the exact location of the house that Joseph and Mary were now staying in.
Matthew 2:10
ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν µεγάλην σφόδρα.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great happiness.
This does not mean that they were all believers for when they had first arrived in Jerusalem they announced they had come to worship ‘the King of the Jews’ – there was no mention of worshiping the one who would save them from their sins. Undoubtedly, some were believers and some were not, though they all recognized that a great future king had been born.
Matthew 2:11
καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἶδον τὸ παιδίον µετὰ Μαρίας τῆς µητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σµύρναν.
After coming into the house [not a manger], they saw the young child [not a baby] with Mary, his mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped him. [Both unbelievers and believers can worship a king.] Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense [incense used by the nobility] and myrrh [a very expensive perfume used by the wealthy and by kings].
When the shepherds came, they came to a manger. When the Magi came, they came to a house. The shepherds were the only ones who had been directly invited by God (via the angel Gabriel) to celebrate the birth of Christ. On the other hand, the Magi arrived of their own accord, possibly a year to a year and a half later. When the Magi first saw the star in the east, the shepherds were worshipping the new born Christ in the manger.
The Magi have come from a place where some of the greatest treasures of the ancient world had been located. When Nineveh (the ancient capital of Assyria) fell in 612 BC most of their treasures were taken by the Medes. There were three great nations that destroyed the Assyrians: the Medes, Scythians, and the Chaldeans. The Scythians were predominantly interested in strong men for slaves, beautiful women for wives and good horses and animals. The Chaldeans took the least amount of booty for they were mostly interested in land; the Medes took most of the art treasures made of both gold and silver and the exquisite jewelry back with them into the high plateau country of their homeland in the Zagros Mountains. The Magi having originated from among the Medes acquired many of these treasures. It was from these artifacts that they selected the ‘gifts of gold’ to be presented to Jesus Christ. They also brought two very valuable perfumes: frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense is a gum which was commonly used as incense by people of nobility and speaks of the unique person of Jesus Christ. Myrrh is a gum which was used for the burial of kings, and so foreshadowed Christ’s death on the Cross.
These gifts not only showed the reverence of the Magi toward the newborn King of the Jews, but also served a practical purpose of sustenance for that very night Joseph would have to flee with his family into Egypt where he would remain for a few years.
Matthew 2:12
καὶ χρηµατισθέντες κατ’ ὄναρ µὴ ἀνακάµψαι πρὸς Ἡρῴδην, δι’ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi returned to their own country by another way.
How they got out of this trap is not revealed in scripture. Possibly, they crossed the Jordan and traveled north on the King’s highway and then east across northern Mesopotamia back to their country; or, they might have gone down to Petra and then followed a caravan route through the Arabian Desert back to their own country.
Matthew 2:13
Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου φαίνεται κατ’ ὄναρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ λέγων, Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν µητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἴσθι ἐκεῖ ἕως ἂν εἴπω σοι· µέλλει γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον τοῦ ἀπολέσαι αὐτό.
Now when they had gone [when the Magi had departed for their country], behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until which time [indefinite period] I tell you, for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to kill him.”
The angel commanded Joseph to get up in the middle of the night and to move out before Herod could seal off all the roads around Bethlehem. Joseph did as he was commanded without hesitation.
Matthew 2:14
ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν µητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον,
So, Joseph got up and took the Child and his mother while it was still night and departed for Egypt.
Joseph being a humble believer obeys these commands in detail. He leaves immediately as the angel had instructed.
Matthew 2:15-16
καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς Ἡρῴδου· ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν µου. (16) Τότε Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν µάγων ἐθυµώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλεν πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλέεµ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσεν παρὰ τῶν µάγων.
He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Hosea] “Out of Egypt I called My Son” [in Hosea 11:1, it refers historically to the Jewish people departing Egypt; the Holy Spirit directed Matthew to apply it prophetically to the humanity of Christ]. (16) Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, he became very angry [enraged; a manifestation of his mental illness] and sent forth [his military] and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity from two years old and under according to the time which he had determined from the Magi.
Herod was very thorough in this military operation to kill the young boy. Though Herod was able to ascertain the age of the humanity of Jesus Christ from the accounts of the Magi (v.7), he added some extra time to ensure he would get him, and though he was told that Christ was born in Bethlehem, he also included the vicinity around Bethlehem to make sure that the young child would not escape. He probably had his military close down all the escape routes and then did a house-by -house search and kill.
Disaster is turned into blessing by the grace of God. Not having reached God-consciousness, these Jewish children were all taken to heaven. If they had grown up in the homes of their religious Jewish parents who for the most part were extremely negative to the Gospel, they may not have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 2:17-18
τότε ἐπληρώθη τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἰερεµίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, (18) Φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαµὰ ἠκούσθη, κλαυθµὸς καὶ ὀδυρµὸς πολύς· Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.
Then, what had been spoken through Jeremiah [31:15] the prophet was fulfilled: (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah [as what happened in Ramah, happened in and around Bethlehem], weeping and great mourning, Rachel [idiom for Jewish mothers] weeping for her children. And she refused to be comforted because they were no more [her children no longer existed].”
This was a prophecy given by Jeremiah over 500 years earlier about events that occurred in Ramah, a town about 12 miles north of Jerusalem. In 586 BC this was the location where King Nebuchadnezzar had gathered all the captives for deportation to Babylon. All those not fit for the trip, for example those who were too old, too young including babies or infirm, were killed. Perhaps thousands were killed.
Matthew 2:19-20
Τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου φαίνεται κατ’ ὄναρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ λέγων, (20) Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν µητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πορεύου εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ, τεθνήκασιν γὰρ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ παιδίου.
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, (20) “Get up, take the Child and his mother and go into the land of Israel for those [four men] seeking the Child’s life are dead.”
Herod the Great, Alexander, Aristobulus and Antipater had to die before it would be safe for Joseph to return back to the Land. Alexander and Aristobulus, the sons of Mariamne, the original heirs had already been executed by Herod on what appeared to be trumped up charges of conspiracy, and Antipater, the eldest son of Herod was in prison awaiting the same fate as his half-brothers. Then, just four days before Herod’s death, he (Herod) attempted suicide: he was suffering so much pain that he asked his cousin to bring him a knife and an apple. After his cousin had left the room, he began to stab himself, but hearing the cries of pain his cousin ran back in and took the knife from him. Herod was not yet dead, but the word soon got out that he was. Antipater, hearing the false rumor that Herod had successfully committed suicide, commanded his jailor to release him from his cell as he was now the king. Fearing for his life the jailor did as Antipater had commanded him. Then, Antipater immediately went to Herod’s summer palace in Jericho, and as soon as he entered proclaimed himself king. Upon hearing Antipater’s proclamation, Herod, still alive, commanded his guards to kill him. Herod lived another 4 more days, during which time he dictated a new will in which he made Archelaus his heir.
Matthew 2:21-22
ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν µητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ. (22) ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἀρχέλαος βασιλεύει τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἀντὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἡρῴδου ἐφοβήθη ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν· χρηµατισθεὶς δὲ κατ’ ὄναρ ανεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ µέρη τῆς Γαλιλαίας,
So, Joseph got up, took the Child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. (22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid [concerned about the safety of his son] to go there. Then after being warned [by God] in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
Joseph, knowing that Archelaus was very cruel, he decided to live in Nazareth of Galilee. Nazareth was located in the tetrarch ruled by Herod Antipas, a wily but benevolent ruler who would carry on the building projects started by his father. This would provide better opportunities for Joseph in his work as a building contractor.
Matthew 2:23
καὶ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς πόλιν λεγοµένην Ναζαρέτ, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται
and came and lived in a city called Nazareth in order that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled namely that He shall be called a Nazarene.
Prophecy by paronomasia: the word Nazarene is derived from Natser which means a branch or root. Isaiah 11.1, “Then a root-shoot will spring up [1st Advent] from the stump of Jesse [the dynasty of David defunct because of the 5th Cycle of Discipline.]; and a Branch [Natser] from his roots [at the 2nd Advent the root-shoot becomes a branch, a great tree] will bear fruit [His rule in the Millennium].”
Matthew 2:1-23: The Visit of the Magi
Matthew 2:1
Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλέεµ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐν ἡµέραις Ἡρῴδου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἰδοὺ µάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν παρεγένοντο εἰς Ἱεροσόλυµα λέγοντες,
Now, after Jesus was born [circa 4 B. C.] in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem saying,