Brother Mike Ministries

The many days of Judgment Day began on May 21, 2011!  
***
ETERNAL LIFE: No Longer Possible!! ***

Whoso keeps the commandment shall feel no evil: and a wise man's heart discerns [will know] both time and judgment - Ec. 8:5

© Copyright 2010-2016

Hebrews 6:1-2
We should be being brought to maturity - no infant baptism!
By Brother Mike (12-5-16; 40 minutes)
   


1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God ,
2
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment .


INTRODUCTION

In these verses of Hebrews 6:1-2, we are told that, having left the first word of Christ, which is having grown past the basic foundational teachings of Christ, these Hebrew Christians should by now be being brought unto maturity by Yahweh: that is, they should be growing beyond the milk of the Word, and into the solid food of the word. There should no longer be a need to lay again basic foundational teachings such as faith in God, repentance from dead works, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, but only the need to move on to become mature followers of Christ. As we become more mature followers of Christ, we will come to realize that Yahweh is not responsible for sin coming into the world even though He created Adam and Eve knowing that they would sin. And, we will come to recognize that the doctrine of infant baptism is a High Place of worship, and nothing more than a false doctrine of men.


Verse 6:1
:  

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God . . . 

In this verse, the first sentence reads, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ. Here, the first word, Therefore is more often translated as Wherefore, which for all intents and purposes means the same thing. But, the verb leaving in our sentence, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ is the translation of a participle that is in the Aorist Tense and Active Voice. The Aorist Tense while in the Active Voice means that the action of leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ took place at a point in the past (see Aorist Tense ); therefore, the first sentence of our verse should be translated,

1 Wherefore, having left the principles of the doctrine of Christ . . .  

And, then, the sentence, having left the principles of the doctrine of Christ is more of a paraphrase in the King James. A more literal translation would read like this: 

1 Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of Christ . . . Or, more simplified yet,  

1 Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ . . .    

Next, Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ, we read, let us go on unto perfection. Here, the verb translated as let us go in our sentence, let us go on unto perfection is not a command, but it is in the Subjunctive Mood, which is the mood of possibility or probability (see Subjunctive Mood ). If it has to do with possibility, it would be translated as we may go on unto perfection, but if it has to do with probability, it would be translated as we should go on unto perfection. Obviously, the context reveals that the best translation is that we should go on unto perfection since it is probable that once these Hebrew Christians have truly left the first word of Christ that Christ will insure that they will go on unto perfection as He will complete what He has started in them as we read in Philippians 1,   

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ . . .  

So, our verse now reads, 

1 Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ, we should go on unto perfection . . . 

Now, we should make note that the verb here that we have now translated as we should go on in the sentence, we should go on unto perfection is in the Present Tense and the Passive Voice. The Present Tense means that the action of the verb is ongoing or continuous in the present so that this verb can be translated, we should be going on [ongoingly] to better bring out that the action of the verb is ongoing or continuous (see Present Tense ). And, like we've said, this verb is also in the Passive Voice, which reveals to us that the subject we in the sentence, we should be going on unto perfection is passive in the matter of going on unto perfection (see Passive Voice ). We can show this in our translation like this:    

1 Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ, we should be being brought [ongoingly] unto perfection . . .  

This reveals that it is not these Hebrew Christians who are making themselves go on unto perfection, but they are being brought unto perfection by Yahweh. They and we Christians are passive in the process, which is amazing when we think about it because this means that it is not us, but it is Yahweh who empowers us to listen to, read, and study the Word of God, and then to apply what we learn to our lives. We can take no credit in moving on to perfection because from start to finish it is all Yahweh. He motivates us. He empowers us. He guides us. He does it all. Those who think that we play a part in our spiritual growth just don't grasp the depths of the sovereignty of God. He is in control of all things, and so He is responsible for us reaching perfection. Indeed, every breath we take is under His complete control. There is nothing that somehow escapes His sovereignty. 

But, if nothing escapes His sovereignty, one might say, then doesn't that make Yahweh responsible for sin? I mean, if Yahweh is in control of all things, then He must be in control of people sinning as well. And, we must reply: no, Yahweh does not make people sin, but He does guide their sin so that it works out perfectly to His sovereign plan. Think of it like a child going down a slide. Because of gravity, the child is always going to go down the slide, just like unsaved people are always going to tend toward sin by nature. But, Yahweh can so guide the slide by turning and twisting it so that the child comes down exactly where He wants him to. But, it was not Yahweh who was responsible for the child going down the slide; it was the child and gravity. Likewise, it is not Yahweh who is responsible for people sinning; that, they do themselves, but, nevertheless, He does guide their sin so that all things, including their sin, works out according to His sovereign plan. So, He is not responsible for making people sin, but He does guide their sin to accomplish His own purposes so that all things, including people's sin, are in His control.  

But, one might ask, didn't Yahweh create humankind knowing that they would sin? Isn't that the same as being responsible for their sin? I mean, if I create someone knowing he is going to do this, or do that, doesn't that make me responsible for what he does? After all, I created him, and I even created him with a free will, but, regardless, I knew that he was going to choose to sin when I created him, so doesn't that make me responsible for sin? To our minds, we say, yes, it absolutely makes Yahweh responsible for sin by having created man with a free will who He knew would choose to sin. But, the truth is, Yahweh is not responsible for sin. Somehow, beyond the complete comprehension of our finite minds, by having created man as a free agent who would freely choose to sin when he had the power not to, and even though Yahweh knew that he was going to choose to sin even though he had the power not to, Yahweh is not responsible for His sin. A mystery, yes, but, nevertheless, the truth. Yahweh, God, is not responsible for sin even though he created man in the knowledge that man would fall into sin as Yahweh knew all things. Just how Yahweh is not responsible is not clearly understood by our peanut brains, but, nevertheless, it is true. And, just as we cannot understand the doctrine of the trinity, the doctrine of the incarnation, and a variety of various other things in the Bible with our peanut brains, so, also, we cannot understand how Yahweh is not responsible for sin, although we believe He is not, because we know that it is impossible for Yahweh to sin.  

Well, let's get back to our verse, which states,  

1 Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ, we should be being brought [ongoingly by God] unto perfection . . .  

Now, what does it mean to be brought unto perfection? Because the word translated as perfection can just as well be translated as mature, being brought to perfection means to be brought to maturity. That is, it is Yahweh's goal that all those who are being saved; who have left the first word of Christ; be brought to maturity. And, as we read in Ephesians 4,   

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive ;
15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ . .

So, it is Yahweh's will that we know the Word of God well enough to not be deceived into false teachings and gospels. If we cannot be deceived, then we have reached full maturity or perfection. For instance, if we have not yet come to realize that the doctrine which claims that Christ died for sins at or before the foundation of the world, and that He merely demonstrated this dying when He came to earth and hung on the cross, is false, and we are tossed back and forth because of this false teaching, then we have not yet reached maturity. So, let us move on to perfection by comparing all things with the holy scriptures until we are satisfied that the true gospel is that Christ died for sins when He was on earth and on the cross, and realize that those who do not believe this are proclaiming another gospel (see The demonstration gospel is a false gospel , God cannot lie! and follow all links from those pages). 

Now, moving on, the latter part of our verse reads, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Here, the word the in the foundation of repentance . . . is not in the Greek and the word translated as toward in the phrase, toward God would be better translated as in. So, our entire verse now reads,  

1 Wherefore, having left the first word of Christ, we should be being brought [ongoingly by God] unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God . . .  

Hence, once we have been taught the basic foundational things of Christ, namely the first word of Christ, we should be being brought to maturity or perfection by Yahweh. If not, which appears to be the case for many of these Hebrew Christians, then it simply means that they were never actually saved, and so they need to hear the first word of Christ all over again in hope that this time they might be saved with the result that they will then be being brought by Yahweh unto maturity. 

Now, the rest of our verse begins to list the foundational teachings of Christ. The first mentioned is the repentance from dead works. Repentance means to change one's mind from how it once thought to seeking to obey Christ and His Word in all things including in thought, speech, and action. And, repentance from dead works is to stop thinking, saying, and doing things contrary to the Word of Christ, for these things are dead works in that they were works done while still spiritually dead or unsaved, but, instead, think, say, and do all things in accord with the Word of Christ, for these are the things a spiritually alive or saved person desires to do more and more. This means that a saved person must stop lying, cheating, stealing, fornicating (having sex before Marriage), committing adultery, coveting, reviling, worshipping false gods, and everything else that is contrary to sound teaching in the Word of Christ, the Bible. And, if one believes they are saved, but they continue in such things, they are a liar and the truth is not in them. For we read in 1John 2,  

1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him .   

This is so because when people become saved, they are given a new resurrected soul that has the power not to sin so that if they say they are saved and know Christ, and yet they continue in sin, we know that they are a liar, and the truth is not in them. Yes, we are saved by grace which has nothing to do with what we do since it is the gift of God, but it is a grace that empowers people not to sin. So, you show me a person who says he is saved by grace, but he continues in sin, and I'll show you a person who is saved by grace, but who has repented from his sins. You see, grace and faith without works is dead, and, so, if you think that you are saved, but will not repent of this or that sin, you have made yourself to be a liar, for real grace does not give license to sin, but it empowers the sinner not to sin.  

Now, the next foundational teaching of Christ that is mentioned in our verse is faith in God. This is the belief that Yahweh became flesh as the Christ, died on the cross, and rose from the dead in order that we be given eternal life. It is a belief or faith in God that we were gifted with at the point of salvation when we heard the gospel being preached to us. We read in Ephesians 2, 

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God . . .  

So, we may think that faith in God originated with us, but the reality is that faith was imparted to us upon hearing the Word of God, for as we read in Romans 10,  

Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God .  

Faith in God, then, is a requirement to be saved, and, so, we can see why it would be a foundational teaching of Christianity because the Christian life all begins with faith in God. And, once we have faith, repentance from dead works is right on its heels. That is, faith and repentance go hand in hand. Once one is gifted with faith to believe the Word of Yahweh, then repentance is sure to follow as a true Christian will desire to please God in every way, for through faith he has been given a new soul that hates to sin and has the power not to sin. Thus, both faith in God and repentance from dead works are both basic foundational teachings of Christ.    


Verse 6:2
:  

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment .   

In this verse, we continue with the list of foundational teachings that these Hebrew Christians have moved on from, and, so, they should be in the process of being brought by Yahweh to maturity. Nevertheless, they have not yet been brought to maturity as they seem to have been falling away from the truth and falling back into the Old Levitical way of thinking and doing things. So, there is concern that these Christians may need to be taught the foundational teaching of Christ all over again. And, here, the list of the foundational teachings that they should have left by now are listed. 

First, the doctrine of baptisms is listed as a foundational teaching that these Christians should be being brought from. The word here translated as baptisms literally means washings, and this reminds us of all the Old Covenant ceremonial washings that were once required for cleansing, but were abolished at the cross and fulfilled by Christ through the Spirit as He spiritually washed all His elect as we read in Titus 3:5 where we read,  

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the [spiritual] washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost . . .  

The point being that all the Old Testament literal washings by water pointed to, or typified, the spiritual washings by the Spirit for all those who are in Christ. The literal washings were abolished at the cross as we read in Colossians 2:13,   

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross . . .   

But, the spiritual washings that were once a mystery hidden behind all the figures and types of the Old Covenant were revealed and fulfilled in the spiritual salvation of the elect in the New Covenant. So, that which was a literal law to wash to be cleansed is now in the New Covenant a spiritual law administrated by the Spirit and not the hands of men. And, literal water baptism is a new literal and outward administration meant to mirror that which took place in the Spirit to every person who became baptized in the Spirit for salvation. Therefore, water baptism is a believer's baptism and not an infant baptism, for the only ones who should be water baptized are those who have been spiritually baptized into salvation as much as it is humanly possible. And, the only way to get some idea as to whether someone has been spiritually baptized into salvation is by their profession of faith and willingness to obey the commands of Christ. This cannot yet be seen in infants even if they be saved, so they should not be water baptized until they are old enough to manifest faith. 

Now, this all brings me to a discussion about water baptism and the false teaching of infant water baptism. As already stated, the Old law required various washings with water to be cleansed, but these washings with water all typified, or pointed to, and were fulfilled in the spiritual washing, or spiritual baptism, of salvation that took place to every one of Yahweh's elect. Therefore, the Old literal law of washings finds its fulfillment in the spiritual washing of the elect by the Holy Spirit which brings salvation. The Old literal law of washings was abolished at the cross, and a completely new outward and literal administration of water baptism, meant to mirror the actual spiritual salvation of an individual, was instituted. 

But, the infant baptizer bases their false doctrine on the Old law of circumcision. They will quote the covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and his seed in Genesis 17, which states,   

Gen 17: 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised .
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed .
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant
.  
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant .   

In this everlasting covenant with Abraham and his seed, Yahweh requires that Abraham and his seed circumcise their infants when they are eight days old (verse 12), and, since believers in Christ are the seed of Abraham as we find in the following two passages: 

Ga 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise

Ro 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all . . .   

The command to circumcise one's children is supposedly still binding to Christians only that circumcision has changed to baptism. The infant baptizer will support the change of circumcision to baptism with a verse such as Colossians 2,   

Col 2:11 In whom [Christ] also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ :
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead

In these verses, the infant baptizer will say, see, circumcision is equated with baptism in the New Covenant because we are told that the saved have been circumcised in Christ and this is further explained as being buried in baptism. But, what the infant baptizer fails to recognize is that these verses are not saying that literal circumcision is literal water baptism, but it is teaching that spiritual circumcision takes place in being spiritually baptized. Literal circumcision and literal water baptism are not even being discussed here.  

The truth is that the Old literal law of circumcision is fulfilled in the New spiritual baptism of the elect just as the Old literal law for various washings was fulfilled in the New spiritual washings, or spiritual baptisms, into salvation of the elect. The Old literal laws were abolished at the cross, which means that we no longer literally circumcise or water baptize people with our literal hands based on the Old literal law in Genesis 17, for it has been abolished and fulfilled, but the elect are spiritually baptized at the hand of God in the Spirit, and a new administration of water baptism was enacted to mirror this. So, the whole notion of infant baptism is based on a law that was abolished and fulfilled in the New Covenant. Those who continue to hold to infant baptism are doing the similar thing that these Hebrew Christians were doing: they were falling back into the Old law of Judaism that had been abolished by Christ at the cross and was being fulfilled in the Spirit in the New. And, spiritually, to fall back such as this was a denial that the Christ had come, for the literal law was temporary and like a school teacher to lead us to Christ. But, once Christ was revealed on the cross, there was no longer any need for a school teacher to lead us to Christ, and, so, the Old literal law was abolished to make way for the spiritual, which was hidden behind the types and figures of the Old, but was revealed in plain view in the New, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.   

Now, not even the infant baptizers are consistent in their application of the Old law of circumcision, for the Old law commands that infants are to be circumcised, which they take as to be baptized, on the eighth day after birth. But, what infant baptizer baptizes their infant on the eighth day in obedience to this command? There are none that I am aware! This is because they will recognize that the whole idea of being baptized on the 8th day was fulfilled on the cross as the cutting off of Christ on the cross was completed on the 8th day when He rose from the dead, but they will not acknowledge the fact that it was to literally be done to literal infants was abolished at the cross as well and fulfilled in the spiritual baptism of the spiritual infants of God, namely His elect, as brought to the forefront and revealed in the New Covenant. So, not even the infant baptizer is consistent in keeping the law of circumcision. Indeed, they keep to part of the literal law that infants are to be circumcised - they now say baptized - but they reject the rest, namely that it was to be literally administered on the 8th day. We, on the other hand, are consistent as we see the entire literal law of circumcision as abolished at the cross, but the spiritual law of circumcision continues as it is administered at the hand of Yahweh and not the hands of men. And, once one has been spiritually baptized in the New, he should be baptized by immersion rather than sprinkling or pouring as immersion more clearly mirrors the spiritual reality of his having been completely buried with Christ in the ground as well as his having been completely washed over his entire body, and then rising out of the ground (water) to new, resurrected life in the Spirit. 

This false teaching of infant baptism has through much of church history been one of Satan's greatest teachings of division. It has served him well. It has separated the best-intentioned Christians, and it still does. I remember when I attended a reformed seminary - I attended two different ones - which holds to infant baptism how zealously they held to infant baptism, and how they so fervently would teach it. I was sort of the odd-ball and considered to be the immature Christian who just needed more understanding, which, I guess, they hoped I would obtain through their teaching. But, instead, the Lord made it more and more clear to me that this doctrine of infant baptism was a High Place or idol of worship as it became clear to me after many years of being surrounded by it that it was nothing more than the doctrine of men, and those who held to it were being blinded as the wrath of Yahweh was then just beginning to come upon the churches in 1988 for the teaching of such false things.   

Well, there is much more that could be said against infant baptism such as there is no example of infants being baptized anywhere in the Bible as well as many other things, and there is much more that they use to maintain their High Place, but, for now, let's get back to our verse and the list of basic foundational teachings of Christianity that are currently under discussion. We just spoke a little on the foundational teaching on baptisms or washings; how the Old literal law of washings for cleansing were abolished at the cross while the spiritual washings to which the literal washings typified, or pointed to, continued and were clearly revealed in the New Covenant by the administration of the Spirit to the elect without the hands of men, but by the hand of Yahweh in spiritual baptism. Once one was spiritually baptized, he was then to be water baptized as an outward expression of what happened to him in the Spirit, namely that he was buried in baptism with Christ, and he rose to new life in the Spirit.  

Now, the next foundational teaching of which these Hebrew Christians should have matured beyond by now we are told is that of the laying on of hands. Our verse reads,  

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands . . . 

But, let's end this study here, and we will discuss the laying on of hands in our next study. 


CONCLUSION  

The Old, literal law of circumcision was abolished at the cross, and fulfilled in the spiritual baptism of the elect. Hence, we are not to circumcise or baptize our children based upon this abolished law, but, instead our children will have been spiritually baptized at the hand of Yahweh if they were of the elect by May 21, 2011 when Judgment Day began. And, when they are old enough to manifest their faith in Christ, then they are to be water baptized as an outward representation of what may have happened to them even when they were yet in the womb. So, water baptism is a believer's baptism only, and infant baptism is nothing more than a falling backward into the Old Covenant, and a doctrine of men rather than of God. For such things, comes the wrath of Yahweh upon men and churches.  

Next, we found that the basic foundational teaching of baptisms was referencing the Old Testament washings for being cleansed, which were abolished at the cross, and fulfilled in the spiritual baptisms of the elect. A new administration of water baptism for believers only was instituted in the New Testament.   

Then, also, we discussed some foundational teachings of Christ, which were repentance from dead works, and faith in God. We found that faith and repentance go hand in hand. Once one has been gifted with faith through the hearing of the Word and by the Holy Spirit that person will desire and have the power to repent of all sin. Therefore, a saved person cannot live in sin, but such a one has been given a new soul that hates to sin, and he or she will repent.  

But, these Hebrew Christians had already been taught these basic things of faith in God, and repentance from dead works, and, so, they should now be being brought to Christian maturity through the solid food of the Word.   

Are you being brought to Christian maturity in the Word? I sure pray and hope so! 


Now may the LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

4:13-16
5:1-5 
5:6-9
5:10-14
6:1-2

aaaaaaaaaaaaiii