FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES - VI
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward IAUE,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and
of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.
DOCTRINE
OF BAPTISMS - 1
We
must not forget that the purpose of the word of Messiah in these six subject
matters mentioned in the above verses is to lay a foundation of the revelation
of the person of Yahushua Messiah. It is
not so we can have a correct understanding of Bible doctrine. The author of Hebrews recognized the same
thing that Paul taught the Corinthians, that no other foundation can be laid
than that is laid, which is Yahushua Messiah (1 Cor 3:11). These first principles provide the revelation
of the person of Messiah that forms that foundation; and once that foundation
is laid, we must move on unto perfection.
Can
you imagine the futility of a building contractor who lays a foundation then
tears it up so he can lay it again, only to tear it up so he can lay it again;
or once having built the foundation, he camps around that foundation to admire
it day by day, not wishing to mire the image with walls and plumbing, doors,
fixtures and roofing. The building would never be erected. So it is with the church of the Master
Yahushua Messiah. It is a failed
construction project; and just possibly, it is the absence of the revelation of
the person of Yahushua Messiah in the doctrine of baptisms that has prevented the erection of the true
building.
How
can we erect the church of the living Elohim when its ministers refer to these
most basic teachings as “the deep things of God,” or as revelations that
pertain to “the next level?” Such
teaching is dishonest and borne of pride and arrogance and a serious
misunderstanding of the nature of a foundation.
The Hebrews writer says that we are not to lay again the foundation, and
that we are to “move on.” These are not the “deep things” of IAUE. These are the first principles…the “elementary”
principles (as some translations render it).
This
principle in the Greek text is the “didache”
of “baptismos,” which,
literally translated is the “teachings”
of “washings.” This
word “baptismos” is found four times in the Greek New Testament, yet only here
is it rendered “baptisms.” Everywhere
else it is translated “washings.”
It
is important to recognize that the English word “baptism” was not a word in the
English language at the time of the translation of the original “King James” version
of the Scriptures. By the 1600’s, the
practice of infant baptism had become accepted by many segments of the church. When the translators arrived at this word, “baptizo,” they understood that it meant, “to dip, or to immerse,” and that to translate the word as ‘immerse” would
create havoc in the church. So, to avoid
the chaos and conflict, the translators created a new English word by transliterating the Greek word in its
various forms to “baptize,” “baptist,” and “baptism.”
By
refusing to translate this word, the resulting dishonest text produced
centuries of mistaken understandings of its use throughout the Scriptures. This has resulted in baptism becoming some
form of “ordinance” of the church; thereby losing its power to reveal the
person of Yahushua Messiah. One
Christian denomination links water baptism to experiencing the regeneration
(new birth). Another denomination links it to receiving the Holy Spirit and
speaking in tongues. Another denomination treats it as some legal requirement
to be observed by all believers (with no consequences if you aren’t); while yet
another requires it in order for you to “join” their local church. All of this is essentially nonsense in the
light of the revelation of the person of Yahushua Messiah.
There
is an underlying teaching that pertains to all of the washings in the
Scripture. The Jews in the day of
Yahushua understood that underlying concept.
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Messiah.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I
am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an
answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He
said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of IAUE,
as said the prophet Isaiah.
John
came immersing in the wilderness.
Washings for spiritual reasons were commonplace in Israel. The law of Moses required all manner of
washings, from sanctifying Levites unto the priesthood, to cleansing utensils
and pots, to washing hands before eating, and to restoring one from having been
ceremonially unclean. For this last provision there were actually reported to
be 1,000 ceremonial pools in the temple in Jerusalem at the time of Messiah’s ministry.
When
John began immersing, it wasn’t the immersion that was of concern to the
priests and Levites. It was the fact
that someone was doing it for others.
Ceremonial cleansings were done by the individual stepping into the pool
and immersing himself/herself. For
someone else to perform this task to another raised questions about the identity
of the immerser. Note the question, and John’s answer.
Q. “Who are you?”
A. “I am not the Messiah.”
This
answer reveals much about the Jews expectation of Messiah. They did not ask John if he were the Messiah;
but John knew that was the point of their question; which is to say, they fully expected Messiah to come
immersing. So, the priests and
Levites countered with:
Q. “Are you Elijah?”
A. “No.”
Having
had a direct answer to the real intention of their first question, they were
compelled to try to find out just who John was and by what authority he was
immersing people. Why did they ask if he
were Elijah? It is because they knew
from Scripture that Elijah must first come before the coming of the
Messiah. If someone was immersing
others, this extraordinary and unusual event must be the precursor to the coming
of Messiah. Failing to satisfy on that
point, they pressed on:
Q. “Are you that prophet?”
A. “No.”
Having
eliminated the Messiah and his forerunner, Elijah; the only other explanation
in their minds is that he was “that prophet.”
What prophet? The one Moses
prophesied would come. He told Israel
that a prophet would come who would be like him; and that they were to hear him
(pay attention to him). The Jews did not
link “that prophet” with the Messiah.
They thought they were separate people.
John left them quite unsatisfied and frustrated; so they gave him one
more chance.
Q. “Well, then who are you?”
A. “I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness.”
These
priests and Levites would immediately have understood that John referred to the
prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, imagery, which in the Hebrew mindset, was connected
with Elijah’s forerunner ministry; and yet he had said that he was not
Elijah. The Hebrews had no concept of a
first and second coming of Messiah; thus, they had no concept of a forerunner
to the Messiah who was not Elijah. (Yahushua actually identified, later, that
John was a type of fulfilment to the prophecy of Elijah; thus giving them a
clue to the mystery of a second coming of Messiah.)
John 3:22 After these things came Yahushua and his disciples into the land
of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and immersed.
23 And John also was immersing in Aenon near to Salim, because
there was much water there: and they came, and were immersed.
24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and
the Jews about purifying.
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was
with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same immerses,
and all men come to him.
So,
we see that once revealed through the immersing by John, the Messiah did
proceed to immerse others. In fact, more
were being immersed by him than by John; and it provoked a question in the mind
of John’s disciples…a question about “purifying.”
This
question reveals the underlying truth behind all of the washings in Scripture;
and helps to reveal the next foundation stone in these “first principles.” We will develop this idea next week.
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance
of the will of IAUE.
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