Our Yeshua (Immanuel)

It caught my eye on Twitter just the other day.
I saw a question of someone, who have heard and read that baptism was actually not necessary. But then, another shared the opposite, that unless you were baptized, the gift of Grace and the Holy Spirit cannot come upon us.
So, how about it? Can grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit only happen when we are being baptized? Or is baptism not necessary anymore?

I can tell you this, that no rabbi would say to you that baptism/immersion isn’t necessary!
Yeshua/Jesus’ word to his disciples after he was risen:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20_NIV

The quoted verses from the Bible, in which it should state that the gift of grace and the Holy Spirit cannot come upon us unless we are being baptized, are Mark 16:16 and John 3:5.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Mark 16:16 _ NIV

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:5 _ NIV

I believe that we first need to find out what a gift is. Then we need to examine if ‘grace’ and ‘Holy Spirit’ are gifts. Next we need to know what ‘baptism’ and ‘being born of water’ means in those days and in their culture. And last we need to know what ‘condemnation’ and ‘entering the kingdom of God’ means.

Index

• Question 1: What is a gift? Question 2: Is 'grace' a gift? Question 3: Is 'Holy Spirit' a gift?
• Question 4: What does 'baptism' mean?
• Question 5: What does 'being born of water' mean? Question 6: What does 'entering the Kingdom of God' mean? Question 7: What is 'condemnation'?
• Mark 16:16
• John 20
• John 3:5
• Summarizing
• The given Gift 'Holy Spirit'
• Acts 10:1-48

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Question 1: What is a gift?

A gift is a thing given willingly to someone without payment.
The reason for a gift can be several, but the person to whom the gift is given to, doesn’t have to do anything to receive the gift, but to accept it.

Question 2: Is ‘grace’ a gift?

The Hebrew word for ‘grace’ is “chen” [חן] and it is also translated into “favor”.
It is a noun, coming from the verb “lachnon” [לחנון / לחנן] and it means: “ask for mercy”; “make gracious”.
Interesting is, that if you take the 3^rd person, present tense of the verb “lachnon” – which will be “chonan” or “choneen” [חונן], and translate it into English, Google translator translates it into: “gifted”. And my dictionary translates it into: “to be gifted (with)”; “to be endowed (with)” (chonan); “to forgive, to pardon”; “take care”; take pity (with) (choneen). And that is exactly what grace; favor, mercy is!

Question 3: Is ‘Holy Spirit’ a gift?

In Hebrew, the word is “Ruach HaKodesh” [רוח הקודש].
Ruach means:

• Wind
• Breath (of God)
• Breeze
• Air
• And these four above can also be put as "spirit"

Kodesh means:

• Holiness
• Sanctity
• Halidom

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with/in water, but in a few days you will be baptized with/in the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5 _ NIV

… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; …
Acts 1:8 _ NIV

There are other scriptures that will show us that Holy Spirit isn’t something we earn when we have done something good. Because if that were be the case, then Jesus would not have mentioned about the gift, but about the reward. No, in Acts 1 from NIV we read that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is a gift from His Father, and that power will be received when this gift will come upon His disciples (and upon us).
Later more about this Gift.
Other Bible translations do not mention about a gift, but about a promise.

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Question 4: What does ‘baptism’ mean?

Thinking about baptism, I know two ways baptism is performed:

1. A sprinkling of drops of water on a baby’s head;
2. A grown-up, who is held by two or more men and is being pushed under water.

Perhaps there are more ways considered as baptism, but these are the two I have heard of.
And these two are not the way one did in those days and within the Hebraic/Jewish culture. They still don’t do it like that these days. Furthermore, they didn’t, and still don’t, call it ‘baptism’, but ‘immersion’ (mikveh hamayim = immersion in water).

English isn’t my native tongue, so I looked up the definition of ‘immersion’ on merriam-webster.com:

• The act of immersing or the state of being immersed: Such as:
  • Absorbing involvement
  • Instruction based on extensive exposure to surroundings of conditions that are native or pertinent to the object of study
  • Foreign language instruction in which only the language being taught is used
  • Baptism by complete submersion of the person in water

This way of baptism was done in those days, and these days it still is done like this. How? One is standing by/near you as a witness, while you are going completely under water. And you do this in relation of the first and second definition of immersing to our Lord. No longer your way goes first, but His way.

The Hebrew word of this kind of baptism is “tevilah” [טבילה]. It is a noun, coming from the Hebrew verb “litb’ol” [לטבול] and it means: “To dip; to immerse; to bathe; to duck; to sink.”
There are two ways to undergo, and to administer, the tevilah:

1. By water;
2. By Holy Spirit

In the first half of the TaNaKH (Bible), we can read what needed to be done when a man was unclean. See for example Leviticus 15. Everything this unclean man touches, and everyone who touched the man and the things the unclean man has touched, was unclean and needed to be washed/bathed [lirchots], including the unclean man himself. Same for an offspring of Aaron (Leviticus 22:4-6).

Examples of a dipping/immersing of an object; parts of the body; entire person, can be found in Leviticus 14:51; 4:6 and 2 Kings 5:14:

• A hyssop was dipped, to clean a house;
• A priest had to dip his finger in blood and sprinkle it when he had sinned (and because of him, the entire people with him);
• A general of the king of Aram immersed himself seven times in the Jordan river by God’s order. He came to see the prophet of God, because he had leprosy.

And if we now take a look at James 4:1-10, we will see that James was addressing to the twelve tribes, scattered among the nations (James 1:1). They were fighting, killing, and all because they wanted something/someone due to their proudly desires. He told them to resist the devil and to come near to God, so God would come near to them.

“Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and our joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 4:8-10_NIV

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Question 5: What does ‘being born of water’ mean?

This is from John 3:5, when Jesus spoke to a rabbi named Nicodemus. Not just any rabbi, but one who sat in the Sanhedrin (court of justice). A rabbi like him should know about the Torah of our God and about most – if not all – of His ways. But this rabbi did not understood Jesus.

If we are being invited to see a king, we cleanse ourselves and getting dressed properly before we go to the king. Being born of water means we have cleansed ourselves from our old sinful nature/way of living.
We now become a member of His people … of spiritual Israel.

Question 6: What does ‘entering the Kingdom of God’ mean?

Jesus specifically told the rabbi Nikodemus that no one can enter the Kingdom of God, unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Notice that one does need to be born of the Spirit too, to enter the Kingdom of God.

The Netherlands, the country I live in, is a kingdom. To enter this kingdom, one has to go to the border and cross it. However, there are some rules. For crossing – that is, for entering – this kingdom called “The Netherlands”, one has to show his passport/EU-ID cart. And, if someone wants to stay for several years, or, for good, one has to show a kind of a letter of approval too.
Now, this kingdom is ‘of this world’. In this world, if one needs to go somewhere, he doesn’t need to be born again. He just need to know the rules of the country/kingdom he is visiting. For entering the Kingdom of God, it is different. Because, that Kingdom isn’t from this world.

Some thousands of years ago, Pontius Pilate asked Jesus:

…”Are you the king of the Jews?”
John 18:33_NIV

Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”John 18:36_NIV

To enter the Kingdom of God does not mean you need to travel your way to this kingdom and to cross the border. It means that you have laid down your own sinful ways and being breathed upon, by Jesus/in Jesus’ authority. And that is why we need to believe (in) Him.
To bathe/immerse ourselves and fool ourselves that a breeze we have felt is God Who has given His Spirit, but we do not believe (in) Jesus, just won’t do!

Question 7: What is ‘condemnation’?

Condemnation = a noun.
Definitions from Oxford languages:

1. The expression of very strong disapproval; censure.
2. The action of condemning someone to a punishment; sentencing.

… and from Merriam Webster:

1. Censure, blame.
2. The act of judicially condemning.
3. The state of being condemned.
4. A reason for condemning.

Definition of condemned from Merriam Webster:

1. Declared to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil.
2. Pronounced guilty and sentenced to punishment
   especially: Sentenced to death.
3. Officially declared to be unfit for use.

I think this explains a lot.

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Now we have studied our 7 questions, let us study Mark 16:16 and John 3:5 too; to find out what Yeshua/Jesus meant.

Mark 16:16

Interestingly is, that NIV states that the verses 9-20 from Mark 16 are not found in the earliest manuscripts.

From Mark 16:1-8 it reads that 3 women went down to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. They asked to themselves who would roll away the heavy stone from the entrance of the tomb, but when they got there, they saw it was already rolled away. When they got in, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe who told them: “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” (Mark16:6). This young man told the women to go to his (Jesus’) disciples and to Peter, to tell them that Jesus is going ahead of them into Galilee and that they would see Him there. The women fled out the tomb and said nothing to any one, because they were afraid.
These 3 women were:

1. Mary of Magdalene;
2. Mary, the mother of James;
3. Salome.

(Mark 16:1)

Then Mark 16:9 from NIV:

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.

… not according to the first 8 verses!
All 3 women went in the tomb and all 3 of them fled out, and from the tomb, and they said nothing because they were afraid.

In Matthew 28, however, it reads that not 3, but 2 women went to the tomb: 1. Mary of Magdalene, and 2. Another Mary. Here these two women did not enter the tomb. An angel sat on the stone that he had rolled away and spoke to the two women. When the two women hurried away from the tomb, they met Jesus. Both felt to His feet and worshiped Him. (Matthew 28:1-10).

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And John 20 has another story.
Here only Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone was rolled away. There was no angel sitting on the stone, nor did she got in. She went to see Peter and “another disciple, the one Jesus loved” and told them what she thought had happened. (John 20:1-2). Both Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb, went in and saw the strips of linen lying there and the cloth that was on Jesus’ head. They went back to where they were staying, while Mary stood there, still being outside. She was crying and bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels who sat where Jesus’ body was before. At their question why she was crying, she told them what she believed had happened. (John 20:13). She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, not knowing it was him. She believed he was the gardener and asked him where he had put the body of her Lord. When he called her by her name, then she recognized him. (John 20:14-18).

It looks like the later added verses 9-20 of Mark 16 was done by someone who had read the book (of) John.
Now we know this, let us read Mark 16:9-20, to see wherein verse 16 is placed.

Like read in John 20, Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb. Jesus appeared first to her. She went to His disciples and told them Jesus was alive and that she had seen Him, but they did not believe it. (Mark 16:9-11). Later on, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them. They reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. (Mark 16:12-13). Again later on, Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were eating. He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. (Mark 16:14).

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these sings will accompany those who believe: …”
Mark 16:15-17_NIV

Notice that in this book Jesus did not say “ …but whoever does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.” He was saying that those who do not believe that He has risen will be condemned. And those who do believe, these signs will accompany them: … (see Mark 16:17-18).

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John 3:5

In verse 1 John explains that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council [Sanhedrin].

The Pharisees were a Jewish social movement and a school of thought in the Levant during the time of the Second Temple. They taught the Mosaic Laws and (manmade) traditions of the Hebraic/Jewish culture. Although they were the minor social movement, they were large at number and most listened to them and not so much to the Sadducees, who were a social movement of high priests, aristocratic families and merchants (the wealthier elements of the population). The Sadducees taught only the written law.

Sanhedrin is from the Greek ‘synedrion’ which means ‘sitting together’. It was an assembly/a council of either 23 or 71 elders. The nature of a gathering depends on its context and can be from a consultation to a process.

Now, this elderly man – from the Jewish social movement called “Pharisees”, who was a member of the Sanhedrin – came to Jesus at night. He said to Jesus:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
John 3:2_NIV

When I first read this, I thought: “Oy, a Pharisee. Watch out Jesus!” I thought he was sent to trick Him. But then I was pointed to the phrase that Nicodemus came at night, and not during daylight. He believed Jesus was gifted, but was more afraid of his fellow Pharisee-rabbis than he was of God. Being a Pharisee-rabbi, he too was educated in the Jewish manmade traditions. And therefore he did not understood the true teachings (Torah) given from God through Moses and other prophets which Jesus taught (and still does). In reply, Jesus said:

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again/born from above.”
John 3:3_NIV

Notice that Rabbi Nicodemus came as a spokesman from a group of Pharisees that believed Jesus was a teacher [Moreh/rabbi], sent from God. By reading John 3:4, how rabbi Nicodemus replied to Jesus’ statement (John 3:3), we can see that this group of Pharisees believed that Jesus was a man, born from flesh just like them and must have given some powers from God. Elijah was a prophet like that. But we know – and believe – that Jesus wasn’t a mere man, born from flesh, but that He is the Word of God, born form Spirit, through a virgin. We believe that it was God Who tabernacled among us.

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Did Jesus first replied that no one can SEE the Kingdom of God ‘unless they are born again/from above’; after Nicodemus’ question how an old man can be born again, Jesus answered:

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

In question no. 5 I have pointed out what it means being born of water. Jesus continues by giving a difference of being born from flesh or Spirit.
Know that the Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ is ‘wind’ (and according to NIV, same for the Greek word for ‘spirit’):

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:5-8_NIV

Rabbi Nicodemus still did not understood. He wanted to know how any can be born of the spirit. For that much he did understood now, that being born again wasn’t the fleshly birth. But how can someone be born of wind/spirit? And by Jesus’ answer in verse 10 at Nicodemus’ question, we may understand that the answer lies in the Hebrew/Aramaic Scriptures we named ‘Old Testament’. These were the only Scriptures they had in those days. From verse 11 to 21 Jesus told Nicodemus what he (and the group he was a spokesman of) needed to know.

Summarizing:

• Grace, favor, mercy are gifts we don’t have to do anything for to receive it, but to accept it.
• The believe we need to have so we will not be condemned, is the believe that Jesus truly has risen from the death. [Mark 16:9-18]
• People who immerse [litb’ol] are people from other nations who believed/believes the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and He Who is The Messiah – and wanted/wants to follow His Torah (Teachings/Instructions).
• People who wash or bathe [lirchots] are they who were/are unclean/sick; sinners, and priests before their services in The Holy (Temple duties).

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The given Gift ‘Holy Spirit’ (question 3)

Quotes from the Bible about how The Gift was given, and to whom:

• John 20:20-23_NIV:

After he (Jesus) said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed (ruach) on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

• Genesis 2:5-7_NIV:

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth/land and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD [יהוה] God had not sent rain on the earth/land and there was no one to work the ground, but streams/mist came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the LORD [יהוה] God formed a man [haAdam] from the dust of the ground [afar min-ha’adamah] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man [haAdam] became a living being.

• Acts 2:1-4_NIV:

When the day of Pentecost [Shavuot] came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind [ruach] came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh] and began to speak in other tongues/languages as the Spirit [Ruach] enabled them.

• Matthew 3:13-17_NIV:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan (river) to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit [Ruach] of God descending like a dove and alighting on him (Jesus). And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Why did Jesus came to John to be baptized? Isn’t it so that only they, who wanted their old sinful nature/way of living out of their lives and wanted to start a true way of living, undergo the immersion?
Actually, Jesus was preparing himself to administer his duties as the High Priest, in the order of the Malki-Tsedek (Righteous King). Read Psalms 110:1-4; Genesis 14:18-19 and Exodus 30:17-21.

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• Acts 10:1-48_NIV:

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit [Ruach] said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh] and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh] came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh] had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues/other languages and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh] just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

From these quoted Bible verses it shows that we do not first have to be baptized/immersed before grace/favor/mercy – and the Holy Spirit [Ruach Hakodesh] – comes on us.
No, baptism/immersing we do to become a member of (spiritual) Israel; we become one of God’s people; a member of the Body of our Lord.

• Can “chen” [grace, mercy, favor] only be given to you when you are baptized?
  No! “Chen” is a gift. Not a reward.

• Can the Holy Spirit only be given to you when you are baptized?
  No! The gift – not reward – of the Holy Spirit is also an immersion.
  The roman centurion, with his relatives and close friends, were first immersed by Holy Spirit. After this, Simon [Peter] ordered that the non-Jews (non-circumcised) would be immersed in water.

• Can baptism be done away with, since it is unnecessary?
  It is a lie that baptism/immersion is unnecessary!

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