NEW CREATIONS IN THE MESSIAH JESUS

What New Creations [members of the New Humanity] in the Messiah Jesus should know about who they are and what are they to do from now to the end of this age. 

FIRST: Live by the creed of the lord Messiah Jesus. 

Mark 12:28-32

The Great Commandment – The creed of the lord Messiah Jesus 

²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is:

‘Hear, O Israel: Yehovah is God, Yehovah is one. [Deuteronomy 6:4-6] ³⁰ And you shall love Yehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 

³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

³² And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other besides Him.

Note: To be able to keep the creed of the Messiah Jesus you will need the enabling power of the spirit of God to do so! Any attempt to try to keep the creed of the Messiah Jesus in your own power will fail miserably. Submit to the Kingship of God and seek His enabling power to succeed in all you do. He will never require anything of you without providing you with the power to accomplish His will. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, and knock and the door will open for you to walk through! Remind yourself that as the Messiah Jesus gave his all for you, you should be willing to give your all for him.   

SECOND: How do we live according to the creed of the lord Messiah Jesus?

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians explains how we can love our God and Father Yehovah will all our heart, mind, being, and strength and how to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

Let's see how Paul’s letter to the Ephesians does this. 

Ephesians 1 

Greeting 

Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are also faithful in the Messiah Jesus: ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the lord Jesus the Messiah. 

Spiritual Blessings in the Messiah 

³ Blessed be the God and the Father of our lord Jesus the Messiah, who has blessed us in the Messiah with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as He foreordained us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. 

In love ⁵ He predestined [marked us out beforehand] for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus the Messiah, according to the purpose of His will, ⁶ to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He outlined in the Messiah [His chosen one] ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

¹¹ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined [marked out beforehand] according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in the Messiah might be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the glad tidings of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ which is the down payment of our inheritance until God redeems His possession, to the praise of His glory. 

Thanksgiving and Prayer 

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our lord Jesus the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might ²⁰ that He worked in the Messiah when He raised him from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the called-out assembly, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

Ephesians 2 

By Grace Through Faith 

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience; ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with the Messiah; ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in the Messiah Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in the Messiah Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

One in the Messiah 

¹¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision [Israel], which is made in the flesh by hands; ¹² remember that you were at that time separated from the Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 

¹³ But now in the Messiah Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah [his sin-offering sacrifice]. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross [stake], thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 

¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints [holy ones] and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy Temple in the lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. 

Ephesians 3 

The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed 

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of the Messiah Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles; ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of the Messiah, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in the Messiah Jesus through the gospel. 

⁷ Of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of His power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Messiah, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages by God, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the called-out assembly the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Messiah Jesus our lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. 

Prayer for Spiritual Strength 

¹⁴ For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of the Messiah that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

²⁰ Now to Him who can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the called-out assembly and in the Messiah Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Ephesians 4 

Unity in the Body of the Messiah 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit; just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call; ⁵ one lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men/women.” ⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds-teachers, ¹² to equip the saints [holy ones] for the work of ministry, for building up the body of the Messiah [the called-out assembly], ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full grown manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Messiah, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.¹⁵ Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into the Messiah, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 

The New Life 

¹⁷ Now this I say and testify in the lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding,  alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 

²⁰ That is not the way you learned the Messiah!  ²¹ Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in the Messiah forgave you. 

Ephesians 5 

Walk in Love 

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as the Messiah loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the lord. 

Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: 

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you.” 

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for the Messiah. 

Wives and Husbands 

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as the Messiah is the head of the called-out assembly, his body, and is himself its savior. ²⁴ Now as the called-out assembly submits to the Messiah, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 

²⁵ Husbands love your wives, as the Messiah loved the called-out assembly and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the called-out assembly to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and blameless. 

²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Messiah does the called-out assembly, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to the Messiah and the called-out assembly. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 

Ephesians 6 

Children and Parents 

Children, obey your parents in the lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the lord. 

Bondservants and Masters 

⁵ Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would the Messiah, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of the Messiah, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the lord and not to man, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master^[c] and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. 

The Whole Armor of God 

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Final Greetings 

²¹ So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the lord will tell you everything. ²² I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. ²³ Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the lord Jesus the Messiah. ²⁴ Grace be with all who love our lord Jesus the Messiah with love incorruptible. 

If we abide by all that Paul has written in his letter to the saints at Ephesus then we will be living our God and Father Yehovah with all our hearts, minds, beings, and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves and thus keeping the creed of the lord Messiah Jesus. 

Books could be written to explain Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and still, there is more to comprehend. It is an amazing instructive and corrective letter that we all should heed! 

P.S. As New Creations in the lord Messiah Jesus we are members of the New Humanity that God has created since Adam’s rebellion. The Federal head of the New Humanity is the lord Messiah Jesus as Adam was the Federal head of all his descendants.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, and you should show forth the praises of Him who called out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, given God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind. Then you can test and approve God’s will; His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

As New Creations in the Messiah Jesus, we will as glorified immortal men and women co-rule with him when our God and Father Yehovah sends him down to take his place on the throne of David at Zion. The Messiah will establish a Theocratic Government that will rule the nations and all those in him will be given positions of service in that government.

It is the members of the New Humanity that will enter into the New Earth and New Heavens that God will create after the White Throne Judgement, and after the earth is cleansed by fire.

Only those who are glorified and immortal members of the New Humanity will enter into the New Earth and New Heavens and our God and Father Yehovah will come down to dwell on earth at Zion where He has placed his name and He with the lord Jesus will dwell there with access given to all those who are there to communicate with them face to face. 

What a glorious future we can broadcast to all people to show them the result of submitting to the Kingship of Yehovah and to the one whom he has sent, the lord Messiah Jesus, and decide to repent and obey all the words Yehovah gave to His son to give to mankind to obey, and thus to receive all the blessing that would follow that obedience! 

Let’s be about the work we have been given to do enabled by the spirit of our God and Father Yehovah!

Written by Bruce Lyon 

PONDERING DOORPOST THEOLOGY

A Christian Goy's View of the Mezuzah

The Romanian-born Jewish author, activist, professor, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor (surviving both the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps), Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (1928-2016), in a statement made to a British newspaper [the Daily Mail] on July 15, 1988, made this observation: "I marvel at the resilience of the Jewish people. Their best characteristic is their desire to remember. No other people have such an obsession with memory." The concept of remembrance, especially of Yehovah and His gracious dealings with His called-out people, is evidenced throughout the biblical narrative. In fact, the call to "remember" is found hundreds of times in the Scriptures. If we're honest, however, we will admit that the people of Yehovah throughout history have tended to forget Yehovah [YHVH], and such forgetfulness has never served them well.

In Jeremiah 2:32, Yehovah lamented: "My people have forgotten me days without number." Yet, He had clearly commanded, "You shall remember Yehovah your Elohim [God]" (Deuteronomy 8:18). Sadly, we are a fickle people, constantly in need of being reminded of truths and realities we too easily forget. Thus, Yehovah instituted numerous objective focal points among His people to serve as visible reminders of His love and grace and their need to order their lives appropriately in response.

In addition to various commandments and laws, Yehovah prescribed more visible and tangible points of remembrance. There were sacrifices of animals, birds, grain, and wine. There were physical structures like the Tabernacle and later the temple, along with their many dedicated objects such as altars, incense, veils, bowls, etc. There was the pot of manna, Aaron's budding rod, the Urim and Thummim, the priestly robes, and countless other such items, each of which were reminders of something spiritually significant to the people of Yehovah. There were special days and annual events, such as the Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths, Purim, and many others. There were also certain objects the people were to make that contained portions of the sacred writings, and these objects were to be placed on the body or on the doorposts of their homes. The former was known as a phylactery, which was a "small square leather box containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn on the left arm and on the head by observant Jewish men and especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism during morning weekday prayers" [Merriam-Webster Dictionary]. "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead" (Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18). The latter was known as a mezuzah, which is the Hebrew word for "doorpost." Various texts, especially the words of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4f), were to be written on parchment, placed within a case, and affixed to the doorposts of their dwellings. "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:9; 11:20).

It is this tradition of the mezuzah that I want us to examine more closely.

To those of us who are "goyim," a modern Hebrew and Yiddish term meaning a non-Jew (an outsider, a Gentile), such objects as a phylactery or a mezuzah may seem rather strange, although a Jew might have a similar view of a Christian "goy" (singular of "goyim") wearing a cross in the form of a necklace or earring or having crosses attached to the outside or inside of one's home. To both groups, these are simply objects of remembrance and devotion, serving very similar purposes. Yehovah [YHVH] has commanded such remembrances under both old and new covenants: the lord's [Jesus] Supper, for example, for those of us who cherish the sacrifice of Yehovah’s Son. "Do this in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). These objects are not holy or salvific in and of themselves (although we sometimes make them so) but are simply emblems and symbols that remind us of the greater realities upon which our faith is fixed. Similarly, the mezuzah case, and the parchment within it, were not holy or salvific in and of themselves, but simply designed to keep God and His words ever before them. "The spirit of the command, and the chief thing intended, was that they would give all diligence to, and use all means to keep, Yehovah’s laws always in remembrance" [The Preacher’s Homiletical Commentary, e-Sword].

Sadly, Yehovah people, under both old and new covenants, tended to lose sight of the spiritual aspects of these items of remembrance, and they elevated them instead to objects of veneration. "The Jews, forgetting the spirit and design of this precept, used these things (i.e., the phylactery and mezuzah) as superstitious people do amulets or charms" [ibid]. Some Christians do the same with the cross, using it (and even making "the sign of the cross") to ward off evil or protect them from demons and vampires! The Jews did the same. An online Jewish site, that dealt with the mezuzah, stated, "Some believe the mezuzah to contain magical properties; that it is a good luck charm that protects them from evil and harm. Many Jews believe that the mezuzah can guard their houses, their cars, and their possessions. Thus, they keep a mezuzah in these places, believing it to be an amulet to defend them from evildoers." Again, we Christian goyim can't be too judgmental of our Jewish brethren, for historically we have done much the same with our Christian objects of remembrance. Such objects can also be abused by allowing them to become objects of pride and vanity. Jesus had some very pointed and harsh words for the Pharisees in Matthew 23, and one of His criticisms of them was that "they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments" (vs. 5). Our lord Jesus did not condemn the use of these items; rather, he took exception to these religionists trying to appear superior to other believers by making these items bigger and fancier. It was all about putting on a show.

The idea behind the phylactery and the mezuzah was that these items would be constant reminders that Yehovah is Elohim [God], and His love for them and their love for Him, would fill their hearts and their homes; He would indwell them and dwell where they dwelled. Thus, the powerful words of the Shema would always be in their hearts and homes! "Hear, O Israel. Yehovah is God, Yehovah is one. You shall love Yehovah your Elohim [God] with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). The passage then immediately gives instructions about the phylactery (vs. 8) and the mezuzah (vs. 9). The parallel passage to this is Deuteronomy 11:18-20. In both old and new covenants, the primary Truth that is to be impressed upon our hearts and minds, and which is to be imparted to our households, is that we are to love Yehovah God with all of our being, and we are to evidence that love in all our daily actions and interactions. Thus, the phylactery on the body is to remind us that Yehovah is the Lord of our lives; the mezuzah on the doorpost is to remind us that Yehovah is the Lord of our homes! "The mezuzah represents the concept of the doorpost as the dividing line between the outside world and the sanctity of the home" [from an online Jewish site].

The doorpost has always played a significant spiritual role in the lives of the people of Yehovah. Before inflicting the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, for example, Yehovah ordered the people of Israel to take some of the blood of a lamb and "put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses" in which they were to eat this "Passover" lamb (Exodus 12:7). When the angel saw the blood on the doorpost, he would pass over that house and spare those within from death. This practice would become part of their Passover tradition for generations to come. The shed blood of the lamb would signify the covering of that home (i.e., its occupants) from the curse of death; they would fall under the loving protection of Yehovah - God. The shed blood of the Lamb of Yehovah does the same for us today. Not only individually, but if we have the same resolve as Joshua ("But as for me and my household, we will serve Yehovah” - Joshua 24:15), that resolve will place our homes and families under the saving power of the Messiah's blood. "There is a fine hint here that home devotions and home teaching of the words and will of Yehovah should be a prominent feature in every Christian family" [Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible, vol. 1, p. 314]. Our God - Yehovah always intended the home to be a safe haven for His people, a place where love reigned (love for God - Yehovah and love for one another). It would be a constant refuge from the harshness and cruelty of the world around them. As the members of each home came and went daily through the doorway of their house, they would see the mezuzah, which would remind them that they were loved by their God - Yehovah and that they were to love Him and others, and that they were to manifest this love in their lives. We all need that same reminder today, for the home should be the first line of defense against the godlessness of this world, yet far too often it is not.

The mezuzah is typically affixed in a slanted fashion to the doorpost of a house, and oftentimes to doorposts within the house (customs vary among Jewish communities on this). You will rarely see it hung straight (either vertically or horizontally). "The reason behind the slant dates back to the 11th century, when a French rabbi named Rashi, and his grandson Rabbenu Tam, who was also a rabbi, argued about the proper orientation of the mezuzah. Rashi believed the mezuzah should be hung vertically, pointing towards God, while Rabbenu Tam argued for a horizontal orientation, citing instances in the Bible where important documents were kept horizontally. This issue was eventually solved by placing the mezuzah at a tilt. This symbolizes an important compromise in Jewish law, symbolizing how multiple voices and perspectives are welcomed and considered in Judaism" [from an online Jewish site].

"The home is here supposed to be a center in which the conserving forces of truth and godliness are to be themselves conserved. What a profound principle Moses here indicates, viz. that a nation will be good or bad according to its home life! How wonderful that an infant nation should, at its starting, have this truth deep graven in its statutes - i.e., our land will be as our homes are!

NOTE: Whatever was essential in the days of Moses, in the training of children for Yehovah as the means of guarding a nation, is no less needful now - 'Fathers, bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of God - Yehovah' - Ephesians 6:4" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 3, p. 123]. The slanting of the top of the mezuzah toward the interior of the house indicates Yehovah's focus upon those within this dwelling. His love and concern are for them, and His eyes are ever on them to guide and protect them. This mezuzah would be a constant reminder to those within this house that they were to be mindful of Yehovah and His will for their lives at home as well as during those times at the Tabernacle or the Temple [Adam Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, vol. 1, p. 755]. "Every home in which love dwells will be a temple" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 3, p. 129]

A WONDROUS WATERLESS WASHING

Pondering the Washing of 1 Corinthians 6:11, in Light of Context and Authorial Intent

Dr. R. Scott Clark, an author, university and seminary professor, and President of Heidelberg Reformation Association, observed, "Any text without a context is a pretext for a proof-text. One way to be sure to handle the text of Scripture well and accurately is to place it in its original context. Failure to read Scripture against its original background will have unhappy consequences" [The Heidelblog, November 30, 2010].

I really appreciate what the Indian diplomat and best-selling author Amish Tripathi (b. 1974) had to say about context: "There are many realities. There are many versions of what may appear obvious. Whatever appears as the unshakeable truth, its exact opposite may also be true in another context. After all, one's reality is but perception, viewed through various prisms of context." One of my professors during my graduate studies at the university I attended, frequently informed his classes that THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION WAS "CONTEXT - CONTEXT - CONTEXT." One can "prove" just about anything if one is allowed to take a text out of its context. Sadly, and tragically, this is done quite often in our study of the Scriptures. Rather than drawing Truth from these writings, we seek to impose our own “truths” upon these writings, and such eisegesis can only result in theological confusion and ecclesiastical conflict.

Go back and read once again the above statement by Amish Tripathi, for he makes a very important point. There are times when a word or phrase may have one meaning and/or application in a specific context, but a much different meaning and/or application in a different context. Anyone who has done any study at all in biblical hermeneutics knows this to be true. Yet, at times, we allow our personal and party preferences and perceptions to affect our understanding of a particular passage, and the result can be a dogma elevated to the status of divine decree, with division among disciples soon to follow. A good example of this can be found in what the apostle Paul wrote to the brethren in the city of Corinth about their present state in contrast to their former state. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, he said:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God - Yehovah? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God - Yehovah."

He then makes the stunning observation: "And such were some of you!" (vs. 11a). One cannot help but think of Paul's words to the Ephesians: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world" (Ephesians 2:1-2a). Paul even included himself in this, admitting, "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest" (vs. 3). Not a very pretty picture, is it?!

In both passages, Paul informs the readers that they now have a NEW REALITY, one in which a marvelous, and even miraculous; transformation and reformation has taken place in the lives of these men and women. They like Paul, were living lives of wretchedness.

With that said, one may then legitimately ask, "Okay, so what exactly does Paul mean when he says these men and women 'were washed'? If it isn't a reference to baptism in water, then what is it a reference to?"

I believe the answer can be found by examining the context in which his statement is found.

The broader context, of course, is that Paul is addressing a specific group of people, in a specific location, at a specific time. These were disciples of Jesus the Messiah who were residents of the city of Corinth around the middle of the first century A.D. Although there were likely Jewish Christians present, most of those in the church at Corinth were most probably Gentiles who had converted either from paganism or who had previously been proselytes to Judaism. It is also important to note, concerning the broader context, that Corinth itself was one of the most wicked, morally corrupt, and perverse of all the cities in the empire. As to character, the city as a whole was grossly impure; in the ancient Greek plays, when one sought to characterize a drunkard and carouser, one characterized him or her as a "Corinthian." A good number of those who had come to believe in Jesus, and who were now numbered among the redeemed in that location, had been previously numbered among these "dregs of society," as Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 6:11a ("and such were some of you").

Rather than speaking about the religious rite or faith response of baptism in water, which is nowhere even hinted at in this context, Paul is emphasizing the Good News that the Spirit, acting under the authority of ("in the name of") the lord Jesus, had cleaned up/washed up these muck-covered, smelly men and women, to present them to God - Yehovah with clean faces, hands, hair, and dressed in white garments (figuratively speaking).

Rather than being part of the great unwashed perverse rabble of Corinth, they were now, by the enabling power of God's – Yehovah’s love and grace, and by the authority of Jesus the Messiah, and by the enabling power of God’s – Yehovah’s Holy Spirit, made clean, thus making them both sanctified [set apart] and justified [pronounced not guilty] in the sight of God - Yehovah.

Right after listing the filth of their former lifestyle and noting that this was how they had appeared in the sight of God, he emphatically declares them (using the threefold "But..." phrasing) to be in appearance, and in fact, "greatly cleansed," and now fit to become ambassadors of God's – Yehovah’s purity and holiness, as well as His mercy and grace. This passage had nothing to do with baptism, where you enter into the water having died to self. In fact, at the very beginning of this epistle to these same people, Paul declared, "The Messiah did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Corinthians 1:17). Yes, Paul did baptize people. Yes, baptism had its place and purpose in his ministry.

In the context of this passage in 1 Corinthians chapter six, Paul's intent in speaking of "washing" was to make manifest the Good News ("Gospel") of the remarkable transformation and reformation of these former individuals who had been covered in the filth and the mire of their sinful lifestyles, and to enforce the truth that this cleansing came from the Spirit of God - Yehovah in the name of Jesus! They who were impure were now pure.

I can't help but think of what Peter said to those gathered at the Jerusalem Council. When recounting his time with Cornelius and his household, Peter said that God had chosen him to share the Good News with the Gentiles so that they might believe. “Brothers, you know that in the early days, God - Yehovah made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  And God - Yehovah, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.  Now, therefore, why are you putting God - Yehovah to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?  But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15:7-11).

Here again, we see Jesus and the Spirit of God - Yehovah; we see grace and faith; and we see cleansing. What we do NOT see is the word "baptism," nor is it even hinted at.

The Message has done a good job of paraphrasing this passage; in so doing, they have, in my view, captured the intent of Paul in the words he chose to employ: "Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God - Yehovah will not be joining the lord Jesus in the kingdom of God - Yehovah. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, will not qualify to become citizens in the kingdom of God - Yehovah.

A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you have been cleansed and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by the indwelling presence of our God - Yehovah in us." This moral purification was not something that could be accomplished by any human agency; this purification from moral decay had to come from above!

Dr. John Gill correctly observed that this phrase ("you were washed") "is not to be understood of external washing, of corporeal ablution, or of their being baptized in water. They could not wash and cleanse themselves by any ceremonial moral duties, purifications, or evangelical performances; this was a blessing of God’s – Yehovah’s grace they enjoyed through the blood of the Messiah [through his sin-offering sacrifice]" [Exposition of the Bible, e-Sword]. This is more than just a singular act of cleansing, for "if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus [his sin-offering sacrifice] His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

THE VERB SENSE USED HERE REFERS TO A CONTINUAL CLEANSING OF ALL SIN; IT IS IN INTIMATE UNION OF US IN THE MESSIAH JESUS AS NEW CREATIONS THAT THIS CONTINUAL CLEANSING OCCURS, AND IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE MESSIAH JESUS THAT HIS GOD AND OUR FATHER YEHOVAH HAS PLACED IN US THAT ACCOMPLISHES THIS! IT IS ALL ACCORDING TO OUR GOD AND FATHER YEHOVAH’S AMAZING GRACE AND NOTHING OF US!

When Paul informs Christians that they are saved by grace through faith, and that this is "not of yourselves" (Ephesians 2:8) but is rather is the free gift of God - Yehovah, this tells us something spiritually significant. Our cleansing, our sanctification [being set apart], our justification [being pronounced not guilty], our salvation, our redemption, and on and on, is NOT something WE DO. It is all done for us, and we accept it as God's - Yehovah's gracious gift, by faith.

In this passage we have seen, "the apostle lists three transactions that occurred at the time when by God’s – Yehovah’s grace they were saved: they were washed, that is, they were spiritually cleansed by God - Yehovah, an act symbolized by baptism; they were sanctified [set apart], an expression either to be interpreted as an amplification of the concept 'washed' (cf. Titus 3:5-7) or meaning that they had been set apart as God's – Yehovah’s people (cf. 1 Peter 2:9-10); and they were justified [pronounce not guilty], showing God's – Yehovah’s acting as judge in declaring the sinner righteous because of the sin-offering sacrifice of the Messiah (cf. Romans 3:21-26; 5:1). All this, Paul says, was done by God - Yehovah for them on the authority (in the name) of the lord Jesus the Messiah and by the Spirit of our God - Yehovah" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 223].

This commentary, in a footnote, informs us that should one seek to read baptism in water into this passage, it would apply only "as a sign of their spiritual cleansing and justification by God" [ibid]. Simply stated, BAPTISM IN WATER IS A SYMBOL OF WHAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN THE MIND AND HEART OF BELIEVERS, NOT A SACRAMENT; it is reflective in nature, NOT redemptive in nature. "They had been made pure by the Spirit of God - Yehovah. They had been, indeed, baptized, and their baptism was an emblem of purifying, but the thing here particularly referred to is not baptism but is something that had been done by the Spirit of God - Yehovah, and refers to His agency on the heart in cleansing them from these pollutions" [Dr. Albert Barnes, Barnes' Notes on the Bible, e-Sword].

There are times when people, whether individuals or families or congregations, or even nations, need a moral reset. They have become so defiled and polluted by the worldliness around them, and the influence of Darkness, that they can't find their way out (and many may be so polluted that they don't want to). For those who do, however, our God - Yehovah has offered to cleanse our hearts and minds of such moral defilements. This is a washing or cleansing, a reset, and renewal, that must come from above upon those who genuinely long for that purity that seems to elude them.

David is a good example of this. He had embraced a level of impurity in both attitude and action that left him broken, and he realized that his cleansing could only come from a Divine washing! Thus, he prayed to Yehovah, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. ... Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ... Create in me a clean heart, O God - Yehovah, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:2, 7, 10).

As humans, whether individually or collectively, we tend to stray from godly behavior far too often. At times, those detours take us to places from which we find it hard to return by our own efforts. At times, our pollution is so pervasive that it requires a cleansing from above to restore us to "the straight and narrow pathway." Peter informed his readers that sometimes we wander to the point where we "have forgotten our purification from our former sins," and by so doing we become easy targets for the lure of the world.

Paul sought to remind the brethren in Corinth of their purification from the immorality from which they had emerged, and which still surrounded them daily in the city of Corinth. The Lord - Yehovah had washed them of all such defilements, and they needed to be reminded of such, lest, like the sow, they found themselves returning to the mire to wallow in it once again. Peter wrote, "It has happened to them according to the true proverb, 'A dog returns to its own vomit,' and 'A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire'" (2 Peter 2:22). Those cleansed from the moral decay of this world should not return to such, and warnings against such renewed immorality are found throughout Scripture. Such is the case with Paul's reminder to the Corinthian brethren, and the moral defilement from which the Lord - Yehovah had purified them.

Such cleansing is NOT accomplished by religious rites and ceremonies, or by emblems and symbols. It comes from a direct interaction of the Lord - Yehovah, as Paul reminds them. "These morally corrupt classes we are here told were changed; they were 'washed,' and 'sanctified [set apart],' and 'justified [pronounced not guilty],' which, stripped of the figure, simply means they were changed in the very root and fountain of their character, their inner nature. ... The reformation was not doctrinal, ecclesiastical, or institutional, but moral. ... They had been cleansed from all moral foulness. And all this, how? 'In the name of the lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God - Yehovah.' This is the reformative measure; nothing on this earth will effect this moral change but this" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 19, p. 196-197].

In closing, let me issue this note of caution:

Some who read this article will come away with only one conclusion (which, to be honest, they had already come to): "Al Maxey has rejected baptism; Al Maxey has left the faith; Al Maxey is an apostate."

No, I seek simply to be exegetically and hermeneutically honest with the text. Not every occurrence of "wash" "cleanse" "purify" or even "baptize" has reference to immersion in water. This is simply a fact. To acknowledge such a fact in no way negates the purpose or place of immersion in water in NT theology and practice. It is simply an acknowledgement that at times the biblical writers sought to convey a different message.

Yes, by ignoring the context, and by lifting texts here and there out of those contexts, we can indeed compile a list of proof texts for our sectarian and party preferences, but such is not being honest with the text. We are charged in Scripture to handle accurately these writings, even when doing so may lead to insights that challenge and contradict our traditional and denominational understandings and practices. May God help us all to be more open to Truth and less bound by Tradition.

Written by Al Maxey and edited and added to by Bruce Lyon