חג פסח שמח

This section is an extension of the article titled "The Thou Art Holier Than Thou Tuant." I’m following up with something I left out that I want to include and then build a stronger case for my interpretation that a person cannot be in possession of the truth that can liberate them from slavery to sin if they are still indulging in the activity of committing sin. I aim to reexamine Apollos’ actions, as he stands as a prime example of a learned individual who was not baptized in the name of Yahushuah and ultimately did not have the Holy Wind of God.

“Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

CHAPTER 19

Paul at Ephesus

It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.” Acts 18:24-28, 19:1-7

The first part of the context of these verses concerning Apollos informs us of who he is, where he was—Ephesus—and that he was taught the way of the Lord, which is the message concerning all that God has done and will do. 

“Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue.”

Though he was teaching accurate things concerning Yahushuah, Apollos was only acquainted with the baptism of John. This means that he was not baptized in the name of Yahushuah. Understanding these facts provides key insight into Apollos before meeting Priscilla and Aquila and then after his encounter with them. To understand baptism in the name of Yahushuah, let's look at what Paul says about it.

But before I go there, I want to show you someone who was baptized in the name of Yahushuah and provide insight : just because you are baptized in Yahushuah’s name, that doesn’t mean you are granted access to receive the wind of God.

“But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” Acts 8:9-23 NASB

It is without doubt that when Simon listened to Phillip preach the gospel, he believed in the forgiveness of his sins by repenting and was baptized in the name of Yahushuah. However, it does not say that he was engendered from above. You will see that being born again is an entirely different experience of the whole process of salvation.

Simon was a pretender, lying to those who listened to him and admired his sorceries—fake displays of power—this was before he heard the basic message of the gospel of the promise concerning Yahushuah. But he had to genuinely believe the message of the gospel to go through the process of baptism by water in the name of Yahushuah. So he did!

Simon continued to follow Phillip the evangelist (Acts 21:8) and started slipping back into his old ways becoming possessed in trying to figure out how Phillip was doing the things that he was doing. Over time, Peter and John came down to the area that Phillip and Simon were in so they could pray that they, the new disciples who responded to Phillip’s message, could receive the Holy Spirit or correction—the Holy Wind. You must understand that God grants the Holy Wind only after approving the request. You can not and will not just receive the Holy Wind on your personal terms. God is going to allow you to go through tests to prove your belief in the basic aspect of the gospel concerning Hamashiach. Simon didn’t understand this, so he never received the Holy Wind. God knew he had interior motivation to abuse the gift of the Holy Wind by trying to profit. God is not stupid, folks.

When the Apostles perceived that their request was granted on behalf of those who truly believed the gospel, they laid hands on everyone except Simon. Why? Simon was a pretender. Though he genuinely believed the gospel and was baptized in Yahushuah’s name, he fell right back into his old ways. So he inquired about how he could receive the Holy Spirit's power. He offered Peter money to lay hands on him so he could receive the Holy Wind so that he could lay hands on others, intending to profit. Simon is considered the first prosperity preacher. One will never gain access to the Kingdom of God because it is granted by the reception of the Holy Wind.

Peter did not have favorable words for Simon after he made such an insidious request. This is what Peter said: 

“But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”

Simon stepped in a hole that he could not get himself out of by acting so dumb. He thought that something God grants for free could be purchased with money. Many prosperity preachers share this belief. They pay their superiors, hoping to buy a gift from God and sell it to their followers. All prosperity preachers have found themselves in a precarious situation. Simon placed himself in the crosshairs of God’s wrath, and Peter let him know that the situation was out of his hands by making this statement:

“and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”

Conditions are good under favorable circumstances, but in Simon’s case, the outlook isn’t good at all. Why? He may or may not have received forgiveness from God. Simon exemplifies numerous Christians who profess a new birth, yet persistently return to their previous practices. This is why John lets us know that a person who is born again cannot sin because the seed of the word of God—God’s seed—is in him.

Now that I have explained Simon’s situation and his circumstances after repenting of his sins and being baptized in the name of Yahushuah, let me get back to Apollos. I told you that Apollos was taught by someone who knew the way of God before his encounter with Priscilla and Aquila. Apparently, Apollos was able to impart some knowledge about Yahushuah, but he lacked accurate information about others. How much of the truth he accurately understood is unknown because the focus is on the fact that he only knew about John’s baptism. This means that the one who taught him either did not know himself or failed to tell him. I think it is both. Here is the conclusion: there were people going around spewing things they heard from the apostles but did not receive the gift of the Holy Wind. I come to this conclusion because John 20 and Luke 24 are the same events written from two perspectives of the same reality. In one view, Yahushua blew on his disciples and said, “receive the Holy Wind,” and in the other view Yahushuah opened their minds to understand the scriptures— that is, to accurately understand all of them. So you can’t gain an accurate knowledge and understanding of the scriptures without receiving the Holy Wind.

Apollos was taught the Lord's way by someone who left out the need to be baptized in Yahushuah's name, which is vital to salvation. The step that comes before the request can be made to receive the gift of the Holy Wind. All of Yahushuah’s apostles seemed to know, and Priscilla and Aquila understood it as well. So Priscilla and Aquila gave him complete insight into the truth so he could accurately understand the scriptures. How? They baptized Apollos in the name of Yahushuah. Then they had to pray for him to be granted to receive the free gift of the Holy Wind from God, and then they gave him insight to accurately interpret the scriptures.

Once all of this was complete, it says, 

“And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”

After gaining a true, accurate understanding of the truth, Apollos left Ephesus and went to the region of Corinth. This verse is important to understand because Luke is explaining what happened when Apollos left Ephesus for Corinth and what Paul did when he entered Ephesus. where Apollos was.

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.”

When Paul found some disciples, he asked them this question:

“ He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 

Paul was sent to resolve the issue that Priscilla and Aquila found in Apollos and many disciples in the region of Ephesus. What was that issue? Although Apollos had heard an accurate explanation of the promise of Yahushuah, there were still things left undone because people were going around doing things they weren’t called to do. God did not give the apostles’ disciples the authority to go around teaching the way of God. The apostles had to appoint someone to be an evangelist, pastor, or other assembly roles. And they only did that per God’s command, like Yahushah did for Paul. The Holy Wind charged Paul and made him an apostle. It should make you wonder about many people out there today. I include myself also. However, I can show the authority behind my actions. Therefore, the potential inquiry does not move me.

Getting back to Paul! He obviously went to correct the misinterpretations. So he explains the difference between John’s baptism and the baptism in the name of Yahushua. 

Here is a snippet of what Paul has to say about the parabolic pantomime of baptism in the name of Yahushuah: 

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”  Romans 6:1-14 KJV

There are many things I can get into explaining this parabolic pantomime, but I won’t here. I will focus on the key aspect I want to highlight. The parabolic pantomime is a ritual of commitment. When you go under the water—the water of death—you are rehearsing the death of Mashiach. Once you are parabolically dead, the slavery of sin can no longer control you. You are dead. Parabolically. Though it is a parabolic gesture, it has literal implications. By agreeing to be baptized, you have committed yourself to a new way of living represented by your ascension from out of the water. Most people face challenges here because they don’t realize that God is serious concerning commitments. When you rise from the water, you mock the Egyptians like Yahushuah did. The scriptures state that when Yahushuah came out of the water, the spirit of God descended on him. This mocks the Egyptian belief that when Osiris and Ra (the same person) crossed the sea of reeds, his Ba returned to him. The Ba of the Pharaoh was imaged as being a bird of some sort that parabolically represented his soul. This is why the gospels state that the wind of God descended like a dove on him. It was a mocking taunt to the beliefs of the Egyptians and at the same time exposed the truth. However, only if you understand Egyptian mythology can you see the places where God is mocking. In completing the parabolic pantomime of baptism in Yahushuah’s name, once you pass a series of tests that you truly believe that God wants you to cease from sin, will God grant the spirit of God to reside in you—that is, your heart—giving you the ability to engage in spiritual warfare when Satan tries to pull you back into the desires of the flesh? You made a commitment to live a new life when you rose out of that water, never to sin again. As Yahushuah has new life, he no longer battles the nature of mankind after yielding himself to the flesh of a servant. It is for this reason that he nailed the body of sin to the stake. Your sins as well as mine are symbolically washed away through the act of baptism. If you do partake in the baptism, then, as I mentioned above, you have made a commitment to leave your former life behind because you died when he died. Now you have a pretty educated understanding of why a person must get baptized. However, I warn you, God doesn’t take commitments lightly. The last point I want to make relates to Paul’s last statement. He says this: 

“For sin shall not have dominion over you.”

 If you are still sinning, then it has dominion over you, and you are its slave because you are continuing to obey its dictates. Which means you are not free, and the truth that you need to liberate you is not in your possession. If it were then you would be free. Pretty simple!

Then this happens:

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.”

Paul took them through the same process that Simon witnessed Phillip and Peter execute. After baptizing the new disciples, Peter prayed for them to receive the Holy Wind. When the request was approved by God, Peter laid his hands on them so they could receive the Holy Wind. Now, for the slow among us, many things can be transferred by the laying on of hands. This includes the transfer of sins to an animal before it is sacrificed. And wisdom like Joshua gained from Moses:

“And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Deuteronomy 34:9 KJV

Paul, an apostle, laid hands on them to receive God's wind and the spirit's gifts. When the eleven disciples received the Holy Wind, God granted them not only the ability to serve in whatever capacity God chose but also provided the ability to gain an accurate understanding of the truth. What that means for the disciples of the apostles, who make up the assembly, is this: when they heard the truth, they would instantly know it was the truth, which is why John says this:

“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” 1 John 2:20-22 KJV

This does not mean that they had no need to be taught the way of God. Wouldn’t it seem counter productive for God to send pastors/teachers to teach members of his body if all one needs to possess the truth is the reception of the Holy Wind? John is just saying that because they have that anointing in them, they will know the truth when they hear it because they are in possession of the seed of God’s word. This is why they will not believe someone who says Yahushuah is not the Mashiach. First, that is part of the basic gospel message that one must believe to gain forgiveness for their sins; second, that belief is sealed when you are granted access to receive the Holy Wind. This is also why it is said,

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” 1 Corinthians 12:1-2 KJV

Now that I have provided a mass amount of insight that one must know to understand the truth in how being forgiven of your sins and believing the gospel of salvation, does not mean one automatically receives the Holy Wind. I’ve demonstrated that there must be a request made to TMH, and TMH will approve or deny, as with the case of Simon, the so-called power of God, on the basis of an honest belief in the basic gospel message concerning Hamashiach and your sins.

John sheds light on what happens when someone truly receives the Holy Wind of God. Let's examine John's insights:

“16) If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17) All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. 18) We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:16-18 NASB

I’m going to provide an important key to an accurate understanding of the truth. You must rightly divide the word in it’s context. One cannot search all over the place, finding a piece here and a piece there, having not understood the context from which those pieces sit. Therefore, verse 18 is explaining what is meant to be understood in verses 16 and 17. John is basically telling you why a genetic brother who is committing a sin—obviously a sin not leading to death for which no one is permitted to gain life— it is because they are not born of God or engendered above. Now why I say he is referring to a genetic brother in this case is because a person who is born of God is engendered in God’s parabolic family, so he could not be speaking to anyone else but a genetic brother in this case. The point is, whether a genetic brother or a gentile, if you are sinning, a sin not leading to death, you are not born from above. He helps us understand this reality by saying, “We know that no one who is born of God sins,” and that is the reality. However, if you don’t believe me, then you will need to explain how a person can be born into God’s family when they can’t see the glory of the gospel of Christ, with a veil over their eyes preventing them. When the Wind of God comes to you and writes the Laws of God on your heart, you finally see why one must cease from sin. That person is also liberated from slavery to sin because he has received an accurate understanding of the seed that was placed in him. That seed is also responsible for engendering you in the family of God:

“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,

AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.

THE GRASS WITHERS,

AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,

BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:23-25

Though John does describe what is responsible for putting you in the engendering process to become a child of God, he does make it clear elsewhere:

“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:7-9 KJV

When one becomes born of God, John says he cannot sin. This statement can be challenging for those who are reading it, as their conscience may be judging them for hidden sins they haven't been forthcoming about. You need to acknowledge that you are pretending and come to God to get the issue resolved. I happen to believe it because I know what it is like to pretend before God and then be delivered by God from a thirty-year addiction to pornography.

After explaining all of this, the big question that comes to mind is this: ” If speaking in tongues is a sign of being born again, then am I good?” Well, I will have to evaluate the claims of those who believe they are speaking in tongues within the Christian church. Am I to believe that just because it seems like people are speaking in tongues, they actually are speaking in tongues? You need to ask yourself, “Will Satan stoop that low by bringing about some false experience among people who say they are of the assembly? If you want to see if you are truly speaking in tongues—that is, in a different language— then use Google Translate, I suppose. You need to know that Satan will imitate God wherever possible. Therefore, just because something sounds good, it doesn't necessarily mean it's authentic. Speaking in tongues is not the only sign of the Holy Wind. There is the gift of the Wind of God. But Satan has also imitated the gifts of healing, a gift that is said to come from the Wind of God. Two people come to mind. Benny Hinn and Kathryn Kuhlman. However, they aren’t the only ones who fake reports of healings. The only sign left is the one that Satan can't imitate, so it's the most trustworthy. The sign is that you have ceased from sin. This sign is based on observance of God’s commandments:

“20 And God spoke all these words 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal.16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 

These same commandments are what God will use to judge the world when the time comes. Satan may be able to imitate speaking in tongues. Satan may be able to imitate false healing, faith, etc. He can't imitate the act of ceasing to sin. First, it contradicts his entire purpose as a deceiver and a false accuser. Second, he is the progenitor of those who sin. Do you really think he will abandon his wicked seed? They are in his image and likeness. Third, his followers will say anything to convince others that it's impossible to stop sinning after being born again. The one who is of God will not sin; he cannot sin because he is a child of TMH.

The church, which claims to be Christian, or as it should be translated—a slave of the Anointed One, has taught many things that don’t agree with the writings of Moses, the prophets, and apostles. But I'll withhold my judgment for now, as the right moment has not arrived. When it comes, I will be in full force providing testimony, as a witness, against this wicked world.

But I do want to mention one last thing. People misinterpret Paul’s honesty regarding his struggles with sin as a conclusive problem that he continued to suffer throughout his life after his Damascus experience. That’s a lie. Paul, through Hamashiach, overcame the impulses of sin. This is why he discusses slavery to sin extensively. I guess people just don’t want to accept the fact that a born-again believer can not sin. Maybe because it is not a reality in their lives, and that seems to be the problem with most Christians.