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Tag: baptism

The Idolatry of Baptism – the Idolatry of Communion
What is Idolatry?

In this section of his first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul has been addressing idolatry.

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

1 Corinthians 10:15 NIV
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For the context of what Paul is about to say about baptism, communion and communion and other feasts take a look beginning at 1 Corinthians 8.
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Idols – Stumbling in Christian Liberty – 1 Corinthians 8
- INSTRUCTION CONCERNING FREEDOM IN CHRIST
Am I not free? Religion 1 Corinthians 9
- ILLUSTRATION CONCERNING OUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST
And now in 1 Corinthians 10 the Apostles warns Christians to avoid the IDOLATRY that CORRUPTS or compromises OUR FREEDOM in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:14 NIV

So just what is IDOLATRY?

Let’s start with: WHAT IS AN IDOL? (Seems simple enough.)

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. – Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8 LSB

But what about this explanation of idolatry given by Samuel to Israel’s first King Saul?

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”

1 Samuel 15:23 NLT

Although Saul plead for mercy, the LORD had already judged Saul.

Idolatry of your past

WE remember the golden calf, right?

And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” – Exodus 32:4b ESV

The Apostle Paul is about to issue a warning of yet another type of idolatry from the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt.

1 Corinthians 10:

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized [baptizō] into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 NIV

Baptism

What is baptism?

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Gospel of Mark 1:4 LSB
- of John’s baptism, that purification rite by which men on confessing their sins were bound to spiritual reformation, obtained the pardon of their past sins and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah’s kingdom soon to be set up.
- of Christian baptism; a rite of immersion in water as commanded by Christ, by which one after confessing his sins and professing his faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit unto a new life, identifies publicly with the fellowship of Christ and the church.
  - Source: Lexicon :: Strong’s G908 – baptisma
So what is Paul saying here about the Hebrews’ crossing through the sea?

It was a baptism of sorts of those Hebrews who continued to follow Moses.

And how was that also a type of communion?
- They all ate the same spiritual food.
- and drank the same spiritual drink
for they drank from the , and that rock was Christ.

The Apostle’s warning

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written:

“The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

Exodus 32:6 [quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:7 NIV]

We must not indulge in sexual immorality [porneuō] as some of them did,
and twenty-three thousand [23,000] fell in a single day.
1 Corinthians 10:8 NIV
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Remember that Paul has just compared 'the spiritual rock that accompanied them' with Christ.
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Let us not test Christ as some of them did
- and were killed by snakes.
And do not grumble as some of them did
- —and were killed by the destroying angel.
These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

‘flee from idolatry’
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Paul presents religious implications and consequences of our own tendency towards idolatry rooted in self rather than our sacrifice of obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 
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So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying.

1 Corinthians 10:14-15 CSB

flee from idolatry [εἰδωλολατρία] eidōlolatria –

Pronunciation – i-do-lol-at-ri’-ah
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Sounds similar to adultery, doesn't it? 

In practice idolatry is adultery against the Lord God and our Saviour Christ Jesus! 
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Idolatry – N.T. definition
- worship of false gods
a 21st c. C.E. question:

Are Hindu gods false? Buddha? Moroni? Smith? Mohammed? Mary? Dead Saints of the Church? A Pope, Earth or Heaven? A philosophy or practice of the past?
- idolatry – formal sacrificial feats held in honour of false gods
- of avarice, as a worship of Mammon
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Gospel of Matthew 6:24 KJV a caution of our Lord Jesus Christ
- in the plural, the vices springing from idolatry and peculiar to it
  - Source: Blue Letter Bible
NEXT:

a CONTEMPORY look at Communion
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Some 21st c. CE Christian saints will balk at this, but communion has become a stumbling block between the Orthodox, Roman and Protestant divisions (denominations) of Christ. 
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Talk of JESUS .com

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
January 24, 2025
Can anyone withhold Baptism from Gentiles?
Acts of the Apostle Peter 11:
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link above to NASB, KJ21, Orthodox Jewish Bible, SBL Greek New Testament; MOBILE Friendly LINK to ACTS 11 21st Century King James Version only
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Peter has no sooner returned to Jerusalem from his first mission trip to Joppa, Lyda and Caesarea when traditional worshipers of the Lord question what he has done.

Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

This is a VERY BIG DEAL to the Jews!

I remind us here (and now in this 21st century A.D.) that followers of Jesus (by now, hundreds of them) were Jews, a chosen people of the LORD.

Furthermore, due to centuries of division after Israel and Judah fell to foreign empires from both East and West a partially-restored Judea claimed faithfulness to Abrahamic covenants formerly abandoned by most Jews.

Peter is leading a diverse and large group of believers in Christ Jesus. Judea and Jerusalem will soon be crushed by its Roman captors.

And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the Circumcision contended with him, saying, “Thou wentest in to uncircumcised men and didst eat with them.”
Acts of the Apostles 11:2-3 KJ21
- περιτομή – peritomē
  - the circumcision
    from περιτέμνω peritemnō
    since by the rite of circumcision a man was separated from the unclean world and dedicated to God, the word is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins
Contending for the faith

Once again, Peter will tell his story and orders from the Holy Spirit not to contend with gentiles who led him to Caesarea.
- Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting G1252 nothing: for I have sent them. – Acts 10:20
These men of Jerusalem who Peter led were Jews from varying religious traditions: Pharisee, Sadducees, Esenes, Hellenists (Greeks), proselytes worshipping as Jews and even men of little consequence unsought by any jewish traditions of worship.

Yes, they contended with the faith while some zealously contended for the faith. BUT which ‘jewish’ faith?

ALL, however, would agree that ‘gentiles’ had NO place among men and women who worshiped the Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴But Peter began and explained at length to them in an orderly sequence, saying,
- “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.
  - A certain vessel descended as though it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.
  - I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky.
- I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
  - “But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’
  - But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’
  - This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
Is there any contention in your church?
- Who should worship?
- What evidence does the Holy Spirit provide that something new is from the Lord?
  - Or that some tradition we have held near no longer applies?
JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RISEN IS AN ENTIRELY NEW TESTAMENT OF GOD’S WILL FOR WORSHIPERS AND THE WORLD.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com + on the inclusion of gentiles in the Church

Peter’s summary of events in Caesarea
- Three men (Romans/Gentiles) from Caesarea came up to him at the very moment of his vision. [v.11]
- The Spirit led him to go with these men.
  - Peter saying that the Holy Spirit led him amounts to his reaction to a command of God.
- Seven men including Peter went to the house of Cornelius and witnessed these things. [vs. 12-14]
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.
ACTS 11:15 of the HOLY SPIRIT

The men and women of the Church in Jerusalem, ORTHODOX in practice or HELLENIST in their return to the faith of Judaism had all experienced the power and signs of the HOLY GHOST!

It is a great mystery of the Lord God the Father and Christ Jesus that is a NEW TESTAMENT of the Gospel of the Resurrection.

So the Apostle Peter (with all these witnesses) continues:

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’
Acts of the Apostles 11:16 KJ21

Quoting The Word

Gospel of Luke 20:

On one of the days while He [Jesus] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,

(Contention, just like Peter faced now.)

“Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

(Their questions about the Holy Spirit coming to the gentiles seem familiar to the Apostle.)

“I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:

“Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
Gospel of Luke 20:4 the question of Jesus to doubters in His Authority

They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

After this Luke’s Gospel records the parable of the vine-growers, a parable now fulfilled by the gentiles replacing jews in the paradise of the Father.
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Their first century BAPTISM of John for repentance and cleansing and a temporary forgiveness of sins now regenerated since Pentecost becomes something more — something MUCH MORE + the Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT promised by the SON of GOD!

Who am I to contend with the HOLY SPIRIT?

ACTS 11:17 – IF, therefore..

Peter closes his testimony in humble obedience to the Word of God witnessed by the Holy Spirit.

If therefore God gave them the same gift as He did unto us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I that I could withstand God?”
Acts of the Apostles 11:17 KJ21
- Would you contend with ALMIGHTY GOD?
- Will you deny the AUTHORITY of the ANOINTED SON JESUS?
- Can any deny the witness of THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD?
THIS IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW! AND GOD HAS CONFIRMED IT + GENTILES WELCOME.

18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying,

“Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
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ACTS of the Apostles - to be continued.. 
(with both Jews and gentiles) ...
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May 20, 2022
What hinders me from being baptized?
“Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

It’s a life-changing question the Kandake’s official asks Philip after reading about the Messiah Jesus from Isaiah.

Perhaps you have asked yourself this same question about conversion to Christ.

ACTS of a Queen’s servant on the road to Gaza

If you have not read our previous scene from Acts 8, click here.

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Kandoc’i – Servant of the Queen of Ethiopia

Philip joins this official (not named in Acts) of the Candace or Kandake of Nubia on the Nile (referred to Ethiopia in Acts).

Two Men Talk of JESUS
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NOTE: I choose to identify this representative of the Queen with an Ethiopian sounding name based on my personal experience and previous conversations with Ethiopian friends.

Philip's encounter with this Ethiopian eunuch must have been life-changing for both.
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36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said,

“See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said,

“If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8:37b NKJV – The Ethiopian responds to Philip from his heart to be baptized for Christ

38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still.

This scene of Baptism

Let’s pause here for a moment to consider what our black brother has asked this Hellenist deacon of a Hebrew church back in Jerusalem.

No matter your background, no matter your sin, it makes us the same: Listen:

Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go down in amazing grace [x2]

What does it mean to be BAPTIZED?

Religious doctrine of your past could easily sidetrack our discussion of baptism here, but prior to continuing on our mission trip with Philip from Acts 8, allow me to point our talk of JESUS toward both definition and evangelism.

Baptized defined:
- Start here: “baptized“ occurs 51 times in 44 verses in the NASB20.
  - βαπτίζω –
    to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)
    to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe
    to overwhelm
  - Learn more: From a derivative of βάπτω (G911)
We have already addressed this in the early chapters of Acts in this series, but here is a brief example from an earlier post:

Stronger in the LORD

May 19, 2014 Talk of JESUS.com post with several references from ACTS

One other series from the Gospel of John and discussion of John the Baptist. [Click below]

God’s Love Through John: A God-sent Baptist

Sep 18, 2018 from TalkofJESUS.com from brief series about Gospel of John

Returning to Talk of JESUS between Kandoc’i & Philip

and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.
ACTS 8:38b – the moment Philip baptized the Ethiopian official of the Queen in the Name of Jesus Christ

Now here’s something you will NOT experience at any baptism (but remember with God all things are possible and the Lord had a purpose here to evangelism beyond this event on Philip’s mission).

39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
ACTS 8:39 – Yet another sign, this to the just baptized Ethiopian official who had proclaimed:
“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

The eunuch no doubt continues his long journey home up the Nile in Africa, where the Gospel will travel with our brother, Kandoc’i, who will in turn preach Jesus Christ in this first century mission field and court of the Kandake of Ethiopia.

Philip the Evangelist

But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:40 NASB

places along the mission journey of Philip the Evangelist

We cannot be certain if Philip running to catch up to this official, Kandoc’i of Ethiopia in his royal chariot was akin in any way to a sign of Elijah running ahead. [Read more.] However after the Ethiopian in the chariot was baptized, the Spirit of the Lord snatches Philip away!

One more sign for the evangelist to preach and one more miracle for our Ethiopian brother Kandoc’i to witness to his queen and all of the officials of his country far beyond Jerusalem.

We find Philip next in Azotus Ἄζωτος (Ashdod), a distance by air of over 100 km (<60 miles)! From there we learn that the evangelist will settle in the important Roman port city of Caesarea, a place with which we will become more familiar on the mission journeys of ACTS of the Apostles.

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
February 12, 2022