Subject: MARK 16:16: Was it perverted? |
Bible Note: Brad, "Those who were "baptized into Moses" were the Egyptians- who's baptism (water) was unto death. Moses and the Israelites, on the other hand recieved a "dry" baptism and lived!" I don't see how the actual text supports your interpretation. The "all" repeatedly mention refers to "all our ancestors", the Israelites who were "baptized into Moses" even as are baptized into Christ. The "cloud and the sea" are as the "spirit and water" of baptism. The spiritual "food and drink", manna and water from the rock, are as the Eucharist, body and blood of Christ, the manna come down from heaven, the bread of life. The point Paul is making is that although baptism is important and God "saves" by it, we can still fall away as did many of those Israelites who were " all under the cloud and passed through the sea." "Yet God was not pleased with them and struck them down in the desert." (Numbers 14:26-29; Jude 5) "I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. And do not become idolaters, as some of them did, as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel." Let us not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell within a single day. Let us not test Christ 4 as some of them did, and suffered death by serpents. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall." So we should avoid overconfidence even if God uses "Spirit and water" baptism to save us, because He saved the Israelites by "the cloud and the sea" but still many fell away and were "struck down" by God in the desert for their idolatry. The same thing can happen to us. Emmaus |