Sanctification. Introduction

Transcription

1 Sanctification Introduction Sanctification is a technical theological term for the believer who has been set apart through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment of conversion in order to serve God exclusively and is accomplished in three stages: (1) Positional (2) Experiential (3) Perfective. All three stages of sanctification refer to the process of conforming the believer into the image of Jesus Christ, which is the Father s plan from eternity past (Romans 8:28-30). Sanctification is all about the believer experiencing the holiness or perfect character of God in his life through his thoughts, words and actions. It demands holiness or perfect character from the believer. It demands that the believer live by the power of the Spirit and the Word through the process of fellowship. It demands that the believer lives in the new Christ nature that he received through regeneration. He cannot experience fellowship with God without experiencing the holiness of God. If God is holy and He is, then the believer must be holy as well. In fact, every believer is commanded in Scripture to be as holy as God (1 Peter 1:14-16). Fellowship means being in the presence of God and being in the presence of God means that one is holy as God. God is holy and because He is holy the believer must be as holy as God in order to come into His presence. Therefore, fellowship with God demands that the believer approach God with reverence. This is accomplished by acknowledging any known sin to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship and maintaining that fellowship by obedience to the Spirit s teaching which is found in the Word of God. It demands that the believer be honest with God since God is light and can reveal the hidden motives and thoughts of the believer as well as knowing all his actions (1 John 1:5-10). Webster s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines holiness as the quality or state of being holy; sanctity and they define sanctity as, sacred or hallowed character. One of the definitions that Webster s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary gives for the adjective holy is, entitled to worship or profound religious reverence because of divine character or origin or connection with God or divinity. One of the definitions for the noun character that Webster s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary provides that applies to the context of our passage is the following: the aggregate of features and traits that form the apparent individual nature of some person or thing William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 If we paraphrase these definitions, we would say that the God s holiness refers to the aggregate (i.e. sum total) of perfect features and traits that form the divine nature of God. Thus, God s holiness is related to all of His divine attributes or in other words, it is simply the harmony of all His perfections or attributes. The holiness of God is the aggregate of perfect divine attributes that form the nature of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, God s holiness is related to all of His divine attributes. Therefore, the term holiness refers to the absolute perfection of the character of God, expressing His purity of character or moral perfection and excellence, thus making God totally separate from sin and sinners. He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God, thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles. Holiness is used often to describe the Person of God. Leviticus 22:2 Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the LORD. (NASU) 1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY. (NASU) 1 Chronicles 16:10 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. (NASU) Psalm 30:4 Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. (NASU) Psalm 97:12 Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, and give thanks to His holy name. (NASU) This absolute perfection of God s character is celebrated throughout the Scriptures. Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory. (NASU) Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME. (NASU) 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 The title His Holy Name refers to the perfect character of the Person of God. The Lord Jesus Christ revealed the holiness or character of God during His 1 st Advent. John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (NASU) Therefore, holiness pertains to the sum total of God s invisible attributes, which compose the absolute perfection of His character. Holiness for the believer is Christ-likeness, which is the reproduction of Christlike character in the believer, i.e. spiritual maturity. It is the reproduction of the character and life of Christ in the believer, which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit in the believer who obeys the Spirit s voice, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God. Being holy is being like Christ who is holy. We are holy when we are thinking, speaking and acting like Christ and this all begins with adopting the mind of Christ in your thinking. The more the believer matures, the more he will experience the holiness of God in his life. The believer who obeys the voice of the Spirit, which is heard through the Word of God will reflect the holiness of God. The more the believer reflects the holiness of God by being obedient to the Spirit, the more he will reflect the holiness of God thereby glorify Him. The more he reflects the holiness of God, the more intimate the believer s fellowship with God will be. The believer s intimacy with God will grow in direct proportion to his reflecting the holiness of God. The believer who is obedient to the Spirit s voice, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God enables the Spirit to reproduce the life and character of Christ in him and to empower and guide him in doing the will of the Father, which is to be conformed to the image of Christ. The will of the Father from eternity past is that the believer be conformed to the image of Christ (Rm. 8:28-29; 12:1-2; Phlp. 3:2-21; Eph. 4:12-24). Thus, the will of the Father from eternity past is that the believer be perfectly holy as the Lord Jesus Christ is. Therefore, the responsibility of us as members of the body of Christ is to manifest the Person of Christ. The Spirit enables us to, but this is hindered and brought to a complete stop when we sin and are out of fellowship. So the church s function as the body of Christ is to manifest the Person of Christ or in other words, the Light of Christ and this is why Paul desired that Christ would be manifested in his physical body in Philippians 1:21. This is why Paul exhorts the Philippians in Philippians 2:14-16 to exhibit the Word of life. When we sin and get out of fellowship we are in effect hindering the Spirit s work of manifesting the Light or the perfect character of Christ in our physical bodies! 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 Holiness for the believer is not morality although morality will be the result of experiencing the holiness of God in one s life. Morality is not the basis for experiencing the holiness of God in one s life but rather it is the result of fellowship with God that is the result of obeying the Spirit s voice in the Word of God William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Sanctification Vocabulary Hagios There is no certain etymology for hagios, which refers to a person or thing that has been set apart as sacred or consecrated to God. It is not found in Homer or in the writers of the Greek tragedies. The word appears predominately among the Hellenistic writers. It is first found in Herodotus where uses it to describe the temple of Venus in the district Prosopitis (The History 2.41). Hagios is used of sanctuaries (Dem. 59, 77). The Hellenistic inscriptions confirm this usage, particularly for oriental sanctuaries. Aristotle employs the word to describe an oath (Mirabilia 834b 11). Aristophanes calls people hagios (Birds 522). The word was used as epithet describing oriental gods such as Isis, Serapis, and Baal and was transferred over to the Greek gods as well. Originally a cultic concept connected with the mystery religions of ancient Greece. Hagios was used by Aristophanes and Demosthones with reference to the customs connected with the mystery religions in Greece. Demosthones used it to describe the most beautiful and sacred things that are not accessible to the general public. The Greeks used three different word groups to denote what is holy: (1) heiros, what is set apart for the deity (2) hosios, the obligation of service to a deity (3) hagios, a person or thing set apart as consecrated to the deity. Both, hagios and hasios emphasized the duty in worshipping the holy. Hagios was used by the Greeks to denote the quality possessed by things and persons that could approach a divinity. It was one of five words used by the Greeks to describe their concept of holiness and is the only word used in the Bible to describe the biblical concept of holiness. The basic idea of hagios among the Greeks was separation and consecration and devotion to the service of a deity. The Greeks used the word to describe things which have been devoted to the gods, set apart for the gods for religious purposes only, consecrated to the gods. It was used to describe people who are devoted to the service of a god, separated to the service of the god. Liddell and Scott: (1) in good sense, sacred, holy; of things, sacred holy; of persons, holy, pure (2) in bad sense, accursed, execrable (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 9). In the Septuagint, hagios appears 742 times and is the equivalent for the different forms of the Hebrew term qadhosh, holy. The word was used in conjunction with Person of God (Lev. 20:3; 22:2; Ps. 33:21). It was used to describe Yahweh s integrity or holiness. The word described His character and nature as well as His name and His people, Israel. It was used to describe the 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 various articles of the Tabernacle and Temple along with the various offerings which spoke of Christ and His sacrifice. Anything that was set apart for God was considered hagios whether animals, people or things. It inherited the background of deep reverence and awe associated with the Holy God of Israel, and it retained all its cultic as well as ethical implications. The starting point for any understanding of holiness is the holiness of the Lord Himself. His perfect character and nature stands in contrast to sinfulness of His creatures. In the Septuagint, the Spirit is described as holy (Ps. 51:11) since He is a member of the Trinity. The Messiah is called the Holy One of God (Ps. 16:10 [LXX 15:10] ). The following were described as set apart or holy to the Lord in the Old Testament: (1) all firstborn of people as well as animals (Nm. 3:13). (2) individuals (Jer. 1:5). (3) offerings (Ex. 29:33). (4) tabernacle and temple (Ex. 28:29; 1 K. 9:3; 2 Ch. 35:5). (5) articles and utensils used by the priests (Ex. 30:25-29; 1K. 8:4 [LXX 3 K. 8:4] ) (6) high priest s garments (Ex. 28:2). The adjective hagios is employed extensively in the Greek New Testament appearing 233 times. The same concepts expressed by hagios in classical Greek and the LXX are expressed in the Greek New Testament. Hagios in the New Testament is used to describe God s holiness or in other words His perfect character and integrity. Therefore, it is used to describe the individual members of the Trinity. God the Father is hagios (John 17:11; 1 Pet. 1; 15). Lord Jesus Christ is hagios (John 6:69; Luke 4:34). The Spirit is hagios (Matt. 1:18; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; Titus 3:5). The believers are described as hagios in numerous passages in the New Testamen t where the word is usually translated, saints (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 5:27; 1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 3:1, etc.). The Scriptures are described as hagios (Rom. 1:2), and the apostles (Eph. 3:5; Rev. 18:20). The Word of God is described as hagios (Jude 1:20). Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Hagios is from the same root as hagnos (found in hazo, to venerate ), fundamentally signifies separated (among the Greeks, dedicated to the gods), and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred. (a) It is predicated of God (as the absolutely Holy One, in His purity, majesty and glory): of the Father, e. g., Luke 1:49; John 17:11; 1 Peter 1:15,16; Rev 4:8; 6:10; of the Son, e. g., Luke 1:35; Acts 3:14; 4:27,30; 1 John 2:20; of the Spirit, e. g., Matt 1:18 and frequently in all the Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, 1 Thes.; also in 2 Tim 1:14; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:12; 2 Peter 1:21; Jude 20. (b) It is used of men and things (see below) in so far as they are devoted to God. Indeed the quality, as attributed to God, is often presented in a way which involves divine demands upon the conduct of believers. These are called hagioi, 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 saints, i. e., sanctified or holy ones. This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men; yet believers are called to sanctify themselves (consistently with their calling, 2 Tim 1:9), cleansing themselves from all defilement, forsaking sin, living a holy manner of life, 1 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 3:11, and experiencing fellowship with God in His holiness. The saints are thus figuratively spoken of as a holy temple, 1 Cor 3:17 (a local church); Eph 2:21 (the whole Church), cp. 5:27; a holy priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5; a holy nation, 2:9. It is evident that hagios and its kindred words... express something more and higher than hieros, sacred, outwardly associated with God;... something more than semnos, worthy, honorable; something more than hagnos, pure, free from defilement. Hagios is... more comprehensive... It is characteristically godlikeness (G. B. Stevens, in Hastings' Bib. Dic.). The adjective is also used of the outer part of the tabernacle, Heb 9:2 (RV, the holy place ); of the inner sanctuary, 9:3, RV, the Holy of Holies ; 9:4, a holy place, RV; v. 25 (plural), of the presence of God in heaven, where there are not two compartments as in the tabernacle, all being the holy place ; 9:8,12 (neuter plural); 10:19, the holy place, RV (KJV, the holiest, neut. plural); of the city of Jerusalem. Rev 11:2; its temple, Acts 6:13; of the faith. Jude 20; of the greetings of saints, 1 Cor 16:20; of angels, e. g., Mark 8:38; of apostles and prophets, Eph 3:5; of the future heavenly Jerusalem, Rev 21:2, 10; 22:19. (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) properly reverend, worthy of veneration (2) set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively His (3) of sacrifices and offerings; prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean (4) in a moral sense, pure, sinless, upright, holy (pages 6-7). The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised: (1) separate from common condition and use; dedicated (2) hallowed; used of things (3) the sanctuary; and of persons, saints, e.g. members of the first Christian communities (4) pure, righteous, ceremonially or morally; holy (page 3). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition: (1) as adjective pertaining to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God (2) used as a pure substantive the holy (thing, pers.) (Pages 10-11). Louw and Nida list the following meanings for hagios: (1) pertaining to being holy in the sense of superior moral qualities and possessing certain essentially divine qualities in contrast with what is human holy, pure, divine (88.24). (2) pertaining to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God devout, godly, dedicated (53.46) Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, As the quality of persons or things that can be brought near or into God s presence holy; (1) of things set apart for God s purpose dedicated, sacred, holy (2) of persons holy, pure, consecrated to God (3) of supernatural beings, as God, Christ, the Spirit of God, angels, holy (4) superlative most holy, very pure or sincere (5) as a substantive (a) the Holy One, as a designation for God and Christ; plural the holy ones, as a designation for angels; as human beings belonging to God saints, God s people, believers (b) neuter what is holy, what is dedicated to God; as a place dedicated to God sanctuary, holy place; plural holy place, (outer) sanctuary; most sacred place, inner sanctuary, very holy place (Page 32). Hagiazo The verb hagiazo (ἁγιάζω) (eye-ee-ah-zoe) means to make holy, to sanctify, to consecrate. It is rare in classical Greek and belongs almost exclusively to Biblical Greek or Greek influenced by the Bible (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament volume 1, page 111). The verb appears 187 times in the Septuagint and reflects four basic usages: (1) the consecration or making holy of objects (2) the consecration of persons (3) holy treatment or reverence of persons (4) purification. It signifies an act whereby people or things are consecrated or set apart for the exclusive use of God. They are the special possession of God. The word appears 28 times in the Greek New Testament. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament defines the word make holy, consecrate, sanctify (1) of things set apart for sacred purposes consecrate, dedicate (2) of God s name treat as holy, revere (3) of persons (a) objectively, of Christ and His church acknowledged as being God s own possession set apart for a holy purpose, dedicate, consecrate (b) subjectively, of spiritual and moral preparation sanctify, make holy, purify (4) specifically in 1 Cor. 7:14 of an unbelieving partner in a Christian home set aside for God s purpose sanctified, consecrated, accepted or acknowledged by God (Page 31). Louw and Nida list the following meanings for the verb: (1) to dedicate to the service of and to loyalty to deity to consecrate, consecration, to dedicate to God, dedication (53.44) (2) to cause someone to have the quality of holiness to make holy (88.26) (3) to feel reverence for or to honor as holy to hallow, to regard as holy, to honor as holy (88.27) (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based upon Semantic Domains) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition gives the following: (1) set aside something or make it suitable for ritual purposes, consecrate, dedicate of things (2) include a person in 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 the inner circle of what is holy, in both cultic and moral associations of the word, consecrate, dedicate, sanctify (3) to treat as holy, reverence (4) to eliminate that which is incompatible with holiness, purify (Pages 9-10) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 The Baptism of the Spirit The believer s sanctification is directly related to the baptism of the Spirit since it results in positional sanctification and the potential to experience sanctification in time and the guarantee of the completion of sanctification at the resurrection of the church. During the dispensation of the church age when a sinner exercises faith alone in Christ alone, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places that person in a eternal union with Christ. The Spirit at conversion identifies the believer positionally with Christ in His crucifixion, death, resurrection and session. This results in making the believer a permanent member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Mark 16:16; John 7:37-39; 14:20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is called the baptism of the Spirit. To be identified with Christ means that the Holy Spirit has made the justified sinner identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also means that the Spirit ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the believer becomes the second person of the Trinity, but rather it means that God views the believer has having been crucified, died and buried with Christ two thousand years ago as well as raised and seated with Him. The baptism of the Spirit results in positional sanctification and the potential to experience sanctification in time and the guarantee of the completion of sanctification at the resurrection of the church. This ministry of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost in June of 32 A.D. and will not take place after the rapture of the church. The completion of the royal family of God at the rapture will mark the end of the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit distinguishes the church age from other dispensations. There was no church before the baptism of the Spirit. There are seven baptisms in the Word of God: (1) Baptism of John (2) Baptism of Jesus (3) Christian water baptism in the pre-canon period of the church age (4) Baptism of Moses (5) Baptism of the Cross (6) Baptism of Fire (7) Baptism of the Spirit. Understanding the nature of the baptism of the Spirit and its implications is so very important for the Christian to understand and apply to his own life. The Father s viewpoint of the believer is directly related to the baptism of the Spirit. As we have noted the believer is identified with Christ in His crucifixion, His deaths, His burial, His resurrection and session. God views the believer as He views His Son in the sense that He looks at the believer as having been crucified with His Son, to have died and been buried with Him and raised and seated with Him at His right hand. This is all the result of the work of the Spirit. The believer s 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 responsibility is to appropriate by faith this fact! Doing so, results in the believer experiencing his sanctification and deliverance from the sin nature, Satan and his cosmic system. Ultimately, it leads to the glorification of the Father since if the believer appropriates by faith His position in Christ, he will manifest the character of Christ and to manifest the character of Christ is to glorify God. To glorify God is to manifest His character. No wonder the devil has done enormous amount of work in this area to cloud and confuse Christendom s knowledge of this truth. My prayer for this study is that it will lead the Christian reader to further transformation into the image of Christ. Vocabulary for the Baptism of the Spirit There are two important words in the Greek New Testament that related to the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are baptisma, baptism and the verb baptizo, baptized. The verb baptizo belong to the following word group: (1) Bapto (verb), to dip, to dye, to stain, to wet, to moisten (2) Baptisma (noun), identification (3) Baptismos (noun), the ritual washing of cups, utensils, bowls. The verb bapto is seldom found in the Greek New Testament but is found extensively in classical and Hellenistic writings. Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides, Epictectus, Aristophanes, all used the verb bapto. It is used 16 times in the Septuagint and is found once in Luke 16:24, twice in John 13:26, and once in Revelation 19:13. It has many diverse meanings and usages during the classical and Hellenistic periods. Bapto is never used to put an object into a fluid to remain there permanently or for an unlimited amount of time. Nor is it used to draw up anything out of a liquid, which it had not first put into it. There are two categorical usages from which there are several modifications, namely, primary and secondary usages. Bapto in its primary usage expresses a sharply defined action. It demands a movement, which carries its object momentarily, within a fluid element. Examples: if any one should dip into wax (Aristotle, On the Soul, 3.12) and He dipped a vessel into water (Constantine, Epigr of Hermolaus). From this primary usage, bapto can mean, to wet, to moisten, to wash, to plunge. In the ninth book of the Odyssey, Homer uses the word to compare the hissing sound of Cyclops punctured eye with the sound cold water makes when a blacksmith plunges (bapto) a red hot iron into it (Od. 9, 392). The secondary usage means, to dye. Examples: When it drops upon the garments they are dyed (Hippocrates). Bapto in its secondary usage expresses a condition or quality of color to be secured. Bapto in its secondary usage demands a 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 condition, which is met by flowing, pouring, or sprinkling. From this secondary usage, bapto can mean, to stain, to smear, to paint, to temper, to impregnate, to make gold or inlay with gold. Out of this secondary usage of the verb bapto grew baptizo. Homer, Aristotle, Plutarch, Polybius, Epictectus, Hippocrates, Aristophanes, Strabo, Josephus and Philo all used baptizo. It is only found four times in the Septuagint and many times in the Greek New Testament. Baptizo has many diverse meanings and usages in the classical and Hellenistic periods. Its primary usage can also be called its literal usage and its secondary usage can also be called its metaphorical or figurative usage. Baptizo is the intensified form of bapto. The suffix -izo introduces a causative notion to bapto. Baptizo refers to that which literally causes a thoroughly complete change of condition or permanent change of condition. The literal usage refers to an object s thoroughly changed condition that has been brought about by the object being introduced into some new circumstance. Baptizo in its primary or literal usage refers to placing an object in any fluid that could change the object s condition without respect to time. After the object s condition has been changed, the enveloping fluid has no further power to effect additional change on the object. In the literal or physical sense baptizo refers to that which is destructive for persons and for things and this is why it is not found in classical writings of ritual bathes. The literal usages of the word are to immerse, to plunge, to submerge, to wash, to make clean by dipping in water, to bath oneself, to drown, to perish, to sink a ship, to sink in the mud. Example 1: We all, therefore, changed our position to the higher parts of the ship, so that we might raise up the baptized part of the ship (Achilles Tatius 3.1). Example 2: Alexander, falling upon the stormy season, and trusting, commonly, to fortune, pressed on before the flood went out, and through the entire day the army marched baptized up to the waist (Strabo, ). Baptizo developed a secondary or metaphorical usage from this primary or literal usage. In its secondary or metaphorical usage, baptizo referred to being placed into an element that could effect a thoroughly changed or permanently changed condition without regard to time. It refers to a condition that results from baptism and to the cause of that condition, regardless of the way in which the condition is affected. The metaphorical usage of the word is to overwhelm, to inflict great and abounding calamities on someone, to be overwhelmed with faults, desires, sicknesses, magical arts, to sink into sleep, intoxication, impotence, to flood a city 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 with crowds, to be soaked in wine, to be over one s head and ears in debt, to be in deep water, i.e., trouble, to draw wine by dipping a cup in a bowl. The Greek author and soldier, Xenophon in his work Anabasis describes Greek and barbarian soldiers before going into battle placing (baptizo) the points of their swords and spears in a bowl of blood, which symbolized or represented the blood of their enemy. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings for the verb, to dip, immerse; to cleanse or purify by washing; to administer the rite of baptism, to baptize; metaphorically with various reference to the ideas associated with Christian baptism as an act of dedication, e.g. marked designation, devotion, trial, etc; middle, to procure baptism for one s self, to undergo baptism. (Page 65) A Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature lists the following meanings, dip, immerse, mid. Dip oneself, wash, plunge, sink, drench, overwhelm; fig. soak. They list the following usages: (1) of Jewish ritual washings (2) in special sense baptize (a) of John the Baptist (b) of Christian baptism-performed by Jesus disciples. As the sacrament of initiation after Jesus death (3) In figurative sense though related to the idea of Christian baptism (a) Typologically of Israel s passage through the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:2). (b) Baptism of fire (c) Of martyrdom (pages ). The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings: (I) (1) Properly to dip repeatedly, to immerge, submerge (a) to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water; in the middle and the first aorist passive, to wash oneself, bathe (3) Metaphorically, to overwhelm (II) In the NT it used particularly of the rite of sacred ablution, fist instituted by John the Baptist, afterwards by Christ s command received by Christians and adjusted to the contents and nature of their religion, an immersion in water, performed as a sign of the removal of sin, and administered to those who, impelled by a desire for salvation, sought admission to the benefits of the Messiah s kingdom (a) The word is used absolutely, to administer the rite of ablution, to baptize; passively, to be baptized; Passive in a reflexive sense, to allow one s self to be initiated by baptism, to receive baptism (b) with prepositions; eis, to mark the element into which the immersion is made; to mark the end; to indicate the effect; to bring by baptism into fellowship with Christ, into fellowship in His death, by which fellowship, we have died to sin (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3); en with dative of the thing in which one is immersed; passively, epi, relying on the name of Jesus Christ; huper, on behalf of the dead, i.e. to promote their eternal salvation by undergoing baptism in their stead (pages 93-94). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains lists the following meanings for the verb baptizo: (1) to wash (in some contexts, 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 possibly by dipping into water), with a view to making objects ritually acceptable wash, to purify, washing, purification (volume 2, page 536). (2) to employ water in a religious ceremony designed to symbolize purification and initiation on the basis of repentance to baptize, baptism (volume 2, page 537). (3) to cause someone to have a highly significant religious experience involving special manifestations of God s power and presence to baptize (volume 2, page 539). Vine commenting on the verb baptizo, writes, Baptizo, to baptize, primarily a frequentative form of bapto, to dip, was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc. Plutarchus uses it of the drawing of wine by dipping the cup into the bowl (Alexis, 67) and Plato, metaphorically, of being overwhelmed with questions (Euthydemus, 277 D). It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2 Kings 5:14, dipped himself, Sept.); see also Isa 21:4, lit., lawlessness overwhelms me. In the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4, it is used of the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came confessing their sins, thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah's coming kingdom. Distinct from this is the baptism enjoined by Christ, Matt 28:19, a baptism to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e. g., Acts 19:5; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 1:13-17; 12:13; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12. The phrase in Matt 28:19, baptizing them into the Name (RV; cf. Acts 8:16, RV), would indicate that the baptized person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was baptized. In Acts 22:16 it is used in the middle voice, in the command given to Saul of Tarsus, arise and be baptized, the significance of the middle voice form being get thyself baptized. The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian baptism being an antitupon, a corresponding type, a like figure, 1 Peter 3:21. Likewise the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Cor 10:2. The verb is used metaphorically also in two distinct senses: firstly, of baptism by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the Day of Pentecost; secondly, of the calamity which would come upon the nation of the Jews, a baptism of the fire of divine judgment for rejection of the will and word of God, Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16. (Vine s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) As we will note later on in detail in this article, in Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Galatians 3:27, the verb baptizo is employed in a figurative or metaphorical sense to denote the Holy Spirit causing the believer to be identified with Christ William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 1 Corinthians 12:13 By means of one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greek (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we are all made to drink into one Spirit. (My translation) Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with the nature of Christ. (My translation) Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? (NASU) Ritual and Real Identifications There are three ritual identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of John (2) Baptism of Jesus (3) Christian Water Baptism. There are four real identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of Moses (2) Baptism of the Cross (3) Baptism of Fire (4) Baptism of the Spirit. Ritual baptisms use water as a teaching tool to picture by ritual a real identification. The first ritual identification is the Baptism of John (Matt. 3:1-10; John 1:25-33) in which water represented the kingdom of God. In this baptism, the believer was submerged (usually Jordan River), which pictured identification with the kingdom of God through their faith in the coming Messiah. When the believer was brought out of the water, this was a picture of resurrection meaning identification with the King forever in a resurrection body. The second ritual identification is the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17). Jesus told John the Baptist to baptize Him. This baptism represented our Lord s identification with the Father s plan, will, and purpose for His next three years. When John submerged the Lord under the water of the Jordan River, this represented our Lord s positive volition to the Father s plan for the next three years and when He came out of the water that was a picture of resurrection. The third ritual identification is Christian baptism. Water baptism was used to teach the baptism of the Spirit before the canon of Scripture was completed in 96 A.D (Acts 8:36-38; 16:33). Ritual water baptism ended along with all temporary spiritual gifts in 96 A.D. There were two rituals ordained for the pre-canon period of church age, namely, the Lord s Table and water baptism. When the believer was submerged under the water, this portrayed his identification with Christ in His death and burial, which we call in theology, retroactive positional truth meaning that the Father views the believer as having been crucified, died and buried with Christ when Christ was crucified, died and buried. When the believer came up out of the water, this meant the believer was identified with Christ in His resurrection, ascension and session, which is called in theology, current positional truth meaning that the believer is currently seated 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 at the right hand of Father with Christ. This represented that the believer is a new spiritual species, a member of the royal family of God and a member of the body of Christ. Therefore, water baptism was an outward, visible symbol of what the Holy Spirit has done inwardly and invisibly in the believer. Real baptisms are actual identifications. The baptism of Moses refer to the fact that the Exodus generation was identified with Moses (1 Cor. 10:2). No one got wet except the Egyptians. Moses identified himself with the Lord. The baptism of the cup or the Cross (Mark 10:38-39) refers to the identification of our sins with Christ. The baptism of fire (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16) refers to all unbelievers who survive the Tribulation are identified with fire at the Second Advent. They are put into the Fire of Torments, which is a real identification with fire. The baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21) is a real identification and invisible. God the Holy Spirit places the church age believer in union with Christ the moment were justified through faith in Christ resulting in a permanent change of condition for the believer. The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit performs the action. The baptism of the Spirit is one of the seven salvation ministries of God the Holy Spirit, which he performs for the sinner, the moment they trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. It connects the dispensation of the hypostatic union with the church age and forms the royal family of God and creates a new spiritual species. It first occurred on the day of Pentecost 32 A.D. in fulfillment of our Lord s prophecy. John the Baptist Reference to the Baptism of the Spirit John the Baptist prophesied of the baptism of the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). God the Father tells John the Baptist that the Lord Jesus Christ will be responsible for the Baptism of the Spirit (John 1:33). John the Baptist places a clear distinction between water baptism and the baptism of the Spirit (Mark 1:8; Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16). Matthew 3:11 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. (NASU) The baptism of the Spirit is for believers and the baptism of fire is for the unbeliever (Luke 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ Prophecy of the Baptism of the Spirit The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied about the baptism of the Spirit (John 7:37-39) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NASU) He described the baptism of the Spirit as rivers of living water (John 7:38). At that time, the baptism of the Spirit had not yet taken place when our Lord issued this prophesy (John 7:39). In this passage, John writes that the reception of the baptism of the Spirit is contingent upon believing in Christ (John 7:38) and that the giving of the Spirit was contingent upon our Lord s glorification (John 7:39). The last day of the great feast refers to the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, which lasted eight days (Lev. 23:36), and was considered the climax to the Feast. Seven days symbolized Israel s wandering the desert and the eighth day was a solemn day of rest depicting the eternal state of the believer in Christ. There was a ceremony during the eighth day in which water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and then poured out, commemorating God s provision for Israel in the desert. Our Lord was interpreting the meaning of this ceremony, which depicted the baptism of the Spirit. The phrase from His innermost being shall flow rivers of living water refers to the soul of the believer which receives eternal life (John 4:14; 1 Cor. 10:4). Shall flow is the Greek verb rheo, to gush, overflow, and was used in the ancient world of gushing or overflowing rivers. Our Lord uses it figuratively of the soul of the believer which has received eternal life. In John 14:16, our Lord promises to the send the Spirit in His Upper Room Discourse. John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever. (NASU) Our Lord promises the disciples that He will send them another (allon) Helper (parakletos) to assist them while in the devil s world. Parakletos means one who is called or sent for to assist another. God the Holy Spirit would act in this capacity for believers during the church age dispensation. In John 14:20, the phrase in that day refers to the day of Pentecost when the apostles would be placed in union with Christ by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit. John 14:20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (NASU) 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 You in Me is our Lord s prophesy concerning the baptism of the Spirit, which is something they had never read in the Scriptures before because it was never known to Old Testament saints. It is exclusive to the church age. The phrase in Me (en emoi) is a locative of sphere meaning that the apostles will be identified with Christ. This prepositional phrase speaks of the believer s intimate, eternally secure position in Christ. It speaks of the believer s union and identification with Christ that makes the believer eternally the object of the Father s divine-love. It alludes to the doctrine of positional truth and the justified sinner s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, His death and His resurrection. In John 14:26, the Lord taught His disciples that God the Father would send the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in His name. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (NASU) At that time it was still future to our Lord s thinking. God the Holy Spirit is our true teacher of bible doctrine. God the Holy Spirit would bring to remembrance all that our Lord said during this night before He was to go to the Cross. In My name has a five-fold meaning. First, it refers to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is undiminished deity and true humanity and, thus, the unique theanthropic person of history and creation. Second, the word refers to the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, the aggregate features and traits of the Lord Jesus Christ s divine and human nature. It also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ s work during His First Advent, which ended with His greatest accomplishment, His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. His death fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Mosaic Law, destroyed the works of the devil, redeemed the entire human race from the slave market of sin, propitiated the Father s righteous demands that every sin in history be judged, and reconciled the entire human race to God. What an accomplishment! The phrase also alludes to Christ s resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:21; Phi 2:5-11; Heb 1:4), since it refers to His reputation before mankind as the Savior of the world, redeemer of all mankind, and sovereign ruler of history. Lastly, it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ s position before the Father as righteous and holy and as His beloved Son. Essentially, this all refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only person holy enough to have merit before God the Father. In Acts 1:5, our Lord distinguishes between water baptism and the baptism of the Spirit. Acts 1:4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, Which, He said, 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 you heard of from Me 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (NASU) This prophecy took place on the day of our Lord s ascension and session. Not many days turned out to be ten days. Ten days after our Lord s ascension, the baptism of the Spirit took place and the church age began. Luke states in Acts 1:3 that our Lord appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days. Pentecost means fiftieth and designated among the Jews the fiftieth day after Passover. Our Lord was crucified on the Passover and rose three days later, ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after Passover and then sent the Spirit ten days later on Pentecost. The baptism of the Spirit could not take place until our Lord was glorified which was about to take place after He finished saying these things to His apostles. Our Lord had to go away. In Acts 1:8, our Lord repeats His promise to the apostles of sending them the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:7 He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (NASU) Our Lord gives the apostles the promise of a Person (God the Holy Spirit), a power (the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit) and a program (missionary activity to the Jews, the Samaritans and the entire world). Throughout the dispensation of the church age believers would have available to them one hundred percent availability of divine power to execute the plan of God the Father. The baptism of the Spirit makes this possible. The Baptism of the Spirit Unites Jewish And Gentile Believers In One Body The baptism of the Spirit first took place among Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost in approximately June of 32 A.D. and was a fulfillment of the prophecies made by John the Baptist and our Lord. It also took place among the Gentiles as recorded by Luke in Acts 10:34-38, 19:1-7, thus making it universal in scope in the church age (Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13). It unites Jewish believers with Gentile believers making them a new humanity under the headship of Jesus Christ who is the head of the new creation. This ministry of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost and will not take place after the rapture. The completion of the royal family of God at the rapture will mark the end of this ministry of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19

20 distinguishes the church age from other dispensations. There was no church before the baptism of the Spirit. Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (NASU) Pentecost is one of the seven Great Feasts of Israel: (1) Passover: Leviticus 23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7. (2) Unleavened Bread: Leviticus 23:6-8; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. (3) First Fruits: Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:23. (4) Pentecost: Leviticus 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-4. (5) Trumpets: Leviticus 23:23-25; 1 Corinthians 15:52. (6) Day of Atonement: Leviticus 23:26-32; 1 John 2:2. (7) Tabernacles: Leviticus 23:33-44; John 7:2. It was the second national festival in Israel and took place fifty days after the Passover Sabbath (Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:25-21; Num. 28:26-31; Deut. 16:9-12). It was designated the Feast of Weeks which celebrated the wheat harvest in Israel and was a one day feast of celebration. It was originally the festival of the first fruits of the grain harvest (Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:17-22; Num. 28:26-31). It was called the Feast of Weeks because it came after a period of seven weeks of harvesting that began with the offering of the first barley sheaf during the Passover celebration and ended with the wheat harvest. Pentecost took place fifty days after the Feasts of First fruits, which spoke of our Lord s resurrection. It was celebrated in Israel as the anniversary of the giving of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai in 1441 B.C., which was the beginning of the dispensation of the Law. The dispensation of grace began on the day of Pentecost with the baptism of the Spirit. So God is setting a contrast between the Law and Grace. Pentecost was looked upon in Judaism as one of the three great pilgrim festivals in Judaism along with Passover preceding it and Tabernacles some four months later. Because it was a great festival in Israel, there were many pilgrims from around the Roman Empire in Jerusalem at this time who spoke many different languages. Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. (NASU) Luke states that the tongues were like fire, which would be of great significance to Jew in the first century. Fire in the Old Testament was a symbol of God s presence in Israel. The Lord spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-5), the pillar of fire guided Israel by night through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21), the consuming fire on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:17) and the fire that hovered over the wilderness Tabernacle (Ex. 40:38). Luke states the baptism of the Spirit was like 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20