Baptism of Spirit and Fire vs. One Baptism

Gabriel has again been asking about baptism, so we taught him how to use an exhaustive concordance and we are studying daily all the verses in the new Testament relating to baptism.  He and I are recording what we've learned in our own notebooks, in case our future selves may want to see what we've thought. Matthew 3 is where we started today. It's a short read, so check it out here: MATTHEW 3 NASB.

GABRIEL'S NOTES
One of Gabriel's early notes was that John's baptism was connected to repentance and confession.  We saw it in these verses.
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”6 "and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins."

Gabriel also noted that the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to be baptized, but seemed to be missing the repentance component.
7 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance,"

MY GUIDANCE
I explained to Gabriel that repentance and confession are heavily linked with baptism throughout the New Testament, which is one reason why we didn't baptize Gabriel as a baby.  (I know that concept is controversial to a lot of people, as it has been for centuries.  If you have legitimate concerns for my child's salvation, feel free to have an open dialogue with me by emailing me at christopher@washingtoncoc.org.)  

THE CONTROVERSY
Then Matthew records John's testimony about Jesus, which has created quite the controversy over the years.
11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." 

I've seen John's words about baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire taken all sorts of different directions through my years of study. Often it is used to say that there were three baptisms in the New Testament, one of water, one of Spirit, and one of fire. People have used this interpretation of multiple baptisms to say this is why water baptism has no connection with God's saving grace.  Another way that has been stated is "anytime baptism is connected to salvation, it is talking about Spirit baptism, not water baptism." Yet that has always bugged me as I read verses such as the following.
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." - Ephesians 4:4-6
People seem to be ok with the "one body, one Spirit, etc." but they aren't ok with the "one baptism" and they believe in three of them, just so water baptism doesn't have to be connected. Then there's also this."20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 3:20-21

THE RESULT
People use Matthew 3 to say that the baptism 1 Peter 3:21 is talking about is not baptism of water, but baptism of Spirit and fire. Ok, so I get it, adult believers immersion for the remission of sins bothers people. I get it, people are ok with having three baptisms, where the act of immersion in water is now NOT connected with repentance, confession, the Holy Spirit, fire, or salvation. I get it, going with the idea of only one baptism would get some people kicked out of their denomination.  I get it, for some it could also mean ejection from their family. I get it, now people just call any conviction of the heart, sinner's prayer, or act of infant dedication ceremony a baptism of the Spirit or the fire so the connections through the rest of scripture to repentance, immersion in water, confession, remission of sins, and a clear conscience are null and void. Reading Matthew 3:11 as three seperate baptisms makes salvation easier for people, I get it.

A REBUTTAL
The response that I've heard from this Spirit baptism often from peop goes something like this "The Spirit and fire comments are Jesus foreshadowing the day of Pentecost, when the disciples received tongues of fire and were filled with the Spirit."    
3 "And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." - Acts 2:3-4
Sure enough, there it is, fire and Holy Spirit in one verse.

BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT TOO.
No seriously, I have a legitimate problem linking Matthew 3:11 with Acts 2:4.  One of the main reasons is because NO ONE MENTIONS BAPTISM until thirty-four verses later in Acts 2:38 in which the result of repenting and being baptized is the receipt of the gift of the Holy Spirit (which by the way does connect baptism, repentance, and forgiveness).  If you look at the Greek text,  a new Greek paragraph starts in verse 5, 14, 22, 29, and 37.  That means we have to jump 34 scriptures and 5 Greek paragraphs to try to link baptism of the early church in Acts 2 with fire.  Might we be jumping too far?

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN CONTEXT?
Can we go back to read the original passage and look at a little context too? Reread our original controversial scripture with the one that comes immediately after it.
11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:11-12 (NASB)

Did you catch that? John the Baptist talks about fire in the next verse too. What does that "unquenchable fire" represent? It surely doesn't seem to represent Jesus's baptism does it? In John 3:5 Jesus doesn't mention anything about "unquenchable fire" to Nicodemus. In John 3:22-23, no one talked about fire when Jesus and his disciples were baptizing others. In fact, it's not mentioned by John the Baptist who discusses Jesus baptizing in John 3:25-36. Nobody was on fire, received fire, played with fire, ate fire, or did anything with fire. All these faithful people were baptized in water, and John remarks that "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure." (34).

So back to Matthew 3:12. What is that fire? Since the fruit of wheat was what John the Baptist declared as good, chaff seems to be the opposite of wheat and is bad. It is the undesirable part that is burned up. Could it be that the fire is part of the burning process of the bad stuff? Could it be that fire is a part of the judgment for the unfaithful? It sure is here in Hebrews 10:26-27.

AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER THOUGHT
What if what John the Baptist is proposing to all of these Jews was something that they could easily understand? What if they didn't have to go take leaps of thought to determine what Jesus' baptism of Spirit & fire represented?  What if the Jesus' baptism was described like their Old Testament covenant? What was the result of following the covenant? Blessings would follow. What was the result of disobeying the covenant? Curses would follow. It sounds very similar to this portion of Deuteronomy 11:26-28a.   26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God"

So in light of Matthew 3:11-12 it appears to me that the baptism "of" fire is the same as the fire burning chaff in the next verse.  It is a curse for not honoring the baptism of Jesus.  It is a warning given to the brood of viper religious leaders who were coming to be baptized but had not repented. On the other hand, the blessing of the baptism is the Holy Spirit, or as Acts 2:38 puts it, the "gift" of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings and curses.  Spirit and fire.

Since I am unwilling to divorce the fire in Matthew 3:11 with the fire in Matthew 3:12, I see Jesus' water baptism of the Spirit and fire as an immersion that would either bring the comfort (see John 14:16, 14:26, and 15:26) of the Spirit, or the discomfort of the fire (remember Hebrews 10:26-27). My view of Matthew 3:11 takes in the local context, the context of baptism in the New Testament with passages like Acts 2:38 and 1 Peter 3:21, and it also includes Jewish context of the Old Covenant with which John the Baptist's audience were likely familiar with.  The only leap we make there is whether baptism of the Spirit is really a blessing, which we undoubtedly can support through other scripture.

TO SUM IT ALL
I don't see three different baptisms of water, Spirit, and fire.  There is one baptism (Eph 4:5).  It is connected throughout the New Testament to belief, repentance, confession of sins, confession of Jesus name, the Spirit, fire, and salvation.  This is why Gabriel and I are studying every baptism verse daily until we finish.  It is an important topic indeed.

Topher Vs. Hornets

At lunchtime today, a good neighbor let us know they had spotted a hornets' nest in our front yard cherry tree. These photos, taken by my lovely and supportive wife through the garage window, document the carnage that ensued. May they serve as a warning to all would-be threats to my family's safety. May they also make you laugh!

"Where, O hornet, is your victory? Where, O hornet, is your sting?" - Adaptation from 1 Corinthians 15:55 just to make you laugh.

Click the photos for the enlarged view.

Hornet Mistake #1
Making your nest in the very visible front yard cherry tree.

Hornet Mistake #2
Sending one of your scout hornets into my neighbor's house a few days before, causing my neighbor to be on the lookout.

Hornet Mistake #3
Making your nest in my boys' favorite climbing tree, thereby threatening the well being of my beloved progeny.

Hornet Mistake #4
Making your nest in the yard of a guy who keeps two cans of wasp/hornet spray on hand.

Hornet Mistake #5
Making your nest in the yard of a tennis coach who has ample old rackets to expend on your feeble attempts at retaliation.

Hornet Mistake #6
Making your nest in the yard of a guy who has a mapp gas torch and who likes to find reasons to use it.

Round #1 - The Spray

Round #1 - The Spray

 

Round #2 - The Tennis Rackets

Round #2 - The Tennis Rackets

Round #2 - The Tennis Rackets

Round #3 - The Torch

David Putting Down Disabilities?

Does David put down people with disabilities?
That's where our Wednesday night class had some questions last week when studying 2 Samuel 5.

Read it for yourself here:  6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot enter here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David. 8 David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.10 David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him." - 2 Sam 5:6-10


Now some in the class suggested that the Jebusites were taunting King David because Jerusalem (the called Jebus) was a very fortified city with three strong walls and a valley for protection.   They believed the sentiment was "Our city is so strong, that even the blind and lame people could defend it against you!"

That may well be the case and was my knee jerk reaction years ago before I heard a professor pose the question, "Why does David HATE the blind and lame?"

That question has been a hang-up for many about the "man after God's own heart." (1 Sam 13:14)  Some easily dismiss it as "David just hates the Jebusites in general because they are his enemies."  That may be valid. The tribe of Benjamin (Saul's tribe) was supposed to run the Jebusites out of town long ago, but failed to.  (Judges 1:21)  As you can see, Benjamin and Judah share a border, with Jerusalem right there at Judah's border.  I'm sure David being from Judah was well aware that Saul and his tribe of Benjamites had failed causing David of Judah to have extra angst with the Jebusites. 

BUT I THINK DIFFERENT

I differ from the popular thought of sarcasm and competitive jabs. This isn't a church league softball game where cousins on opposing teams lob verbal volleys before sparring on the field.  I really don't think blind and lame people are hated by David's soul, even if they were from another group of people.  I also don't think the Jebusites, nor David were talking about people at all in 2 Samuel 5:8.  Why not?  Here's my top reasons.

1. I don't think it fits with David's character to hate people of misfortune.  Do a quick search through your Bible on the words "David" and "hate".  I predict you're going to struggle to get a lot of hits.  2 Samuel 5:8 is going to be your only applicable passage.  If you want more evidence of David not hating people, especially people with disabilities, go look up the Hebrew word for "hate" which is שׂנא ( "sawnay" Strong's number H8130).  You're not going to find it connected with David's character any other time in 1 & 2 Samuel, Kings, or Chronicles.  
2. You do find David having hate issues concerning idols.  Consider Psalm 31:6 (a Psalm of David) that says this:  "I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the LORD."
3. The LORD hates idolatry, its actions, and its monuments.  

"every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods." - Deut 12:31
"do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates." - Deut 16:22
David is a man after God's own heart isn't he?  I think he would hate these things too.
4. But even more influential than David hating idolatry like the Lord is that the Bible does elsewhere describe idols as being blind and lame.  Take a look at Psalm 115:3-8.
   3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
   4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.
   5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
   6 They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.
   7 They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
   8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
5. Jewish rabbinical literature supports that these were inanimate statues.  Here's a quote from the Jewish Encyclopedia. "According to a midrash quoted by Rashi on II Sam. v. 6, the Jebusites had in their city two figures—one of a blind person, representing Isaac, and one of a lame person, representing Jacob—and these figures had in their mouths the words of the covenant made between Abraham and the Jebusites." "The same was the case later with King David, to whom the Jebusites said: "You can not enter the city of Jebus until you have destroyed the bronze figures on which Abraham's covenant with our ancestors is engraved." David thereupon promised a captaincy to the person who should destroy the figures; and Joab secured the prize (comp. II Sam. v. 6; I Chron. xi. 6). David then took the city of Jebus from its owners; the right of appeal to the covenant with Abraham had been forfeited by them through the war they had waged against Joshua; and after the figures themselves had been destroyed, David had not to fear even that the people would reproach him with having broken the covenant."  http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8542-jebusites

Summing it all up, I believe the Lord and David hated forms of idolatry.  David wasn't a hater of people with disabilities, but rather did hate honoring of inanimate objects. 

This hatred brings me to another question. What would the LORD or David hate in my home? Is there any inanimate object I elevate to a place of honor? May I always keep awards, statues, plaques, trinkets, heirlooms, and religious emblems as only humble reminders of the LORD's goodness and exalt Him alone. 

Living Lesson - Spoons and Ice Cream

Living Lessons: Spoons

By: Christopher Wiles

(Church bulletin article for Sunday, Aug 9th, 2014 at WCOC)

     Wednesday marked our third year at Washington Church of Christ.  We were excited and as a result several of our church family joined us at Mason's Root Beer Stand to celebrate.  

     I love a good root beer float as do the rest of you (unless your name is Donna Keller), but something felt weird as soon as I put that rooty creamy spoon in my mouth.  It was distracting.  It was awkward.  Then I began to analyze.  The taste was delightful.   The texture of the ice cream was smooth and soft.  The tickle of the carbonation was just right.  Then what was the source of my distraction?

     It was the SPOON.  A round plastic head with a long thin handle, it looked like just another spoon.  Yet upon entry into my cavernous ice cream eating mouth, you could tell immediately something wasn't right, and I was distracted from my ice cream eating celebration.  On further inspection I realized the head was too small for the concavity of the sides of this spoon.  It didn't fit the natural curvature of the tongue or the lips and was a little challenge to get that sweet delectable vanilla removed.  The spoon just wasn't a good fit for the adult mouth and I ditched it to just "drink" the ice cream instead.  

     That makes me think about us as a church.  What types of things does Satan try to put in our mouths that just don't fit properly?  What methods & actions have been spoon fed to us that weren't designed for the church?  For instance, people will tell you that God honors love in a marriage, so they'll try to get you to take love in a spoon that just doesn't fit God's Word, like homosexual "marriage" or polygamy.  Or how about the common trend pushed by some cultural religious leaders that drinking alcohol and the often resulting drunkenness are acceptable forms of building church fellowship and friends.   What about those that promote professional sporting events as God's desirable form of building unity with others instead of the examples of weekly communion remembering Him?  God likes love, fellowship, friendship, and unity, but some of our current spoons to enjoy them weren't designed by Him nor do they well fit us, even if we like what's in them.  

     I wonder if sometimes we are using improperly fitted utensils to get at the goodness God has promised for His faithful followers, because that's just what our culture is giving us.  In all things, may we analyze all methods, programs, actions and ideologies to see if they are a proper fit with God's word.  Use the ones that fit the Bible and we'll never be distracted from His goodness. Next time you go to Mason's, just ask for no spoons and enjoy the good stuff. 

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

A Gardening Thought This Morning

Ethan and I stopped outside to visit the plants this morning. It just brings peace and a sense of "rightness" to see wholesome plants grow. If you struggle with stress in life, I suggest you plant a garden and watch things grow. That's what the Lord told the Israelites to do in Jeremiah 29!

5 ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’

 

The Ark of the Covenant comes to Jerusalem - 2 Samuel 6

Here are links to my questions and maps for 2 Samuel 6.
Click HERE to download WORD form
Click HERE to download PDF form

2^nd Samuel 6 (NASB) – “Problem Passages”

⁶ But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. ⁹ So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 

¹⁶ Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

²⁰ But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. ²² I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.” ²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

The Big Picture – Outline of context around 2 Samuel 5

·         Local Context - David’s ascension & unrest

o    David crowned king over Judah (2 Sam 2:1-6)

o    Unrest between Judah & Israel (2 Sam 2:7-4:12)

o    David crowned over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5)

o    David brings the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6)

o    Glory of David’s Kingship (2 Sam 7-9)

o    David’s Kingship Weakness & Failure (2 Sam 10-20)

Context Timeline

1025 BC – David anointed

1010 BC – Death of Saul & Jonathon – David is king

1003 BC – David king of Jerusalem.

1001 BC – David & Bathsheba

999 BC – Solomon born

 

  

Questions about the Text (See Parallel text in 1 Chron 13:1-14)

1.            Where has the ark of the covenant been up until this point?  Consider (1 Sam 7:1-2, 1 Sam 14:18) (Rev 12:14)

2.            What were David and Uzzah’s mistakes?  (v. 3 & 6) (Num 4:6, 15, 7:9)  (1 Chron 15:13) 

3.            Do we handle lightly the Holy things of God? (consider Hebrews 10:29, Jer 25:6) 

4.            Curses come to those who disobeyed, blessings to others like Obed-Edom.  Is that so today? (1 Pet 2:6-8) 

5.            What do you suppose David’s attitude & appearance was as he danced? (v. 12, 14, 1 Sam 2:18)  

6.            Why might Michal struggle with David? (16, 20-23) (2 Sam 3:13)   

7.            How do you take Michal’s remark of David being “glorious” or “distinguished”? (v. 20)

For a 3D Model you can rotate on your computer, go here:   http://goo.gl/dMggs6 For a Youtube model of dimensions click here (mute your phone):   http://youtu.be/-zna_WKZH8o