- Dec 27, 2005
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As I study scriptures, I see that many of the Pharisees and Jewish leaders were following Jesus and baptized by John the Baptist. Well would not someone baptized by John and a follower, though an evil follower of Jesus, make them a Christian?
The 'kingdom of God' is not an Old Testament Concept. The concept of the 'Kingdom of God' is given to us by John the Baptist and Jesus. Jesus talks about those using John's baptism to force their way into the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us that since John started baptizing many evil men are forcing their way into the kingdom of God. You cannot really force your way into the kingdom of God but you can use evil and violence to verbally set yourself apart as those in possession of the kingdom of God, for worldly glorification on earth. This is what the evil Pharisees of Jesus day were doing. I think Jesus even points to those forcing their way into the kingdom of God, through John's baptism, as His killers.
I have asked some Catholic scholars about this situation. While they seem to agree that some of the Pharisees who instigated Christ's death could very likely have been baptized by John, they feel that baptism by John did not make one a Christian. People could only become Christians after the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. How convenient for the Church, was my thought.
The Jewish term "Pharisee" means "the separated". The Pharisees ruthlessly exalted and separated themselves from other men as God's chosen sons in possession of eternal life. It is this lust for worldly exaltation as God's sons in possession of God's kingdom that the Pharisees violently crucified the Son of Man to protect. The 'Kingdom of God' thinking is given to us by John the Baptist and Jesus, not the Jewish religion. If Jesus killers killed Him over wanting to be glorified in this world as in possession of eternal life that John and Jesus spoke of, this, I feel, makes it a Christian issue.
From: Repentance to Service (continued)
NAB MAT 3:8
(John the Baptist speaks)
They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were stepping forward for this bath, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from the wrath to come? Give some evidence that you mean to reform. Do not pride yourselves on the claim, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these very stones."
NAB LUK 16:16 The Law.
"The law and the prophets were in force until John. From his time on, the good news of God's kingdom has been proclaimed, and people of every sort are forcing their way in. It is easier for the heavens and the earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a letter of the law to pass.
NAB MAT 11:11
"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than he. From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force."
NAB MAT 21:37
"Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, "They will respect my son.' When they saw the son, the tenants said to one another, 'Here is the one who will inherit everything. Let us kill him and then we shall have his inheritance!" With that they seized him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him."
NAB MAT 12:14
When the Pharisees were outside they began to plot against him to find a way to destroy him.
NAB MAT 5:20
I tell you, unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God."
NAB MAT 23:12
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men's faces, neither entering yourselves nor admitting those who are trying to enter. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You travel over sea and land to make a convert, but once he is converted you make a devil of him twice as wicked as yourselves.
The 'kingdom of God' is not an Old Testament Concept. The concept of the 'Kingdom of God' is given to us by John the Baptist and Jesus. Jesus talks about those using John's baptism to force their way into the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us that since John started baptizing many evil men are forcing their way into the kingdom of God. You cannot really force your way into the kingdom of God but you can use evil and violence to verbally set yourself apart as those in possession of the kingdom of God, for worldly glorification on earth. This is what the evil Pharisees of Jesus day were doing. I think Jesus even points to those forcing their way into the kingdom of God, through John's baptism, as His killers.
I have asked some Catholic scholars about this situation. While they seem to agree that some of the Pharisees who instigated Christ's death could very likely have been baptized by John, they feel that baptism by John did not make one a Christian. People could only become Christians after the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. How convenient for the Church, was my thought.
The Jewish term "Pharisee" means "the separated". The Pharisees ruthlessly exalted and separated themselves from other men as God's chosen sons in possession of eternal life. It is this lust for worldly exaltation as God's sons in possession of God's kingdom that the Pharisees violently crucified the Son of Man to protect. The 'Kingdom of God' thinking is given to us by John the Baptist and Jesus, not the Jewish religion. If Jesus killers killed Him over wanting to be glorified in this world as in possession of eternal life that John and Jesus spoke of, this, I feel, makes it a Christian issue.
From: Repentance to Service (continued)
NAB MAT 3:8
(John the Baptist speaks)
They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were stepping forward for this bath, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from the wrath to come? Give some evidence that you mean to reform. Do not pride yourselves on the claim, 'Abraham is our father.' I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these very stones."
NAB LUK 16:16 The Law.
"The law and the prophets were in force until John. From his time on, the good news of God's kingdom has been proclaimed, and people of every sort are forcing their way in. It is easier for the heavens and the earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a letter of the law to pass.
NAB MAT 11:11
"I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the Kingdom of God is greater than he. From John the Baptizer's time until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force."
NAB MAT 21:37
"Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, "They will respect my son.' When they saw the son, the tenants said to one another, 'Here is the one who will inherit everything. Let us kill him and then we shall have his inheritance!" With that they seized him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him."
NAB MAT 12:14
When the Pharisees were outside they began to plot against him to find a way to destroy him.
NAB MAT 5:20
I tell you, unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God."
NAB MAT 23:12
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men's faces, neither entering yourselves nor admitting those who are trying to enter. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You travel over sea and land to make a convert, but once he is converted you make a devil of him twice as wicked as yourselves.