HAVE YOU BEEN BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD?

The title for this article is taken from 1 Corinthians 15:29:  “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?”  The Mormons have built a key tenet of their religion on this Bible verse. Here is a brief statement from one of their websites that offers their explanation: “Baptism for the Dead, or Proxy Baptism is the means whereby those who never had a proper opportunity to accept Christ in life may have the opportunity to be baptized.”

For the source of this quote and more extensive information about the process of proxy baptism, please go to this website:

https://www.mormonwiki.com/mormon_beliefs_baptism_for_the_dead

This Mormon belief is an example of man’s interpretation of the Bible without adequate support of the Scriptures. There is much to discuss about this belief, but my focus is on the fact that they baptize in the name of Jesus. However, they are not alone.  The Catholics and most other Christian groups also baptize in the name of Jesus.  These groups use the name Jesus, despite the facts that there is no “J” in the Greek or Hebrew languages, the name of Jesus has only been known for the last 400 years, and that the Messiah was a Torah-abiding Jewish man.

Yes, the name of the Messiah is important! Peter tells us that we are to be baptized in Messiah’s name. (Acts 2:38) Baptism replaced physical circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12) and is as significant for obedience to the new covenant as physical circumcision was for the old covenant. However, for a valid baptism, you must use the correct name.

Messiah was a Torah-observing Jew who was born under the law. (Galatians 4:4)

He kept the law perfectly. How do we know this? We are told he was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)  To be without sin, you could not have transgressed the law. (1 John 3:4). Further, Messiah tells us in Matthew 5:17 that:  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Yes, Messiah died in sin, our sin, not his own.  Since it was not his own sin, he could not repent and therefore had to be resurrected by his Father.

We are told in John 1:29 that Messiah was, “the Lamb of Yahweh, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  He took our sin but did not commit sin himself. Paul tells us that Messiah became sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21)  In 1 John 1:7, we are told that Messiah “cleanseth us from all sin.” He took ALL the sin of all mankind on himself. He is the only human being to die in sin.  The Torah (Deuteronomy 21:22) tells us this:  “If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree.” (1Peter 2:24)  That verse describes Messiah. He was the only human being to die in sin and to be hanged from a tree.  Deuteronomy 21:23 tells us that this man also became a curse.  Galatians 3:13 confirms that it was Messiah who became a curse.

However, there was more that happened to Messiah than just becoming a curse.

He also lost his name. Deuteronomy 29:20 tells us this: “All the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and Yahweh shall blot out his name from under heaven.”   The loss of his name at death was not optional. It was the law.

Messiah died on a tree, not a cross. (1 Peter 2:24)  He was dead before the Roman spear punctured his body and released his blood into the ground. (John 19: 33-34) That blood is identified by his human or birth name.  His body was then taken down and placed in a tomb.

Father Yahweh resurrected his Son and restored the Son’s spiritual existence by his will. The human life and name were gone. Messiah’s spiritual life was restored with a new, inherited name, YahwehShua.

His life was in the blood and not in the tomb. (Leviticus 17:11)  Only his flesh and bone went into the tomb.  The Spirit of his Father resurrected his body. There was no need for blood. His blood absorbed ALL the sin of mankind and is therefore identified by his human name. That name is now defiled.  This is why he had to inherit a new name. (Hebrews 1:4) 

Messiah inherited a “more excellent name.” (Psalm 148:13; 8:9)  The inherited name was above his human name which was now gone. His inherited name was that of Yahweh, the family name. (Ephesians 3:15)

Messiah was now Yahweh-Savior or YahwehShua. (Isaiah 43:3,11; 49:26; 60:16)  The Father’s name is Yahweh, and the Son’s name is a combination of the Father’s name and the Son’s.  This is consistent with what we are told in Revelation 14:1 and Matthew 28:19.

Matthew 28:19 uses the singular name of the Father and Son.  The Spirit is not a person but a power. Revelation 14:1 says the 144,000 saints have the name of the Father and Son on their foreheads.  The King James Version of the Bible incorrectly translates the Greek with only the Messiah’s name. The Greek reveals

that it is the name of BOTH the Father and Son.  It is also important to note what the apostle John says in his second letter in verse nine:  “He that abideth in the doctrine of Messiah, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

To be resurrected when Messiah returns, you must have been baptized in the name of both the Father and the Son. This baptism allows the Spirit of the Father to freely give you the down payment of his Son’s Spirit. This down payment must be developed over time into the complete Spirit of Messiah (Galatians 4:19); it is not instantaneous.  You freely receive the Father’s Spirit, but Messiah’s Spirit must be formed during the rest of your life.

Paul confirms the importance of the Son’s Spirit in Romans 8:9: “Now if any man have not the spirit of Messiah, he is none of his.”  You must be baptized in His inherited name. If you have been baptized in any variation of the Son’s human name you have been “baptized for the dead.”  The human life, which remained in his blood in the ground, was defiled by all the sin of mankind.  His human name was blotted out and is now the name of death.

The baptizing that the Mormons, Catholics or any other group does in a human name is worthless. It ignores the scriptural requirements to have the name of the Father and Son.  All groups who baptize in the human or birth name of Messiah are committing the same error of baptizing for the dead.

The good news is that all mankind not properly baptized in their lifetime still will have the opportunity for life after death. The saints are resurrected when Messiah returns and do not face the second death. However, after the thousand-year reign of Messiah, all mankind ever conceived who were not in the better resurrection will be resurrected to judgment. This will be a physical resurrection, not spiritual. It is important to emphasize that not one human being will remain dead; all will eventually live at a spiritual level. The Father and Son do not leave any of their human creation dead. It is true that each resurrection has a different level of benefits, but all who are resurrected will live a spiritual existence.   A proper baptism prior to Messiah’s return gives you the greatest access to the kingdom of Yahweh. This is a very important point that you should carefully consider.

The human or birth name of Messiah is no longer relevant to salvation. Paul tells us in Romans 5: 10 that:  “We were reconciled to Yahweh by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” The name, YahwehShua, is the source of life. The human or birth name was only able to provide reconciliation.

The name of Yahweh has been known for thousands of years. Joel 2:32 reminds us that:  “Whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh [not LORD] shall be delivered.” Luke quotes this verse in Acts 2:21 and Paul also refers to the importance of this verse in Romans 10:13.

If you believe that scripture is not the truth of Yahweh, then you will have a chance to learn the truth in the general resurrection following Messiah’s reign.  If you desire the greatest access to the kingdom of Yahweh, then this would be through the better resurrection. (Hebrews 11:35)  If this is what you seek, then pray to Yahweh for truth and carefully consider the importance of understanding the blotting out of the name of Messiah. He lost his birth name for you and was given a new name for your life-saving baptism. You must have a baptism unto life and not a baptism for the dead!

 For more information, please contact the elder and ask him about a true baptism.

 If you wish to submit a question or comment, please email our Elder at john12e4567@gmail.com.

YOU NEED BOTH THE FATHER AND SON!

The apostle John had a very close relationship with Messiah. In John 20:2 he describes himself as the disciple whom Yahshua loved. Messiah, while hanging from the tree, entrusted his mother, Miriam, to the care of John. (John 19:26-27)  John is also the only one of the 12 disciples that was not martyred and was the last to die. It is for these reasons and others that his writings are of special significance.

It is because of John’s very close relationship with Messiah that I am especially drawn to John’s writings.  Please note what he tells us in 2 John 1:9:  “Whosoever transgresseth, and does not abide in the doctrine of Messiah does not have Elohim. He who abides in the doctrine of Messiah hath both the Father and the Son.” (Emphasis is mine)  He gives support to the doctrine of Messiah that Paul reveals in Hebrews 6:1-2. Especially note his reference to the importance of having both the Father and the Son. 

The importance of both the Father and the Son is further strengthened in Revelation 14:1. The King James Version says this:  “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”

In contrast to the above translation, I offer a more correct rendering of the Greek from the Emphatic Diaglott: “And I saw, and lo the lamb having been standing on the Mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty-four thousand, having the name of him and the name of the Father of him having been written on the foreheads of themselves.”  The King James Version only mentions the Father’s name, while the Greek actually says it was a name that included both the Father and Son. (See Bullinger’s Companion Bible footnote.)

This verse is revealing a time after the better resurrection of the saints and return of Messiah. Jude refers to this event in his verse 14:  “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying; Behold the sovereign comes with ten thousands of his saints.”

Why is it important to know that the Father and Son share the same name that is on the foreheads of the 144,000 saints?  For those who want to be among those saints, it is vital information.

Luke helps us understand the significance of this name in the book of Acts 2:37:  “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘men and brethren, what shall we do?’”   This is the same question we must ask ourselves to discover what we must do to be among the 144,000 saints.

What is so special about this first resurrection? John explains this in Revelation 20:6:  “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of Yahweh and Messiah, and shall reign with him 1000 years.”

According to Revelation 20:5, “the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” Those in the first resurrection were raised with spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:23)  All the rest of mankind being raised after the 1,000 years will have physical bodies. (Ezekiel 37: 1-10)  These must face the second death and are not considered firstfruits. (James 1:18)  It is the firstfruits that will be with Messiah for evermore and will be judging the angels and the rest of mankind.

Now, back to Acts 2, where the question “what shall we do?” was asked. Peter provided this answer in verse 38:  “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of YahwehShua [the King James version says Jesus Christ] for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Remember, circumcision of the heart replaced the requirement of physical circumcision.  Baptism became the new circumcision without hands. (Colossians 2:11-12)

Physical circumcision was necessary to be considered part of Israel and to participate in Passover. Messiah confirmed the importance of participation in Passover the night before he died. Before you can comply with Messiah and the keeping of Passover, you must first be properly baptized.

Peter said we are to repent. This is very clear direction. However, the more challenging requirement is in what name are we to be baptized into?

We know that Messiah was born with the name Yahshua. The world disputes this, but those who take the time to understand the Hebrew and Greek languages come to the same conclusion.  We also know that after death he inherited a new name. (Hebrews 1:4)  This is a very important distinction. Are we to be baptized in his birth name or in the name he inherited after death? They are very different.

Messiah was born under the law (Galatians 4:4) and he died under the law. He was sent by the Father to die in sin for the whole world. (1 John 2: 2)  He absorbed all the sin that belonged to mankind. Therefore, the only human to die in sin was Messiah. He became the embodiment of all the sin perpetrated by mankind.

Now, Messiah was under the law, from birth to his death.  Deuteronomy 21:22 tells us what the law says about any human being that dies in sin:  “and if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree…:” (not a cross)  And in Deuteronomy 29:20:  “Yahweh will not spare him, but then the anger of Yahweh and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses of this book shall lie upon him, and

YAHWEH SHALL BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM UNDER HEAVEN.” (emphasis mine)

Messiah was “that man”.  He was the only man to ever take upon himself the sin of the whole world. Only he suffered all the curses and only he had his name blotted out. Which name was blotted out?  The only name he had at that time was the name given to him at birth. This name was blotted out of the book of life so it could be the identifier for the blood that was poured out after his death, and had been defiled by all the sins from mankind that it had absorbed.  He lost his birth name. It was gone. To return to the presence of his Father, he had to inherit a new, undefiled name. He could not use a defiled name in the presence of his Holy, set apart Father.

Now, it is clear that the law required the blotting out of the man’s name that died in sin. There is only one person who meets this requirement and that is Messiah. When Peter tells us we have to be baptized in a name, it could not be in the name that was blotted out! Messiah lost his human birth name. This is why Paul tells us in Hebrews 1:4 that Messiah inherited a more excellent name. This name was better than any name, and especially the one that was blotted out.

What is this more excellent name? Let scripture answer this question. This answer must come from Yahweh’s word, not man’s interpretation.  Psalm 148: 13 provides the answer:  “Let them praise the name of Yahweh: for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven.”  Yahweh’s name is the only excellent name in the universe. Our Savior cannot have a defiled human name. Remember, he had to appear before Yahweh after his death to have his sacrifice accepted. He must have the more excellent name. We too, must use that more excellent name when we are baptized. He had to use that name to appear before his Father, and we have to use that same name to be in the better resurrection.

Peter was telling us in Acts 2:38 that we have to be baptized in the name of inheritance, YahwehShua, for the remission of sins.  As we have learned, Messiah lost the name of Yahshua. The world tells us that his birth name is still acceptable. Yahweh’s law tells us it is not!

Messiah was quoted in Matthew 28:19 instructing the disciples to baptize in the singular name

of the Father and Son. Adding “the holy spirit” has modified this verse.  The Holy Spirit is a power that emanates from Yahweh; it is not a person.  John tells us in Revelation 14:1 and 2 John 1:9 that this singular name is only that of the Father and Son. The addition of “the holy spirit” as a person created the concept of a Trinity.  This is a pagan doctrine going back thousands of years before Messiah walked the earth.

 A valid baptism is a requirement for Passover. Passover was a requirement of the old covenant and it continues to be a requirement under the doctrine of Messiah. (See Hebrews 6:1-2)  In Luke 22:19 Messiah says, “This do in remembrance of me.”  To be able to fulfill his instruction to us, we must be properly baptized. The only proper baptism is in the name of inheritance, YahwehShua. We must be obedient to his commands.  We find support for this in John 14: 23-24:  “If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”  A proper baptism is a requirement, not an option. We must be obedient. Yahweh demands obedience over sacrifice.  Once probably baptized, you are required to overcome until the end. Obedience is a necessary part of overcoming.

When the laying on of hands follows baptism by immersion, the Father’s Spirit is freely given. The Father’s Spirit implants the seed of the Son’s Spirit. The giving of the Father’s Spirit is instantaneous, but the Son’s Spirit is formed over time. (Galatians 4:19)

Overcoming is the successful formation of the Son’s Spirit within you.  You must have the fully formed Spirit of the Son before you die to be in the better resurrection.  Romans 8:9 is very clear regarding this:  “Now if any man have not the spirit of Messiah, he is none of his.”

It takes both the Father and the Son to have a valid baptism. The Father freely provides his Spirit to deliver the seed of Messiah’s Spirit to you. This one name for both the Father and Son is the key to this being accomplished.  This is why the human name of Messiah cannot be acceptable. The human name does not represent both the Father and Son. The Inherited name reveals that baptism has the joint approval and participation of both the Father and Son.

There are some distinct differences between the old and new covenants. These must be acknowledged and obeyed. You must come out of the old covenant and fully embrace the new covenant.  The sacrificial law of the old covenant was terminated with the death of Messiah on the tree. The new covenant began with Pentecost when the Spirit of the Son was available for implanting with the laying on of hands.

To become a saint, you must have the joint approval and participation of both the Father and Son. This process begins with the calling of the Father and the choosing of the Son. An individual can only become a saint by being called by the Father and chosen by the Son. The Father’s spirit implants the Spirit of the Son. To qualify for the better resurrection and be among the 144,000 saints, you must have the fully formed Spirit of Messiah within you at the time of your death.

Your status as a saint is a joint effort of the Father and Son. It takes both. The more excellent name reflects this mutual involvement. This name is not optional and neither is your obedience.

Recall the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: Yahweh, our Elohim is one Yahweh.”  Then in John 10:30, the Messiah was quoted as confirming the validity of the Shema by saying, “I and the Father are one.” The Father and Son are united in working together to create the saints. They are united in the selection and in the creation of the saints.

Please consider what we are told in Isaiah 43:11:  “I, even I, am Yahweh; and beside me there is no savior.” Yahweh again declares his status as a savior in 2 Samuel 22:2 and Isaiah 43:3. Both the Father and Son are involved in saving mankind. They are both involved in creating the first-fruits or saints.

Paul tells us this in Ephesians 3:14-15: “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Sovereign, YahwehShua Messiah, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” “The whole family of Yahweh” is the Father and Son, united. The new members of the Yahweh family are called saints.  This is why John proclaims in 1 John 3:2:  “Beloved, now are we the sons of Yahweh, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Earlier I had quoted John 14:3 which says: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”  This is a very good description of what happens when you obey Peter’s words and are baptized in the inherited name of Messiah. The Spirit of the Son develops within you.  Once you have the fully formed Spirit of Messiah, you are one with Him and the Father. That verse says, “we will come to unto him and make our abode [place where they live] with him.” They will be within us and we in them.

Embrace the truth. Understand the significant difference between the birth name and the inherited name. This knowledge will help you understand the importance of what Peter is telling us. Use the correct, undefiled name of YahwehShua.  The Messiah had two names, a physical name and a spiritual name. The physical name is of the flesh and blood that cannot inherit the kingdom. (1 Corinthians 15:50)  The inherited name is the name of life. This is the name that gives us the aionian life in the better resurrection.

The saints are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:12)  The Father and the Son have been united in this collaborative effort from the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)  This is why the name of the Father and the Son is so important. This is the key that unlocks the door to the better resurrection.  No human name can ever approach the more excellent name of both the Father and the Son.

Rejoice in the great name of YAHWEHSHUA!

 If you wish to submit a question or comment, please email our Elder at john12e4567@gmail.com.