In the process of separating from the Catholic Church, Protestants separated from the deep spiritual realities of the true nature of being being born again.
I do not say this to ridicule. I say this because there is no true unity when there is no real expression of truth.
" Father I pray that they may be one, as you and I are one, so that the world may know that you have sent me."
Jn 17:21
Of course being born again for those of the age of reason takes the grace of the Holy Spirit to experience the love of Christ at its foundation, yet this is just the beginning of the true nature of being born again and you must see born again through the life of the first century church in order to truly understand it. You also can’t separate reason from scripture interpretation. Place your mind in the first century church.
If Paul thought his epistles conveyed a complete understanding of specific articles of faith, then Paul would be doing a lousy job. Paul is writing to churches he stayed with, raised up, developed with Bishops, priests and deacons. These are people he taught the faith to for up to three years at a time.
To Titus the Bishop of Crete he writes:
"For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee" Titus 1:5 DRB
To the church at Corinth he says:
The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord ? 1 Cor 10:16 DRB
The church At Corinth is already supposed to know what Paul is talking about. Does scripture give details about who specifically is allowed to bless the cup? What prayers are said in the benediction? What is the proper process of the blessing? Who is allowed to partake of the cup? What must they go through in order to partake? What types of baptism are acceptable and which are not? Pouring, sprinkling, immersion? No it does not. It's not designed to.
If I stayed with you for a year and taught you how to build a house, if I then went on my way and later I heard there was a problem with the wiring of the house. Would I write to you in my letter going back over the entire project or just the wiring? I would only find it necessary to go back over only the problem at hand. This is the nature of the epistles. This is why Protestants can't see baptism in verses like, Roman's 10:3 where calling on the name of the Lord was part of the repentance and acknowledgment process in the baptism ritual since the beginning of Christianity.
They can't see baptism when Paul refers to how we were saved by blood and spirit. Baptism is being saved by the blood of the Lamb. They do not understand how baptism destroys the past sins including original and there is something different in the sacramental life, " the way" , for the removal of future sins.
Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins ( past)
Romans 3:24
The spiritual nature of how the blood saves was in the heart of the church from its earliest days. It was in the mysteries of type and heavenly realities. One of the clearest vision of this is the mystery of the Red Heifer.
Every one that toucheth the corpse of a man, and is not sprinkled with mixture, shall profane the tabernacle of the Lord, and shall perish out of Israel: (And on that day I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. You have come to Mount Zion to the New Jerusalem. Peter you are rock…) because he was not sprinkled with the water of expiation, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall remain upon him…(Baptism now saves you)
17 And they shall take of the ashes of the burning and of the sin offering, and shall POUR LIVING WATERS upon them into a vessel.18 And a man that is clean shall dip hyssop in them, and shall sprinkle therewith all the tent, and all the furniture, and the men that are defiled with touching any such thing:19 And in this manner he that is clean shall purify the unclean on the third and on the seventh day. And being expiated the seventh day, he shall wash both himself and his garments, and be unclean until the evening.20 IF ANY MAN BE NOT EXPIATED AFTER THIS RITE, HIS SOUL SHALL PERISH OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH: because he hath profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, and was not sprinkled with the water of purification.21( Wear your wedding garment or there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth) THIS PRECEPT SHALL BE AN ORDINANCE FOR EVER. He also that sprinkled the water, shall wash his garments.
Numbers 19
Purged of past sins not future ones. On the narrow road of the " way" of transformation grace, future ones are left to a practice of humility. "He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.Jn 20:21. Sins cannot be retained unless they are first confessed.
"Concerning the teachings of the Church, whether publicly proclaimed (kerygmata) or reserved to members of the household of faith (dogmata), we have received some from written sources, while others have been given to us secretly, through apostolic tradition. Both sources have equal force in true religion. No one would deny either source—no one, at any rate, who is even slightly familiar with the ordinances of the Church. If we attacked unwritten customs, claiming them to be of little importance, we would fatally mutilate the Gospel, no matter what our intentions—or rather, we would reduce the Gospel teachings to bare words."
Saint Basil.
But the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God; for it is foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because it is spiritually examined.
1 Cor 2:14
Again we see from Peter this destruction of past sins.
8For if these things be with you and abound, they will make you to be neither empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he that hath not these things with him is blind and groping, having forgotten that he was (purged from “his old sins. “)
2 Peter 1
Paul does not need to use the word baptism and born again every time he describes the effect of baptism which was always
being born again, to those who were baptized into the church. They lived with him for up to three years and he is reminding them of the effects of their baptism into the church.
No one entered the church or participated in the Eucharist until they were baptized.
These mysteries were in the heart of the church due to persecution and sacredness. They were not spelled out in scripture in the epistles as if the epistles were a catechism of faith. They are not.
What did Christ mean when he said do not give what is holy to the dogs? The passage does not describe His intent.
He was referring to the Eucharist.
During the times of the apostles and before, dogs ran in packs and were considered vile creatures. It was sacrilegious to give to the Dogs what was sacrificed on the altar in the temple. Pigs had no use for pearls of great wisdom. Those sacrifices were types for Christ.
Do not give " that which is holy".
"That which is holy.—The words point to the flesh which has been offered for sacrifice, the “holy thing” of Leviticus 22:6-7; Leviticus 22:10;Leviticus 22:16, of which no un clean person or stranger, and à fortiori no unclean beast, was to eat. To give that holy flesh to dogs would have seemed to the devout Israelite the greatest of all profanations."
Unclean is fulfilled in unbaptized. Clean refers to baptism into Gods church which the disciples of the apostles referred to as among other things regeneration through the true bronze laver. In Titus 3 Paul says we are saved by the laver. The laver which was in front of the Holies. The veil into the holies represents the flesh of Christ and the church, Christ's bride. "The flesh is washed the flesh is sanctified."
What did Christ mean when He said , Do not give what is holy to the dogs"? Scripture does not give you the answer. Does the Didache written 30 years before the death of John?
Chapter 9. The Thanksgiving (Eucharist)
Now concerning the Thanksgiving (Eucharist), thus give thanks. First, concerning the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. And concerning the broken bread: We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving (Eucharist), but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, Give not that which is holy to the dogs. Matthew 7:6
Pauls epistles are letters only addressing what was pressing on his mind at the time to those who were already born again, redeemed, justified by being purged of past sins by receiving the grace given freely of baptism.
He is addressing people who he already taught the faith, to who were living in obedience to the faith. From the beginning of Christianity the church taught that the gifts of baptism were redemption, regeneration, justification, entrance into the promise of Abraham fulfilled as the chosen people, the Holy Nation, the Royal Priesthood that have put on their wedding garments so that they could participate with the hosts of heaven in the true Passover for the general redemption of the world. Baptism is spiritual preparation for the soul so that it could be united to heaven in the beatific vision of the Holy Mass.
2But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, 23And to the church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.
25See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon earth, much more shall not we that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.
Hb 12:22-25
Paul stayed with communities for up to three years, teaching them the faith, establishing churches that would baptize.
Another example is the failure of exegesis Protestants fall into in Titus 3:5. Again, this is baptism, being born again, without the word baptism. Titus who was ordained by Paul knows it's a deep mystery of baptism.
We were not saved from past sins which includes original sin, through our own justices but through the grace given freely of the laver of regeneration ( the Levitical Priests needed to wash in the the laver before entering the veil) or as modern versions say, bath of rebirth.
17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it: 19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it: 20When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord, 21Lest perhaps they die.
Ex 30:17-21
Lest perhaps you die.
Unless you are born again of water and spirit you shall not enter the kingdom of God?
If the kingdom of heaven has weeds in the wheat planted by Satan, then where is this kingdom? It's the one sacramental church God established through His blood.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost;
English Revised Version
not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
It’s obvious that this washing that regenerates is baptism.
In this washing is the purging of past sins?
Is purging of past sins being part of being born again?
I think this is obvious.
8For if these things be with you and abound, they will make you to be neither empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he that hath not these things with him is blind and groping, having forgotten that he was (purged from “his old sins. “)
2 Peter 1
So what happens after the Levitical priests wash in the Laver ?( are purified)
They enter the veil or sacrifice at the altar.
We are redeemed into the veil, the flesh of Christ.
19Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ: 20A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh: 21And a high priest over the house of God: 22Let us draw near with a true heart, in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies (washed with clean water.)
Hb 19:19
Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins for the promise is for you and for your children.
Is becoming a member of the family of God by way of the promise of Abraham fulfilled, part of being “ born again”? Of course it is.
Not as though the word of God hath miscarried. For all are not Israelites that are of Israel. 7Neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of God: but they that are the children of the (promise) are accounted for the seed.
Romans 9:6
Is being divinized so that we can, as the body of Christ with Christ as the head of the body and mediator, offer the true Passover for the sins of the world to the Father with the hosts of heaven, part of being born again in the promise of Abraham fulfilled?
Of course.
3As all things of his divine power which appertain to life and godliness are given us through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own proper glory and virtue. 4By whom he hath given us most great and precious (promises:) that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:3
26For you are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek: there is neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you be Christ's, then are you the seed of Abraham, heirs according to the (promise.)
Everything above is the promise.
Comentarios