Comments on: Genealogy and Mission

By: Mike Bull

Mike Bull — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:40:17 +0000

On Doug’s blog post ( http://www.dougwils.com/Life-in-the-Regeneration/the-erstwhile-queen-of-norway.html#josc60376 )

Marc Hays commented:

“The cool thing about fruit is that inside of each you find seeds, which are God’s provision for a future orchard.”

My reply:

Mark – for sure. But the New Testament presents a very different kind of “virility” than the Old. That’s because the Bible’s history is not simply one of maturation but restoration. The last Adam is a better fruit than the first one.

Jesus has a different kind of children. They are not genealogical but spiritual (obedient). Even eunuchs can now have sons of God.

http://www.bullartistry.com.au/wp/2010/07/16/new-covenant-virility/

By: Mike Bull

Mike Bull — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:33:43 +0000

Tom – good observation. I should brush up on my Feasts!

By: Mike Bull

Mike Bull — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:33:00 +0000

Steven – It;s a good question. I don’t think there was one single baby present at John’s baptism. It was a baptism of repentance.

However, as usual, there are patterns within patterns. Just as there was a threshing between the Red Sea and Jordan, and a Holy Place between the “divided waters” of the Veil and Laver (Division and Conquest), so the ministry of Jesus takes us from resurrection to resurrection, from Jewish baptism to Jew-Gentile baptism, from Head to Body. See:

http://www.bullartistry.com.au/wp/2012/02/17/parameters-of-cleansing/

By: Tom Thiessen

Tom Thiessen — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:16:56 +0000

Thanks for this. You have articulated much that I think but have not said so clearly. I see Pentecost as tying into your distinction of seed/fruit as well, since Pentecost is the feast of the harvest. Not the first-fruit (Jesus’ resurrection), but 50 days after the sickle is first put to the grain, the feast of the harvest. We live in the age of harvest(fruit). We have a mission.

By: Steven_Opp

Steven_Opp — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:57:25 +0000

Yeah, I guess I’m trying to figure out why John was baptizing people if they weren’t given a mission, if baptism is fundamentally tied to mission (which the paedos don’t believe, as far as I can tell). What’s the purpose of John’s baptisms? I’ve heard various takes on it, but I’m interested to hear yours. If John’s baptism is a different sort than the baptisms after Pentacost (since John wasn’t baptizing people into the body of Christ), then the paedobaptists would not accept the argument of Jesus being baptized at 30 as valid if it is a different sort of baptism.

By: Mike Bull

Mike Bull — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 07:00:44 +0000

I think it was a similar situation to Samuel’s anointing of David. The Father said, “This one,” and immediately He went.

By: Steven Opp

Steven Opp — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 06:22:47 +0000

Jesus was baptized by John and it was a mission baptism, but were the baptisms by John given to others a different sort of baptism because it doesn’t seem as though the other people he baptized were sent on a mission? If so, could you explain the difference (I’ve always been a little confused as to why John was baptizing before Jesus).

By: Mike Bull

Mike Bull — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:11:27 +0000

Yes – personally I believe that greater estate was the “heavenly country.” Old Covenant Israel (well, ALL the OC saints, plus the NC martyrs) took part in the first resurrection. The Abrahamic promises were fulfilled and they now rule with Christ (Rev 20). They are the foundations and gates of the New City. As we obey the apostles’ doctrine, we ascend to join their worship and share in their communion.

By: MarkO

MarkO — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:06:39 +0000

“The Old Testament is about seed. The New Testament is about fruit.”

*like

I am also wondering if Barnabas (Acts 4) selling his plot of land as an expression of the Christian taking on a greater estate is another fact to consider. Especially since Levites were not supposed to sell their land in the old covenant. His greater estate (and ours) being union with Christ and the expanding universe of believers in Christ.

“But the fields of the open land about their cities may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession” (Leviticus 25:34).