Category: Bible Teaching

Living the Prophet’s Creed

Post author By skuntzman
Post date June 20, 2022
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Apostolic Life Cathedral | 6/22/2021, 7:00 PM

Text: Micah 6:1-8

(1) Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

(2) Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

(3) O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

(4) For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

(5) O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

(6) Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

(7) Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

(8) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Creed[1]

A brief authoritative formula of religious belief
- the Nicene Creed
A set of fundamental beliefs
- also : a guiding principle
- “Never settle for mediocrity” is his creed. -Jill Lieber
- “God won’t bless what He can’t sanction.” –James Rowe

There are principles in God’s Word that when lived out, or violated, lead to a life blessing or cursing.

In this study, we will take a look at what the late Rev. James Lumpkin, Sr. called, “The Prophet’s Creed,” taking as a title this thought:

Living the Prophet’s Creed

A creed, a set of fundamental beliefs, a collection of guiding principles, are only as effective as your desire and determination to live them out.

It is a good practice for children to have memorized all the books of the Bible by the time they leave Sunday School and graduate to the Adult Bible Class.

In fact, many children are taught to memorize the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness
Thou shalt not covet

And, there are two passage in the Bible that every saint in an Apostolic Oneness Pentecostal should have total recall on:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “(4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, 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.”

These Scriptures are creeds that serve to pass on to the next generation a set of Basic Bible Principles, that when lived out produce a godly and sanctified life.

Living the Prophet’s Creed consists of three principles that we all need to apply to our lives:

To do justly
To love mercy
To walk humbly with thy God

In verse 2, of our text, the LORD has a controversy (dispute, quarrel), with Israel, and He is pleading with them:

“O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants [slaves]; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (verses 3-4).

In an attempt to call them back to a right relationship with Him, He reminded them of Egypt – the place from which God delivered them, and redeemed them.

He sent servants, you might even identify them as prophets:

Moses = Lawgiver, to deliver and instruct.
Aaron = The High Priest, to atone.
Miriam = Prophetess & Praiser, and to teach the women.

The Lord is pleading with His people to remember all that He did for them.

Reminding them the He turned Baalam’s curse into a blessing proving His faithfulness to Israel.

They were perhaps sincere in their desire to keep the commandments of the Law, but misguided seekers

The laws were there not to be followed in some type of burdensone manner, but to establish principles, which had been forgotten.

Sometimes a law can be made that is still kept but nobody remembers the purpose. <ham, Vevay>

When you live The Prophet’s Creed you will automatically live by the principles that the Law was formed to teach you.

The Prophet’s Creed:

To Do Justly

Do right by God: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” Mark 12:29-30).
- Love God
- Heart = Are your affections solely on Jesus?
- Soul = Would you give up your life for Jesus?
- Mind = Will you lay aside what you think for what God’s Word tells you?
- Strength = Will you give all the strength and effort of your life to His will?
Do right by your neighbor: “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor…” (Mark 12:31).
- Prefer your fellow
- Never work to harm another
- Treat people right
- Love people
Do right by yourself: “…as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).
- Do you like yourself?
- Don’t deprive yourself of all that God has richly provided.
- We live by the justness and truth of the Word of God and we are judged by it.

To Love Mercy

It is necessary that we not only live by the justice and judgment of the Law, but to also give to mercy what it requires – LOVE MERCY.

The Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “…our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
Psalms 85:10, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
Psalms 25:10, “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
The mercy you show is the mercy you’ll know.
God is not in the business of stopping people from receiving mercy: “The God of my mercy shall prevent me…” (Ps. 59:10).
- Prevent = “project oneself, precede, go before.”
- God’s mercy goes before us

To Walk Humbly with Thy God

1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty
- There is One God and you are not Him!
Beware, Humility Required:
- Confess and forsake your sin
- Submit to the ordinance of water baptism
- Yield to the Holy Ghost.
Accept God’s Mercy
Walk in God’s Grace
Is the Lord Jesus Christ truly your God?
Walk humbly before others as well
- God isn’t the only one who hates a proud, haughty or arrogant attitude.
Submission is the hallmark of humility.
- James 4:5-12, “(5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? (6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (11) Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (12) There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
- Galatians 6:1-3, “(1) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (2) Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Each of the three people Micah records as being sent to His people were at one point violators of The Prophet’s Creed, but once they learned the necessity of Living the Prophet’s Creed they became examples for us to follow:

Moses – The great lawgiver, did justly as he operated in his role as both deliverer and the giver of the Law

A murderer, disobeyed God in a moment of rage

Aaron – The High Priest, loved mercy and as a priest stood as a bridge between God and Man making atonement for sin.

An idolater, intimidated by those he was suppose to lead, excused his sin

Miriam – The prophetess of praise and instructor of women, learned humility.

Jealousy, envy, rebellion

It’s a question: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

I want everyone to come forward, and I’m going to give you some basic instructions:

Close your eyes
Lift your head up. Look up.
Raise both hands. Pray. Surrender. Worship.
Speak with your outside voice.
Commit to Living The Prophet’s Creed: to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.

[1] “Creed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creed. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.

Tags Apostolic Life Cathedral, Bible Teaching, christianity, Jesus Christ, Ptophet, Stephen Kuntzman

Shifting Sands: Stability in Changing Times

Post author By skuntzman
Post date June 13, 2022
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Apostolic Life Cathedral, 8/24/2021, 7:00 PM

Tags Acts 2:38, Apostolic Life Cathedral, Bible Teaching, christianity, Jesus Christ, Stephen Kuntzman

Bible Teaching

Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus -James Anderson

Post author By skuntzman
Post date May 30, 2022
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“Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus”
Guest Author: James Anderson

This topic is often discussed, but I have been conversing with someone with an opposing view and here are some of my notes.

I would not say that there was a codified baptismal formula in the primitive church. Myself and most Oneness teachers should indicate it was developed, in some sense. However, I do believe that scripture and history indicate to us that the name of Jesus was invoked or implied, in literary devices, by or over the baptized. I think most scholars realize this but disallow it by marginalizing it to, now, include the Matthean titles (28:19; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and thus giving a sense of credibility to the Trinitarian method. If we study history accurately we should understand that no biblical or primitive NT believer was baptized using the titles. Biblical and historical evidence explicitly indicates that the name “Jesus” was actually used in baptism and not a recitation of the actual instruction of Christ in the Matthean passage, instead actual obedience to His instruction, e.g. “baptizing them…in the name…” (c.f. Matthew 28:19, NKJV).

In connection with this it is interesting to note the Lukan Great Commission as well. Luke records: “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47, KJV) Both the Lukan and Matthean passages indicate that a single, known name was used in Christian baptism. As the below sources will show, this is the only form used by the Disciples and early believers.

The Anchor Bible Dictionary is a landmark work of scholarly thought. It clearly states:

“It is relatively certain that in the early Church one commonly referred to baptism as being done “into the name of the Lord Jesus”or “something similar.” (1)

The Bible knows of no Christian in the New Testament who had not been baptized, either by John or in the name of Jesus. Consequently, as modern New Testament believers we should feel compelled to follow that same Biblical method. Christian baptism was from the first administered “in the name of Jesus”. The trinitarian formula of merely repeating, not obeying or properly interpreting, Matthew 28:19 is not found in the scriptures. Anyone baptizing in titles or any other method that does not include the name of Jesus is without scriptural support, there is simply no text that demonstrates or gives license for such aberrations. Baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ and brings us into the Body of Christ, therefore it is logical to conclude that we should have the name of Jesus invoked over us in baptism.

The reason that we are baptized in Jesus’ name is that we are being baptized into Jesus. We are taking on his name, similar to the way a woman takes on her husband’s name at marriage. We are saying that we belong to Jesus and we are identifying with Him in His death and burial. Paul said, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13) Paul’s thinking here is to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. If we follow his logic it becomes obvious that he is telling the Corinthians that Christ was the one crucified for them and so they, too, were baptized in the name of Christ. The believers at Corinth as well as those in Rome were baptized in Jesus’ name.

We may contest that there was no EXACT formula for baptism in the New Testament, but such a statement is only partially true. As mentioned prior, in all occasions of baptism the name Jesus is used, in the name of the Lord or in the name of the Lord Jesus, etc. Whether “Christ” or “Lord” is used all the references refer directly to the only saving name—Jesus (Acts 4:12). How can we expect baptism to be efficacious for one if the name of Jesus is not invoked then? It seems then that anything else would be…unbiblical.

In Acts 22:16 we read, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16, KJV) There is other debates concerning this passage, but none as relevant as the one we are discussing now. The Greek word for “calling” here is epikaleomai. This word is defined “idiomatically, denoting that one person belongs to another whose name is attached to him…literally have someone’s name called on someone, i.e. belong to,”(2) Therefore, the name of Christ is important in every sense of salvation and not just in professing Him as Lord. This name should be “called on” as we are baptized into Christ; we arise with His name attached to us and are His people.

Epikaleomai is used to mean a literal invoking in several New Testament passages. In Acts 9 we see the story of Paul after being blinded on the road to Damascus, “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. (15) But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:14-16 NKJV

The early Christians were preaching and baptizing in the name of Jesus. They literally uttered the words, there was no non-verbal reflection upon the name—it was a literal calling on the name of Jesus. Paul (formerly Saul) was commissioned by the Priests to persecute those who were calling on the name of Jesus. After being blinded Paul is taken to Ananias. Ananias is told by the Lord that Paul is a “chosen vessel” to “bear” the name of Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul also was to suffer for this name. The name of Jesus is so intrinsically involved in the process of salvation and our subsequent lives, how can we, then, abandon this name at our baptism?

Some assume that the trinitarian formula for baptism, which invokes the titles—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–are indeed the biblical method. This may cause one to ask, “Was the trinitarian formula used in New Testament times?” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia answers this for us:

“No record of such use can be discovered in the Acts or the epistles of the apostles. The baptisms recorded in the New Testament after the Day of Pentecost are administered “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38), “into the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16), “into Christ” (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27).” (3)

James Hastings indicates:

“The original form of words was ‘into the name of Jesus Christ’ or ‘the Lord Jesus.’ Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development.”(4)

Self-admittedly then trinitarians confess that the form of words used in an oral invocation in the rite of baptism was done by, the very least, using the name of Jesus, in some sense. Signifying that the Apostles as well as those following their death used the saving Name—Jesus.

Often the words, “in” or “into” are used with being baptized in or into the name of Jesus. Both terms are prepositions which are used to connect nouns or pronouns in an adjectival or adverbial sense. Example: the babe lying in a manger, the sun sets in the west. They denote being in or into something, such as baptized into or in the name of Jesus. When used in an adjectival or descriptive sense it is describing the method or the how of what is being said. How were the early Christians baptized? Answer: in the name of Jesus. Therefore, we enter into or in the power or person of Jesus by using His name.

In the New Testament, specifically in the historical book of Acts we see baptisms that involve an actual verbal invocation using wholly, partly, or by implications (Lord) the name of Jesus. Otto Heick a church historian wrote in his book, “A History of Christian Thought” (1,53), that “At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Today, as modern New Testament believers, it is imperative that we hold the teachings of scripture paramount, rather than relying too heavily upon extra-biblical sources or church councils, creeds, dogmas and catechisms. When we stand before God in the Day of Judgment, we will be accountable to His Word.

In Acts 4:12 Peter uses the word “must” which is the Greek preposition dei. In this passage it literally means “it is necessary.”(5) “Must” here is an emphatic word indicating compelling necessity and it is joined with “name” which is part of the “must.” Not only is there only one way to get salvation, e.g. through Jesus Christ, but there is only one saving name in baptism—Jesus Christ.

Many New Testament passages speak of healing done in Jesus’ name (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:9–10), signs and wonders through His name (4:30). Some preached in His name (8:12) or spoke boldly in His name (9:27–28). This being so, it seems that historical and theological bias exist in order to assert that baptism is not to be done by invoking the name of Jesus. Baptism in the name of Jesus was and still is the correct name to administer over one who is to be baptized or by the baptized. Historically and biblically, all competent accounts point us directly to Jesus name.

Here is a syllogism to conclude:

Biblical and historical sources indicate that baptism was done by orally invoking, in some sense, the name “Jesus”. Further, the historical evidence confirms that extra-biblical change was made to include titles.
The Bible also places soteriological emphasis on the name of Jesus that it “must” be a part of a believers experience.
Therefore, it is logical to conclude, from evidence, that baptism in the name of “Jesus” is both valid and necessary.

NOTES:

1. Freedman, David Noel. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday, 1996, c1992.2. Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker’s Greek New Testament library (Page 164). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.
3. “Baptism” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft
4. “Baptism” IV (a.) A Dictionary of the Bible, Edited by James Hastings, M.A., D.D., Vol. 1, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
5. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament © 1990 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights reserved

[Originally posted on 9 May 2007 at http://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2007/05/water-baptism-in-name-of-jesus.html]