Jesus Christ is Superior to Aaron as God’s High Priest (Hebrews 4:14–10:18): Part 2 of 7

Need for Spiritual Maturation

Jesus is High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, “... of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14, NKJV).

The Christian community to whom Hebrews was written should have been much further along in their spiritual development than they currently were. “We” (plural authors?)¹ have much to say about the Melchizedek order of priest.² But it is hard to explain (cf. Mark 4:33; John 16:12; 2 Pet. 3:16), especially to the spiritually immature and “dull of hearing” (cf. Matt. 13:15). “Dullness of hearing is a metaphor for mental sluggishness and spiritual apathy” (N. Lightfoot, Jesus Christ Today 112).

For by this time “you ought to be teachers.” Every Christian is expected to be a teacher in some sense: (a) by example (Matt. 5:13-16; Rom. 16:19; 1 Tim. 3:7; 4:12, 15; 5:25; 1 Pet. 2:11-12); (b) open confession of faith (Matt. 10:32; Heb. 4:14; 10:23); (c) defense of one’s faith (1 Pet. 3:15; Jude 3); (d) evangelistically fulfilling the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-21; cf. Matt. 28:18-20); and (e) some will go on to develop and utilize God-given teaching talent (Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).

Instead, these readers needed to be re-taught the first/elementary principles of God’s word. Spiritual “milk” is for spiritual infants (5:12c-13; 1 Cor. 3:1-2; 14:20; cf. 1 Pet. 2:2), while spiritual “meat” or “solid food” is for the mature in faith (5:12c-14; 1 Cor. 2:6; 3:1-2; 14:20; Eph. 4:13-14). Unfamiliarity with God’s word leaves one spiritually weak and vulnerable. Conversely, regular use and practice of God’s word exercises and trains the senses so the mature Christian can make wise, responsible choices (cf. Phil. 1:9-10; 1 Thess. 5:21).

Admonition and Warning: the Danger of Not Progressing

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits” (Hebrews 6:1-3).

Moving on to “perfection” or “maturity” (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1-12; 3:17-18) requires progressing beyond the elementary teachings of Christ. The phrase tón tēs archēs tou Christou logon is literally “the word of the beginning of the Christ.” Rather than the objective genitive alluding to teachings “about Christ” (NASB, NIV, NRSV), the expression is better understood in the subjective genitive sense of teachings from Christ (and his inspired agents), i.e., Christ’s doctrine or the body of Christian teaching (cf. John 8:31-32, 51; 14:21, 23; 15:10, 14; 1 John 2:3-5; 2 John 9). The most basic of these teachings are listed in three sets of pairs: (1) repentance and faith; (2) baptisms and laying on of hands; (3) resurrection and eternal judgment.

The first of these is “repentance from dead works” (9:14; Acts 2:38; 3:19, 26; 26:17-20). Biblically understood, this involves at least four fundamental components: (a) godly sorrow due to sin (2 Cor. 7:9-10), (b) turning from sinful ways (Acts 3:19, 26), (c) turning to God and his ways (Acts 26:18-20), and (d) observable reformation of life (Acts 26:20).

Next is “faith toward God” (11:6; 12:2). Rather than the proverbial “blind leap in the dark,” genuine faith is built on assurance and conviction (11:1), without which God cannot be pleased (11:6). Biblical faith is neither inactive nor unresponsive nor divorced from obedience (11:8; cf. Jas. 2:14-26).

Teaching of baptísmōn concerns “baptisms” (N/KJV, NIV, NRSV), “washings” (NASB), “ablutions” (RSV) (cf. 9:10). At least seven “baptisms” are mentioned in the NT: of Moses (1 Cor. 10:1-2), of suffering (Mark 10:38-39), of fire (Matt. 3:11), Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), for the dead (1 Cor. 15:29), John’s (Acts 18:25), and into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5). The word “baptism” simply means immersion, and each of these baptisms was intended for a particular purpose and for specific individuals. The “doctrine of baptisms” could be the teaching about any or all of these. 

There were also ritual “washings” (baptismōn) among the pagans and Jews, and the idea here may be that of teaching the distinction between these and the baptism practiced by Christians, although in the context of Hebrews the Jewish ritual washings would seem to be more relevant (cf. 9:10; Mark 7:4). When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesus church, there was only one valid baptism for penitent believers (Eph. 4:5): the baptism of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), a burial and resurrection in water (Col. 2:12; Acts 8:35 ff.), for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), which places one into the community of the saved (Acts 2:41, 47; Gal. 3:27; etc.).

The “laying on of hands” had multiple purposes during the NT period: (a) customary sign recognizing and appointing persons for ministry (Acts 13:3; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; cf. Acts 6:6; Num. 27:18-19, 23); (b) healing (Mark 5:23; 6:5; 16:18; Acts 28:8); (c) imparting miraculous power of the Holy Spirit by the apostles (Acts 6:5-8; 8:14-20; 19:6; 2 Tim. 1:6); (d) blessing (Matt. 19:13-15; cf. Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15).

Teaching about the “resurrection of the dead” (Acts 2:23-32; 3:14-15; 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:1-4, 12-20) was not accepted by everyone (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:8; 1 Cor. 15:12). Jesus was the “firstborn” [protoktokos – ‘preeminent’] from the dead (Col. 1:18; Acts 13:34; 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Coinciding with Christ’s return (1 Thess. 4:16), the future resurrection pertains to everyone who has died, whether good or evil (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).

The “eternal judgment” (Acts 10:42; 17:30-31; 24:25) points to an appointed day in the future (Acts 17:31; Heb. 9:27) when God judges the world through Christ (Acts 10:42; 17:31) with everlasting rewards and punishments (Matt. 25:46). The word of Christ is the standard of judgment (John 12:48), and all are destined to stand before his judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10).

“And this”—moving on to maturity—“we will do”—assuredly—“if God permits”—providentially according to his purpose (cf. Acts 18:21; 21:14; Rom. 1:10; 1 Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Jas. 4:13-15).

The Possibility of Apostasy and the Point of No Return

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8).

It is possible for a child of God to fall from grace (cf. 3:12-13; 4:1; 10:35-38; 12:15, 25; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). It is possible for an unfaithful child of God to repent and be restored to faithfulness (cf. Acts 8:21-22; Gal. 6:1; Jas. 5:19-20). It is also possible for someone to become so hardened in sin that it is impossible to renew the defiantly rebellious one again to repentance (cf. 3:12; Matt. 7:6; John 8:42-47; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; 1 Cor. 1:18). The ASV reads, “… it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance, seeing [n. ‘the while’] they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (v. 6). For this type of person, who callously disregards what the Lord has done, Jesus’s death is worthless.

Using agricultural imagery (vv. 7-8), those who accept God’s gracious provisions and are fruitful in his service are blessed, whereas those who defiantly reject his goodness and gracious offerings through Christ are unfruitful and destined for condemnation (cf. Matt. 7:16-20; John 15:1-8). Let us learn from these admonitions and continue growing in our knowledge and faith.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ See K. L. Moore, “Plural Authorship of Hebrews (Part 2),” Moore Perspective (20 July 2016), <Link>.

     ² NASB text and footnote: “him,” “Him,” or “this”? The phrase peri hou (neuter or masculine?) may be interpreted (a) generally, “about which matter,” (b) specifically, about the subject of Christ as high priest, (c) about Christ generally, (d) about Christ as high priest like Melchizedek, or (e) about Melchizedek (see P. Ellingworth, Hebrews 299). 

Related Posts: Hebrews 4:14–5:10, Heb 6:9-18

 

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A Christian’s Need For Repentance

      Simon was a newly baptized believer. Unfortunately, even though he had been forgiven of his past sins, he retained some of his worldly tendencies. After succumbing to the temptation to think and act contrary to what is expected of a follower of Jesus, he is divinely instructed: “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22, NASB). While Christians are forgiven people, we are still imperfect people who sometimes stumble in our walk with God (1 John 1:10). Repentance, therefore, is not only a requisite for our initial salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19), it continues to be an important part of our spiritual journey.

What is Repentance?

     The sinful attitudes and behavior of the disciples at Corinth prompted Paul to write the document we now call First Corinthians. Throughout the letter he seeks to turn the situation around with exhortations, rebukes, and corrective instructions. In the follow-up correspondence he continues to emphasize reformation of life, including the admonition: “let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). This implies personal responsibility. The noun “holiness” is derived from the adjective “holy,” essentially meaning “different” or “set apart.” The Corinthians are repeatedly reminded to leave behind their old sinful ways and worldly mindsets.

     In the verses that follow, Paul informs his readers that despite difficult and discouraging circumstances, he is comforted by the positive report he has received concerning their response to his exhortations. He did not regret having written the previous letter, but he did regret, at least initially, the temporary sorrow it generated. Nevertheless, the outcome caused him to rejoice because the Corinthians were led to repentance.

     Note that repentance is not merely an internal feeling of sadness, although this is the necessary spark leading to repentance (v. 9a). Biblical repentance begins in the heart with a sorrow “according to the will of God,” i.e., “godly grief” (ESV), “as God intended” (NIV), “in a godly manner” (NKJV) (v. 9b). The statement, “so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us” (v. 9c), indicates that the Corinthians would have suffered great spiritual harm had Paul not had the love and courage to take on the unpleasant task of writing the aforementioned letter (cf. 2:4; 7:12) that had such a transformative impact.

     The “sorrow of the world” is essentially a selfish concern when facing consequences but no real remorse for disobedience, which ultimately leads to spiritual death (v. 10b). Conversely, “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (v. 10a). Having begun in the heart with sincere conviction, repentance involves a simultaneous turning in two opposite directions: away from sin and back to God. This is demonstrated by an observable change of life, as the following verse affirms. These disciples (for the most part) had exhibited genuine repentance and are no longer guilty of wrongdoing (v. 11), particularly in the matter of allowing and condoning immorality in the church (cf. 2:5-9; 1 Cor. 5:1-2). See also Matthew 21:28-31; Luke 22:32; Colossians 3:5-10; James 5:19, 20; 1 Peter 2:25.

A Recurring Need

     Surely the aim of every child of God is to avoid sinning (Romans 6:1-2; 12:1-2). Regrettably, however, we are not always successful, so the Lord has made provision for these sporadic lapses of weakness (1 John 1:7–2:6). Those who comprised the first-century church at Ephesus were reminded “that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4, NKJV). But years later they are told, “you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4b). How was this dismal state of affairs to be corrected? “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (v. 5). Both the stern warning and the opportunity to make things right represent the ongoing concern of our heavenly Father with constant love, mercy, and grace. May we, therefore, live our lives accordingly.

--Kevin L. Moore

Questions to Consider

1. Why do Christians sin?

2. What provision has God made for Christians who sin?

3. What should be the Christian’s attitude toward sin?

4. What is the difference between “the sorrow of the world” and “the sorrow that is according to the will of God” (2 Corinthians 7:10)?

5. What does biblical repentance entail?

6. What key component of biblical repentance is highlighted in the following passages? Matthew 13:15; Acts 3:19, 26; 9:35; 11:21; 14:15; 15:19; 26:18-20; 2 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9

7. What do the following passages share in common about how repentance is actuated? Jonah 3:10; Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8; John 8:10-11; Acts 26:20; Galatians 1:23; Ephesians 4:28

8. What is the danger of not repenting? Luke 13:3, 5; Revelation 2:5, 16, 21-23

9. How is God’s expectation of holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 1:4) to be achieved in the Christian life?

10. How does the biblical doctrine of repentance apply to your walk with the Lord?

*Originally prepared for the Make Disciples Training Program <Link>.

Related Posts:

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Where’s the Church in the Gospel Plan of Salvation?

     We are witnessing and/or hearing about considerable numbers of folks abandoning churches of Christ.¹ Could it be that we, in general, have failed to fully grasp, value, teach, defend, and emphasize the crucial role of the church in God’s redemptive scheme? It seems that a generation has arisen with very little commitment to the Lord’s church, as the biblical concept has been ignored, diluted, and misunderstood. The pervading viewpoint advanced in recent decades, fueled by postmodern ideologies, is that the church of Christ is merely a denominational sect among many other viable (preferable?) options.

     A contributing factor to this sad state of affairs could be the common perception that the entire gospel plan of salvation consists of only five simple steps: hear, believe, repent, confess, and get baptized. While each of these is affirmed in multiple (often unconnected) biblical texts, surely we can agree that continued faithfulness is just as important. But what does this entail, and where does the church fit in? Doesn’t the Lord add penitent baptized believers to the community of the saved/the church (Acts 2:37-47)? Aren’t we baptized into the one body, i.e. the one church (1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18; cf. Matt. 16:18)? Isn’t Jesus the savior of the body/the church (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23)?

The Book of Conversions

     While the fifth book of the New Testament is sometimes labeled “the Book of Conversions,” let us not forget that it is actually the sequel of a two-volume set. As Dr. Luke composed the historical narrative of Acts, he could reasonably assume that his readers were already familiar with “the former account” (Acts 1:1). Acts consists of selective highlights of the conversion stories it recounts rather than comprehensive details of each (cf. 2:40; 5:14, 20, 42; 6:7; 8:4-5; et al.). Although there is no explicit reference to confession of faith in chap. 2, or to baptism in chaps. 3-4, or to repentance in chap. 8, or to belief in most of chap. 9, surely we understand that it is the totality of information that provides the complete picture.²

     What about the church? The Greek word ekklēsia, translated “church” in our English Bibles, occurs no less than twenty-two times in the Acts narrative with reference to the congregated disciples of Jesus.³ As we trace the gospel story through Luke’s first volume (the Gospel) and on through the second (Acts), it is clear that the ekklēsia of Acts fulfills the numerous basileia (kingdom) prophecies of the Gospel.⁴

     Jesus came to earth in order to “preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11),⁵ and he commissioned his immediate disciples to do the same (Luke 9:2; 10:9, 11). He promised that within their lifetime they would actually see this spiritual kingdom realized (Luke 9:27). Following his death and resurrection, and for several weeks prior to his ascension, the Lord continually reminded the apostles “of things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

      On the Day of Pentecost, when the gospel message was communicated in its fullness, penitent baptized believers were forgiven of sins and added to the company of the saved (Acts 2:21-47). From this point onward the church that Jesus had promised to build (Matt. 16:16-19) and the kingdom he had repeatedly foretold was coming (Matt. 4:17; 6:10; 16:28; 24:14; 26:29) are no longer spoken of prospectively. The church is present (Acts 5:11; 8:1, 3; 20:28; 1 Cor. 10:32; 11:22; Gal. 1:13; Eph. 1:22; et al.) and the kingdom is present (Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 4:20; Col. 1:12, 13; 4:11; et al.). God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and has transferred [us] into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins …. And he is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:13-14, 18a).

The Church is Part of the Gospel Message

     In the Pentecost-Day sermon, as the kingship of Jesus is implied and his lordship affirmed (Acts 2:30, 36), “[with] many other words [Peter] solemnly declared and exhorted them saying, ‘Be saved from this crooked generation.’ Therefore those having received his word were baptized, and on that day about 3,000 souls were added” (vv. 40-41); “the Lord added daily those who were being saved to their number” (v. 47), or to “the church,” according to the Byzantine Majority Text (JB, N/KJV, RAV, WEB).

     Later, when the Samaritans “believed Philip proclaiming the gospel concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized …” (Acts 8:12) and counted among the newly established churches in the region (Acts 9:31). The Galatians were warned by Barnabas and Paul of inevitable afflictions when entering “into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), which incorporated the churches of that area (Gal. 1:2). In planting the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:1), Jesus was proclaimed as “king” (Acts 17:7). Paul consistently taught those in Ephesus about “the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8; 20:25), and as “fellow citizens” (Eph. 2:19) they comprised the church (Eph. 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23). In Rome he preached “the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus …” (Acts 28:23) and spent two whole years “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ …” (v. 31).

     There was only one gospel message disseminated “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; cf. Gal. 1:8-9). To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a citizen of God’s kingdom and member of Christ’s body, his church (Col. 1:13, 18, 24). Without the kingdom, there is no King (John 18:37). Where there is no bride, there can be no Bridegroom (Rev. 19:7; 21:9). The Head cannot be detached from the body (Eph. 4:15-16). If one is to be taught about Christ in order to be “baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27), surely he must be taught about the collective body/church of Christ to be “baptized into one body” (Acts 18:8; 1 Cor. 12:13).

The Gospel Plan of Salvation

     Simply stated, the gospel plan of salvation is our gracious God seeking to reconcile sinners to himself through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in a unified collectivity of forgiven disciples. Our response to this divine plan can be summarized as follows:

·      Hear (listen to, understand, heed) the gospel message (Mark 4:23-24; Acts 2:22, 37; 3:22) – and keep on hearing, receptively and responsively (Rom. 10:17; Eph. 4:21, 29; Phil. 4:9; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29).

·      Believe the gospel message (Acts 4:4; 18:8; 9:42) – and continue believing and increasing in faith (Rom. 3:22; 4:11, 24; 10:4; 2 Pet. 1:5-7).

·      Repent of sinful attitudes and behaviors (Acts 2:38; 3:19) – and don’t stop repenting (Acts 8:22; Rom. 6:1-18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10).

·      Confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32; 1 Tim. 6:12) – and keep on confessing (Rom. 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 9:13; Heb. 4:14; 10:23).

·      Be immersed in water for forgiveness of past sins by Christ’s blood (Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; 22:16), entering (“into”) Christ and his emblematic body, the church, the saved community (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 2:20-21), raised to live a new life (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11-13; 3:1-3).

·      Remain faithful (Acts 2:42; 14:22) as an active and devoted member of Christ’s body – universally (Eph. 3:6; 5:23; 1 Pet. 2:17) and locally (Rom. 12:3-13; 1 Cor. 12:12-27); a loyal citizen of his spiritual kingdom (Eph. 2:19; Col. 1:9-18).

     Are we committed to the whole counsel of God? May we embrace, obey, and consistently teach the gospel in its entirety, without abridgements, shortcuts, or compromise.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Within the past twenty-five years, there has been a 7.8 percent decrease in reported membership of churches of Christ in the USA (see Carl H. Royster, ed. Churches of Christ in the United States, Nashville, TN: 21st Century Christian, 2015).

     ² Edwin Jones, in a Facebook post (30 Jan. 2016), observes: “The ‘Five Steps’ have received much attention of late. I see no way that hear (rich in theology and far from being ‘redundant’), believe, repent, confess, and being baptized can be excluded as vital aspects of the progression of saving faith. Nevertheless, I offer the following slightly amended comment I made in a recent blog as a cautionary word to myself and my brothers and sisters…. Interesting, is it not, that no one verse contains all the five steps? It seems that God, though perfectly capable of doing just that, chose to contextualize the ‘steps’ so the richness of their God given presentation might be discovered. ‘Shorthand,’ even when supported by short citations, has a way of taking on a life of its own that obscures the ‘longhand’ of the original. Though summations certainly have their place, original contexts are gold!”

     ³ Ekklēsia also appears in Acts 2:47 in the Byzantine Majority Text tradition; once in reference to the assembling of Israelites (7:38), and three more times in a secular sense (19:32-41). On the etymological significance of this term, see The Church of the NT.

     ⁴ The basileia (kingdom) of God is referenced seven times in Acts, and a whopping thirty-nine times in the Gospel of Luke! For further discussion on the biblical doctrine of the kingdom, see The Kingdom of God Part 1, and supplemental Links.

     ⁵ Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

Related Posts: And with many other words, Preach Jesus, Putting on God's Whole Armor in Context, The Kingdom of God Part 3, What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Related articles: Wes McAdams’ Why I’m Not Fond of the Phrase <Link> and What They Need to Know <Link>, Jack Dodgen’s Rewriting the “Steps” of Salvation <Link>, Justin Brasfield’s Why I’m a Member of the Church of Christ <Link>.

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Dispelling Popular Myths about “the Thief on the Cross”

      First of all, the two men who were crucified on either side of Jesus were not common thieves. A thief is someone who secretly removes an item from your pocket without your knowledge or approval, or one who sneaks into your house while you’re away on vacation and steals your possessions. The crimes of the men executed with Jesus were much more sinister. They are generically referred to as “criminals” (kakourgōn) in Luke 23:39, but in Mark 15:27 they are more specifically identified as lēstai, i.e. “robbers” or “bandits.” In other words, they had used brute force to carry out their crimes and were therefore violent criminals. In fact, the same word is used to describe Barabbas (John 18:40), who had been arrested “with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion” (Mark 15:7 NKJV). Seeing that Jesus took the place of Barabbas, it is reasonable to suspect that the other two men who were crucified with him were Barabbas’ partners in crime.

     While both convicted felons initially participated in the reviling of Jesus (Matthew 27:44), in the course of time one of them seems to have had a change of heart. He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NKJV). Now simply calling Jesus “Lord” is in itself insufficient (cf. Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46), but the intriguing thing is that he knew about the Lord’s kingdom. We will consider this further below.

     Jesus’ reply to the penitent criminal’s request was as follows: “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The record pretty much speaks for itself. Nevertheless, for some curious reason, this account has been completely removed from its context by certain religionists in an attempt to establish a precedent for salvation devoid of obedience, particularly baptism. The argument goes something like this: “The thief on the cross was saved without having been baptized, therefore baptism is not essential to salvation.”

     An initial response is the simple fact that the scriptures clearly teach that baptism is a necessary step in the salvation process (see Acts 2:37-41; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 3:21; etc.), therefore any interpretation that suggests otherwise must be wrong. Furthermore, is it legitimate to confidently affirm that this man had never been baptized? From the biblical evidence what would be a more reasonable inference?

     The man clearly had knowledge of the Lord’s kingdom (Luke 23:42), so how was this knowledge attained? In all four Gospel accounts, of all the words recorded that Jesus spoke from the cross, nothing is said about the kingdom. However, John the baptizer had preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). In response, “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (vv. 5-6). Further, Jesus himself had preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). As He proclaimed “the gospel of the kingdom,” his influence reached as far north as Syria and as far south as Idumea, and great “multitudes followed Him – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordon” (Matt. 4:23-25; cf. Mark 2:7-8). Not only did baptisms result from his preaching, but they exceeded the numbers of those baptized by John (John 3:22-26; 4:1-2). The Lord’s reach had extended even further by sending out multiplied dozens of his disciples throughout the regions of Galilee and Judea, propagating the same gospel message (Matthew 9:35–10:7; Luke 10:1-11).

     Considering the evidence, can anyone say with full assurance that the man under consideration was definitely never baptized? An alleged precedent is not a genuine precedent when it is unprovable and even questionable. Admittedly no one can say for sure either way, even though it is certainly within the realm of plausibility that he was baptized. Notwithstanding deceptive claims to the contrary, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter, especially when we consider this final point.

     Baptism is an integral part of the Christian system, which was not inaugurated prior to the Lord’s death and resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20; cf. Romans 6:3-5). The baptisms before the cross were preparatory for the approaching kingdom (Matthew 3:1-6; John 3:1–4:2) but not an established component of the preceding Mosaic system. In fact, Christ’s death on the cross was the transitional point between the old and the new (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:15-17). Since Jesus had the power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10), and the crucified robber was living under the old covenant system of the Jews, and the Lord’s eventual death covered the sins of those living prior to the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15), the account in Luke 23:39-43 is readily explicable and easily harmonizes with the rest of scripture. Any other interpretation creates unresolvable problems.

     Seeing that no one on earth today is in the physical presence of Jesus or is living at a time when the new covenant teachings were not in force, the so-called “thief on the cross” argument is irrelevant. There are numerous examples of conversions recorded in the book of Acts (inclusive of baptism) that set the precedent. When anything different is asserted by professed Bible-believers, it sure gives the impression of grasping at straws in order to justify a preconceived idea. “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16:15-16).

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: Barabbas, Are You Sure the Thief on the Cross Wasn't Baptized?, Baptism of John, Hypothetical Faith

Saw this on the internet: "I want to be saved like the thief on the cross" said no one in the book of Acts.

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