THE PICTURE MESSAGE OF 1 PETER 3:20-21

 

In Genesis 7, we can read about Noah and his family being saved from destruction by the ark that God commanded him to build, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22).  Those that were in the ark found salvation.  Anyone found outside the ark was lost. 

Peter uses this as an example of salvation, "who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water" (1 Peter 3:20).

Peter then writes, "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" (1 Peter 3:21).  We must enter the ark of Christ which is salvation.  The only way to enter that ark is through the "antitype"; "baptism."  When one believes (essential for salvation) in Christ he/she is going toward Christ.  When one repents (essential for salvation) of his/her sins they are going toward Christ.  When one confesses that Jesus is the Son of God (essential for salvation) he/she is going toward Christ.  But they are not in Christ until baptism (essential for salvation). 

In Galatians 3:27 Paul writes, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."  Look at the picture above.  Baptism puts you into Christ.  There is no passage of scripture that says that faith alone puts you into Christ.  There is not a single scripture that says if you pray a "Sinner's Prayer" that will put you into Christ.  You cannot find in the Word of God that you must "ask Jesus into your heart" and then you are in Christ.  But to be placed INTO CHRIST you must be baptized thus re-enacting His death, burial and resurrection (Roman 6:2-4).

Paul paints this picture so well when he wrote, "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered" (Romans 6:17).  Here he points back to what he just wrote about in Romans 6:2-4, "Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (obedience to the death of Christ on the cross - "form of doctrine") 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 (obedience to the burial of Christ in the tomb - "form of doctrine"), 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 (obedience to the resurrection of Christ from the tomb - "form of doctrine"). 

There is no other way to enter the body of Christ except through baptism.  And there is no other way to obtain salvation except being in the body of Christ.  Therefore, there is no other way without being baptized to obtain salvation. 

May God continue to bless you as you Minister His Message.

DID JESUS HAVE A WIFE?

We continue having to defend the life of Christ and rumors about Him.  The picture above comes from a piece of papyrus thought to be from the 4th century A.D.  In it there is a line which reads, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'".  So the question that is now being circulated throughout the world (again) is, "Did Jesus have a wife?"  But I believe a better series of questions should be directed at the piece of papyrus, i.e., "Is this an authentic rendering of the first century life of Christ?"  "Where did this come from?"  "Who is its author?"

Harvard Divinity School historian Dr. Karen L. King has been the driving force in sharing this piece of papyrus to the world.  But even though she has fueled the excitement fire, she is quoted to say, "that although this may be the first source from humanity’s distant past to mention Jesus having a wife, the text was most likely written long after Jesus had lived. Though exciting, the document is not proof that Jesus had a wife" (Prachi Gupta - Historian decodes ancient papyrus that says Jesus had a wife -  www.salon.com/topic/jesus).  Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary's distinguished professor of New Testament said "(The papyrus,) even if a genuine 4th-century document, is likely a deliberate invention and distortion by an unorthodox Christian group 400 years later" (Electa Draper - Denver theologians weigh in on meaning of "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" - www.canoncitydailyrecord.com).

Before going any further I have provided the line by line translation of the papyrus.  Each line is designated by a hyphen.

- not [to] me.  My mother gave to me life
- the disciples said to Jesus
- deny.  Mary is worthy of it
- Jesus said to them, My wife
- she will be able to be my disciple
- Let wicked people swell up
- As for me, I dwell with her in order to
- an image

(http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-projects/the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife)

Do you notice that there are no complete sentences or thoughts.  We have no way of knowing what the original author had in mind.  What is presented to the world is only a small section of a much larger document.  But I cannot help but continue the questions: Was the writer actually talking about Jesus Christ the Savior?  Was this author an unbeliever that maybe wanted to stir people up?  And on and on I could go.  When we understand that these questions are impossible to answer we must therefore turn to another source that is complete to remedy the proposed dilemma.  The only logical place to look for trustworthy remedies to these and all other inquiries about Jesus Christ is the inspired Word of God.

As I turn the pages of Scripture, I find not a single verse that even gives a hint to the idea that Jesus was married.  What I do see is the purpose of Christ coming to this earth, and it was not about being married.  The purpose of Christ coming to the earth was to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).  He did not come to start a physical family with a wife called Mary.  He does have a spiritual family called the church.

He came to be the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  All the prophecies of a Messiah, in the Old Testament, point to the purpose and life of Christ.  Isaiah wrote,  "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12, ESV)  One of the best known verses in the New Testament reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NKJV).  Again, I don't see any mention of the wife that some want to convey on Christ.

This notion of Jesus being married is not new in our secular society.  One of Hollywood's best selling movies, “The Da Vinci Code" put this issue in the minds of skeptics.  The atheist, the agnostic, the unbeliever, the deceiver and the deceived will prolong this knavery of Jesus' life.  This ancient papyrus has started the discussion once again.  But when we are focused on God and His word as truth, then we have the way to put an end to all of this.  Conclusion: Jesus did not have a wife!

IT IS TIME TO RESTORE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

Some 2000 years ago in the town of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the church of Christ was born.  In Acts 2, it is recorded for us that Peter preached a gospel message like none other.  He told the people in attendance about Jesus the Christ.  He preached unto them about Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 2:23, 24).  Peter might have literally pointed his finger at the people when he said, "let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (emp. jer Acts 2:36).  Finally after all of this their hearts were "cut."  This means that their spiritual hearts were pierced and they now believed.  Their response was humbling as they cried out "men and brethren what shall we do" (Acts 2:37).

Now this is the point at which 2000 years later the religious world goes off the beaten path.  Some say that Peter's answer to them was "do nothing but believe."  Others claim that he said to them, "grace alone will save you."  Still others argue that Peter's response was not complete and another testament of Jesus had to be written.  But when I read the scripture here in Acts 2:38, I see revealed to me this response from Peter, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I could stop there and it would be enough because it was God through the Holy Spirit who gave these words to Peter.  But the next verse shares even more with us about what we should be teaching today.  Peter tells the people not only what to do but who is to do it and for how long it would last.  In Acts 2:39 Peter says, "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  This is essential to understanding the length of time and to whom God was speaking.  This message, the gospel saving message, cannot change.

We have far too many denominations, and religious groups that have somewhere in the last 2000 years veered off the Gospel path and onto the unauthorized path of creeds and beliefs.  The apostle Paul saw divisions happening when he wrote, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgments" (1 Corinthians 1:10).  This is the plea to restore the church back to the original.  Back to its spiritual roots.  In an outstanding article written on this subject the author wrote, "calling for a return to the Bible, for abandonment of denominational names and creeds, and for obedience to the authority of Christ" (Alan Highers, "Our Purpose and Our Plea," The Spiritual Sword, vol. 28 no. 2, January 1997).  We must become exactly what God wants the church to be.

Who will join this restoration plea and drop all denominational names, creeds and everything else that Christ has not authorized?  Let us once again become the New Testament church!  I will be writing more about just how we all can become part of this restoring effort.

Minister with this message!!!