Soap Box 46 - DOING RITE THINGS FOR WRONG REASONS

Have you heard of the following phrases or slogans that seem to reflect the ideas and principles of Scripture ?

What is good enough for Jesus is good enough for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All Christians should follow the Lord in Baptism !!!!!!!!

While many may quote these sayings with great sincerity, the above sayings are without great Scriptural support. Many use Matthew 3:13-17, as jumping-into-water-support.

Churchianity is weighted in favor of using these sayings as true and final authority.. The large denominations which follow these kinds of 'guidelines' are called liturgical churches. "A liturgy is a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship," according to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, page 681. A rite "is a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony", according to the same dictionary, page 1011.

A partial list of liturgical denominations that use water baptism as a rite are :

The Roman Catholic Church
The Greek Orthodox Church
The Anglican Church
The Episcopal Church
The Lutheran Church
The Christian Church / Churches of Christ

[[The nation Israel should be recognized as a religious nation that was full of liturgical practices and rituals. Most people do not recognize this vital truth, when searching for teachings and doctrines for modern day believers. So many believe ( wrongly) that the Lord Jesus came into the world to minister to the world and start something like Christianity. They fail to note that He came to Israel, in the context of their religion, their practices, their ceremonies and their rituals. The Lord Jesus did not come to start anything like a church. He was like John the Baptist, calling people back to the revealed truth that Moses was given by God. It is impossible to reconcile a reformed, repentant Judaism with Biblical Christianity. ]]

Water Baptism is defined as an act which has power to cleanse from sin. Some would say that the water really has no such power, but the act of obeying the command, has provisions which grants remission or forgiveness of sins. Most of these groups would draw a line between a Christian and a non-Christian. The line is the submission to the act of water baptism. A poor question to ask someone is, Are you a Christian ? Most have been taught that the answer is, Yes, because I have been baptized !!

There are a host of denominations that practice some kind of water baptism ceremony and make claims that this water ceremony is the door-way into the local church or is the first step of obedience after a person becomes a Christian. The first group would claim you cannot be or become a Christian unless water baptism is performed. The second group states that water baptism is necessary to be an obedient believer.

The book, Christian Theology, by a Baptist, Emery H. Bancroft teaches : " The ground of obligation for the observance of the ordinance of Baptism is furnished in the express will of Jesus Christ by His example, practice, and command; and also by the authority of the Apostles, their practice and teaching." (page 239, emphasis mine ) Bancroft could easily use the two above-mentioned slogans concerning water baptism to support his claims and teachings.

The late Evangelist John R. Rice, in his book, The Power of Pentecost, states, "We ought to be baptized, following His example.", page 66.

Both of these men refer to Matthew's account in 3:13-17, of Jesus' baptism as Scriptural support for believing and teaching that Jesus' submission to water baptism is a reason to follow/imitate Jesus , since they claim he did this as a example for believers to follow.

They regard this context as showing that Jesus is here a pattern for believing disciples.

Dr. Rice bases his teaching on the text, where the word "us" , according to him, refers to Jesus and you, Jesus and me, Jesus and anybody else. "…for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness", Matt. 3:15b. Since Dr. Rice does not believe that water baptism is part of the plan of salvation, he falters, fumbles and stumbles and stutters over the words fulfill all righteousness. He says, "So the baptism of Jesus, foretelling His death, burial and resurrection, in some sense typified all righteousness". ( page 66, emphasis and under- lining mine ) ( There is no proof that Jesus' water baptism foretold anything about his death, burial and resurrection. This is a theological claim, not necessarily endorsed by God.) By using the words "in some sense typified", he is really speaking in a theological jibberish kind of tongue that no one can figure out, because he really doesn't have a clue what this means; and it doesn't fit into his Baptist theology anyway.

But he does not stand alone ( in not knowing what this scripture teaches ). The New Scofield Reference Bible of 1967 seems to make the same kind of theological jibberish, in pointing out their view of "fulfilling all righteousness". We often talk about the Bible saying what it means and meaning what it says. We would like this to mean that most of the time, the Bible is speaking clearly and plainly. But notice this theological double-talk, on page 995, note # 3, part 4 : "He was prophetically looking forward to His own death and resurrection which alone could 'fulfill all righteousness.'" This would be a statement which contradicts the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ, if they had not prefaced their guessing with the words, "It may be suggested that………." So, we see that Dr. Rice and the Editors of the New Scofield felt that they could not take at face value what Jesus told John the Baptist. The late Dr. John R. Rice and the Editors of the New Scofield have every right to teach as they see it. They have a right to be wrong, as this writer sees their position.

Let us look at Matthew 3:13-17 and ask this question : How do you really and rightly handle a portion of Scripture like this ? Most would relish to ritely handle this portion.

What is happening here? Jesus comes to John the Baptist and surprises him by presenting Himself as a candidate for a ritual of water baptism. John the Baptist had a reaction like Peter, when the sheet came down from heaven in Acts 10:10-14, 11:4-8. Peter said, "Not so, Lord". Or, possibly like Dr. Rice and the Editors say in so many words, "Hey !, this can't be so; it doesn't agree with my theological system."

John's reason was, I need to be baptized by you, but you are coming to me ! John's mother, Elisabeth, may have told him the story of when Jesus' mother came to Elisabeth and John was in her womb, and leaped in the presence of Jesus in Mary's womb. Luke 1:39-45. But, John did not know at this moment that Jesus was the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, which was to come after him ( after John ) We will look at this in a moment. So, Jesus prevailed upon John. Jesus said, permit it, yield now, forgive this change, for after this manner, it is fitting, suitable and permissible for US, you, John and I, Jesus, to fulfill all righteousness, every righteous demand and command. Then John permitted Jesus to come and be baptized. The context clearly shows that the US refers only to John and Jesus.

[ Before we continue, please note that I Peter 2:21-25, makes reference to the sufferings of Christ, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps'. In this context, his steps do not lead to the Jordan River. These are not steps leading to a ritual ceremony in H2O, the symbol for water. They are steps, leaving an example of courage, character and consecration, leading to a moral, ethical and spiritual behavior. Let us not let others water down truth with religious relics and rituals of the past.]

So, what was this , 'to fulfill all righteousness' ? What did Jesus have in mind ? Was this baptism for Jesus' sake ? For John's sake ? For God, the Father's sake ? For our sake ?
The first chapter of John's Gospel pours some insight and light on this used, abused and misused passage of Scripture. We quote from John 1:10 and 1:26-34 :

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. "

John answered them, saying, "I baptize you with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, whose coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." And John bare record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, 'Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.' And I saw, and bare witness that this is the Son of God."

The under lined phrases gives us a key to understanding why Jesus submitted to water baptism. This baptism was for Jesus' sake, since he came to do the Father's will. He always pleased the Father. This was for Israel's sake, with her leaders. John said he came baptizing with water that HE, Jesus should be made manifest to ISRAEL, not later for Christians, the church or Christianity. Jesus is the Christ, the anointed to ISRAEL.

Jesus was baptized in a watery ceremony for the Father's sake. He had given his righteous word to John as a promise that John would know who would be the one coming after him as he faithfully baptized those repentant people of Israel. The Father indicated that 'upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.'

Therefore, it was FOR JOHN'S SAKE. John came to know who was coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit.

So, Jesus was baptized for a manifold purpose : with the Father, Jesus and John and the Spirit engaged in fulfilling a righteous word. Jesus' act was NOT recorded, then, to be followed, imitated, or aped by any of his followers.

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