How is the Believer "Buried with Him in Baptism?" (Col 2:12)

The Wonder of Being Buried with Christ Jesus in the One Baptism 

First let us look at our verse, Colossians 2:12, in several translations.

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)


When they baptized you, it was like God buried you with Christ. And God also raised you to a new life with Christ. You believed that God has great power to do that. You believed that God raised Jesus to life after he died. Because you believed, God raised you to have a new life. (Easy English Bible, EEB)


You were buried with Christ when you were baptised. You were also raised with him to a new life when you were baptised. You were raised because you believed in the power of God who raised Christ from death. (Worldwide English, WEB)

In our first example from the King James (with which most are familiar), we get the basic idea of being "buried" with Christ in some form of "baptism."  From this, many apply the idea of going under water in a ritual baptism as the "burial." They recognize figurative language, at least to some degree, but fail to look beyond their initial application of the words as will try to show.

Our other two examples, taken from more dynamic translations, state overtly that act of baptism in the verse is some ritual performed by others upon the individual believer. "When they baptized you" (EEB) and "when you were baptized" (WEB) both imply to the reader an outward act. As most men are familiar with the ritual of baptism as seen and taught by almost all organizations under the umbrella of "Christendom," the mind simply imposes that ritual on the verse. Even the translators felt that taking that liberty is warranted. 

We need to step back and recognize that scripture mentions multiple baptisms. And in light of that idea, Paul's teaching for the current age is that there only "one baptism." So we must recognize both the multiple uses and applications of "baptism" in scripture as well the singular "baptism" in Ephesians 4. And that idea in Ephesians is in context of both the revelation of the truth for this current age and the singularity of other specific truths for the Body.

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

-Ephesians 4:4-6

Here it is in bullet form:

• one body
• one Spirit
• called in one hope of your calling
• one Lord
• one faith
• one baptism, 
• one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Having established that this age knows only "one baptism," (however you handle Ephesians, we cannot escape the singularity of the baptism there, especially in light of the rest of the passage), we step back and look at other baptisms in scripture (beyond the one). As we do this, we must acknowledge that the word itself cannot possibly be limited to a water ritual. 

 

John the Baptist's Call to Israel to Repent and Water Baptism

“I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean His floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

-Matthew 3:11-12

 

‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him, but for this reason I came baptizing with water: so that He might be revealed to Israel.”

-John 1:30-31

Here we note that John the Baptist (quoted in these verses) references his ministry of water baptism on the one hand, yet he points to future baptisms, namely a spiritual baptism (from God) and a fiery baptism. We will not explore those here, we only note they are specifically separated from John's water ministry. What we must also see is that this water ministry is connected to earthly calling of the nation of Israel. As we have seen many times, the Lord himself stated that he was "sent to none, but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).  In John the Baptist's ministry we are solidly on the earthly calling in Israel. 

 

But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cup that I am to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

-Matthew 20:22

Note the emphasis on the future in Matthew 20. This is beyond the water baptism of John. This is the Lord looking ahead to another baptism that he had to experience. And this is a baptism that an ominous tone and something that points to something very unsettling, even frightening. It is a baptism that one would be naturally reluctant to enter into. 

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how pressed I am until it is accomplished!

-Luke 12:50

 Again, the Lord is looking ahead. He is focused on his calling and the cross that awaits him. He must press forward to finish this ministry. This, of course, is the sacrifice of himself on the cross. He was baptized by John in the river (water), and now he is looking ahead to another baptism (without water), this one necessary to (a) fulfill prophecy and (b) to accomplish the sacrifice for sin. John baptized with water, but they were to have another baptism that has nothing to do with water. 

[Jesus] commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, of which you have heard from Me. For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

-Acts 1:4-5

The Separate Baptism of the "Holy Spirit" and Promises to Israel

As the Lord taught his disciples about the future restoration of the Kingdom in Israel (Acts 1:6-7), he pointed them to an interim event, a baptism directly from God enabling the new nature (holy spirit). We should probably render "holy spirit" in Matthew 3 and Acts 1 in the lower case, but we will leave the translations as they are for the scope of this study.  

How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Do you not know that we who were baptized [past tense] into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death [no water]? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

-Romans 6:2-4

Here Paul is writing to a "church" of grafted in Gentiles noting that all in Christ are baptized into his death. Surely, they were not dead themselves. They certainly were not physically immersed in his death. We can see here the greater idea behind all baptisms, that is, identification. John the Baptist baptized with water to symbolize identify with his call for Israel to repent. It was an act of submission. But the water could neither take away sins nor assure them of a new "holy spirit" on its own. An act of the will was necessary. 

Men will read water rituals into Romans 6 as well, but it has no place there. We note Cornelius and the Gentiles in Acts 10 who were speaking in tongues before they received any water baptism. These were grafted into the blessings of Israel (they already had faith in Christ before Peter arrived). When Peter and the other Jews saw they has the same gifts as Israel, then he offered baptism (the secondary identification)

The word which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, the word, which you know, that was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

-Acts 10:36-38

Cornelius was already a believer in the word that was sent to Israel. Yet not being of Israel, he was outside the specific blessings of the Kingdom gospel. That is another study, but it is important for this study to see that these Gentiles already believed the word proclaimed before Peter arrived. 

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. All the believers of the circumcision who had come with Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter continued, “Can anyone forbid water for baptizing these, who have received the Holy Spirit as we have?” So he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. 

-Acts 10:44-48

Peter speaks in the future about baptism because of a past receiving of the gifts of the Spirit. even in short term. These received the blessings and promises of Israel before they were physically baptized. When Peter refers to the receiving "as we have," he is harkening back to Pentecost where there were no gentiles, for starters, but we must also note the absolute wonders displayed here that had nothing to do with a water ritual. We see two baptisms here. The promised "holy spirit" baptism of Acts 1 and the water baptism that followed from Acts 2:38.

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

-Acts 2:38-39

This is a specific promise to Jews. That is the only way to understand this in context of the Lord's ministry and the calling and mission of the twelve. We will not follow that path here, but just in this passage we note the promise of the gift of holy spirit is to those there and to their children. This is a national promise. The dispersion (to who Peter and James address their epistles) are referenced in, "all who are far away."  These two baptisms are still in light of both John's baptism and the promise to Israel of the holy spirit.

In his Pentecost speech, Peter refences a promise to Israel.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all you who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it shall be,’ says God,
‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even on My menservants and maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood,
before that great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

And whoever calls
on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

“Men of Israel, hear these words...

-Acts 2:14-22a

Peter is quoting Joel 2:28-32. The context of that passage, let alone the entire prophecy, is specific to Israel and the land. We cannot quote the whole book or even the entire chapter here (we encourage the reader to search and see for himself), we simply note a couple verses. 

Then you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other.
And My people will never again be shamed.

-Joel 2:27

Then the Lord became jealous for His land
and took pity upon His people.

So the Lord answered and said to His people,

Here! I am sending you grain, new wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied,
and I will never again make you
a disgrace among the nations [Gentiles].

-Joel 2:18-19

And children of Zion, exult
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
because He has given to you
the early rain for vindication.
He showers down rains for you,
the early rain and the latter rain, as before.

-Joel 2:23

The full chapter should be read, but the opening of chapter one states to who the prophet was sent.

The word of the Lord, which came to Joel, son of Pethuel.

Hear this, elders,
and give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has anything like this happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers?

-Joel 1:1-2

The Symbolism and Limitation of Water Baptism

When the Pharisees came to be baptized by John in his ministry to Israel, John did not refuse to wash away their sins, he refused the symbol of repentance for he knew their hearts. The water itself was useless, it was the state of the heart that matters. Pouring water over an infant's head, even if we want to believe the water has some power, is useless apart from an act of individual faith. The idea of the limitation of the symbol is behind the rebuke and warning we have seen in  Matthew.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to escape from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance..."

-Matthew 3:7-8

The ritual was to identify with the ministry of John, which was a call of Israel to repentance. It was not repentance itself. It was not a ritual that could accomplish anything on its own. 

When Paul is writing to believing Jews in Corinth, he references a baptism that is the opposite of being made wet. 

I would not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea...

-1 Corinthians 10:1-2

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land, which the Egyptians attempted to do, but were drowned.

-Hebrews 11:29

 

They identified with Moses. It was the Egyptians who were immersed in water. We see a similar separation by faith in Noah and the flood of Genesis.

For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit, by whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who in times past were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. Figuratively this is like baptism, which also saves us now. It is not washing off the dirt from the body, but a response to God from a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers being made subject to Him.

-1 Peter 3:18-22

 

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house...

-Hebrews 11:7 

In the symbolism [shadow] of the ark of Noah, we see Christ. And again we see those rescued by the ark of Christ (with its one door) as the ones who are dry. The water here, as in Egypt, is the water of judgment. Noah and his family were rescued from the judgment of God by entering the one door. By doing so, they were rescued "through" the waters of judgment. 

Peter likens baptism to being rescued from the waters of judgment. In doing so, as with our other examples which exclude water, he is pointing to something apart from an external ritual. 

Separating the Word "Baptism" from the Water Ritual

As we look back at our examples of translations of Colossians 2:12, we can see the influence of man's religious prejudices. Those of us who understand the distinction between Paul's Acts Age epistles from his Post Acts epistles (covered in other posts) will immediately connect the baptism in Colossians with the "one baptism" in Ephesians. We note that connection, but this connection is not absolutely necessary for understanding Colossians on its own. 

As we have clearly demonstrated, the word "baptism" (which is essentially just a transliteration of the Greek word báptisma), does not carry the necessity of any water, let alone the necessity of immersing or even dipping. 

When we turn back to Colossians 2:12 and set aside the idea of a water ritual imposed upon it by some translators, we can start to see its meaning in its context. To me, the meaning becomes quite clear, but let's walk it through. I'd like to start with Young's Literal Translation of the verse.

being buried with him in the baptism, in which also ye rose with [him] through the faith of the working of God, who did raise him out of the dead.

I like this rendering because it focuses on "the" baptism. What is "the baptism" in which a believer is buried with Christ? In Christ's water baptism by John? "Buried" is an interesting word here, especially in light of the rest of the verse. We associate "buried" with death, not with plunging or dipping or springling. 

If we want to take the idea of a symbolic burying, such a symbol would not apply in every instance. There is no idea of a burying in the water baptisms of John, Pentecost, or in the house of Cornelius. And the context of Colossians does not allow for it either. 

The rest of the verse bears this out. We are identified with Christ in his death and in doing so we are also, "risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." 

This is not pointing to a ritual of water, but an identification with Christ in his death by which we are also identified with him in his resurrection. All of this is accomplished by God and we are included in this wonderful and powerful hope by faith. This is the "one baptism" of Ephesians and fits in very beautifully in the full passage. The "one faith" is the faith in the sufficiency of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  And also faith in the current calling, the revelation of the Mystery given to Paul for us in this age.

No one baptized in the holy spirit then rises out of that holy spirit in symbol or reality.  When we are identified in Christ's death, we do not rise out of that identification. We are identified in the death of the flesh AND the sleep of death (the waiting for the redemption of the body) AND in the hope of the future resurrection (when the holy spirit, the new man, is unshackled from this body of death).

That identification, apart from Israel, apart from the Law, apart from the ministry of John the Baptist (who was sent to Israel as we and he noted) if for the "one body," the "one new man" created after the middle wall of partition fell (Eph 2:14) at the end of the Acts Age with the revelation to Paul in Ephesians.  

The expanded bulleted list:

• I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called.
• With all humility, meekness, and patience,
• bearing with one another in love, be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• There is one body
• and one Spirit,
• even as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord,
• one faith,
• one baptism [identification by God with Christ in his death and resurrection],
• one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Remember, in John's gospel we are told, by John the Baptist, "I came baptizing with water: so that He [the Lamb of God, v.29] might be revealed [made manifest] to Israel.” Such an idea has no application to Gentiles nor to this age nor to the context of his death and resurrection. 

When we come to Colossians 2, we need to focus on our identification with the crucified and risen and exalted Christ. Unfortunately, when men came across the Greek báptisma, they want to inflict their initiation ritual on it. 

We are identified with Christ in his death and resurrection, not with an earthly organization. The "high calling" of this age (Phil 3:14) has nothing to do with water. When we are immersed into his death, our body is to stay there. We are to consider ourselves dead to the flesh and are exhorted to walk in the holy spirit (the new nature).

The Warning and Further Context of the Book of Colossians

This is not an exhaustive study of the entire book, but we must note some things connected to the baptism (identification) of the death of the flesh (the carnal nature) that we must seek to apply every day. We are immersed in that death and in his resurrection. We are to consider the flesh dead and walk in the new nature (holy spirit).

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

-Colossians 1:21-23

We know from our look at the great resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, that there is a rank to resurrection (of which Christ is first). We also know from Philippians that there is a special "out from the rest of the dead" resurrection to be attained. The free gift of resurrection life cannot be lost (or it is no longer a gift), but other rewards can be lost.

In this passage we are instructed to follow the hope of the gospel entrusted to Paul. In Philippians he is very specific as to who we should follow. We will not divert too far into a study on the heavenly calling of the current age versus the earthly calling for Israel, but we must note that if we do want to "attain" the special resurrection and The Prize of Philippians 3 (see Phil 3:7-16), we must follow Paul's example.

Brothers, become fellow imitators of me and observe those who walk according to our example. For many [professed believers] are walking in such a way that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you of them often and tell you again, even weeping. Their destination is destruction, their god is their appetite, their glory is in their shame, their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our body of humiliation, so that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working of His power even to subdue all things to Himself. 

-Philippians 3:17-21

Water baptism in an earthly ordinance connected to an earthly calling. It has always been a shadow of a greater reality. The shadows once had their place, but in light of the heavenly calling, we have no need for earthly shadows. As noted in Ephesians, there is but one baptism for the current age and it is not water baptism. Colossians again points to this age, Paul's revelation, and the warning against ritualistic shadows. 

I now rejoice in sufferings for your sakes, and I contribute my share to what is left nehind of the tribulations of Christ, in my flesh, for the sake of his body, which is the church, of which I have become a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God – the mystery which was hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but now has been made manifest to his saints, to whom God wished to make known what the richness is of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we proclaim, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, for which I also labor, striving according to his invigoration which invigorates me with power.

-Colossians 1:24-28

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the reality is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God. Wherefore if you are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances, (touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any value to the satisfying of the flesh.

-Colossians 2:13-23

If we tried to bring a sacrificial animal to a priest to make an offering a sin, we may be following a biblical pattern, even a biblical commands, but we would be acting in disobedience to our calling. The same must be understood of ordinances like water baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are connected to a different hope and have no place in the age of the "one baptism" of Ephesians and Colossians for the present age.

If we want to be perfect (fully mature) and receive the special resurrection of Philippians 3 which must be attained, we must do it according to the calling to which we have been called. And that calling knows only one baptism. 

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called.

-Ephesians 4:1

And as with all blessings in scripture, we must enter into these blessings by faith. And that faith is in following and imitating Paul through the lens of the current revelation.  

Walking According to the Current Calling, Entering Into That Blessing by Faith

PowerPoint Presentation of Paul's Warnings in Ephesians & Colossians

The Replacement Versus Fulfillment Distinction (Regarding Israel)

 An objection was raised on a recent podcast of mine by someone who took offense at my take on the translators of the King James Version. I will post the video podcast below so you can read his objection in full. I don't want to speak for him. I also am not going to address every individual verse notes as they are all representative of his overall point

His objection, as I read it, is presented in two main assertions. He states that the KJV translators did not embrace the New Covenant for the "Church" (they were all ordained in the Church of England, for the record). he posits the idea that they embrace a "testament," not a "covenant." The extension is that the New Covenant is indeed for Israel and will be manifested in the millennial kingdom. That would be a summation (as I see it) of his second objection. Fair enough.

I did note in the podcast that I was riffing (speaking off the cuff). I feel as though the particular objections point to only a very minor part of my presentation, but the objections are noted and appreciated. And they give me an opportunity to put a finer point on a particular issue. 

I would like to point out that the idea that the translators held to some idea of "replacement" of Israel by the "church" is only one external problem I noted with the KJV. My specific problems are in the text and the translation choices colored by doctrines such as "hell" and the "bodiless soul." The problems remain whether colored or not, and remain no matter to what degree the translator inserted the "church" into Israel's promises, however. Not to mention the understanding of the gap in Genesis 1 and the idea of the unique dispensational revelation to Paul alone in Ephesians noted. But these are topics on their own.

Let me address, in big picture, the two main objections.

1. The translators did not believe that the Church replaced Israel (they believed in "fulfillment")
2. The translators did not believe that we have the New "Covenant" but rather a New "Testament"

Before I dive in, I'll agree, on paper, these are true to a degree. My issue, as I hope to unfold, is that for all intents and purposes, in practice and in doctrines, they did indeed hold to both to a significant degree. The latter being more nuanced. And when I looked at at least one Anglican Arminian commentary from the 19th century, the distinction between "covenant" and "testament" disappears and Anglican thought fully allows for the idea of the New Covenant (at least in part) to be claimed by the "church." 

As to the larger point, yes, there is a technical difference between "replacement" theology and "fulfillment" theology. Different people define "fulfillment" differently. To some, it is essentially "replacement." But be that as it may, we will lean on this explanation, "[Fulfillment] teaches that God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled in Christ, and through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles become Abraham’s offspring..." [Robert Sparkman]. By claiming a continuation of Abraham into a gentile Body in any way, is, in light of my repeated position, a "replacement" of Israel in God's earthly plan. So, claiming the idea of Abraham's seed from Galatians, in any way, and then applying that today to ourselves (rejecting the Acts separation of Jewish and Gentile placement and practices) is a form of "replacement."

Someone who holds to "fulfillment," while maybe not claiming the New Covenant in toto or the millennial kingdom, etc. but he still claims promises in the prophets, the Kingdom, the gospels, and the Acts. The distinction then becomes, in light of Paul's unique revelation of the heavenly plan, negligible. That is, while there are clear prophetic implications in the differences, in terms of what each believes for himself today is of little consequence.

Even the great dispensationalist, John Darby, found some middle ground between an earthly fulfillment of the New Covenant in Israel while holding a separate application of the same to the "church." 

The gospel is not a covenant, but the revelation of the salvation of God. It proclaims the, great salvation of God. We enjoy indeed all the essential privileges of the new covenant, its foundation being laid on God's part in the blood of Christ, but we do so in spirit, not according to the letter.

The new covenant will be established formally with Israel in the millennium. Meanwhile the old covenant is judged by the fact that there is a new one.

-John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament, Hebrews 8 

This is an explanation I to which I would have given allegiance while in the Plymouth Brethren. It fully embraces the idea of the New Covenant being particular to Israel while claiming benefits from it for believers today. We know Christ's blood is for the sins of the whole world, and that blood makes the New Covenant possible, but we cannot then conclude these things overlap.

The Church of England historically taught a "continuity" between Israel and what it calls "the church." I hold to no such continuity. The continuity in the Acts age is certainly there, but that is (as noted) a continuation of the gospel of the Kingdom to a very real Israel as part of God's separate plan for the earth. When we understand this, the difference between "replacement" and "fulfillment" becomes of none effect, at least for my purposes regarding the KJV.

By referencing the ministry of the Lord in the gospel accounts and the conditions of the Acts age, the commenter partly makes my point that the KJV translation has hidden the truth of God's revelation for the current age. To be sure, almost all the translations do this because to one degree or another they all suffer from the same assumptions concerning the Acts, the "church," the Kingdom, the gospel, etc. 

I singled out the KJV for two reasons:

1.  The translation is very commonly used and quoted and 
2. Some men call it "inspired" (while damning all other translations). No one is "NIV-only"," for example.

There is difference between a setting aside of Israel as I teach and the subjugation of Jews as some evidence of the triumph of Christianity as fulfillment teaches . A plan set aside is not a plan replaced. You can object to the word, but unless you hold that there is a plan for Israel which is distinct and wholly separate and still to come in a true earthly kingdom (to which the Body has no claim, nor should it want it, on anything of Israel's past or future), then it is a form of replacement no matter what you call it. 

Holding to a future New Covenant for Israel, while correct, does not negate the fact that these theologians also go back and plumb the prophet's etc. for themselves. 

Samples of chapter headings in Isaiah in the 1611 KJV.

The commenter correctly states that the New Covenant is for the Jews in the millennium. Absolutely! We agree 100%! But if we go back into the prophets and gospels and Acts and epistles to the circumcision (in whole or in part) and claim any of that for some "gentile church," we have "replaced" Israel in practice. And we note again, there is clearly no doubt that whatever else they may claim, they certainly claim the Book of Acts, the Acts epistles of Paul, and the epistles to Israel from the Apostles to the Circumcision. 

The Body of this age "fulfills" nothing apart from the revelation given to Paul alone. That revelation was hidden from "before" the ages and was not made know to Moses or the prophets. You can say "fulfillment," but that is, again., just a form of replacement.

Allow me to try and find agreement. Let us reaffirm God's promises to Israel in the millennial kingdom. The Calvinists and Baptists of the 17th century teaching that salvation is "covenantal" are wrong. Israel will come into her New Covenant when she turns to Christ after a winnowing into the millennial kingdom.

With these in mind, when we see Peter (an apostle to the circumcision) in Acts 3 promises "men of Israel" that if they repent God would send the Lord back to restore all things in Israel, he was NOT promising some "gentile church" or some mixed church anything. The point here is that the Acts message was the continuation of the offer of the kingdom to Israel post cross, post resurrection, post ascension. Gentiles grafted in (into Israel) were grafted in for this stated reason: "to make ISRAEL jealous." They were separate and secondary ("to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile") and under a different set of rules.

That is not the condition of today.

We can commend the translator for this note above Ezekiel chapter 36. At least on its face it maintains the chapter for the people of Israel.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

-Ezekiel 36:26

Too often believers of all systems of theology go to the prophets (like Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 29:11, etc.) or to the gospels or the Acts age epistles to claim things for themselves today. This is robbing from Israel and claiming things that even the gentile believers grafted in would not claim. In that age, gentiles were threatened they could be "cut off" from Israel (Romans 11). Do we still believe that?

For if God spared not the natural branches [Israel], take heed lest he also spare not thee [Gentiles]. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou [Gentiles] continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

-Romans 11:21-23

 

Boast not against the branches. But if thou [Gentiles] boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

-Romans 11:8

If the grafting in of Gentiles into Israel is still what people believe is happening today, and that gentiles can be "cut off" from that root today, then what does that make "the church?" We do not have an Israel-based "church" in this age. We have something completely separate. You cannot find that separation in the prophets, gospels, or Acts age. If anyone claims anything for Israel in these for himself, call it what you will, it's Replacement to some degree.

So I maintain the overall point. The KJV (among its other issues) was translated by men who took in whole or in part promises and plans for Israel. You can call that "fulfillment," but the end is the same. That belief tainted at least some of their translation choices (as it does most translations).

Fulfillment is a form of Replacement. To one degree or another, they take from from God's plans and promises for Israel and claim them for themselves. 

God Confused Mankind at Babel and Chose Israel Not the Modern Church

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he would later receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

-Hebrews 11:8-10

Most believers are familiar with this passage. I'd like to briefly look at this city in light of its counterpart, both from the account in Genesis and its realization in the Revelation. Because of the enormity of both Genesis and the Revelation, we will have to try to maintain a big picture view.

In Genesis, we see a city in chapter 11 (Babel), a promise of a tower that would reach the heavens (Hebrew: shâmayim, plural), and the promise that they would thus make a name for themselves to avoid being scattered by God. Men looked to the heavens above. They would have no concept to build something that would reach into the far above the heavens where God sits (Eph 1:20; 4:10). 

 

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

-Genesis 11:4

The builders had in their memories the worldwide flood. The flood did not reach the firmament (Ps 19:1; etc.). They either did not know or they did not believe God's promise to Noah that he would never flood the earth again (Gen 9:11). 

Abraham (Abram) is introduced into scripture at the end of Genesis chapter 11 after God confused the language of the people of Babel and did indeed scatter the people. They forsook the tower, but they took their hubris with them in the scattering. Men, still locked into an Adamic nature at enmity with God, took their rage, superstitions, and lack of an understanding of the will and plan of God wherever they went. It was out of this chaos that Abraham was chosen.  

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel [Babylon] — because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. 

-Genesis 11:8-9


Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. 

-Genesis 11:31

Abram is chosen by God to be his conduit for blessings for the earth. We are solidly in the hope for the earth in this calling. The earthly plan was first disrupted by Adam's sin and Paradise was lost to men. In Cain we see murder and peace was lost to men. Eventually we see the incursion of the angels who took wives of human women and corrupted the human race. This all led to God choosing Noah (and Noah alone, not his sons, not us) to give his plan for the earth going forward.

We note dispensationally that just as God chose Noah God also chose Abraham. That is, for his purposes, God gave commands and promises to Abraham that he did not give to us. This may seem obvious, but if we can understand that truth in interpretation here, it will help us understand that we must handle all scripture this way. That is, just because we see a command or a promise in scripture does not mean we can take it for ourselves.

• I am not commanded to build an ark.
• I am not promised to become a great nation which will bless the earth.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

-Genesis 12:1-3

Abram's nephew, Lot, entered the land which God had shown Abram. He chose to live in the wicked city of Sodom. Abraham dwelt in Canaan and waited on the Lord.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the valley and pitched his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against the Lord. After Lot had departed from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward. All the land that you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever [for the ages]. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be numbered. Arise, and walk throughout the land across its length and its width, for I will give it to you.”

-Genesis 13:12-17

God told Abraham to look with his eye as representative of all he could see, but he defines this promised land later as going from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (Deut 11:24). This is very real promise of a very real land in the very real covenant on a very real earth. Men have tried to rob Abraham and his descendants of this future promise and claim some sort of "spiritual Israel" for themselves. This thievery and denial of God's promises is from the same Adamic nature that built the Tower of Babel and the city of Babylon. 

The Lord pointed Abraham to the full land he would one day give to him and to his descendants (this is a future, literal promise which will be fulfilled as part of God's plan and hope for the earth). Abraham knowing this promise had a future fulfillment, built no city there, rather he lived in a tent and he built an altar to the Lord ("So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar to the Lord there" Gen 13:18).

This points us back to our passage in Hebrews. Abraham dwelt in tents and looked for a city with foundations (Hebrew: themelios) whose builder and maker is God himself. This is quite a contrast from the city of Babylon which men built to make a name for themselves. God will build a heavenly city and he would make Abraham's name great. What God has declared, let no man deny, even if he has a seminary degree.

The earthly Jerusalem wherein God would have his people Israel build the temple was an imperfect picture of a future hope (just as the sacrifices in that temple were a pale picture of the future perfect sacrifice of Christ). Scripture shows us an earthly Jerusalem (the city of the earthly King David) and the promise of a New Jerusalem and the reign of the greater son of David, Christ Jesus our Lord.

This latter city will have no temple. This city is connected to the promise to Abraham. From Israel (Jacob) God created the 12 tribes of the priestly nation and from Israel God chose his Apostles to the Circumcision. 

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, her light like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb... I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of sun or moon to shine in it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall never be shut by day, for there shall be no night there. They shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. No unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor shall anyone who commits abomination or falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

-Genesis 21:9-14; 22-27

This city comes down from heaven to the new earth. It is part of the God's plan for the earth. This, we see the plan for the earth being realized. Paradise is restored. Healing has come to undo the curse of sickness. The final enemy, death, is destroyed. 

We should not miss the Bride here. This is not some Gentile bride, this is "Virgin Israel" (Jeremiah 31:4,21) cleansed and restored as God had promised. This is the divorced nation united again with and through her Messiah.

The New Covenant of Jeremiah 31 is part of the realization of the plan for the earth. We recognize that the Revelation covers the millennial reign of Christ (the greater Son of David sitting on his throne) as well as the culmination of the full plan as seen in the new heavens and the new earth. These are part of the hope of Israel (Acts 28) and the hope for the land and the earth. This is separate from the hope of the Body of the current calling which is the hope of the far above the heavens (Ephesians).

"At that time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people" (Jeremiah 31:1). The Loammi ["not My People"] sentence of Hosea 1:9 will be forever repealed, for it is written: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10).

“Thus saith the Lord: The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest" (Jeremiah 31:2).

 

The faithful remnant in the latter day are doubtless referred to. By Ezekiel a similar message is given:

"I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people" (or nations), "and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezekiel 20:34-38).

-Excerpt from Ironside's Commentary on Jeremiah 31

The restoration of a literal Israel  and a literal Kingdom has been covered elsewhere. This is an enormous topic, so we will have to leave it here as understood because we believe God is true to his word. But if we do not recognize that the restoration of the Kingdom in Israel as revealed to the 12 Apostles of the Lamb (as taught by the risen Lord in Acts 1) and that the New Covenant itself in Jeremiah 31 are earthly promises to a real Israel, we will never see our true calling in the current age.

If you haven't read the New Covenant directly from Jeremiah 31, here is how the Lord introduced it:

Surely, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

It will not be according to the covenant

that I made with their fathers
in the day that I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt,
because they broke My covenant,
although I was a husband to them,
says the Lord.

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My law within them
and write it in their hearts;
and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people.

They shall teach no more every man his neighbor
and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,”
for they all shall know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest of them,
says the Lord,
for I will forgive their iniquity,
and I will remember their sin no more.

-Jeremiah 31:31-34

We can no more find a Gentile "church" in there than we can find ourselves in the promises to Abarham in the Book of Genesis or the promises to David and his royal descendant. Apart from that, we surely can't find the conditions present in that covenant in our day. Do we have no need to tell our neighbor of the Lord because all already know him (for they all shall know Me)? And who is "all?" All is the "they" of the passage: Israel. This passage (let alone the whole covenant) work only in the context of a future promise and blessing in a restored and cleansed Israel. 

When we look into the Revelation we see there are two cities:  Mystery Babylon (the great Mother of harlots and abomination on the earth [land], Rev 17:5) as well as the New Jerusalem (which comes down out of heaven from My God... adorned as a bride for her husband, Rev 3:12; 21:2,9).

Then he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filth of her sexual immorality. On her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. Then the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast, which you saw, was, and is not, and is to ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to destruction. Those who dwell on the earth whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come. “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. Concerning the beast who was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to destruction.

-Revelation 17:3-11

We will not endeavor to parse the text and interpret each point here. Suffice to day this city is juxtaposed to the New Jerusalem and the restoration of  the earth. It is not a Bride, but a harlot. It is as Babel and Babylon. That is, it is in contrast with faithful Abraham and the cleansed nation of Israel. As Babylon took Israel into captivity and placed the prophet whose prophecy is connected to the events in the Revelation (Daniel) into the Lion's den, so Mystery Babylon will rise to persecute Israel again. 

But as God protected the three young Hebrews from the fiery furnace and Daniel himself from the lion's den, so will God protect and deliver Israel from Babylon. Both the judgment and restoration passages in the prophets are for Israel. We make a grave error when we attempt to pull these from their contexts, grab a single verse, and try to claim it as our own promise or future. Not only is it error on its own, it will cause the believer to miss the greater heavenly hope and plan God revealed to Paul for the current age.

The call on Israel will be to come out from Babylon once again. But even as God deals with his own, he warns the nations to not touch the apple of his eye.

Deliver yourself, O Zion, you who live with the daughter of Babylon. For thus says the Lord of Hosts: He has sent Me after glory to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

-Zechariah 2:7-8

God's plan for Israel, the Lord's Bride, Revelation 12

Is God Promising an Evangelistic Harvest for Us Today in Psalm 2:8? Nope.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

-Psalm 2:8 (KJV)

Over the years, some evangelistic ministries have used Psalm 2:8 as their mission verse. I would like to start our review of this verse and the surrounding verses with one example from a very big name, the late Jack Hayford. 

I choose him, not only because he is a very recognizable American preacher and teacher, but because he is also known internationally. In addition, he held an advanced theological degree (Doctor of Divinity)  and founded The King's College and Seminary. He's a lot bigger than I am and his influence is far-reaching. 

This is an entry from Jack Hayford's daily devotional studies (emphasis mine):

"'Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.'" -Psalm 2:8

Jesus is the Great Intercessor, and in His high priestly prayer in John 17, He requested of His Father that His disciples would be one and, “that the world may know that You have sent Me” (John 17:23). United by both the Spirit of God and an understanding of the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes through Jesus, the early Church prayed: “Give us boldness to speak the word of God.” Their intercession joined with the Great Intercessor, and the Lord heard and answered their request. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they proclaimed the gospel boldly and became witnesses not only to their fellow Jews but to the Gentiles, as well. Nations became the inheritance of the Messiah through them! Students of Christian missions tell us there are nearly 24,000 distinct “nations” or “people groups” in our world.

This entry is not awful. It does tie the promise in Psalm 2 to Christ, but the greater application is where the concern arises. Psalm 2 is not an evangelistic passage. There is nothing in the Psalm for anyone else (certainly no one in the current dispensation) to directly claim. It is prophetic and particular to Israel's Messiah and the plan for the earth. It is a future given, not a current ending dependent upon the actions and obedience of mere men.

We will not examine the entire Psalm in detail, but the immediate context of verse 8 should alert us to the idea that this verse has far greater application than modern day evangelism. Verse 7 carries its own general misinterpretation in our day.

I will declare the decree of the Lord:

He said to me, “You are My son;
this day have I begotten you. 

-Psalm 2:7

We should recognize verse 7 as it is quoted  twice by Paul: once in the Acts when Paul is addressing Jews and again in Hebrews when Paul is writing to Jews. Let us look at the context of Paul's use in Acts 13. As with the The Law and the covenants, the plan for the earth and the kingdom are centered on Israel. 

 

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people [Israel] when they lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt, and with great power He led them out of it. For about forty years He endured their conduct in the desert. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance by lot. 

-Acts 13:15-18

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us... “We preach to you good news: The promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled to us, their children, raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son;
today I have begotten you.

-Acts 13:26, 32-33

Acts 13 is after the grafting in of Gentiles in Acts 10. That grafting in was specifically "to make Israel jealous" (Rom 10:19; 11:11, 14). Paul adds "and you who fear God."  These were gentiles who believed in the God of Israel, but had not yet become proselytes. The message of Israel's blessings in their Messiah was expanded to Gentiles. But as was his manner, Paul addresses the Jew first as the gospel of the age was "to the Jew first and also to the gentile" (Rom 1:16; 2:10). The message is built solidly on Israel, on their fathers, on the promises to the nation, and the hope of the earthly inheritance in Abraham. This is clearly stated in Romans 9 as we will see.

This was the hope and plan and focus of that age and of most of scripture. Adam sought a restoration of Paradise and Abraham sought "a city whose builder and maker is God" (the New Jerusalem). Earthly hopes. From Genesis 12 through all the Law and the Prophets (including the Revelation), through the ministry of Christ on earth, and through the Acts Age and accompanying epistles we have the earthly plan in view.

We pause here to again marvel how men have spiritualized Romans 9 and the utterly clear place Israel still has in that age. The promises and glory and covenants and the priesthood belonging to Israel alone. All part of God's earthly plan. Yet men rob from Israel while forsaking the greater spiritual blessings of the current age revealed by Paul in the Book of Ephesians. Imagine forsaking gold to rob silver!

In Acts 13 Paul is pointing Israel back to Psalm 2. Paul is speaking to unbelieving Jews telling them that God has fulfilled the promise of the Messiah to them. Paul includes himself with Israel ("to us, his children"). As scripture and revelation unfold we get more clarity on previous revelation. Paul's usage of Psalm 2:7 will shed light on and bring into greater clarity the full sense of the verses quoted. 

Focusing on the Greater Meaning in Begotten

Unfortunately, most interpreters of Psalm 2 read "begotten" as simply "born a child to the Father." Paul is bringing clarity and depth to the verse in Acts 13 to the word "begotten" far beyond that basic application. Begotten has a much greater meaning than can be seen in Psalm 2 alone: resurrection! The following verses in Acts 13 point to the prophecies of Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10 along the way.

That He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way:

‘I will give You the holy and sure blessings of David.’

So He says in another Psalm:

‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’

-Acts 13:34-35

This passage is about resurrection. We cannot read "‘You are My Son; today I have begotten you" as simply, "You are my Son, today you became my son." But that is exactly how some translations essentially render the verse. In others that do use "begotten" it is assumed it simply means being born in the notes and commentaries. Does this make sense?

You are my son; today I have become your father. [NIV]

Imagine when my son was born, I am holding him, and I declare, "you are my son, today I have become your father." It is redundant. Surely true in a sense. Surely it can have an application. There could be an argument here for the limited Sonship of Christ. This would contradict the doctrine of the eternal (as it is generally understood) Sonship of Christ. As we are creatures of time and God is not, I am not opposed to the idea of the limited Sonship. I only note this possibility, but I believe the issue at hand goes far beyond even that distinction.

Let's look at a few uses of "begotten." 

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten  [Greek: monogenḗs]

Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

-John 3:16 

For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten [Greek: gennáō] you [become your father - MEV] through the gospel. 

-1 Corinthians 4:15

 

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten [Greek: gennáō] thee.

-Acts 13:33

 

Gennáō has a very broad sense of fathering a child. It is used 105 in the manuscripts used for the KJV and similar texts. It can have broad applications. monogenḗs appears only 8 times and is specific to the only offspring. While we are given the power [authority] to become the children of God in Christ (John1:12), Christ is the only begotten of the Father. Superior in every way. 

All that to say that while monogenḗs would be specific to a child be an only offspring of a kind, gennáō is broad enough to include the idea of any offspring, an only begotten offspring, and one given life in another way. In Acts 13, Paul uses it in the sense of "born from the dead," that is, in resurrection. 

The Greek word prōtótokos, meaning first-born, appears 9 times  

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [Greek: prōtótokos; "begotten" Wycliffe] from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

-Colossians1:18

Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first born [Greek: prōtótokos; "begotten" KJV] of the dead...

-Revelation 1:5

Out Lord was the "firstborn" of the children of Mary (Luke 2:7) as well as the "firstborn" of many  brethren that he has justified (Rom 8:29). He is the "firstborn" of all creation (Col 1:15) as well as ( as noted) the "firstborn from the dead" ( Col 1:18, the first resurrected).

We thus have two words translated as "begotten" that, together, are a powerful witness, in context, of the Lord being the first-born from the grave in resurrection and the one the Father raised in resurrection. Our resurrection hope shall be accomplished by rank (1 Cor 15) when we follow the Lord (the only to have ever been raised at this point). 

Comparing Scripture with Scripture

So when look back at Psalm 2:7 (and Acts 13:33) we have to decide what is intended in how Christ is begotten of the Father. As with other scriptures, I believe it has a depth of meaning. Certainly Christ has come forth as the preeminent Son, the first Son, the only Son in some respects. But while he is the only son of God, he is also the first of many brethren (Rom 8:29). This is the width and depth of Christ's sonship.

But in Acts 13:33 there is no room for compromise. Christ is there raised up from the dead in fulfillment of a promise made to Israel. That is, all the promises to Abraham are predicated on the resurrection of the Lord. He is only son of God to have been resurrected as we continually note. 

We do not argue that there is a sense of Christ being the preeminent and, in a definite way, the only Son of God. But we note again God has given men the authority to become the children of God.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right [authority] to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

-John 1:12-13

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [from the dead] among many brethren.

-Romans 8:29

So, here we have an idea that is dependent upon its context (again). When Paul is employing the generic idea in Acts 13, he clearly defines the Lord's "birth" there as as "birth" from the dead. To clarify, he used the broad word for "begotten" and applies at "begotten from the dead." As noted, we truly need to read this entire chapter, slowly, to begin to soak in its majesty. Let's finish by walking through a larger section of chapter 13.

“From this man’s [David's] descendants God has raised a Savior for Israel, Jesus, according to His promise. 

-Acts 13:23

From David's line God promised that he would raise up a "Savior for Israel." God would raise up a King in Israel (Luke 22; John 1:49; etc.) like unto David (Luke 1:32), but greater. Christ is both the root (the cause) and the seed (offspring) of David (Rev 22:16). God will restore the Kingdom in and to Israel (Acts 1). 

We can never forget that the context of the calling in the Acts is laid out in Acts 1 when the Lord shares with the future under-rulers of Israel (who will "sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel," Matt 19; Luke 22). We do not see what he taught them for 40 days because we do not need to know. We only know he was speaking of the restoration of the Kingdom in Israel based on their one question. 

We must therefore never forget that the context of all of this is Israel and the expected restoration of the Kingdom in Israel. This is the foundation of understanding the gospel accounts and the Acts age. The resurrection and Israel are connected.

Before His coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But look! He is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.

-Acts 13:24-25 

John the Baptist is the figure in the parables who sews the seed in Israel but sees no fruit. He was a Levite (Luke 1:5, not from some "lost tribe") and in the priestly line of Israel. His ministry was to Israel alone. His sewing was to Israel alone. His gospel was to Israel alone. 

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us. Because those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, did not know Him, in condemning Him they have fulfilled the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath. Though they found in Him no cause worthy of death, yet they asked Pilate to have Him killed. When they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and placed Him in a tomb.

-Acts 13:26-29 

Paul is pointing to the death and burial of the Lord at the hands of the nation of Israel. The setting is the synagogue. The setting is the Sabbath. The setting is the words of the Hebrew prophets.  

Charles Welch comments in his book, The Form of Sound Words (Page 48, excerpt):

Paul still addressed the chief of the Jews as ‘Men and brethren’, a title which, as he explains in Romans 9, belonged to Israel according to the flesh. The great change, wherein ‘the twain’ were created ‘one new man’, had not yet been announced, and Israel as a nation still stood before God. From Acts 13:15 it is clear that this form of address was not necessarily a Christian one, for it was used by the ruler of the synagogue. When for the first time Paul used it in the Acts, he added, by way of explanation, ‘children of the stock of Abraham’ (Acts 13:26); the added words ‘and whosoever among you feareth God’, being, not an expansion, but addressed to a secondary company. So, in Acts 13:38, ‘Men and brethren’ is the mode of address to those who in verse 41 were to be called ‘despisers’, and, as verse 42 makes clear, who were ‘Jews’ as distinct from ‘Gentiles’. We find Peter and James using the same form of address at the Council of Jerusalem, where none but Hebrew Christians were present. We meet with the expression no more until Paul addresses the Jews in Acts 22:1; 23:1, and for the last time in 28:17. To those who have learned to love and appreciate the hidden beauties of the Scriptures, it is no surprise to discover that this form of address occurs in the Acts just twelve times, twelve being most evidently the number of Israel. The apostle declared that he had committed nothing against ‘the people’ or the customs of the fathers. Who, in Paul’s estimate, were ‘the people’? There is but one answer; Israel.

 

"To the Jew first, and also to the gentile" was Paul's gospel even after the grafting in of gentiles was declared (specifically to make Israel jealous as we've note). Luke tells us clearly that even as the Apostle to the Uncircumcision (Gal 2:7), Paul always went to the synagogue first in any city with a synagogue before addressing gentiles (Acts 17:2). And as we have seen in our study on Acts 17, Paul uses scripture with the Jews and Creation with gentiles. 

 But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.

-Acts 13:30-31

 Again a reference to the Lord's glorious resurrection! Paul refers in the latter verse to the Apostles of the Circumcision (primarily the 12) who were sent to the people of Israel. This is after Peter opened the Kingdom to Gentiles in Acts 10 (which is long after Acts 2) and after the "astonished" disciples "went to Jews only" in Acts 11 after hearing of the grafting in of Gentiles. They praised God and then went to Jews only. Here we see "Israel" and "the people" in context of the resurrection

As the Lord himself stated in Matthew 15:24, he was "sent to none, but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." This was his response to the gentile woman who approached him as "Son of David" (15:22), a title which has no relevance to a Gentile. Only when she addresses him as her Lord alone does he listen to her request. 

Paul continues.

“We preach to you good news: The promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled to us, their children, raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son;
today I have begotten you [from the dead]’


-Acts 13:32-33

We are back at our primary verse. And here we again note the resurrection and also the primacy of Israel. Romans 9 is abundantly clear. It is shocking to see those of the Reformed/Replacement tradition grasp Romans chapters 9 through 11 as their own and as somehow referring to the replacing of Israel with a gentile bride. Never. It is not our topic here, but allow me to quote just the opening verses of Romans 9.

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God [priesthood], and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. 

-Romans 9:1-5

Paul will continue in Acts 13 by staying with the resurrection (the conquering of the curse of death on all men) and also note the lack of corruption (decay), the other part of the curse on all of us through Adam ("For dust you are, And to dust you shall return" Gen 3:19; see also: Job 34:15; Ps 104:29 Eccl 3:20; Eccl 12:7).

That He raised Him from the dead,
no more to return to corruption [decay],
He has spoken in this way:
‘I will give You the holy and sure blessings of David.’ [Is 55:3] 

So He says in another Psalm:
‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.' [Psalm 16:10]

-Acts 13:32-33

As we close we note that Christ must always be preeminent. The resurrection must be preeminent. When it comes to the earthly plan Israel must be preeminent (under their King, the Lord Jesus Christ).  

"'Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.'" 

-Psalm 2:8

Christ is to ask the Father and the Father will give his Son the kingdom, the earth (specifically the promised land), and the nation of Israel as his inheritance. An inheritance gained through his obedience by going to cross. And through Israel, fulfilling her promise to serve as priests for the nations (gentiles), all people. All made possible by the victory over death, over Hades (the state of the dead), and over the grave itself.

I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

-Revelation 1:18

 

We have no stake in any of that in this ge. Our blessings are not earthly, but heavenly. Our hope is not the hope of Israel. Our calling is not the calling of the Israel. The victory over the grave which Christ accomplished on our behalf is, as it is for Israel, the key to our hope, the unsearchable riches of Christ in the far above the heavens! (Ephesians). 

To try and claim Psalm 2:8 for ourselves (or our "church") in any way not only robs from the context, not only robs from Israel (which should not interest us in light of our heavenly calling), but ultimately robs from Christ. May it not be said of us. 

Three Things Which the Believer Should Make Every Effort to Achieve

Making the Effort

The Greek word spoudázō is translated several ways in the New Testament. It is a key command in two of the three passages we are looking at in this entry. One of the verses we will review, 2 Tim 2:15, is a foundational verse for this blog and my ministry.  I generally use the translation of spoudázō as it is rendered in the KJV, NKJV, and MEV. That is, as "study." There is nothing wrong with that idea as we shall see. However, I want to emphasize the more direct command and idea behind spoudázō. 

We will begin by looking at spoudázō in Ephesians 4. We often refer to verse 1 ("walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called") in these studies to help us understand and apply what we find in scripture to our lives. That is, all we see in scripture must be filtered and interpreted through the current calling (the current age). 

We read countless commands and promises in scripture that have no direct application to our heavenly calling. We don't build arks, sacrifice animals, observe days or years or Sabbaths, we know no feasts, we have no earthly tabernacle, etc. Some of these are obvious to the believer, but as we have seen in other studies, commonly quoted and "claimed" verses like 2 Chron 7:14, Jeremiah 29:11, Ezekiel 36:26, and even the New Covenant itself in Jeremiah 31 cannot be directly claimed by those of us in the current calling who have only a heavenly hope. In their contexts, we have no claim to them at all.

In a similar way, many today, in the name of Christ, are busying themselves with things such as ordinances which are connected to earthly hopes, callings, conditions, covenants, and promises. Often verses are wrenched from their contexts so pastors can apply them to their uncritical congregations. Let it not be said of us that we swallow whatever we are fed. As our last verse for consideration today (2 Tim 2:15) teaches, we must all, as individuals, stand before God and answer for our service and how we handled his precious word.

Make Every Effort to Keep the Unity of the Spirit

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort (Greek: spoudázō) to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

-Ephesians 4:1-6

After Paul urges us to live according to the calling of this age (the Mystery hidden from Moses and the Prophets and revealed to Paul as stated in Ephesians 3), he commands believers to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit." We do not have create this unity, it is created by God. We must strive to keep it. The best way to do this is found in our next verse regarding the unity of faith. But more about that shortly.

All who are truly in Christ (resting solely in the complete and sufficient sacrifice of Christ Jesus) are united in the Lord on that level. As we seek to be obedient to our call to reach all men with the Paul's message for this age (Col 1:27, etc.), we balance that with a love for the brethren. That love contains a warning for them as well as acceptance. We will look at that warning in a future study, but no matter where we find ourselves or others, love must abound.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

-Galatians 6:10

This is a general concept from the Acts dispensation, but it is universally true. John writes "God is love" in his epistle to the circumcision. This is the nature of God and guides all God does from Adam to the present. Part of making distinctions in scripture is discerning that which is a general truth from those things that are truth for a particular calling. 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

-1 John 4:7

And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

-1 John 4:16

We also think here of the great Love chapter, 1 Cor 13, from the Acts age as well. Love is a universal condition. This is the guiding force of our striving. We want to keep the unity among those that are his while never sacrificing the truth. This is where the difficulty arises. As we will see in the next section, while we are called to try to maintain a unity created by God in the Spirit, we still have to witness to the truth of the revelation of Paul. And do not miss this: this work is an act of love. Freeing believers from earthly laws and ordinances and opening their hearts and minds to the heavenly calling and full liberty in blessings in the far above the heavens in a supreme act of love. 

Therefore I also, after hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, mentioning you in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints...

-Ephesians 1:15-18

This is Paul writing to believers, beloved believers.  Here we could quote all of Ephesians 1:1-14. Paul is pointing to "spiritual blessings in the heavenly places." He is praying that their eyes be opened to... redemption? No. They already have that. He prays they would be enlightened unto the current calling and the riches of the inheritance. In Ephesians 3 Paul will lay out the revelation given only to him for us in this age; the special calling into blessings in heavenly places. That is a subject unto itself, so will also have to leave that there.

Pray for me, that the power to speak may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel...

-Ephesians 6:19

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and fill up in my flesh that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. I have been made a servant of it according to the commission of God, which has been given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, even the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but now is revealed to His saints. To them God would make known what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the nations. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present them perfect [mature, complete] in Christ Jesus. In this I labor, striving according to His power, which effectively works in me.

-Colossians 1:24-29

Paul is striving among those he loves in the faith to make known the secret which was hidden from Moses and the Prophets. That is, it has nothing to do with Israel or with any earthly hope. It is a heavenly hope. We are called to this same ministry. But in that calling, we have the delicate balance of love for the brethren while being obedient to our witness to the revelation of Paul for this age.

Paul himself suffered for this. "All in Asia have abandoned me" (2 Tim 1:15) refers to believers as well as those in Philippi who sought to make Paul's chains more harsh.  

Some [believers] indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and strife, and some also from good will. The former preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely, intending to add trouble to my circumstance.

-Philippians 1:15-16

The "enemies of the cross of Christ" in Philippians 3 are believers.

Brothers, become fellow imitators of me [followers together of me - YLT] and observe those who walk according to our example. For many [believers] are walking in such a way that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you of them often and tell you again, even weeping. Their destination is destruction, their god is their appetite, their glory is in their shame, their minds are set on earthly things.

-Philippians 3:17-19

Note that Paul calls us to be imitators of him. Those who rejected Paul then and now are those whose minds are set on earthly things. This can mean simply carnality and worldliness, but it can also those believers who are looking to an earthly hope. 

There is a delicate balance here that we need to note. Many good-hearted believers are simply confused and stuck between the two. They are not necessarily looking for earthly gain, but they have not distinguished between the plan for the earth and the plan for the heavenly places. This group deserves love. Paul eventually had to reject some believers and even turn them over to Satan when they hindered him badly. But that is the extreme end and the privilege of an apostle. We seek to love all.

In a previous study I spoke about the concept of "truth circles." I can fellowship with any true believer on some level, but when it comes to full fellowship and doctrine, my circle becomes much smaller. Here is a podcast on this balance. 

.Listen to "Truth Circles, Logical Interpretation, and Fellowship" on Spreaker.

Make Every Effort to Reach a Unity in the Faith

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

-Ephesians 4:11-14

We don't have spoudázō in this passage, but we do have the ideas of moving towards unity of faith among believers and individual maturity (perfection). We work "until all reach" this unity. We start with a unity in the Spirit and strive for a unity of faith.  

We are looking at the same goal from different angles. We have been looking at the instruction to do what we can to maintain a unity of believers under Christ, powered and driven by love. We have seen where some who reject our witness to Paul's revelation is so egregious to the point where they have become the enemy of that message (this isn't personal). The affront to the truth and the hindrance to our calling forces us to separate from such. We still seek fellowship with all who will have us, but never at the price of the undiluted faith revealed to Paul for us (the current calling).

The difference in this unity it is that it is not a given. Whereas we are called to "keep the unity of the Spirit," here we are called  to "reach [attain unto] unity in the faith." The Greek word translated "reach" here is katantáō. It is an arrival at something. We don't start there as we do with the unity of the Spirit. 

Paul wants believers to be mature, and to understand the fullness of Christ in the Mystery he revealed in chapter 3. It is only then that a believer is no longer an "infant [babe]" in the faith. We can no longer be easily fooled by every doctrine or teacher that drives men between callings and blessings and hopes.

I have argued that a failure to rightly divide scripture destroys more faith than almost anything else. Imaging telling the Nigerian Christians facing slaughter today or the Armenian Christians who were subjected to unspeakable horrors in the Armenian genocide of the last century that all they need do is "claim" verses like Jeremiah 29:11 or 2 Chronicles 7:14. "Claiming" healings that do not happen, etc. All these things, relying on promises in other ages to other callings, can lead to a destruction of faith.

We have seen some that have come out of the "Jesus Movement" of the 1970s and Contemporary Christian Movement of the last several decades utterly deny Christ when the promises they were handed did not match their experience. I place the blame in large part on a failure to embrace the fullness of Paul's revelation of the current heavenly calling. 

The "unity in the faith" is rarely achieved as its foundation is rejected by most. And much of the blame for this falls at the feet of the clergy class who keep men and women in darkness and in chains. But these believers, while they have our sympathy and love, are partly to blame for not heeding our third pronounced effort. 

Make Every Effort to Present Yourself (Individually) Approved to God

Strive diligently (Greek: spoudázō) to present yourself approved to God, a workman with no cause for shame, rightly dividing (cutting straight, handling accurately) the word of truth.

-2 Timothy 2:15

The approval here has nothing to do with our eternal, resurrection life. That is a free gift. It cannot be forfeited by failure to strive for maturity or failure to strive to present yourself approved unto God. It cannot be forfeited by carnality. But each of these failures does come at a price. As we have examined elsewhere, there are not only crowns and rewards and a Prize to be gained through obedience and service, there is also an order in resurrection that should motivate us (1 Cor 15). But we must leave that there. Suffice to say, while a free gift remains free, our love of Christ and his truth alone should drive us apart from the consideration of rewards (which ultimately go back to him).

I have posted the Modern English Version here (translated from the same Greek manuscripts as the King James Version and others) which uses the words "strive diligently." Our word is translated as "study" in the KJV.  In the context of handling God's word, "study" is perfectly fine. When one is striving to draw accurate lines in scripture and handling it accurately (rightly dividing), he does this through diligent and careful study of the word of truth. 

And draw lines we must. We will not turn this into a study of all those lines, but we have seen even in this brief study the importance of drawing lines when it comes to God's plans, purposes, commands, and callings. 

And even within a calling there are callings. In the calling of the earthly kingdom, the twelve have their own calling within a calling. One example is the promise to them that they will "sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28). Paul's calling in the Acts was different than the calling of Peter, James and the twelve.

I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, as the gospel to the circumcised was to Peter. For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles.

-Galatians 2:7-8

In our current calling, Paul is unique as the only one given the Mystery of the current age and the only servant given any revelation from God (as he was chosen to complete the revelation of God). 

I did become a minister according to the dispensation of God, that was given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God

-Colossians 1:25 (YLT)

*I* became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete the word of God,

-Colossians 1:25 (Darby)

 

Young uses the word "dispensation" here as does Darby. I use Young, in part, because his translation is literal and, in part, because he was not a dispensationalist (as Darby obviously was).  But the greater point is that Paul was the one assigned to "fulfill," that is, "complete" the word of God. And while we share in the same blessings and hope and dispensation of our Apostle, we do not have his ministry or privilege (for which he paid a great earthly price both to the world and to believers who rejected him). 

We can use aids. We can read books. We can listen to sermons. We can attend studies. We can help each other. But in the end we will stand alone. If we have a stated belief (however imperfect) it must be through our own effort in seeking our own conclusions (even if they be in pencil).

God knows that we are but dust and that we have limited, failing minds. But that does not excuse us from the pursuit. We must put in the effort.

All Bible study must in the end be individual. As with ordinary bodily food: others may prepare the food and serve it up in various forms: they may cook it in more senses than one: they may present it in "made dishes": they may carve it, and cut it up, and even put it in the mouth, as with babes; but, after all, there is no more that they can do. They cannot eat it or digest it for us; they cannot assimilate it for us; even so it is with the spiritual food of the Word of God. Notwithstanding all that has been said in the foregoing pages, the great necessity remains: the work of Bible study must be, to the end, intensely personal and individual. Each one must look out the reference for himself. He must trace the words through all their occurrences where these are given; he must consider their usages; he must read the contexts; he must make his lists and tables, and do his countings for himself: for so only can he feed upon the Word and the words, and be nourished, and be strengthened himself, and grow thereby: so only will he be able to say with Jeremiah: 

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."

-E.W. Bullinger (Excerpt, "How to Enjoy the Bible," page 362, emphasis mine) 

 

Listen to "S3 Ep61 Introduction to Individual Bible Study - Part 1 (2007)" on Spreaker. 

Listen to "S3 Ep62 Introduction to Individual Bible Study - Part 2 (2007)" on Spreaker. /body