The Gospels
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 Doctrinal Fundamentals
The most important fact to start with is context. The correct context in which to take the words of Christ, is as the correct meaning to the immediate person to whom Christ was speaking. Rather than teaching something meant to apply to us in the future, if Jesus Christ said to an individual, "You shall..." It is primarily that individual to whom he was speaking to which the meaning is to be taken. Notwithstanding there are some exceptions. When Christ taught in the sermon on the mount that;
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Matt ch5:v29-30
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
(KJV)
Jesus does not mean that we should cut off our own hands. Rather as Jesus is talking to the multitude he is preaching that Israel, as a body should be refined. In other words, the body of the elect of God, (previously the nation of the twelve tribes of Israel) is undergoing a redefinition. The remnant left after the transition - the church, (if you will equivocate); is now Israel to God.
Likewise, in the same place, Jesus taught:
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Matt ch5:v31-32
Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
(KJV)
Again, he is also speaking to the multitude (of Israel) as a body - this time the bride of God. If God has put away Israel by divorce for her sins... (fornication with other gods, mammon etc) then he does not cause her adultery, but makes it clear she is "immoral" and whoever acts as her "god" or king/husband transgresses with her. So any proponent that physical Israel are "god's chosen people" are adulterers also. This is because God never goes back on his word, and any "OT only" god of the physical Israelite nation is as practice of immoral fornication with another. (whether fictional or not).
Interesting, isn't it! Jesus in the last passage is speaking to the whole Israel, but is he also speaking to the individual? If the former, he is at least using simile to great effect. If the latter, then it has a wider context in view.
For the study in this section there are two passages that are required reading.
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Exo ch14:v15-31
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Exo 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Exo 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exo 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Exo 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Exo 14:22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Exo 14:23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Exo 14:24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
Exo 14:25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
Exo 14:26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
Exo 14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
Exo 14:28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
Exo 14:29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Exo 14:30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
Exo 14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
(KJV)
It is important to note from the passage in exodus that the Egyptians were discomforted by God through the pillar of fire whilst in persuit of the tribes of Israel through the parted sea. In 1Corinthians it is stated that Israel were baptized as they passed through.
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- 1Cor ch10:v1-4
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
(KJV)
The Egyptians all perished when Moses raised the staff as instructed by God and the sea consumed them. The staff preceded Moses, as the instrument of God the staff also takes the parallel of Jesus to John the Baptist. John baptised Christ, as a servant of the Father. The staff did not mediate or testate any covenant, but performed its's function as an instrument. Likewise, Jesus testated the covenant as God to Moses, and Moses to the people. John therefore plays a parallel of the staff preceding Moses into and through the baptism, as John initiated the baptism of multitudes, including Christ.
Of Jesus, John spoke;
-- Click To Expand/Collapse Bible Verses -- Matt ch3:v9-11
Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
(KJV)
It is clear in the Gospel according to Matthew that Christ comes after John and baptises with BOTH the holy spirit and with fire. (It is not so clear as to both in other accounts). Here, we rightly assume that Christ's elect are baptised with the Holy Spirit. We are also sure of what we mean when we say we are baptised with water. But with fire?
John teaches that bad trees are hewn (cut) down and burned. Therefore we may safely assume that some of the baptised will not be saved and will perish in the fires of hell. (As is the case with that brood of vipers John was speaking to.) In an ominous parallel we also see that the Egyptians persuing Israel in their Red sea crossing were ALSO baptized, in water, as were the Israelites. Yet they were baptised not with the Holy Spirit but with Fire and to their destruction.
Many of the Israelites perished in the wilderness, but Christ, the water from the rock in the desert was given to his elect. Just as the Holy Spirit is given to us today. Some of Israel went on to freedom through Christ, but many were "too Egyptian" to survive and find freedom and life.
It is this duality of the water baptism of both Israel and Egypt that has the most startling revelations in New Testament doctrine, for all. Everyone is either in one set or the other, no one who is baptised with water can state they are "once saved and always saved". Likewise, it is not necessary for salvation for a person to be baptized with water. Even the terms "water" and "baptized" take on a natural leaning that opens up more doctrine that is revealed for all to see, and stated in plain language - the meaning of which escaped me for many years.
Please do continue on to the main study.
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