In the vast tapestry of God’s creation, where the roar of lions mingles with the whisper of windswept plains, there lies a quiet testimony to fidelity that stirs the soul. From the elegant arch of a swan’s neck to the steadfast howl of a wolf pack, certain animals form bonds that endure a lifetime. But from a Biblical vantage, rooted in the unyielding authority of Scripture, these pairings are no mere quirk of nature. They are divinely etched parables, faint glimmers of the profound glory entrusted to humanity as the pinnacle of creation.
As we peer into the wild, let us allow these creatures to demonstrate words, illuminating the covenantal mystery of marriage that God ordained from the dawn of time.
The Created Echo: Monogamy in the Animal Kingdom
Scripture declares that the heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). So too do the beasts of the field and the birds of the air bear witness to His wise and good design (Romans 1:20). Consider the swan, gliding in perfect symmetry with its mate, performing courtship dances that span decades. Or the albatross, traversing vast oceans only to reunite with its lifelong partner in an aerial ballet of devotion. Gibbons swing through the canopy, their duets a symphony of territorial love, while wolves—fierce guardians of the pack—stand as alpha pairs, unyielding in loyalty until death claims one.
These are not anomalies; they are echoes. In a world marred by the Fall, where entropy pulls at every thread, God has preserved these instincts as signposts. The beaver dams its family fortress with tireless labor alongside its mate; the prairie vole clings with a hormonal tenacity studied by scientists yet ordained by the Creator. Even the humble French angelfish patrols coral realms in exclusive tandem.
Yet these bonds, beautiful as they are, remain creaturely—instinctual, not intentional. The animals do not utter vows; they do not grasp the weight of covenant. They simply are, displaying a shadow of permanence and exclusivity that whispers of something higher.
Humanity’s High Calling: The Imago Dei in One-Flesh Union
Here the glory ascends from shadow to substance, for man alone wears the crown of creation. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… male and female he created them'” (Genesis 1:26–27, ESV). In this divine pronouncement, we find the blueprint: humanity, differentiated yet unified, reflecting the relational Trinity itself—Father, Son, and Spirit in eternal, perfect communion.
Marriage, then, is no human invention but a sacred ordinance, the “one-flesh” union that crowns Eden’s garden (Genesis 2:24). Jesus Himself harks back to this foundation, declaring it indissoluble save for the grave (Matthew 19:4–6). And in the New Testament, Paul unveils its deepest mystery: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).
The animals’ fidelity is a prelude; human marriage is the symphony. Where the wolf models loyalty without words, the Christian husband and wife proclaim it—with vows spoken before God and witnesses, with forgiveness extended in the shadow of the cross, with children raised as arrows in the hand of the Almighty (Psalm 127:3–5). This is glory: not mere survival, but an institutional witness. The self-sacrificial love of spouses images the Bridegroom who “loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
A Rebuke and a Redemption: Shamed by Swans, Saved by the Savior
Oh, how these creatures indict us! In an age of no-fault divorce and fleeting affections, the swan does not abandon its mate for a newer pond; the albatross does not “trade up” after half a century; the gibbon sings no dirge of regret over infidelity. Their unthinking faithfulness shames our calculated betrayals, reminding us that lifelong monogamy is etched into the created order—a common grace that testifies against every heart grown callous (Jeremiah 17:9).
But praise God, the story does not end in shame. For those in Christ, marriage becomes a theater of redemption. The Spirit empowers what the flesh weakens; grace transforms stumbling fidelity into radiant gospel display. A couple who cleaves through trials, who serves without tallying score, who bears fruit in holiness—these are not just surviving Eden’s curse; they are previewing the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7–9).
The Pinnacle’s Privilege: Worship in Wedlock
Thus, the monogamous menagerie serves as a divine object lesson—a whisper from pre-Fall Eden, a call to reclaim what sin has fractured. Yet the full splendor belongs to us, image-bearers called to higher things. To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Let us, then, steward this glory with fear and wonder: husbands loving as Christ, wives submitting as the Church, both walking in the light of covenant-keeping grace.
In the end, the animals point beyond themselves. Their bonds allure us to gaze higher, toward the eternal union where no death parts, no shadow dims, and every vow finds its fulfillment in Him.
What say you, reader? Have you seen God’s fingerprints in the wild? Share in the comments below, and may your own story, wed or single, echo the faithful love of our Creator.
Further Reading:
Genesis 1–2 and Ephesians 5 (your Bible—start there!)
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God’s Nature in Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity
The god of mormonism/LDS is not the God of Christianity, and the Bible. They are not the same. No man can claim that mormons/LDS are Christians after reading this short comparison. If he does, he is a deceiver.
Comparison: LDS vs. Historic Christian Doctrine of God
One of the most striking theological differences between Latter-day Saint (Mormon) belief and historic Christian orthodoxy is their understanding of God’s eternity and nature. The following chart outlines the contrasts clearly.
Doctrine
Historic Christian / Biblical View
LDS (Mormon) View
1. God’s Nature (Essence)
God is spirit, infinite, eternal, uncreated, and unchangeable in being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth (John 4:24; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).
God the Father is an exalted, glorified man with a physical body of flesh and bone (D&C 130:22). He is one of a species of “gods” who achieved exaltation.
2. Eternity / Beginning
God is eternal and self-existent — He never came into being. He is aseity itself: the uncaused cause (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 43:10).
God the Father had a beginning as a man; He lived on another world, progressed, and was exalted to godhood. “As man now is, God once was.” (Lorenzo Snow)
3. Creation
God created all things out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo) by His word (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16).
God organized pre-existing matter; the universe and intelligences are co-eternal with God (D&C 93:29; Abraham 3:18–19).
4. The Trinity / Godhead
One divine being in three coequal, coeternal persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1).
Three separate beings — the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — “one in purpose,” but not in substance or essence.
5. Immutability (Unchangeableness)
God is eternally the same in nature and perfections (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).
God progressed to His current state of perfection and glory; some LDS sources imply He may still progress in knowledge or glory.
6. Humanity’s Destiny
Humans are creatures made in God’s image but not of His essence; they remain created beings (Isaiah 43:10; Romans 11:36).
Humans are of the same species as God—“intelligences” co-eternal with Him—and can become gods themselves (D&C 132:20).
7. Salvation / Exaltation
Salvation = eternal life in God’s presence by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). God remains God alone (Isaiah 44:6–8).
Salvation (in its fullest sense) = exaltation — becoming gods like the Father, ruling over spirit offspring eternally (Moses 1:39; D&C 132).
The Core Difference: “Uncreated Creator” vs. “A Created, Exalted Man”
Historic Christianity
God is wholly other—not part of creation, not composed of matter, and not subject to time.
There is only one God, uncreated and infinite, the source of all being.
Humans can be glorified and made holy but never become divine by nature.
Latter-day Saint Theology
God the Father was once a man and progressed to godhood.
Matter and “intelligences” are eternal; God did not create existence itself but organized it.
Humanity shares the same kind of being as God and can ascend to the same state of exaltation.
Biblical Conflict Points (from a Historic Christian View)
LDS Claim
Biblical Response
“God was once a man.”
“Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” — Psalm 90:2
“There are many gods.”
“I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God.” — Isaiah 45:5
“Man can become a god.”
The serpent’s temptation: “You shall be as God” (Genesis 3:5). Believers become like Christ in holiness, not gods in essence (2 Peter 1:4).
“God has a body of flesh and bones.”
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:24
Modern LDS Clarifications
In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has:
Affirmed that God has a physical body and that humans can become exalted.
Avoided speculation about God’s life before His godhood.
Emphasized worship of the Father alone, not a chain of gods.
“Little has been revealed about the first stages of God’s life or how He became God. Latter-day Saints believe that all of God’s children can progress toward a divine destiny.” — Gospel Topics Essay: “Becoming Like God,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org
Summary
Aspect
Christian Orthodoxy
LDS Doctrine
God’s origin
Eternal, without beginning
Once a man, became God
Ontology
Uncreated Creator, unique in being
One among many divine beings
Creation
Out of nothing (ex nihilo)
From eternal matter
Human destiny
Redeemed creatures
Potential gods
Continuity
Infinite distinction between God and man
Infinite continuity between God and man
Final Thought
Historic Christianity sees God as the uncreated Creator, wholly distinct from His creation, while Latter-day Saint theology envisions God as an exalted man, sharing the same kind of existence as His children.
The difference ultimately shapes how each faith understands worship, salvation, and the very meaning of divinity.
God says in His Word,
“21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when He comes, He will declare all things to us.”
26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”” John 4:21-26 (LSB)
If you read this, and still claim that mormons are Christians, I’d like you to reconsider. They are by definition, not Christians. They are in a works righteousness cult that puts the onerous obligation on the member to warrant enough favor with their god through works to become an exalted man themselves one day, and ultimately to become a god of their own solar system. Anyone who knows anything about God, knows that mormonism is a lie. The claims the Bible makes about God, and the claims that mormonism makes, are mutually exclusive truth claims. One can be right, both can be wrong, but both can’t be right. If you are mormon, stop calling yourself Christian! You most certainly are not! Repent of your sins, and trust solely in the justifying work of the 2nd Person of the Triune God, Jesus. Stop believing the lies of a second rate, ignorant, con-man, who created a cult for power, profit, and perversion. He is nothing like Jesus!
Those who say that we are justified by our works, or obedience to the law, are deceived, and going about deceiving. Those who say that unless our faith produces good works it is not true faith, are not lying. Our works are not an effectual piece of the justifying work of Jesus. Our works are a necessary effect of the cause. That cause being, the new birth.
There is a category that holds all the subcategories of the process. The category of salvation has under it the doctrines within the ordo salutis. (order of salvation) It is a logical progression. If you would like to read about that, you can do so here. Specifically discussing the doctrine of justification, it is the judicially declaring a person free from their debt to God via the sin expiating, and propitiating, work of Jesus on the cross.
When we say that a person is justified by faith, we are simply saying that they must believe in who Jesus is, and what He actually accomplished on the cross. Justification is part of the salvation process. After being justified to God, which this cannot be undone, a person begins the sanctification process. This is one by which the person is set aside for God’s holy use, where He conforms them to the character of His Son Jesus.
As we consider the entire ordo salutis, we must make clear in our minds the distinction between justification, and salvation. Otherwise we end up in endless arguments about loosing our salvation, or the other error of antinomianism. When someone talks about being saved, or losing their salvation, they are usually being sloppy in their theology, and not making the distinction. They mean justification, but say salvation.
The following from Romans should make it exceedingly clear to even the most rank Roman Catholic, or Orthodox, heretic that justification is by faith alone.
Romans 2:12 – 5:21 (LSB Strong’s) 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law naturally do the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they demonstrate the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. The Jew Is Judged by the Law 17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your transgression of the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written. 25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man observes the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Law, will he not judge you who, through the letter of the Law and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. There Is None Righteous 1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief abolish the faithfulness of God? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be true and every man a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND OVERCOME WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just. 9 What then? Are we better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” 13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN TOMB, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; 14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; 15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” 18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” 19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. The Righteousness of God through Faith 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith, is one. 31 Do we then abolish the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Abraham and David’s Faith Counted as Righteousness 1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God! 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not counted according to grace, but according to what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. 8 BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” 9 Therefore, is this blessing on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS COUNTED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10 How then was it counted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be counted to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith has been made empty and the promise has been abolished; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no trespass. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be according to grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the seed, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all— 17 as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”—in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR SEED BE.” 19 And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to do. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written THAT IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be counted, as those who believe upon Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over on account of our transgressions, and was raised on account of our justification. Results of Justification by Faith 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. The Gift of Righteousness in Christ 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the trespass of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were appointed sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be appointed righteous. 20 Now the Law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Likewise, those who properly understand James’ words, will not negate the work of God in you, to good works, as a product of that regenerating, justifying, and sanctifying work He is doing. This is an effect of the cause, it is not part of the cause, or the cause. Anyone teaching that is a deceiver.
James 1:19-27 (LSB Strong’s) Doers of the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 2:14-26 (LSB Strong’s) 14 What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
After reading just this small amount of scripture, it should be obvious to any honest person, that sola fide is the truth. Only people with a demonic tradition would lead you away from this truth, to enslave you again to the law. The Word of God teaches thoroughly on this idea. If you deny it, you deny the very gospel itself, and Christ the one Who suffered for you.
Yahweh is the One Who Saves — and Jesus is that Lord
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD [יהוה] shall be saved.” — Joel 2:32
“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” — Romans 10:13
In Romans, Paul quotes Joel, but in context, “the Lord” refers to Jesus (cf. Romans 10:9: “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord…”). Paul is directly applying a Yahweh text to Christ.
🟥 2. Isaiah 45:23 → Philippians 2:10–11
Yahweh receives every knee — now Jesus does
“To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” — Isaiah 45:23 (Yahweh speaking)
“…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…” — Philippians 2:10–11
Paul directly connects Jesus to the divine identity of Yahweh, quoting a verse where Yahweh declares He alone is God (cf. Isa. 45:22). Yet Paul applies it unapologetically to Jesus, and uses “Lord” (κύριος), the LXX translation of Yahweh.
🟥 3. Psalm 102:25–27 → Hebrews 1:10–12
Yahweh is Creator — and Jesus is identified as that Creator
“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands… You are the same, and your years have no end.” — Psalm 102:25–27 (speaking of Yahweh)
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning…” — Hebrews 1:10
The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 102 (clearly about Yahweh) and applies it directly to the Son (Heb. 1:8–10). This is one of the strongest proofs that Jesus is Yahweh, the eternal and unchanging Creator.
🟥 4. Malachi 3:1 → Mark 1:2–3
Yahweh is coming — but Jesus comes
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me… and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” — Malachi 3:1 (Yahweh is the one coming)
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face… Prepare the way of the Lord.” — Mark 1:2–3
Mark quotes Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, both of which refer to preparing the way for Yahweh, and identifies Jesus as that Lord. John the Baptist prepares the way not for Yahweh abstractly, but for Jesus — therefore, Jesus is Yahweh come in the flesh.
🟥 5. Isaiah 6:1–10 → John 12:39–41
Isaiah saw Yahweh’s glory — and John says he saw Jesus’ glory
“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne… Holy, holy, holy is the LORD [יהוה] of hosts…” — Isaiah 6:1, 3
“Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him [Christ].” — John 12:41
John interprets Isaiah’s vision of Yahweh’s glory in Isaiah 6 as a vision of Christ. This is a direct, inspired statement identifying Jesus with Yahweh.
🟥 Summary of Key OT–NT Pairs That Identify Jesus as Yahweh:
Old Testament (Yahweh)
New Testament (Jesus)
Theme
Joel 2:32
Romans 10:13
Calls on Yahweh = Calls on Jesus
Isaiah 45:23
Philippians 2:10–11
Every knee bows to Jesus
Psalm 102:25–27
Hebrews 1:10–12
Jesus is Creator Yahweh
Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3
Mark 1:2–3
John prepares way for Jesus = Yahweh
Isaiah 6:1–3
John 12:41
Isaiah saw Christ = Yahweh
💡 Theological Significance
These passages do not merely suggest that Jesus is divine — they go further. They show that:
Jesus is not just a god or like God;
He is Yahweh Himself, the eternal, covenant-keeping God of Israel.
This is the foundation of Trinitarian theology: One God in three persons, and Jesus is fully God, not a lesser being, but Yahweh enfleshed (cf. John 1:1, 14).
Jesus Is Yahweh: The Undeniable Truth That Modern Christianity Ignores
We live in a time where churches are so afraid of offending people, they won’t even affirm the most basic truths of the Christian faith. One of those truths is this: Jesus Christ is Yahweh. Not “a god.” Not “like God.” Not “just the Son of God” as if that meant something lesser. He is Yahweh. Fully and completely. The same God who parted the Red Sea, who thundered from Sinai, who declared “I AM THAT I AM” to Moses—that is Jesus.
You don’t need a Ph.D. to see this. You just need to read your Bible and believe it.
So let’s walk through five key places in Scripture that make this absolutely plain, using the Bible the way it was meant to be used—cross-referenced, contextually, and with a high view of its authority.
1. Joel 2:32 and Romans 10:13 — Jesus Is the LORD Who Saves
Joel 2:32 says, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” The Hebrew here is Yahweh—the covenant name of God. This isn’t just a generic “lord” or “master.” This is I AM, the eternal God of Israel.
Now jump forward to Romans 10:13. Paul quotes Joel, verbatim: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But here’s the kicker: go back a few verses—Romans 10:9—“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord…”
So which Lord is Paul talking about? Joel’s Yahweh. Paul applies that directly to Jesus. That’s not clever theology—it’s biblical fact. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, identifies Jesus as Yahweh.
2. Isaiah 45:23 and Philippians 2:10–11 — Jesus Receives the Worship Due to Yahweh
Isaiah 45:23 is Yahweh speaking: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” And just before that in verse 22: “I am God, and there is no other.” That’s pretty clear. God doesn’t share His glory.
Now read Philippians 2:10–11: “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Paul is quoting Isaiah and applying it to Jesus.
God explicitly says that only He will receive this kind of universal homage—and then Paul turns around and applies that exact passage to Jesus. The only way this isn’t blasphemy is if Jesus is Yahweh.
3. Psalm 102:25–27 and Hebrews 1:10–12 — Jesus Is the Eternal Creator
Psalm 102 is a prayer to Yahweh. Verses 25–27: “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands… you are the same, and your years have no end.” Clearly about Yahweh, the eternal and unchanging Creator.
Now go to Hebrews 1. The author is making the case that Jesus is superior to the angels. And what does he do? He quotes Psalm 102—about Yahweh—and applies it directly to the Son (Hebrews 1:10–12).
That’s not ambiguous. The Son is the One who laid the foundations of the earth. He is the same, and His years will never end. In other words, Jesus is eternal, immutable, and Creator—Yahweh Himself.
4. Malachi 3:1 and Mark 1:2–3 — Jesus Is the LORD Who Comes to His Temple
Malachi 3:1 says, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” Who is speaking here? Yahweh. He says the messenger (John the Baptist) will prepare the way before Him.
Now look at Mark 1:2–3. Mark quotes both Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 to describe John the Baptist as the one preparing the way for Jesus.
So who comes to the temple? Jesus. But Yahweh said He would be the one to come. So unless Jesus is Yahweh, the entire gospel of Mark begins with a massive theological error. Of course, it’s not an error—it’s a revelation: Jesus is Yahweh come in the flesh.
5. Isaiah 6:1–10 and John 12:41 — Jesus Is the Glory of Yahweh That Isaiah Saw
Isaiah 6 records Isaiah’s vision of the LORD: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne… Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” It’s a scene of pure majesty. And in verse 5, Isaiah says: “My eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Now read John 12:41. After quoting Isaiah 6, John writes: “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.” Who’s “him”? Jesus.
Let that sink in. John says that Isaiah, in that throne-room vision of Yahweh, was looking at Jesus Christ.
Why This Matters
Now maybe you’re thinking, “Okay, but why is this important?” It’s important because if Jesus isn’t Yahweh, you’re not saved.
You see, salvation is of the LORD. Only Yahweh can save. If Jesus were not Yahweh, He couldn’t save anyone. He’d be a created being at best—a fraud at worst. But Scripture won’t let you take that route.
Modern liberalism wants to give Jesus the title “Son of God” while gutting it of its biblical meaning. They treat Him like a moral teacher, a prophet, or a divine messenger. But if He’s not Yahweh, He’s not worthy of your worship.
But He is Yahweh. The apostles believed it. The prophets saw it. The Scriptures proclaim it.
Conclusion: Worship Jesus or Reject Yahweh
So let’s not pretend we’re being “reasonable” or “nuanced” by downplaying who Jesus is. The biblical authors made it crystal clear. They quoted Yahweh-texts from the Old Testament and said, “This is Jesus.”
You can’t have Yahweh without Jesus, and you can’t have Jesus without recognizing Him as Yahweh. The Trinity is not a theological optional. It’s the very identity of God revealed in Scripture.
And if you’re calling on anyone other than Jesus as Yahweh for salvation, you’re lost.
So bow the knee. Confess Him as Lord. Not just “Master,” but Yahweh. The eternal I AM. The Creator. The Redeemer. The King.
And don’t let any seminary professor, woke theologian, or trendy YouTube apologist tell you otherwise. The Bible doesn’t whisper about this. It shouts it.
Jesus Christ is Lord—Jesus Christ is Yahweh. Amen.
Here are 10 excerpts from the Ante-Nicene Fathers that support the doctrine of total depravity (the belief that human nature is thoroughly corrupted by sin and incapable of pleasing God without divine grace):
1. Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD)
“For the whole human race will be found to be under a curse. For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.’ And no one has accurately done all, nor will you venture to deny this.”
Source:Dialogue with Trypho, Ch. 95. (ANF Vol. 1, p. 248)
2. Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD)
“For as the human race, having been conquered by sin, was bound in the chains of death, so it was necessary that man should be set free by the victory of Christ.”
Source:Against Heresies, Book V, Ch. 21.1 (ANF Vol. 1, p. 550)
3. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 AD)
“For the soul, being a lover of the body, and fallen into its impure delights, is rendered blind by its pleasures.”
Source:The Instructor, Book I, Ch. 6 (ANF Vol. 2, p. 220)
4. Tertullian (c. 155–240 AD)
“Man is condemned to death from the moment of his birth; he begins to live dying, and his whole life is but a progress to death.”
Source:On the Resurrection of the Flesh, Ch. 6 (ANF Vol. 3, p. 548)
5. Origen (c. 184–253 AD)
“For the human soul is by nature inclined to sin, and unless it be healed by the grace of God, it cannot be freed from its disease.”
Source:Commentary on Romans, Book V, Ch. 9 (ANF Vol. 9, p. 446)
6. Cyprian (c. 200–258 AD)
“No one ought to flatter himself with a false persuasion, as though he were pure and innocent, since it is written, ‘No one is clean from sin, not even if his life be but one day long.’”
Source:Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer, Ch. 21 (ANF Vol. 5, p. 454)
7. Lactantius (c. 250–325 AD)
“Man is born in sin, and his nature is inclined to evil from his youth.”
Source:Divine Institutes, Book VI, Ch. 24 (ANF Vol. 7, p. 198)
8. Methodius (c. 260–312 AD)
“For the soul, being defiled by sin, is unable to approach God unless it be purified by the blood of Christ.”
Source:The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, Discourse VIII, Ch. 8 (ANF Vol. 6, p. 341)
9. Arnobius (c. 255–330 AD)
“Man is so deeply sunk in vice that he cannot even perceive his own wretchedness.”
Source:Against the Heathen, Book II, Ch. 5 (ANF Vol. 6, p. 438)
10. Novatian (c. 200–258 AD)
“The whole human race is guilty before God, and no one can be justified by his own works.”
Source:On the Trinity, Ch. 10 (ANF Vol. 5, p. 622)
Bibliographical Note:
All citations are from The Ante-Nicene Fathers (ANF), a 10-volume collection of early Christian writings edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (first published 1885–1887). The volume and page numbers correspond to the standard reprint editions (Eerdmans, Hendrickson, etc.).
Being lead by the spirit is not some mystical prompting that you feel, and then decide to go along with. It is how God in His sovereign will causes you to do something that wouldn’t have naturally occurred to you. He moves you to do, think, feel, say, something so that you do it. When you see that you have done something good, and others have seen it, you give credit, and glory to God. So by saying that I was lead by His Spirit to do this, you should be giving Him the credit, not extolling your own pseudo-virtuous volition agreeing with His because you are just that special. Come on? Give me a break. I’ve had quite enough of these shenanigans.
If you say, “I was lead in the Spirit.” Make sure it is because you actually were. Any good that we do is God doing it through us. It is not from us, or our own volition independent of God. Many Charismatics say, “I was lead by the Spirit to come pray for you. Is there something you need healing from?” Now, this is the opposite of how this works, and it robs God of His glory. You come off, at best, as some self-righteous, fake faith-healer who probably means well, but is misguided. At worst, you look like a kooky religious nut, or charlatan. The Apostles, who actually did have the supernatural ability to heal people didn’t walk around, and say to themselves, “Oh look! A person I can heal. I think I’ll go heal them.” independent of God’s will, or void of His Spirit. They were given gifts to build the Church. These gifts were from God. He made them want to heal the people they healed. He did this in their subordinate minds/spirit with His Superior Spirit. Their spirit is subordinate to His sovereign one. Any good they did, was God doing it through them. They would never take any shade, or degree of credit for doing the will of God, and neither should we. Since the Apostolic era of the Church’s history has been over for around 2000 years, and there are no more Apostles, we should not be saying, “I was lead by the Spirit” unless we know that we truly were.
How do you know? In general, if you are a Christian, you are to be lead by the Spirit. That doesn’t mean what many Charismatics claim it does. Like I just explained. What does it look like when a Christian is lead by the Spirit? He is obedient to God. It is that simple. It is when you are walking in obedience to God, and not in the rebellious, unredeemed flesh. It also means we will recognize the difference between God’s truth, and the lies of the enemy. We won’t be blind, in the dark, stumbling about in sin. That is being lead by the Spirit. We definitely won’t be making the claims that the Charismatics are making, because we know that the Apostolic gifts have been over for a very long time.
As Christians we also know what the fruit of the Spirit is. This can be explained as the results of the Holy Spirit sovereignly reigning in your life, and you living out that eternal reality in this temporary world, that is fading away, being used up. To remind you, this is what it looks like, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 LSB Want to know if you are being lead by the Spirit? Here is another way you can know, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” Romans 8:16 LSB. So, be lead by the Spirit, but understand it Biblically for what it is. Don’t make the same obvious errors that the Charismatics are making. They are demonstrably false because we still get sick, and die, and the children’s cancer ward is still full at Shriner’s. Get a grip on reality, what is true, and toss out the lies you’ve been told.
Some argue that grace is a gift that must be accepted, and people can refuse to accept it. It almost requires that the grace spoken of in this argument must be some sort of metaphysical substance. I believe that is wrong. The grace of God towards sinners He is saving is not a metaphysical substance. It is a term describing a one sided attitude in a relationship. We understand saving grace to be the unmerited favor of God upon the person He has elected to save. The last time I checked, I cannot effectively resist to negation another person’s attitude towards me. If that is true about a creature, how could a person ever imagine they could effectively resist the will of their Creator?
Let’s look at God’s providence for a moment. You didn’t choose to become a living person. That was a gift of God towards you, that was completely one sided. He created you. You didn’t choose to be born in America. That also was a gift of God, that you were completely passive in. There was no prerequisite volitional affirmation on your part.
Let’s look at God’s common grace. God causes the plants to grow for our food. He causes cattle to be born, and fattened, for our food. He causes the seasons to continue. None of these things require our acceptance. They only require that God wills them to be so.
God does not set to accomplish something, and let a part of His creation thwart His plans. If His attitude towards you is one of grace, there is nothing you can do to negate the effects of it. This also coincides with the new birth He was worked in the elect person, at the appointed time, according to His will in eternity. Not only will He do what He wants with His creatures, but they will want what He is doing. A person He is saving, will desire His grace. A person He is not saving, will hate Him, and want nothing to do with Him.
If you are being saved, praise God! Thank Him for what He is doing! Place all the honor, and glory on Him, where it is due! Don’t rob God of His glory by insisting that you had something to do with your salvation. If you currently are not being saved, but are concerned about your final destination, and the justice of God, there is hope. Turn to God in repentance, and faith. Trust Jesus for your salvation.
I know, some of you will point at that last statement as evidence that you do something to be saved, but if you truly knew what was true in eternity, you’d understand the categorical error in logic you just made by comparing the temporal existence with the eternal reality.
For those of you who are not currently being saved, and have no interest in being saved, I hope that one day God will regenerate you, and bring you into eternal life, in Christ. If it turns out that this isn’t the case, remember, this is what YOU wanted…
When I was a Pentecostal, I heard and believed, a lot of heterodox teachings. Whenever some immoral scandal was talked about on television, I remember my in-laws would always say, “As in the days of Noah!” I’d ask them what they meant, and they explained how wicked it was then, and how things are going to be wicked like that, and that is a sign of the times. Now, if I had just heard it from them, I might have doubted it more, but I even heard it at Church. When we were going to a Nazarene Church I heard it from many people. I was younger, and figured they knew what they were talking about. I even heard T.V. preachers say it.
Of course now, I know better. I can’t believe it took so long for God to bring me out of those, “wacky” ways. I say, “wacky” because looking back, I think I must have been extremely biblically ignorant to go along with the insanity. Pentecostals told me I should be speaking in tongues. They taught to be slain in the Spirit. They taught us to engage in what they called, “spiritual warfare.” They taught us to speak directly to satan, and to bind him up, gouge out his eyes, stuff up his ears, and that we could send him away. Looking back, why would anyone pray to satan? That’s what speaking to him is you know. Why would a person do any of that? If you thought that was what Christianity was, and you wanted to be Christian so you wouldn’t go to hell, you might do those things like I did.
I’m not going to tackle all the heterodox teachings tonight. I’m just going to address the one that stems from Matthew 24:37. I’ll cite it here once, out of context so you can see the verse I’m talking about. Then, I’ll cite it with its surrounding context so you can follow along and see the true meaning for yourself. This way, if you are in the same error I was, you can repent, and come into fuller knowledge of the truth.
Matthew 24:37 LSB “For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.”
Now, out of context, this could mean a lot of things. That’s how false teachers do what they do you know. They take some verses they like from all over the Bible, and rip them from their context, string them together, and pervert the word of God.
Here it is in context.
Matthew 24:29-51 LSB The Coming of the Son of Man “29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. The Parable of the Fig Tree 32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding grain at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Be Ready for His Coming 42 “Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 45 “Who then is the faithful and prudent slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
After reading all of that, hopefully you can see this is in regards to when Jesus will return. The comparison to the flood is to let us know that nobody knows when He is returning except God Himself. Just like the people who lived in the days of Noah, they didn’t know when the flood would occur. They kept on living their lives as if it was never going to happen. They even mocked Noah. Just like those days, people will keep living their lives. They won’t repent. They won’t trust Christ. They’ll go on as if there is no judgment to come. Like then, they will be swept away, and burnt up like the chaff, or the tares.
What should you take from all of this? Instead of worrying so much about end times lunacy (There are a lot of lunatics out there preaching crazy things.) Make sure you understand the gospel of Christ Jesus. Make sure you are preaching it to everyone you can. Make sure you are studying the Bible rightly, and that you are yielded to the Spirit, in obedience, and joy.
Acts 17:30-31 LSB “30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He determined, having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.””
This isn’t a suggestion. Repent of your sins, and trust in Jesus alone for your justification, and everything that coincides with it. Do so now, before it is too late, and the judgment of God is poured out on the Earth. This time it will be a universal conflagration, and nobody will escape unless they have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, our Lord, and God. Just like the ark was the vessel God’s elect were brought through flood that was the God’s judgment against the unrepentant sinners of the world, Jesus is our ark to rescue us from the fiery flood of judgment to come.
Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther, 1517 OCTOBER 31, 1517 Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter. In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance. 2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests. 3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh. 4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven. 5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons. 6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God’s remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven. 7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest. 8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying. 9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity. 10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory. 11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept. 12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition. 13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them. 14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear. 15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair. 16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety. 17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase. 18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love. 19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it. 20. Therefore by “full remission of all penalties” the pope means not actually “of all,” but only of those imposed by himself. 21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope’s indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved; 22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life. 23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest. 24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty. 25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish. 26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession. 27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory]. 28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone. 29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal. 30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission. 31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare. 32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon. 33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him; 34. For these “graces of pardon” concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man. 35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia. 36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon. 37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon. 38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission. 39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition. 40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them]. 41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love. 42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy. 43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons; 44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God. 46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons. 47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment. 48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring. 49. Christians are to be taught that the pope’s pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God. 50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter’s church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep. 51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope’s wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold. 52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it. 53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others. 54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word. 55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies. 56. The “treasures of the Church,” out of which the pope grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ. 57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them. 58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man. 59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church’s poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time. 60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ’s merit, are that treasure; 61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient. 62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God. 63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last. 64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first. 65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches. 66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men. 67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the “greatest graces” are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain. 68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross. 69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence. 70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope. 71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed! 72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed! 73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons. 74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth. 75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God–this is madness. 76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned. 77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope. 78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii. 79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy. 80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render. 81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity. 82. To wit:–“Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial.” 83. Again:–“Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?” 84. Again:–“What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul’s own need, free it for pure love’s sake?” 85. Again:–“Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?” 86. Again:–“Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?” 87. Again:–“What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?” 88. Again:–“What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?” 89. “Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?” 90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy. 91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist. 92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace! 93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross! 94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell; 95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace. Disputatio pro Declaratione Virtutis Indulgentiarum Amore et studio elucidande veritatis hec subscripta disputabuntur Wittenberge, Presidente R. P. Martino Luther, Artium et S. Theologie Magistro eiusdemque ibidem lectore Ordinario. Quare petit, ut qui non possunt verbis presentes nobiscum disceptare agant id literis absentes. In nomine domini nostri Hiesu Christi. Amen. 1. Dominus et magister noster Iesus Christus dicendo ‘Penitentiam agite &c.’ omnem vitam fidelium penitentiam esse voluit. 2. Quod verbum de penitentia sacramentali (id est confessionis et satisfactionis, que sacerdotum ministerio celebratur) non potest intelligi. 3. Non tamen solam intendit interiorem, immo interior nulla est, nisi foris operetur varias carnis mortificationes. 4. Manet itaque pena, donec manet odium sui (id est penitentia vera intus), scilicet usque ad introitum regni celorum. 5. Papa non vult nec potest ullas penas remittere preter eas, quas arbitrio vel suo vel canonum imposuit. 6. Papa non potest remittere ullam culpam nisi declarando, et approbando remissam a deo Aut certe remittendo casus reservatos sibi, quibus contemptis culpa prorsus remaneret. 7. Nulli prorus remittit deus culpam, quin simul eum subiiciat humiliatum in omnibus sacerdoti suo vicario. 8. Canones penitentiales solum viventibus sunt impositi nihilque morituris secundum eosdem debet imponi. 9. Inde bene nobis facit spiritussanctus in papa excipiendo in suis decretis semper articulum mortis et necessitatis. 10. Indocte et male faciunt sacerdotes ii, qui morituris penitentias canonicas in purgatorium reservant. 11. Zizania illa de mutanda pena Canonica in penam purgatorii videntur certe dormientibus episcopis seminata. 12. Olim pene canonice non post, sed ante absolutionem imponebantur tanquam tentamenta vere contritionis. 13. Morituri per mortem omnia solvunt et legibus canonum mortui iam sunt, habentes iure earum relaxationem. 14. Imperfecta sanitas seu charitas morituri necessario secum fert magnum timorem, tantoque maiorem, quanto minor fuerit ipsa. 15. Hic timor et horror satis est se solo (ut alia taceam) facere penam purgatorii, cum sit proximus desperationis horrori. 16. Videntur infernus, purgaturium, celum differre, sicut desperatio, prope desperatio, securitas differunt. 17. Necessarium videtur animabus in purgatorio sicut minni horrorem ita augeri charitatem. 18. Nec probatum videtur ullis aut rationibus aut scripturis, quod sint extra statum meriti seu augende charitatis. 19. Nec hoc probatum esse videtur, quod sint de sua beatitudine certe et secure, saltem omnes, licet nos certissimi simus. 20. Igitur papa per remissionem plenariam omnium penarum non simpliciter omnium intelligit, sed a seipso tantummodo impositarum. 21. Errant itaque indulgentiarum predicatores ii, qui dicunt per pape indulgentias hominem ab omni pena solvi et salvari. 22. Quin nullam remittit animabus in purgatorio, quam in hac vita debuissent secundum Canones solvere. 23. Si remissio ulla omnium omnino penarum potest alicui dari, certum est eam non nisi perfectissimis, i.e. paucissimis, dari. 24. Falli ob id necesse est maiorem partem populi per indifferentem illam et magnificam pene solute promissionem. 25. Qualem potestatem habet papa in purgatorium generaliter, talem habet quilibet Episcopus et Curatus in sua diocesi et parochia specialiter. 1. [26] Optime facit papa, quod non potestate clavis (quam nullam habet) sed per modum suffragii dat animabus remissionem. 2. [27] Hominem predicant, qui statim ut iactus nummus in cistam tinnierit evolare dicunt animam. 3. [28] Certum est, nummo in cistam tinniente augeri questum et avariciam posse: suffragium autem ecclesie est in arbitrio dei solius. 4. [29] Quis scit, si omnes anime in purgatorio velint redimi, sicut de s. Severino et Paschali factum narratur. 5. [30] Nullus securus est de veritate sue contritionis, multominus de consecutione plenarie remissionis. 6. [31] Quam rarus est vere penitens, tam rarus est vere indulgentias redimens, i. e. rarissimus. 7. [32] Damnabuntur ineternum cum suis magistris, qui per literas veniarum securos sese credunt de sua salute. 8. [33] Cavendi sunt nimis, qui dicunt venias illas Pape donum esse illud dei inestimabile, quo reconciliatur homo deo. 9. [34] Gratie enim ille veniales tantum respiciunt penas satisfactionis sacramentalis ab homine constitutas. 10. [35] Non christiana predicant, qui docent, quod redempturis animas vel confessionalia non sit necessaria contritio. 11. [36] Quilibet christianus vere compunctus habet remissionem plenariam a pena et culpa etiam sine literis veniarum sibi debitam. 12. [37] Quilibet versus christianus, sive vivus sive mortuus, habet participationem omnium bonorum Christi et Ecclesie etiam sine literis veniarum a deo sibi datam. 13. [38] Remissio tamen et participatio Pape nullo modo est contemnenda, quia (ut dixi) est declaratio remissionis divine. 14. [39] Difficillimum est etiam doctissimis Theologis simul extollere veniarum largitatem et contritionis veritatem coram populo. 15. [40] Contritionis veritas penas querit et amat, Veniarum autem largitas relaxat et odisse facit, saltem occasione. 16. [41] Caute sunt venie apostolice predicande, ne populus false intelligat eas preferri ceteris bonis operibus charitatis. 17. [42] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Pape mens non est, redemptionem veniarum ulla ex parte comparandam esse operibus misericordie. 18. [43] Docendi sunt christiani, quod dans pauperi aut mutuans egenti melius facit quam si venias redimereet. 19. [44] Quia per opus charitatis crescit charitas et fit homo melior, sed per venias non fit melior sed tantummodo a pena liberior. 20. [45] Docendi sunt christiani, quod, qui videt egenum et neglecto eo dat pro veniis, non idulgentias Pape sed indignationem dei sibi vendicat. 21. [46] Docendi sunt christiani, quod nisi superfluis abundent necessaria tenentur domui sue retinere et nequaquam propter venias effundere. 22. [47] Docendi sunt christiani, quod redemptio veniarum est libera, non precepta. 23. [48] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Papa sicut magis eget ita magis optat in veniis dandis pro se devotam orationem quam promptam pecuniam. 24. [49] Docendi sunt christiani, quod venie Pape sunt utiles, si non in cas confidant, Sed nocentissime, si timorem dei per eas amittant. 25. [50] Docendi sunt christiani, quod si Papa nosset exactiones venialium predicatorum, mallet Basilicam s. Petri in cineres ire quam edificari cute, carne et ossibus ovium suarum. 1. [51] Docendi sunt christiani, quod Papa sicut debet ita vellet, etiam vendita (si opus sit) Basilicam s. Petri, de suis pecuniis dare illis, a quorum plurimis quidam concionatores veniarum pecuniam eliciunt. 2. [52] Vana est fiducia salutis per literas veniarum, etiam si Commissarius, immo Papa ipse suam animam pro illis impigneraret. 3. [53] Hostes Christi et Pape sunt ii, qui propter venias predicandas verbum dei in aliis ecclesiis penitus silere iubent. 4. [54] Iniuria fit verbo dei, dum in eodem sermone equale vel longius tempus impenditur veniis quam illi. 5. [55] Mens Pape necessario est, quod, si venie (quod minimum est) una campana, unis pompis et ceremoniis celebrantur, Euangelium (quod maximum est) centum campanis, centum pompis, centum ceremoniis predicetur. 6. [56] Thesauri ecclesie, unde Pape dat indulgentias, neque satis nominati sunt neque cogniti apud populum Christi. 7. [57] Temporales certe non esse patet, quod non tam facile eos profundunt, sed tantummodo colligunt multi concionatorum. 8. [58] Nec sunt merita Christi et sanctorum, quia hec semper sine Papa operantur gratiam hominis interioris et crucem, mortem infernumque exterioris. 9. [59] Thesauros ecclesie s. Laurentius dixit esse pauperes ecclesie, sed locutus est usu vocabuli suo tempore. 10. [60] Sine temeritate dicimus claves ecclesie (merito Christi donatas) esse thesaurum istum. 11. [61] Clarum est enim, quod ad remissionem penarum et casuum sola sufficit potestas Pape. 12. [62] Verus thesaurus ecclesie est sacrosanctum euangelium glorie et gratie dei. 13. [63] Hic autem est merito odiosissimus, quia ex primis facit novissimos. 14. [64] Thesaurus autem indulgentiarum merito est gratissimus, quia ex novissimis facit primos. 15. [65] Igitur thesauri Euangelici rhetia sunt, quibus olim piscabantur viros divitiarum. 16. [66] Thesauri indulgentiarum rhetia sunt, quibus nunc piscantur divitias virorum. 17. [67] Indulgentie, quas concionatores vociferantur maximas gratias, intelliguntur vere tales quoad questum promovendum. 18. [68] Sunt tamen re vera minime ad gratiam dei et crucis pietatem comparate. 19. [69] Tenentur Episcopi et Curati veniarum apostolicarum Commissarios cum omni reverentia admittere. 20. [70] Sed magis tenentur omnibus oculis intendere, omnibus auribus advertere, ne pro commissione Pape sua illi somnia predicent. 21. [71] Contra veniarum apostolicarum veritatem qui loquitur, sit ille anathema et maledictus. 22. [72] Qui vero, contra libidinem ac licentiam verborum Concionatoris veniarum curam agit, sit ille benedictus. 23. [73] Sicut Papa iuste fulminat eos, qui in fraudem negocii veniarum quacunque arte machinantur, 24. [74] Multomagnis fulminare intendit eos, qui per veniarum pretextum in fraudem sancte charitatis et veritatis machinantur, 25. [75] Opinari venias papales tantas esse, ut solvere possint hominem, etiam si quis per impossibile dei genitricem violasset, Est insanire. 1. [76] Dicimus contra, quod venie papales nec minimum venialium peccatorum tollere possint quo ad culpam. 2. [77] Quod dicitur, nec si s. Petrus modo Papa esset maiores gratias donare posset, est blasphemia in sanctum Petrum et Papam. 3. [78] Dicimus contra, quod etiam iste et quilibet papa maiores habet, scilicet Euangelium, virtutes, gratias, curationum &c. ut 1. Co. XII. 4. [79] Dicere, Crucem armis papalibus insigniter erectam cruci Christi equivalere, blasphemia est. 5. [80] Rationem reddent Episcopi, Curati et Theologi, Qui tales sermones in populum licere sinunt. 6. [81] Facit hec licentiosa veniarum predicatio, ut nec reverentiam Pape facile sit etiam doctis viris redimere a calumniis aut certe argutis questionibus laicorm. 7. [82] Scilicet. Cur Papa non evacuat purgatorium propter sanctissimam charitatem et summam animarum necessitatem ut causam omnium iustissimam, Si infinitas animas redimit propter pecuniam funestissimam ad structuram Basilice ut causam levissimam? 8. [83] Item. Cur permanent exequie et anniversaria defunctorum et non reddit aut recipi permittit beneficia pro illis instituta, cum iam sit iniuria pro redemptis orare? 9. [84] Item. Que illa nova pietas Dei et Pape, quod impio et inimico propter pecuniam concedunt animam piam et amicam dei redimere, Et tamen propter necessitatem ipsius met pie et dilecte anime non redimunt eam gratuita charitate? 10. [85] Item. Cur Canones penitentiales re ipsa et non usu iam diu in semet abrogati et mortui adhuc tamen pecuniis redimuntur per concessionem indulgentiarum tanquam vivacissimi? 11. [86] Item. Cur Papa, cuius opes hodie sunt opulentissimis Crassis crassiores, non de suis pecuniis magis quam pauperum fidelium struit unam tantummodo Basilicam sancti Petri? 12. [87] Item. Quid remittit aut participat Papa iis, qui per contritionem perfectam ius habent plenarie remissionis et participationis? 13. [88] Item. Quid adderetur ecclesie boni maioris, Si Papa, sicut semel facit, ita centies in die cuilibet fidelium has remissiones et participationes tribueret? 14. [89] Ex quo Papa salutem querit animarum per venias magis quam pecunias, Cur suspendit literas et venias iam olim concessas, cum sint eque efficaces? 15. [90] Hec scrupulosissima laicorum argumenta sola potestate compescere nec reddita ratione diluere, Est ecclesiam et Papam hostibus ridendos exponere et infelices christianos facere. 16. [91] Si ergo venie secundum spiritum et mentem Pape predicarentur, facile illa omnia solverentur, immo non essent. 17. [92] Valeant itaque omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi ‘Pax pax,’ et non est pax. 18. [93] Bene agant omnes illi prophete, qui dicunt populo Christi ‘Crux crux,’ et non est crux. 19. [94] Exhortandi sunt Christiani, ut caput suum Christum per penas, mortes infernosque sequi studeant, 20. [95] Ac sic magis per multas tribulationes intrare celum quam per securitatem pacis confidant.
As Peter starts his sermon it is important to remember the context. In context, this occurs immediately after Peter’s vision of the unclean animal’s being lowered down on the sheet, and God telling him to kill and eat. This was God instructing Peter that the gentiles are included in the New Covenant.
9 And on the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance 11 and *saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.” 16 And this happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. Acts 10:9-16
Peter begins to preach the gospel of Jesus for the gentiles in vv. 34-36. “34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 36 As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all– ”
He calls the Jews who were there to recall the first baptism mentioned in Acts chapter 10. It was John’s baptism of Jews for repentance. This is the baptism that Jesus participated in to fulfill all righteousness as as Jew. Even though He was not guilty of sin, nor did He need to repent of anything. He did it to fulfill all righteousness. This baptism of Jesus is not the baptism of New Covenant believers. We see later in Acts 10 which is the gentile believers being baptized as New Covenant believers. “37 you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.””
While Peter was preaching the gospel of Jesus to them, God poured out the Holy Spirit on them. This anointing was much like the anointing of the Apostles, and their disciples, who were with them at Pentecost. We know the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. We know it is the means He has ordained for the elect to come to the Faith. These gentiles who were there in this mixed crowd were born again by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus. Otherwise the Holy Spirit would not have been poured out on them in the fashion it was. They were speaking in tongues and magnifying God. In the next moment Peter addresses the mixed crowd. His question is an imperative in the form of an interrogative. 47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.”
As you can see, saving faith and repentance are the preconditions for believer’s baptism. Over time, I will continue to post these articles on believer’s baptism until I have went through the entire New Testament. It is important for people to realize that baptism does not expiate sin. It does not regenerate the sinner to new life in Christ. It certainly does not justify the sinner to God. It is one of two sacraments of the New Testament Church. It is a symbolic death, burial, and resurrection of the believer where they are identified with their risen Savior, and Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit Poured out on the Gentiles
“34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 36 As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ–He is Lord of all– 37 you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. 40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. 45 And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.” Acts 10:34-48 Legacy Standard Bible