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WHAT EARLY CHRISTIAN TEACHERS SAY
ABOUT: 1.  THE
HEAVENLY WATER BAPTISM:
"...this Jesus you have brethren, the door, the light, the
way, the bread, THE WATER, the life, the resurrection, the
refreshment, the pearl, the treasure, the seed, the abundance, the
mustard-seed, the vine, the plough, the grace, the faith, THE WORD:"
IT IS THE WISDOM WATER OF THE WORD FROM HEAVEN, not any water found on this
earth, as those carnal leaders who are of this world, would have mankind think.
Indeed, JESUS, THE LORD, THE WORD OF GOD MOST HIGH: "IS THE WATER, HE IS THE FOUNTAIN". That is why it is written, "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Jer.2:13 And again, "O LORD, the hope of
Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me
shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken
the
LORD, the fountain of living waters." Jer.17:13 "The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments." Ecclesiasticus 1:5 For
scripture does show us in many places, that there is
only
Indeed, the great high priest, our Holy Lord Jesus Christ, was at His Holy Divine altar long ago (we call it His cross), making His Holy Divine offering. And there at His altar, He prayed: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 And then after praying, He offered the SANCTIFIED WATER AND BLOOD FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. This is the water BAPTISM (AND THE ONLY WATER BAPTISM), That has the ONE Lordship, and the ONE faith, of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit IN IT. And so it is written, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Eph.4:5 This is the one and only Holy baptismal water for forgiveness of sins, that has been sanctified by the prayer of our most High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the one and only Holy baptismal water for forgiveness of sins, which is found coming forth in the Church, i.e., the body of our Holy Lord Jesus Christ. This is the one and only water baptism for forgiveness of sins, and there is no other water baptism found anywhere for forgiveness of sins. All other water baptisms are false, and are done in error. There is not any forgiveness of sins in them, nor any effect of salvation in them. And as we have seen from Jer. 17:13, all will be greatly ashamed who have forsaken our Lords "ONE LIVING WATER BAPTISM THAT HE GAVE TO HIS CHURCH", and have brought to the people, a false water baptism that was NOT our Lord's one water and blood baptism. And again our beloved apostle Peter says, "...knowing your origin, and being born again by the first-born water." Apostle Peter, The Clementine Homilies
And again, "... being born again to God of water,"
And again, "For thus the prophet has sworn to us, saying, Verily I say
to you, Unless ye be regenerated by living water into the name of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Heavenly souls, we must right now come to understand, that THE THRONE OF GOD IS IN HEAVEN AS IT IS WRITTEN, "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne" Matt. 5:34 And that THE LAMB OF GOD IS IN HEAVEN AS IT IS WRITTEN, "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Rev. 7:17 AND THAT THE BAPTISMAL LIVING WATER (the water of life) ONLY COMES OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OUT OF JESUS CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD AS IT IS WRITTEN, "And he shewed me a
pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of
the throne of God and of the Lamb." Revelation 22:1 FROM THIS WE SEE THAT THOSE WHO SYMBOLICALLY AND CEREMONIALLY WATER BAPTIZE IN WATER OF THIS WORLD ARE IN FALLEN CHRISTIANITY, AND THEY LEAD NO ONE TO THE HEAVENLY WATER OF THE WISDOM OF GOD, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.
"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." Joel 2:23
The
true baptismal water
found in Joel 2:23, is
the former and latter rain.
Which is the
Take a moment now to cross-reference, Acts 2:16-38, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:1-3, in order to see these things. For there has been a horrifying falling away from this truth. And mankind must now greatly repent, and turn and follow on now to know this rain of the Lord. For it is written,
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know
the Lord: His going forth
is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the
latter and former rain unto the earth." What is this LATTER AND FORMER RAIN? IT IS OUR HOLY LORD COMING TO US! He comes to us in THE BAPTISMAL WATER OF THE LATTER AND FORMER RAIN, as it is written, "...and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." And what will this coming IN THE BAPTISMAL WATER OF THE LATTER AND FORMER RAIN do FOR us? It will RAISE US UP AND CAUSE US TO LIVE IN HIS SIGHT! As it is written in Hosea 6:1-3, "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." That is why our Beloved apostle Peter in Acts 2:38, was leading them to THE BAPTISMAL WATER OF THE FORMER AND LATTER RAIN, that is found in Joel 2:23, and that can ONLY BE ENTERED IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD. The BAPTISMAL WATER WHICH IS ONLY FOUND IN, AND ONLY COMES OUT OF THE LORD'S HOUSE, FOR IT ONLY COMES OUT OF HIS TEMPLE, HIS BODY, HIS HOUSE, as it is written in the book of the prophet Joel,
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop
down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all
the rivers of
Judah (Judah = our Lord
Jesus Christ, for He comes from the tribe of Juda, Heb.7:14)
shall flow with waters,
and a fountain
shall come forth of the house of the LORD,
(the house, the temple, the body of
Jesus Christ, for He is the Lord, Acts 2:36)
and shall water the valley of Shittim
(For the watering of the true Christian
teachers, who would carry the ark, the body of our Lord, and the Holy
Spiritual new covenant that was in it, to the nations. Ex.25:10-15).”
Here we see that THE BAPTISMAL WATER OF LIFE, ONLY COMES FORTH FROM THE HOUSE, BODY, OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. For He is THE LORD, for Peter says, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36 Here we see that THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, should know assuredly THAT OUR HOLY JESUS CHRIST, IS THE LORD!
And indeed,
Oh heavenly soul, come now, come to our Holy Lord's one baptism that He granted only to His Church, His body that hung on His cross, His very own flesh and bone.
Come oh heavenly soul, come enter His
one baptism, so that your soul may be put into that flesh and bone of our
Holy Lord God ( For our Holy Lord did not wash your body with His blood and water, He only washed His very own body of flesh and bone with His blood and water.
Oh heavenly soul, if you will come and
enter His one baptism, then you soul will be put in
Oh heavenly soul, if you will come and
enter His one baptism, then our Holy Lord will give you a
And again, "He who will not now come to it still bears the spirit of strife, on account of which he will not approach the living water for his own salvation." Apostle Peter, The Clementine Homilies
"For thus the prophet has sworn to us, saying, Verily I say to you, Unless ye be regenerated by living water into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Apostle Peter, The Clementine Homilies THE WATER BAPTISM OF REGENERATION IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT, IS TO BE DONE IN WHAT WATER? AS WE HAVE JUST SEEN, "ONLY IN HIS LIVING WATER". AND NOTICE THAT THE APOSTLE PETER SAID THAT IF ONE WILL NOT COME TO THE HEAVENLY LIVING WATER, IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SPIRIT OF STRIFE. THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF STRIFE OF WISDOM BELOW, THAT FIGHTS AGAINST THE LIVING WATER OF WISDOM ABOVE (see JAMES 3:15-17). AND ALL WHO HAVE THIS SPIRIT OF STRIFE TOWARDS WISDOM ABOVE, MUST REPENT OF IT. And again, "But when the time began to draw near that what was wanting in the Mosaic institutions should be supplied, as we have said, and that the Prophet should appear, of whom he had foretold that He should warn them by the mercy of God to cease from sacrificing (here Peter is speaking about Deut. 18:15-19, Acts 3:22-26); lest haply they might suppose that on the cessation of sacrifice there was no remission of sins for them, He instituted baptism by water amongst them, in which they might be absolved from all their sins on the invocation of His name, and for the future, following a perfect life, might abide in immortality, being purified not by the blood of beasts, but by the purification of the Wisdom of God." Apostle Peter, Recognitions Of Clement
And again, "But in this present life, washing in a flowing river, or fountain, or even in the sea, with the thrice-blessed invocation, you shall not only be able to drive away the spirits which lurk in you; but yourselves no longer sinning, and UNDOUBTINGLY BELIEVING GOD... " Apostle Peter, The Clementine Homilies
Let us ask: what is that RIVER, OR FOUNTAIN, OR SEA, that the apostle is speaking about, for as we just read earlier, we saw that the apostle said that ALL PURIFICATION WAS TO COME FROM GOD'S HEAVENLY WISDOM: so is this river, this fountain, this sea, THE WATER, THE RIVER, THE SEA, OF GOD'S HEAVENLY WISDOM ABOVE? INDEED IT IS! As it is written, "I came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden. I said, I will WATER abundantly my garden bed : and, lo, my BROOK BECAME A RIVER, AND MY RIVER BECAME A SEA" Ecclesiasticus 24:30-31 Indeed, from these scriptures we see that in THE TRUE CHURCH, THE TRUE SPOUSE OF CHRIST, THERE IS NO OTHER BAPTISMAL FOUNTAIN, NO OTHER BAPTISMAL RIVER, NO OTHER BAPTISMAL SEA, THAN THE FOUNTAIN, THE RIVER, THE SEA OF CHRIST, WHO IS GOD'S WISDOM. And again,
“A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a
fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with
pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron; calamus
and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the
chief spices: A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters,
and streams from Lebanon.” In Song of Solomon 4:12-15, it is showing us that THE SPOUSE OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH, IS A GARDEN ENCLOSED, AND THAT WITHIN THIS ENCLOSED GARDEN, IS THE SPRING, THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS. A Church that is enclosed, and living water within it that is sealed up, cannot be open to strangers and profane persons.
The Church, and the well of living water, if it is one and the same
within, then he who is placed without cannot be quickened and sanctified
from that water of which it is only granted to those who are within to make
any use, or to drink.
"The Church is a people born again of water and the Holy Spirit…the living water, the very water which springeth from Christ…For Baptism is the Sacrament of the Lord's Passion…But what is grace? The remission of sin."
"Moreover, too, the Apostle Paul, more openly and clearly still manifesting this same thing, writes to the Ephesians, and says, Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water BY THE WORD, (see Ephesians 5:26) . But if the Church is one which is loved by Christ, and is alone cleansed by HIS WASHING, how can he who is not in the Church be either loved by Christ, or washed and cleansed by His washing?"
"... but it is now said of the water of life (cf.Rev.21:6; 22:1) which flowed from the wound in Jesus side (John.19:34). For Christ has covered the earth with holy and divine rivers. He who pours forth the divine water for the thirsty and makes water flow from his lance-pierced side (John19:34)."
And again, "Each of you should strive to become a divider of that water which is above and which is below, that is to say, by gaining an understanding and a share in that SPIRITUAL WATER which is ABOVE THE FIRMAMENT (Gen. 1:7), and draw forth "from his heart RIVERS OF LIVING WATER " (Jn.7:38) WELLING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE (Jn.4:14), separated, of course, and distinguished from the WATER WHICH IS BELOW, the water of the abyss in which the darkness is said to be."
"The LAW of the wise is a
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, to depart from the snares of death." And again, "The people received John, who was less than Christ. They reflected and thought, 'Perhaps he is the Christ'. But they did not receive him who had come, who was greater than John. Do you want to know the reason? Recognize this: John's baptism could be seen; the Baptism of Christ was invisible."
“Receive, then, THE WATER OF THE WORD; WASH, YE POLLUTED ONES; purify yourselves from custom, by SPRINKLING YOURSELVES WITH THE DROPS OF TRUTH."
“...but just His own flesh, which hung upon the tree like a cluster of grapes? From whose side also flowed two streams, of blood and water, in which the nations are washed and purified,”
And again, “But give me now your best attention, I pray you, for I wish to go back to the fountain of life, and to view the fountain that gushes with healing. The Father of immortality sent the immortal Son and Word into the world, who came to man in order to wash him with water and the Spirit...This is the water in conjunction with the Spirit, by which paradise is watered,"
"The woman of Samaria said to our Lord, “Lo! verily the well is deep.” Baptism though it be high, in its mercy has stooped down with us: for the atonement is from above that has come down unto sinners. “He that drinks the water that I shall give him, verily never again shall he thirst.” For this holy Baptism, for it, be ye athirst my beloved; never again shall ye be athirst, so that ye should come to another baptism."
"For the law of baptizing has been imposed, and the formula prescribed: Go, He saith, teach the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The comparison with this law of that definition, Unless a man have been reborn of water and Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens, has tied faith to the necessity of baptism."
And again, "by the faith which is on Him, the baptismal water of the tree of the passion of Christ, have revived, a faith from which Israel has fallen away,”
THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST.
1. "For Isaiah did not send you to a bath, there to wash away murder and other sins, which not even all the water of the sea were sufficient to purge; but, as might have been expected, this was that saving bath of the olden time which followed those who repented, and who no longer were purified by the blood of goats and of sheep, or by the ashes of an heifer, or by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith through the blood of Christ, and through His death, who died for this very reason, as Isaiah himself said, when he spake thus:”2."But there is no other way than this-to become acquainted with Christ, to be washed in the fountain spoken of by Isaiah for the remission of sins, and for the remainder, to live sinless lives." 3."As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.”
And in excerpt 2; that THE WATER ISAIAH SPOKE ABOUT WAS THE BAPTISMAL WATER GIVEN FOR REMISSION OF SINS. And in excerpt 3; that THIS BAPTISM IS NOW GIVEN IN THE BAPTISMAL FORMULA OF MATTHEW 28:19. Proving, THAT BAPTISM IN THE LORD'S NAME IS DONE ONLY IN OUR LORD'S HEAVENLY SPIRITUAL LIVING WATER BAPTISM. And again, "For The Messiah, being the first-born of every creature, became again the chief of another race regenerated by Himself through water, and faith, and wood, containing the mystery of the cross;"
And again, "The spring of living water which gushed forth from God in the land destitute of the knowledge of God, namely the land of the Gentiles, was this Christ,"
"Since the Son of God is always one and the same, He gives to those who believe on Him a well of water springing up to eternal life,"
2. THE HEAVENLY EUCHARIST:"Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within itself: For the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Christ our God, comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the faithful; and the bands of angels go before Him with every power and dominion, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia." Apostle James, Early Liturgies
"...enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we may partake without fear of condemnation of this heavenly and immortal food, and sanctify us wholly in soul, body, and spirit, that with Thy holy disciples and apostles we may say this prayer to Thee: Our Father who art in heaven, etc." Apostle Mark, Early Liturgies
And again, "The Priest says the prayer of the Oblation. O Sovereign Lord, Christ Jesus the Word, who art equal in power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the great high priest; the bread that came down from heaven, and saved our souls from ruin; who gavest Thyself, a spotless Lamb, for the life of the world...." Apostle Mark, Early Liturgies
"Praise be to Thy holy name, O Lord Jesus Christ, and adoration to Thy majesty, always and for ever. Amen. For He is the living and life-giving bread which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the whole world, of which they who eat die not; and they who receive it are saved by it, and do not see corruption, and live through it for ever; and Thou art the antidote of our mortality, and the resurrection of our entire frame." Early Liturgies Of The Blessed Apostles
"He might easily have come to us in His immortal glory, but in that case we could never have endured the greatness of the glory; and therefore it was that He, who was the perfect bread of the Father, offered Himself to us as milk, because we were as infants. He did this when He appeared as a man, that we, being nourished, as it were, from the breast of His flesh, and having, by such a course of milk nourishment, become accustomed to eat and drink the Word of God, may be able also to contain in ourselves the Bread of immortality, which is the Spirit of the Father."
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This site was last updated 10/21/07
