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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christ's Entering at the Baptism


THE Nestorians were quite correct when they stated Christ entered into the Body of Jesus at the time of the Baptism.

 In the Gospel of Mark we find:

"Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" 1:11
some manuscripts add:

"Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Psalms 2:7)

This is one of those cases were the Gospels were changed to fit in with preconceived ideas.

We find proof in Augustine’s (circa A.D. 400): Book XI, ch. xiii, 16 Confessions
Quote:
Therefore, thou didst generate the Coeternal, to whom thou didst say, "This day I have begotten thee."
Obviously this was how it read in 400 AD.

Quote: CHAPTER XIV. The Mysteries of Christ's Mediatorial Work (48-49) and Justification (50-55).

This is the reason for the Voice of the Father spoken over him at his baptism, "Today have I begotten thee," which pointed not to that particular day on which he was baptized, but to that "day" of changeless eternity, in order to show us that this Man belonged to the personal Unity of the Only Begotten. For a day that neither begins with the close of yesterday nor ends with the beginning of tomorrow is indeed an eternal "today."
Quoting Faustus in Anti-Manichaean Writings Book XXIII. Point 2
“when about thirty years old, according to Luke, when also the voice was heard saying to Him, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee."
Again the correct verse is quoted from the Gospel as it stood at that time.

Please note that Augustine did not attempt to correct this.

Further proof:
The author of Hebrews made it clear:
"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee." Hebrews 5:5

The Author quotes it that way!

For to which of the angels did He ever say, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"?
-Hebrews 1:5
Where else in the Gospels does God say this? Ipso facto....

And another point:

Mark 1:10: The writer of Mark uses the Greek preposition eis (into) while Matthew and Luke use epi (upon) to describe how the Spirit comes to Jesus. Robert Fowler (1996) pointing out that the understanding of the later writers is often read back in Mark, observes:

"...Mark is portraying for us a person being invaded and possessed by a spirit. In Mark, Jesus becomes spirit-possessed."

Fowler also points out that in Mark the Spirit is not specified as Holy, though Matthew and Luke are careful to make that clear.


And now to quote Jerome:
Further in the Gospel which we have just mentioned we find the following written: “When the Lord came up out of the water the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and rested on Him saying, ‘My Son, in all the prophets was I waiting for You that You should come and I might rest in You. For You are My rest. You are My first begotten Son that prevails forever.’ ” (Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah 4)
-Authentic Matthew (Gospel of the Hebrews)

Justin (b. 100 C.E.):
When Jesus went down into the water, fire was kindled in the Jordan, and when he came up from the water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. The apostles of our Christ wrote this. (Justin, Dialogue, 88)

Justin:
The voice spoke to him, saying, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”. This is recorded in the Gospel of the Apostles. (Justin, Dialogue, 103)
Epiphanius:
After saying many things, this Gospel continues: “After the people were baptized, Jesus also came and was baptized by John. And as Jesus came up from the water, Heaven was opened, and He saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove and enter into Him. And a voice from Heaven said, ‘You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.’ And again, ‘Today I have begotten You.’

“Immediately a great light shone around the place; and John, seeing it, said to Him, ‘Who are you, Lord? And again a voice from Heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’ Then John, falling down before Him, said, ‘I beseech You, Lord, baptize me!’ But He forbade him saying, ‘Let it be so; for thus it is fitting that all things be fulfilled.’” (Epiphanius, Panarion 30.13.7)