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     Over two dozen times the New Testament uses the word mystery.  The apostle Paul wrote God had revealed to him “the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 1:3, 4).  Everything about Jesus being the Savior and King of His kingdom (Christianity) is the mystery God revealed after Jesus ascended into heaven.

     In the last article, we focused on baptism as the rebirth (born again) which Jesus said was necessary to enter His kingdom.  We considered the false translation of the Greek word “baptizein” which actually means “to immerse.”   Even with this ruse, God has insured we understand that baptism is immersion — “And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.  Now when they came up out of the water" (Acts 8:26-39).  If the mode of “baptism" is pouring or sprinkling, it would not have been necessary to go down into the water.  But being immersed explains why they did so.

     Some will scoff, saying the mode of entering the kingdom is not important.  If it is not, then why did God use baptizein?  To change the word or meaning of the word is to tell God we know better than He knows.  Even the imagery of immersion reflects upon Christ’s sacrifice which is called the gospel (good news of salvation) and which is used about 100 times in the New Testament.  This is part of the mystery of the kingdom that Jesus preached (Matthew 4:23) and Paul said was revealed to him.  Paul referred to the mystery of the gospel which he preached (Ephesians 3:3; 6:19).
     Note how carefully Paul defined the gospel — “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:  that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  He also wrote one must obey the gospel in order to be saved from eternal damnation (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).  How does one obey the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?

     Paul wrote, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).  Baptism being immersion explains how one obeys the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and how one enters His kingdom.  Another part of the mystery of the kingdom revealed!  There is more… baptism is not mere ritual, but significantly much more.  — Next!

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