Jesus was baptized at about thirty years of age: “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:13–17).
“And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age…” (Luke 3:23).

The disciples followed the example of their Master: “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized… 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 baptizeth, and all men come to him.” (John 3:22–26).
Thus much water was needed for baptism so that a person could be baptized entirely. Partially wetting a person is not sufficient for baptism. The meaning of the original word baptidzein (baptism) is “to immerse under water.”

John 4:1–2 gives further detail about the baptism performed by the disciples, which therefore took place before the giving of the missionary/baptism command: “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)…”
The disciples thus baptized one another, as well as many other people, more than John the Baptist. The followers of Jesus have always desired to act according to the example of their Master:
“And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” (Luke 7:29–30).
The plan of God, beginning from the giving of the missionary command after the work of the cross, has been that all who have come to faith are to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ after their conversion. For this reason, in the early congregation there were no unbaptized, except in some cases for a few hours or days until a place of baptism was found. “…be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 2:38, 41; 10:48). To remain unbaptized for three days was called delaying (Acts 9:9 / 22:16). Baptism has therefore belonged to “the principles of the doctrine of Christ” for about 2000 years (Heb. 6:2). It is an expression of obedience and honor toward God.
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1:8). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life…” (John 3:36).

The church practice of infant baptism has made void the plan that God has for all people. Peter exhorted thus:

“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 2:38).​

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers…” (Acts 2:41–42).
Thus the congregation founded at the cross began to function. The congregation, ekklesia (Eng. congregation), means those people who have received the risen Jesus. WE are the congregation. The work of the cross, the blood sacrifice and death of Jesus amidst sufferings, is the foundation of our eternal life. We have received the forgiveness of our sins through the merit of His substitutionary sacrifice.
There is no teaching or example in the Bible of the baptism of infants in arms. Nor is there any of belonging to a church. Therefore, it is good to resign from the church before baptism. This belongs to repentance.

The Bible knows no practice in which someone who has come to faith could remain unbaptized. Jesus gave the missionary/baptism command about forty days after the work of the cross (Acts 1:2–3, 9). This remains in force until the end:
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:15–16).
First, therefore, the hearing of the message of salvation and coming to faith, then baptism by immersion in water in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the unambiguous teaching and example of Jesus and of the early congregation. To this also refers the teaching in Eph. 4:5, “One Lord, one faith, ONE BAPTISM.” If someone has not been baptized after coming to faith with this only biblical baptism, he is unbaptized, even if he had been “baptized” many times with other kinds of “baptisms.”

Give therefore your life to Jesus, and come to baptism. This is the good will of God: “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:48). Thus the blessing of Heaven may fill your life.
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16).

Blessings,
Weijo Lindroos, from the Turku Congregation
Email: weijo.lindroos@pp.inet.fi

Time is running short; The Great Judgment is at hand.
All souls that fail to meet the standard will be destroyed, for this judgment is a prelude to Christ's Final Judgment.
Any soul that has participated in cult sacrifices or worshipped demon will be destroyed.
Any soul of a pastor who has used the name of God to illegally reap wealth will be destroyed.
Any soul that is maliciously involved in the LGBTQ movement will be destroyed.
What is the destruction of a soul?
To suffer forever and ever in the eternal fires of hell.

God's explained to me, many times, that this Church, this 'religion', is rooted in the meaning of Life. I am going to take the OCIA here within a month or two. I just am in the middle of moving, but it all seems good to go. I know this will sound stupid to people, maybe, but I was in the hospital and this Priest came, and he gave me a Rosary. I can't lose that thing. It just, shows up. Same as this daily Bible journal book from years ago. We would move and move, and I'd find that book. Anyways, God bless. I've got a Catholic Bible through Amazon. And some Church history. I'm just excited, talking on and on. But God so loved the World, He gave us Roman Catholicism.

I’ve always struggled with feeling God’s presence. It’s hard having faith in something I can’t feel or haven’t really EXPERIENCED in the way I hear stories about. It makes me scared that my faith isn’t genuine or if I’m doing something wrong.

I’ve been a Christian since I was 4. Yes, this has haunted me for awhile because I feel like that was way too young, but I feel as if I’ve had enough faith since then (and panic prayers) that at some point it really did become genuine. Plus I read “Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart” by JD Grear to help with some of my fears.

But now, I don’t know if I’m just backsliding or if it’s something more serious.

I’ve never been good at prayer or Bible reading. I get distracted. I get busy. I have really good phases where I do it daily and then I drop off and have trouble getting back on it. But even then, it feels more like studying and learning information instead of meditating and sitting with God. I read, do a quick prayer, and go about my day. I’ve tried to sit with Him more, but then my thoughts just wander, and I don’t ever hear Him or feel Him.

I keep trying to pray for God to reveal Himself to me. To ease my anxiety. To give me some kind of answer. But I hear nothing. And then I just become less motivated to read the Bible or pray. I’ve never been good at praying anyway.

I don’t know what to do at this point. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal for Christians to just feel distant? I feel like most of my “encounters” with God have just been vicariously through others. I know all the answers to questions at church, am very familiar with the Bible, and serve regularly, but it just feels like I’m following obligation and not living by faith.

It feels like I’m just forcing everything, and I don’t know how to make it feel real.

The story of Santa Claus has a dark origin in the legends of Saint Nicholas, who is said to have resurrected three boys murdered and pickled by an evil innkeeper. This gruesome tale was a part of his mythos in medieval Europe and contributed to his being associated with dark companions like Krampus or Père Fouettard, who punish naughty children. Over time, the modern, cheerful Santa Claus image emerged, largely through Clement C. Moore's poem and Thomas Nast's illustrations, which downplayed or ignored these darker origins.

And don't forget what the name 'Santa' is an anagram of.

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Was Jesus really born on December 25th when the sheep were lying low ?

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I was shopping online for used Theological textbooks & a seller had a book from 1938 called History Of The Creeds & it had on the back cover (see below) an advertisement for a book i'm unable to find any info on. P.S. I added the purple circle to make it easier to spot on the back cover

Well since climate change is a hoax I guess it ok.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a faith based game that details how, like us, individuals interact with each other on a day-to-day basis to either support each other or ultimately neglect each other. But the game advertizes these day-to-day interactions as a battle and even at times encourages the idea that individuals should battle for dominance. Is that really okay? If we take into consideration what Spiritual Warfare is, it seems like our day-to-day interactions are a battle as we step out in faith and go against satan's plans by engaging with each other as God made us to. But can we truly say that God made us to dominate? Maybe it's just wording but I'm always concerned how some people believe satan's lie that they can work for their salvation instead of just believing God. Is it okay for a game to represent these options for living in such an honest way?

I was thinkin': "Is the value of Life truly appreciated in the Hunger Games books?" After all, this is a book & movie series about a nation that thought it necessary to literally have children fight to the death on national government sponsored TV. It may try to hint at God supporting certain characters like Katniss or Peeta (even Snow) and how that has affected their choices in life and the people around them. But I wonder if the idea that God values all human life is properly represented here if at all. You see (despite reading/watching the whole series), I don't know if Collins actually articulates clearly how all the characters in the series have value according to God. In essence, how we the readers or viewers can genuinely empathize with the actions that all the characters make or participate in by knowing how God loves these people and how they reject or accept His Love. If you know the series, what are your thoughts on this?

Here's a few older pieces about this subject from The Atlantic and TIME.





I think this echoes some of the things I had mentioned last year.

Which is that "body positivity" movement didn't actually believe their own bovine excrement, they just want to attach some sort of "virtue" to the concept of excusing the lack of will power and poor decisions.

"Healthy at any size!" "Big is beautiful!" "You're perfect just the way you ar..... wait.... what's that? There's now an effort-free way to lose weight for $60/month with an injection and I can still eat stuff I like until I feel full and lose 50 pounds in 6 months? Ummm nevermind, I'm going to get some GLP-1s, can you believe how amazing I look after I lost weight?"

ASHLAND, Va. - A masked burglar who caused a chaotic, drunken rampage at a liquor store on Saturday was identified as a raccoon.

What we know:

The incident occurred early on Saturday morning at a closed liquor store in the Ashland, Virginia, area.


According to Samantha Martin, an officer who works at the local animal control, the raccoon fell through one of the ceiling tiles.

An employee at the store found the raccoon, which was described as a "trash panda," passed out on the bathroom floor at the end of its "drunken escapade."

Photos of the aftermath showed smashed bottles of scotch and whiskey from the bottom shelf, a collapsed ceiling tile, and alcohol pooling on the floor.

Click to expand...

What has the world come to?

A federal judge has sided with two female inmates who sued a Texas prison that put them in physical danger by forcing them to be housed with male prisoners who identify as women.

In an order published Nov. 17, United States District Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division ruled that Federal Medical Center Carswell, a women’s prison in Fort Worth, cannot house trans-identified male inmates in women's housing units or allow them to enter women's showers, restrooms, changing areas and dormitory spaces.

Fitzwater, who was appointed to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan, directed FMC Carswell to either “reassign male inmates away from plaintiffs’ housing and privacy areas” or “house such inmates in a secure, segregated area at FMC Carswell (including the Hospital Unit or a comparable setting) that preserves access to programming and services while preventing access to female-only privacy areas.”

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by inmates Rhonda Fleming and Miriam Crystal Herrera on Nov. 4.

Continued below.

Why do some people speak in an at least 700-year-old version of the English language?

Now, this is a passage of Scripture which can be somewhat confusing or disturbing if we don’t understand the message behind it. In this case, I believe, Jesus was speaking more metaphorically or figuratively, much like he did in all his parables, and in order to illustrate a biblical truth. For there is no record in the Scriptures of anyone literally eating of Jesus’ flesh or drinking of his blood, and yet there were people who believed in Christ and who had salvation from sin and eternal life with God promised them.

So, what can we make of this? What did Jesus’ body and blood represent? They represented his body given for us on that cross in the shedding of his blood in order that he might put our sins to death with him, so that by God-persuaded faith in him we might die to sin and live to righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands. So, to eat isn’t just about consuming physical food, but taking in (accepting) spiritual nourishment resulting in a trusting relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Since his flesh and blood were given for us on that cross, to eat his flesh and to drink his blood means to accept into our lives what he did for us in putting our sins to death with him so that we can now walk in freedom from bondage to sin. And it means that we partake of what he did for us by us now following our Lord in death to sin and in walks of obedience to his commands, living holy lives, pleasing to God. We participate with him in his death when we die to sin and now live to God and to his righteousness.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And then we need to take Jesus’ message to heart, for he meant what he said. If we do not partake of his death and resurrection, in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as servants of righteousness, in obedience to our Lord’s commands, then we have no life in us, i.e. the life of the Spirit of God. We are not born of the Spirit, we are not of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, and we will not have eternal life with God in heaven.

But if we do partake in his death and resurrection, and we do die to sin, and now we live for God to do what pleases him, then we are promised eternal life with God. And we are those who abide in him, and him in us. And that means that we obey him, we follow Jesus wherever he leads us, and we conform our lives, by the Spirit, to his will and purpose for our lives. We uphold his teachings, not just in word, but in deed, and we live the lives God designed for us to live, by his grace, in his power, by the Spirit within us.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Abide in Him

Based off Ps. 27:14; Is. 40:31; Jn. 14-15
An Original Work / July 31, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If you wait for the Lord, put your hope now in Him,
He will give you His strength and endurance within.
He will renew your strength, so you will not lose heart.
You will soar on wings like eagles, never depart.

“If you abide in Me, and My words live in you,
You will walk with Me daily and follow what’s true.
I will live now in you; give you peace now within,
If you obey My teachings and turn from your sin.”

“If you listen to Me, and do all that I say,
I will give you My comfort; be with you always.
I will heal all your pain; life with Me now you’ll gain,
If in fellowship with Me you always remain.”

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The Bread which Came Down from Heaven
An Original Work / December 3, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Police charged several protestors who attempted to interfere with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in New York City by hurling objects at vehicles and screaming obscenities at authorities.

The New York Police Department confirmed that it has charged 18 protestors that it had taken into custody, CBS News reported.

On Saturday, the protestors attempted to stop ICE agents from leaving a parking garage near Centre and Howard Streets in lower Manhattan. The demonstrators were reportedly trying to stop immigration enforcement operations on Canal Street.

Continued below.

When many Christians think about the authors of the Bible, some of the names that tend to stand out are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter and Paul.

In her 2024 book, God's Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible, biblical scholar Candida Moss recognizes the contribution of many enslaved Christians and ghostwriters, like Tertius, who wrote down Paul’s letters to the Romans.

“I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord,” he wrote in Romans 16:22.

Moss, who is the Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham, England, presents the significant role enslaved people played in spreading the Gospel, working as scribes and missionaries.

“While he’s one of the few enslaved Jesus followers whose name is preserved in the New Testament, Tertius’s is not the only set of enslaved hands to have played a formative role in the making of Christian Scripture,” Moss writes in the introduction of the book. “For the past two thousand years, Christian tradition, scholarship, and pop culture have credited the authorship of the New Testament to a select group of men: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, and Paul. But the truth is that the individuals behind these names, who were rewarded with sainthood for their work, did not write alone. In some meaningful ways, they did not write at all.”

Continued below.

A Christian pre-med student has gone viral in recent days for filing a religious discrimination complaint with the University of Oklahoma after a trans-identified teaching assistant allegedly flunked her for an essay stating that gender ideology is "demonic."

Samantha Fulnecky, a junior at the University of Oklahoma who is majoring in psychology, received a zero out of 25 for a 650-word opinion essay she was told to write in her "Lifespan Development" class in response to an article about social gender expectations, according to The Oklahoman.

According to a copy of her essay published by the local outlet, Fulnecky asserted that God created two distinct genders with different roles, and that the idea of changing one's gender is a satanic assault against that design.

Continued below.

I’ve been reflecting lately on how often Scripture warns us about greed and how closely that warning is tied to God’s call for justice and care for others. Jesus speaks about money and the dangers of wealth more than almost any other topic, yet many Christians today find conversations about justice uncomfortable or “political.”

So I wanted to ask the community here:
Why do you think discussions about justice and greed create such tension among believers?
Is it a matter of theology, culture, politics, or something deeper in the human heart?


I’m preparing a video on this topic and would truly appreciate hearing a range of Christian perspectives!

Hello,

I find work to be very overwhelming, I’ve been incredibly irritable, annoyed, and stuck in a rut, but I still need more money.

Please pray that I can calm down.

Peace and blessings!

What is it with this guy and pardoning corruption? Transcends party apparently.

Please pray for Matt who died this past Sunday from stage 4 colon cancer he had since the spring of 2021.

May God grant him eternal rest where all the righteous dwell!

This asks some very fundamental questions of Christian understanding of the Bible..

"Many Christians in the West, N. T. Wright believes, have a fundamental misunderstanding of the very goal of their faith.

Instead of seeing Christianity as the story of God renewing the whole cosmos — Heaven and Earth united — they have been taught to think of salvation primarily as a private escape plan: the soul departing for Heaven when the body dies...

The result, according to the 77-year-old New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian and Anglican bishop, is not just a skewed theology of the afterlife, but a distorted understanding of everything from End Times prophecy to spiritual warfare.

"The problem is that most Western Christians today think that the whole point of Christianity is for our souls to go to Heaven when we die, whereas the New Testament concentrates on God coming to dwell with us," Wright told The Christian Post in an interview about his latest book, The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God.

"The direction of travel is wrong, and the result is wrong, and the intermediate stages are wrong."

That misdirection has shaped how generations of believers have read and misunderstood Scripture, according to Wright. In the ancient world into which Christianity emerged, the idea of the soul floating away into Heaven was already common, he said.

"These were the people we now call the middle Platonists, people like Philo of Alexandria, or Plutarch. … They talk happily about their souls going to Heaven. The early Christians really don't," Wright said.

Instead, the New Testament proclaims something vastly different; not human departure to Heaven, but divine arrival on Earth.

The former bishop of Durham pointed to the final chapters of Revelation, where "the dwelling of God is with humans," and Ephesians 1:10, where Paul says God's eternal purpose is "to sum up in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth."

"But you'd have thought that God's plan from the beginning was to enable us to leave Earth and go to a place called Heaven instead," Wright said. "That's simply not what Ephesians, or indeed, the rest of the New Testament, is all about."

The misunderstanding extends even into Bible translations, he emphasized. The Greek word "psuche," often rendered "soul," is rooted in the Hebrew "nephesh," which does not denote an immortal, disembodied essence but the whole living person.

"A nefesh is one's whole self; a better translation will be 'person,'" Wright explained. Passages that have fueled Platonic readings, such as Jesus telling the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise," are frequently oversimplified.

"Jesus is going to be back in a couple of days' time … because He's going to be raised from the dead," Wright said. "There are many passages which routinely get misread."

What has occurred, he believes, is a "Western vision" that has shrouded biblical Christianity with Greek philosophy...." NT Wright: Why Western Christians have misread Heaven | Church & ministry

August 6, 2025 | Fletch Matlack​

Young men, God has designed wild places to unlock spiritual truths in your heart. Wilderness experiences are a visceral means of drawing you nearer to Christ—a needed antidote to the numbness of our comfortable, digitally driven lives.

By wild places, I don’t mean the community park. I mean a place where cell service is unlikely, where the only creature comforts are the ones you’ve carried with you. In short, wild places are, well, wild. If you’re ill-equipped, they can turn dangerous quickly.

Of course, God has created the wilds for man and woman, young and old. But after 20-plus years of guiding people, I can confidently say God has specially tuned the hearts of young men to hear spiritual truths in wild places. Here are four examples.

1. Beauty Leads to Worship​

The wild world is filled with beauty that Instagram cannot capture. When you’re standing in creation, far from home, subject to your environment, every sense is engaged. It’s a beauty you don’t just observe but feel. It’s enrapturing: pine trees sighing with a rush of wind, a solitary loon calling across a dusky lake, alpine balsams pillowed in snow, a sky so dark the Milky Way spills across the horizon.

To experience these wonders, and a million others like them, is to recognize you’ve stepped into glory. As C. S. Lewis writes, “Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word glory a meaning for me. I still do not know where else I could have found one.”

I’ve stood with young men on mountaintops, or beside riverbanks, and worship suddenly erupts. It’s not that we begin singing (though this has happened), but we break into spontaneous expressions of gratitude for Christ, who made all things and holds them together (Col. 1:16–17). We speak words of Scripture, like Psalm 19, almost instinctively. God has designed wild places to point your heart to Christ’s beauty and glory. Worship is the only natural response.

2. Simplicity Leads to Prayerfulness​

When you travel to wild places, the stresses of normal life are left behind—if only for a moment. Life becomes simple. Everything you need is in your backpack or canoe. Your work is to keep moving, to control your breathing. Set up camp, break it down again. Make a fire, cook your food, make sure bears and stray embers bring no ruination. Life in the wild is intense; mistakes can quickly lead to misfortune. But this simple intensity strips away distractions. You become single-minded, focused.

Young men, simplicity is a revelation for your soul. When life is reduced to a simple set of objectives, with no screens to distract, it becomes much easier to meditate on the things of God. Thinking becomes praying, and praying becomes easier. The simplicity of the wild and the worshipfulness it produces amplify a prayerful state. Perhaps this is why Jesus frequently sought out wild places to pray (e.g., Luke 4:42, 5:16; Matt. 14:23).

3. Adversity Leads to Fortitude​

If you’ve reached a wild place, you’ve experienced difficulty: burning muscles, lungs desperate for air, downpours threatening to drown your tent, mosquitoes resistant to chemical warfare, uncooperative stomachs, uncertainty about whether you can make it through. Wild places cannot be accessed without some form of adversity. But the reality of the wild is that, one way or another, you must push through—even if it’s to bail.

I’ve seen it play out with dozens of young men: When suffering comes, Scripture becomes the driving thought. I remember: in my weakness, he is strong (2 Cor. 12:10); we ought to count trials as joy (James 1:2): these present sufferings are not worth comparing to future glories (Rom. 8:18). God’s Word presses you forward through the challenges of wild places, trusting he’ll bring you to better moments. Young men, God has filled wild places with challenges, and he has created you to overcome challenges.

I think of wilderness adversities like a school, preparing young men for life’s greater sufferings. Any fortitude gained through battling the wilderness, God will surely use when he leads you through a future spiritual wilderness.

4. Wild Experiences Lead to Brotherhood​

After returning from a wild place, I’ll often be asked, “How was your trip?” I offer a brief report, but it’s impossible to explain to someone who wasn’t there. For the friend who was there, all we need is a glance to remember. And the stories we love to repeat aren’t of blue skies and clear waters but of when we came through the storm together, when we struggled side by side, and when the wild places forged a brotherhood between us. Nowhere but in the wild have I more consistently learned that a “brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17).

The wild places are for you. Find a friend, leave your screens behind, and get out there to discover that creation declares the glory of God (Ps. 19:1).

Disclaimer: Fools walk into the wild with no experience. If you don’t have experience, find a more seasoned man. Likely, he’ll be eager to introduce you to wild places. If you don’t know anyone, ask God to bring such a man into your life. God loves to give good gifts!

HEBREWS
Analysis by Kenneth S. Wuest
Wuest's Word Studies
From the Greek New Testament


I. The New Testament is better than and takes the place of the First Testament because its Founder, the Messiah, is better than... (1:1-8:6)


1. The prophets (1:1-3) since Messiah is...

....a. God the Son (vv. 1,2)

....b. Heir of all things (v.2)

....c. Creator of the universe (v.2)

....d. Outshining of God's glory (v.3)

....e. The expression of the nature or essence of Deity (v.3)

....f. The sustainer of the universe He created (v.3)

....g. The sacrifice that paid for sin (v.3)

2. The angels (1:4-2:18), since He...

....a. Has a better name, Son (1:4,5)

....b. Is worshipped by angels (v.6)

....c. Is Creator and Master of angels (v.7)

....d. Has an eternal throne (v.8)

....e. Rules in righteousness (v.8)

....f. is anointed with the Holy Spirit (v.9)

....g. Is unchangeable (vv. 10-12)

....h. Is seated at God's right hand (v.13)

....i. Has ushered in a Testament which displaces theirs (2:1-4)

--------(1) Warning against letting New Testament truth slip away (v.1)

--------(2) If rejection of First Testament truth was punished (v.2) how much more will rejection of New Testament truth be punished (v.3) and which truth was spoken by the Lord who is superior to angels, and which was attested by miracles (vv.3,4)

....j. Is to be Ruler over the Messianic Kingdom (vv.5-9)

--------(1) Angels, being servants, cannot rule (v.5)

--------(2) Adam placed over earth, lost his dominion through sin (vv.6-8)

--------(3) Our Lord has regained it for man, who will be associated with Him in His rule. (v.9)

....k. Is the High Priest who has put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (vv.10-18)

--------(1) He becomes Savior through His death on the cross (v.10)

--------(2) This death made possible through His incarnation (vv.11-16)

--------(3) As High Priest for human beings, it was necessary that He become incarnate (vv.17,18)

3. Moses (3:1-6) because...

....a. He is Creator of Israel, Moses only a member of that house (v.3)

....b. He is Son of God over Israel, Moses only a servant (v.5)

....c. He is the reality, Moses the type (v.5)

4. Joshua (3:7-4:13) because He leads into spiritual rest which is better than temporal rest into which Joshua led Israel.

....a. Warning against hardening their hearts toward the Holy Spirit as the wilderness wanderers hardened their hearts against God. (3:7-9)

....b. That generation did not enter Canaan rest (vv.10-11)

....c. The evidence of the fact that the recipient is saved is that he retains his profession of faith in Christ under the stress of persecution, not going back to the First Testament sacrifices. (vv.6,14)

....d. The recipient will die in his sins if he fails to put his faith in Christ as High Priest, just as the wilderness wanderers died a physical death because of unbelief. (3:15-4:8). The name "Joshua" should be in the text rather than "Jesus" (v.8)

....e. Exhortation to enter rest in Christ, and warning against continued unbelief. (vv.10-13)

5. Aaron (4:14-8:6) since He...

....a. Ascended through the heavens into the actual Holy of Holies (4:14-16)

....b. Was taken, not from among men, but from the Godhead (5:1)

....c. Is sinless (v.2)

....d. Is an eternal High Priest (v.6)

....e. Becomes actual High Priest through His death and resurrection (vv.7-10)

....f. Is the reality as High Priest, which does away with the types of the First Testament (5:11-6:12)

--------(1) The recipients hard to teach and dull as to spiritual perception (5:11)

--------(2) They had been instructed in New Testament truth (v.12)

--------(3) They were babes, that is, immature in their spiritual thinking(v.13)

--------(4) They are exhorted to put away "the beginning word of the Christ," namely, the Levitical ritual, and be born along to New Testament truth (6:1)

--------(5) They are exhorted not to lay down again a foundation of First Testament doctrines (vv.1,2)

--------(6) They had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to New Testament truth (v.4)

--------(7) They had tasted of that which constitutes salvation (v.4)

--------(8) They had been willingly led along by the Holy Spirit in His pre-salvation work, Thus being a "partaker" (same Greek word translated "partner" in Luke 5:7)

--------(9) They had tasted the Word (v.5)

--------(10) They had seen the attesting miracles. (v.5)

--------(11) They had been led into repentance (v.6)

--------(12) Now should they fall away from their profession of faith in Christ and back to the sacrifices, it would be impossible to renew them to repentance (vv.6-8)

--------(13) The saved among the recipients would not apostatize (vv.9,10)

--------(14) The unsaved exhorted to follow in the steps of faith of the saved. (vv.11,12)

....g. Is a High Priest who actually brings the believer into an eternal standing in grace (vv.13-20)

--------(1) Abraham, the man of faith who was rewarded, a precedent (vv.13-15)

--------(2) God's oath and God's promise guarantee the believer's eternal retention of salvation (vv.16-18)

--------(3) This salvation made possible by the presence of the High Priest in the heavenly Holy of Holies (vv.19,20)

....h. A High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (7:1-3)

--------(1) Melchizedek, a sinner saved by grace, had no recorded parents, no recorded date of birth or death

--------(2) A type therefore of Jesus Christ in His eternal priesthood.

....i. A High Priest in a superior order of priesthood (7:4-10)

--------(1) The Aaronic priests received tithes (vv.4,5)

--------(2) Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham, therefore, was better than he (vv.6,7)

--------(3) Melchizedek in type still receiving tithes, whereas Aaronic priests die (v.8)

--------(4) Aaron in Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, therefore the latter is superior; therefore, our Lord is better than Aaron, being a priest in the order of Melchizedek (vv.9,10)

....j. Is High Priest of a Testament that offered a sacrifice that put away sin (vv.11-22)

--------(1) The First Testament neither offered nor made anything complete (v.11)

--------(2) First Testament priest came from tribe of Levi, the New Testament priest from the tribe of Judah (vv.12-17)

--------(3) First Testament set aside in favor of a better Testament (vv.18-22)

....k. Lives forever: the Aaronic priests died (vv.23-28)

--------(1) Because mortal, there were many Aaronic priests (vs.23)

--------(2) Our Lord because eternal, has a non-transferable priesthood (vv.24,25)

--------(3) Thus able to save the believer forever (v.25)

--------(4) A better High Priest, because sinless (vv.26-28)

....l. Officiates in a better tabernacle (8:1-6)

--------(1) His tabernacle the heavenly one, Aaron's merely the type (vv.1-5)

--------(2) His Testament therefore better than the one Aaron served under (v.6)

continued....

What are the spiritual mechanics of being born again?

I'll give my thoughts on this matter and we'll go from there. Just for the record, if I'm speaking of baptism, it's the spiritual baptism that I'm speaking of unless otherwise noted. I'll tell you if I mean water baptism.

If you ask someone what being born is, they're likely to respond with something like the wind blows where it wills, all from John 3, etc. But I think the Bible does give us some insight and that insight helps tremendously in interpreting Scripture over all.

When we are placed into/immersed/baptized into Christ, we receive everything at once, all the ingredients to be saved. Thus we are complete "in Him" and lacking nothing (Col. 2:10-14). This is the Church, the Body, that the placing into, or the baptism with the Holy Spirit spiritually unites us with. By receiving the indwelling as a result of our faith, we are placed into Christ, becoming one with Him. Setting aside the legality of our salvation, that is, being saved/delivered from the penalty of sin, the focus in this thread will mainly be in our being saved/delivered from the power of sin. This is the practical side of being saved and is called being born again, which not only frees us from the power of sin, but also allows us to begin to be conformed to Christ likeness (Gal. 3:2-3).

Being born again is the result of being placed into Christ.

When the Bible speaks of our being raised up with Him, or raised up in Christ, it's speaking of our being born again. When it speaks of being crucified with Christ, dying with Him, that is the necessary death that must precede being raised up with Him. When we are placed into/immersed/baptized into Christ, we're also placed into/immersed/baptized into His death, and raised up with Him, thus we are born again.

These are verses that I believe are speaking of being born again, though they do not use the typical language. These are all speking of the Spirit baptism, known as the baptism with the Holy Spirit by Jesus.

Romans 6:3-11 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Col. 2:10-14 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Gal. 3:2-3 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit (baptism with the Holy Spirit) by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? ---- *(added by me)*

26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized (with the Holy Spirit) into Christ have put on Christ. ---- *(added by me)*

Ephesians 2:5-6 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Being born again is simultaneous to being placed into Christ, also being placed into Jesus' death and raised up with Him.

The Bible tells us that we are saved/delivered through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe this is saved/delivered both judicially and being born again. But when the Bible speaks of being 'raised up with Him', like Ephesians 2:6, I believe that it's specifically speaking of our being born again.

Do you recognize this Scripture of speaking of being born again? Is this a metaphor, or does this really happen spiritually when we receive the Holy Spirit.

Dave