tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post6804181534067144965..comments2023-12-27T19:24:48.254-05:00Comments on Tell me why the world is weird: John the Baptist was Kind of Obsessed with Fireperfectnumber628http://www.blogger.com/profile/10303683510076315803noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-82222863117379031602012-10-01T23:11:41.026-04:002012-10-01T23:11:41.026-04:00One reason I heard that Jesus got baptised is so t...One reason I heard that Jesus got baptised is so that those who believed but never were baptised could get into heaven. It was just another way that he lived the perfect life that God substitutes for ours. I think this reasoning is a way of explaining those verses that are like "You must be baptised in order to enter heaven" - not that I'm sure that that is EVEN a verse ... :)Natasha Kenealynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-58545814972397365372012-10-01T23:11:40.085-04:002012-10-01T23:11:40.085-04:00Hmm that's interesting- I've never heard t...Hmm that's interesting- I've never heard that explanation before. :)perfectnumber628http://tellmewhytheworldisweird.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-77372921091538654672012-09-26T21:33:33.912-04:002012-09-26T21:33:33.912-04:00Good call- I'd never thought of it that way be...Good call- I'd never thought of it that way before.perfectnumber628https://www.blogger.com/profile/10303683510076315803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-41066903613824045482012-09-26T21:32:33.214-04:002012-09-26T21:32:33.214-04:00Wow I totally forgot about the connection between ...Wow I totally forgot about the connection between John the Baptist and Elijah- that must be why Matthew points out John's clothes and stuff. Cool. ^_^perfectnumber628https://www.blogger.com/profile/10303683510076315803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-77914299086129262512012-09-26T16:45:51.441-04:002012-09-26T16:45:51.441-04:00John's clothes resembled those of the prophet ...John's clothes resembled those of the prophet Elijah (see 2 Kgs. 1:8). As the last great prophet of the kingdom of Israel, he repeated the call for repentance (from doing bad things, as you say)--and most especially, announcing a new kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. John's use of "fire" for future judgment also could relate to Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to consume the many false prophets of Israel.<br /><br />The Pharisees and Sadducees were not just religious leaders; they were national leaders, authorities over the kingdom of Israel (under Rome's watchful eye). The conflict between John, and later Jesus, with those leaders pointed out the major difference(s) between the two kingdoms.<br /><br />Jesus' baptism does show his approval of John's mission; yet his baptism is not about repentance; it is about beginning to fulfill the righteousness of the new kingdom. John wants to be baptized (with the Spirit) by Jesus; but Jesus is the first to be baptized (as an anointing) by the Spirit. The Spirit descends from heaven and anoints Jesus as the new king of the new kingdom, the beginning of the fullness of righteousness. Jesus will now rule as the righteous king, gathering a kingdom of disciples who will eventually be baptized with the Spirit and live according to Jesus' righteousness.<br /><br />The words of God (from heaven)--this is my son--point back to Ps. 2:7, where God decrees to his new anointed king: you are my son; in Ps. 2:2 the kings of the earth are against the Lord and his anointed one. Jesus' anointing at his baptism confirms his kingship, the beginning of the kingdom of (and from) heaven.<br /><br />The words about pleasing God point back to Isa. 42:1, where God will put the Spirit on his servant and he will faithfully bring righteousness (justice) to the nations (Gentiles). So Jesus receives further confirmation of his receiving the Spirit and new way of righteousness, and of beginning an international kingdom (of disciples), the new kingdom of (and from) heaven.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626292304461574111.post-1910429047433144922012-09-26T16:38:10.948-04:002012-09-26T16:38:10.948-04:00I imagine Paul's explanation of Abraham's ...I imagine Paul's explanation of Abraham's fatherhood in Romans 4 might illuminate some Pharisee's ethnocentric attitudes.TrueNorthnoreply@blogger.com