He promised to be with them to the "End of the world (age)."
This commission was never fully carried out by the "Twelve" to whom it was given: it has not been fully carried out by any other company of saints since the days of the twelve apostles, and it will not be fully carried out until the "Hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel" preach it again during the period of "Great tribulation" immediately preceding the "End" (Matthew 24:13-14).
"Great salvation" through this kingdom message "first began to be spoken by the Lord" and it was "confirmed" unto the Hebrew believers "by them that heard Him," namely the "Twelve," and God was with them "bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will" (Hebrews 2:34). Just "after the Lord had spoken unto them" (the eleven) the words of the so-called "great commission," He was "received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following" (Mark 16:19-20).
Water Baptism During the Acts Period and Why?
That period of time covered by the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (approximately 30 years immediately following Pentecost) is the period during which the kingdom message of the Lord was "confirmed" with "signs following" (Mark 16:19-20 and Hebrews 2:3-4), according to the commission of Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:14-18.
During that period, the Holy Spirit was offering the kingdom message to Israel. The nation had rejected and crucified her King, but His prayer for them, on the day of His crucifixion, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," was answered when the nation was given another chance to accept the Messiah under the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. When they rejected His offer of the Kingdom they committed the "Unpardonable sin" of Matthew 12:31-32, and the nation was set aside until after the calling out of the "Church, which is His body," and then the above mentioned kingdom message will again be given to all nations, after which, the Age of Grace will end and the Kingdom of Heaven will be set up.
Water baptism was preached and practiced by Spirit-filled men throughout the Acts period. The Holy Spirit said, through Peter, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). As I understand the Word, the baptism of this verse is "Water baptism," and it was essential to salvation. Let us remember, however, that the Spirit was here addressing the "House of Israel" and "when they (members of the house of Israel) heard" Peter's message concerning the risen Christ "they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37). God was still endeavoring to make Christ "manifest to Israel" as their King, therefore water baptism was still in His program. While the Holy Spirit was giving the message of Acts 2:38, He was also telling Israel about "The Times of Refreshing" and "The Restitution of All Things, Which God Had Spoken by the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets Since the World Began" (Acts 3:19-21). The "times of refreshing" Acts 3:19) could not be the same as "The Hope of Glory" (Colossians 1:27), and the "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His Holy Prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21) could not be the same as "The Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations" (Colossians 1:25-26). These simple comparisons of "spiritual things with spiritual" will prove that the Kingdom Message of John the Baptist, and of Christ, and of the "Twelve" was continued on into the opening chapters of the Book of the Acts. This is why Peter and the "eleven" preached and practiced water baptism.
Cornelius and his household were "uncircumcised" Gentiles (Acts 11:1-3), yet God saved them, gave them the Holy Ghost, and "put no difference" between them and the Jews upon whom He poured out the Holy Ghost at Pentecost (Acts 15:7-11). These are the first of a chosen number of Gentiles who are elected to be "A people for His name," and their call is in full agreement with "The words of the prophets," and they are to be linked with the building again of "the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down" (Acts 15:13-18). This links Cornelius with the kingdom hope and, therefore, accounts for his water baptism of Acts 10:47-48.
Paul, the preacher, the apostle and the teacher of the Gentiles (2 Timothy 1:11), did not preach water baptism at any time, yet during the Acts period he practiced baptism with water (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). During this period, Paul was an "able minister of the New Covenant" (2 Corinthians 3:6), and, as such, he was guided by the Holy Spirit to make a difference between the "Jew" and the "Gentile" (Romans 1:16, Romans 3:1-2, 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, etc.). His Acts period ministry to the people of Israel included "None other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come" (Acts 26:22). This accounts for Paul's recognition of both water baptism (1 Corinthians 1:14-17) and Holy Spirit baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13) during the Acts period, and for his clear cut statement, after the Acts period, that there is just "One Baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). As I understand the Word, this one baptism is Holy Spirit baptism and not water baptism.
John the Baptist knew only one baptism and that was water baptism. During the Acts period two baptisms are recognized—water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. In our present church age, we have only one scriptural baptism and that is Holy Spirit baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13 with Ephesians 4:5). During the period of tribulation at the end of the Grace Dispensation, Holy Spirit baptism will
continue toward Israel, as during the Acts period, and water baptism may be recognized again.
A summary of the scriptural use of water baptism in God's plan and program for Israel will clearly distinguish three different groups of "labourers together with God." These three groups are set forth in the Scriptures as follows:
John, the Baptist, and the earthly ministry of Christ with His twelve disciples (Matthew 3:11 and John 4:1-2). These labored under the old (law) covenant.
The Acts period ministry of the Holy Spirit through Peter and the eleven (Acts 2:38 and 10:46-48). These labored under the new covenant.
The Acts period ministry of the Holy Spirit through Paul and his co-workers (1 Corinthians 1:14-17 with 9:19-22). These were "able ministers of the new testament" (2 Corinthians 3:6).
The same Kingdom Message which was borne to National Israel from the beginning of John's ministry to the end of the book of Acts will be preached again during the 70th week of Daniel immediately before the coming of the Lord in Glory to usher in His Kingdom (Matthew 24:8-14). Since the commission of Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:14-18 will be the marching orders for the true ministers of God during this period between the rapture of the body and the setting up of the kingdom, it is reasonable to expect that water baptism will have its place in this future period as it did in the three periods mentioned above.
We call your special attention to the fact that the ministry of the above mentioned groups, and the ministry of the tribulation saints does not include the preaching of "the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19) or the teaching of the truth concerning the dispensation of "the mystery" (Colossians 1:24-27). Therefore, there is no scriptural reason for introducing the use of water baptism in our present Mystery Dispensation on the grounds that it was preached by John, the Baptist, the twelve apostles and even Paul during his Acts period ministry. Either water baptism or Holy Spirit baptism must fade out of use with the application of Ephesians 4:5 which says, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Since it is the Holy Spirit baptism that puts us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), and since Paul was not sent to baptize with water (1 Corinthians 1:14-17), it seems clear that the "one baptism" of Ephesians 4:5 is Holy Spirit and not water.
The Lord's Supper and Why?
Modern churchmen refer to their various communion services, which include the eating of bread and the drinking of wine, as "The Lord's Supper." However, the expression "Lord's Supper" is used only once in all of the Word of God: and this one time the Holy Spirit is telling a company of Acts period saints that when they came together in "one place" they could not eat the Lord's Supper. We quote this one verse which is recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:20: "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper." In the original language the verse reads "Ye cannot eat the Lord's supper." There is a scriptural reason why the New Testament Church could not partake of the Lord's supper in one place, or in a general assembly. As I understand the Scriptures, this reason was the fact that the Lord's supper was the antitype of "The Lord's Passover" of Exodus 12:11, and was to be eaten in their houses and not in the general assembly (Exodus 12:3-4).
The day of "The Lord's Passover" was set forth as a memorial day to be kept throughout the generations of Israel "by an ordinance forever" (Exodus 12:14-17). This Passover was eaten by the children of Israel on the night before their redemption by blood from the iron hand of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. Almost 1500 years later it was eaten by Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles on the night before His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary. I call your attention to His own language concerning that last Passover supper. Turn with me to the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 22 and beginning with verse 14. "And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said unto them, with desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God shall come." The kingdom reference in this passage is explained more fully in verses 28 to 30 of this same chapter. "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
Two important dispensational truths are brought out in the Scriptures quoted in the above paragraph. The first one is the fact that Christ and His disciples were eating the Passover which had its beginning in Exodus, chapter 12. The second truth referred to is the fact that Christ declared He would not eat the bread and drink the wine with them again until the yet future day when they shall eat and drink at His table in His kingdom, and "sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." This helps us to understand the expression of the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death til he come."
According to Paul's own instruction, the Corinthian Church was to eat the bread and drink the wine (1 Corinthians 11 :23-27). However, we must bear in mind that this eating and drinking was a household affair and not a service that could be performed by the whole congregation in one assembly (1 Corinthians 11:20). The reason for this is found in Exodus 12, verses 3 to 4, where the children of Israel were specifically instructed to eat the Passover supper in their respective households and not in the congregational assembly. We are also to remember that when Paul received this ordinance from the Lord and delivered it unto the people he was an able minister of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6), and not a minister of the Dispensation of the Mystery (Colossians 1:24-26).
As a labourer together with God under the "new testament," Paul instructed the church at Corinth concerning the teachings of Christ who said "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:28-29). He was giving instruction concerning the New Testament and the "Hope of Israel" and not the revelation of the mystery and Christ in the believer, "the hope of glory."
After the setting aside of National Israel in the closing chapter of the book of Acts, the apostle was no longer a minister of the new covenant, which was promised through the prophet to the "house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31-34), but he was "a minister, according to the dispensation of God" which was given to him "to fulfill the word of God" (Colossians 1:24-25). The Lord's supper, which was the anti-type of the Lord's Passover, had a place in the New Testament Church of the Acts period, but it has no place in the church which is the body of Christ, which is now being called out during the Mystery Dispensation.
As I understand the Word, the Lord's supper along with all other externals must be left behind by those who would "go on unto perfection" in body truth. We say with Paul of old: "Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using); after the commandments and doctrines of men?" (Colossians 2:20-22).
Under the old covenant, the Passover lamb was slain and its blood covered the sins of the people. Under the new testament, Paul said, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7), but in the Mystery Dispensation he declares that Christ is "our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh" (Ephesians 2:14-17). There was a place for the Lord's supper among those who were looking to Him as their "Passover" but there is no room for such an ordinance among we members of the body of Christ who know Him as our "peace."
Some of the doctrines of other dispensations have been brought over into the Mystery Dispensation and the things which God has brought across we rejoice to preach and practice. However, it seems clear that both water baptism and the Lord's supper are not only left out of Paul's Mystery Dispensation, but they are forbidden by such Scriptures as Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:14, 20-23; and Colossians 2:9-10.
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