Christian Paradigm

By Rev. Dr. John Pappachan

Let Rev. John take you through the purpose, logics, and importance of Christian Life. His inspiring and in-depth discussions and teachings based on Biblical facts will give you new and enlightening insights into Christian living enabling you in your walk with Christ. The inspiration for this book is the dire need he has experienced among Christian families around the world for a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of Christianity, especially baptism. This book is an authoritative guidance on preparing for and conducting an empowered and elegant life with hope and faith for the blessed eternity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664288461

Rev. Dr. John Pappachan

Rev. John Pappachan is the founder of International Gospel Mission. He submitted himself to Christ at the age of fourteen and was called by God to spread the good news of Gospel in 1993 in a vision. His love for Christ and the gospel was further kindled after his death on an operation table a hospital and God’s mercy to return him to life. Ever since in his endeavors to teach pastors and teachers of the application of Bible principles in life God has taken him to various continents of the world including Africa, Asia, Europe and America. God has acknowledged his ministry through several healings, wonders and signs.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 Rev. Dr. John Pappachan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case

of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy

of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names

of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web

addresses or links contained in this book may have changed

since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the

publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8844-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8845-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8846-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023900333

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/13/2023

Contents

Introduction

Chapter     1

Chapter     2

Chapter     3

Chapter     4

Chapter     5

Chapter     6

Chapter     7

Chapter     8

Chapter     9

Chapter   10

Chapter   11

Introduction

The intention of this book is to give an insight to Christianity to those who are curios of its fundamentals, to provide guidance for those who are new and starting their faith walk with Christ, and to reinstate those who have backslidden from original faith and to provide a method for practical application of Christian principles to all those who are following and willing to follow Christ and long for Holy Eternity.

There has been much misunderstanding and criticism among Christians and others about Christianity and its rituals. There are different Christian denominations and churches that have its own approach and opinion on the matters of Christian behavior and lifestyle. The questions and arguments often ponder on whom to worship, how to worship, do we need a mediator to pray for us to God, if so, who is that, should we get baptized, if so, when, and how, who is a real Christian and so on. Another prominent debate is, are all people sinners? Is salvation a requirement for one that is born and brought up in a Christian family? Among all these baptisms and its importance is one of the most criticized and misunderstood ceremony. Some may ask why should I get baptized? What is the purpose of it? Who should get baptized? Is there a particular process or method how and when one should get baptized? Often the understanding of the baptismal candidate about baptism is minimal or none. One predominant persuasion to write this book is people appearing to get baptized without having a thorough understanding about Christian Life and the importance of baptism and its significance in life. Another area of concern is the understanding about sin and sinful lifestyle. Too much confusion about sin, sinner, and its relationship with salvation and baptism.

Many church members and churches consider anyone who is a member of a church or may be even attending the church services as a Christian. Yet some will argue that Christianity is a religion like any other and anyone practicing the rituals of the religion is a Christian. What is the truth? What is Christianity about? Where did it start? Who started it? Why is it important? Question after questions. There are so much confusion concerning the fundamentals of Christianity that are monstrous misrepresentations and misunderstandings.

There is only one place where we can find an answer for any of these questions, the Bible. The intention here is to answer, rather clarify, some of these questions and related misunderstandings. It is simple logic that ‘Christianity’ must start with Christ and His teachings.

In this book the attempt is to take an unbiased look at the teachings of the Bible about humanity, its highlights in relation to God’s expectation about human, and Christian Life. This writing is a humble venture to provide a clear understanding of Christianity and its relevance with God in the light of the Bible. We will explore the need for salvation, baptism, and how to continue the new Christian Life after baptism as it relates to the Scriptures of the Bible. We will also ponder on the reality of who is a Christian and what is the importance of salvation and baptism in Christianity. The statements and verbal illustrations used in this book are strictly Biblical factors and are verifiable.

To clarify the circumstances, I would take you back in the Biblical history and start with the creation to understand the need for repentance, salvation, and baptism in ‘Christian Living’. Contemplating from the beginning of creation as portrayed in the Bible we see that God created everything we see today and there is nothing in this world that is not His creation. All things were created according to His pleasure for His pleasure. We are placed on this earth in accordance with God’s Will for His Pleasure. (Philippians 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.) God created Adam for fellowship with him and to be in good pleasurable company. God used to visit Adam and his helpmeet in the garden of Eden in the evening cool of the day for fellowship and communion. (Genesis 3:8, And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…….). There is no evidence of baptizing Adam, the very first man or his wife. Why? Surely, there was no need for that. At that time, they were wrapped in glory and had no sin.We will see the reasons for repentance and salvation as we read through this book. We are all considered to be the descendants of Adam, the son of God, by creation. If there was no need to baptize Adam, how it became a need for his descendants? Is human (male and female) today different from the original Adam? If so, what changed them? What is a remedy for the current human situation? Is baptism really a remedy for the change? So many questions are addressed in the light of Bible Scriptures.

I will try and emphasizes the various factors that brought today’s man and woman to a position that they need to repent and be baptized to be Christians. Another emphatic situation around the world is people taking baptism considering it as a Christian ritual, and churches encouraging to take it without having a thorough understanding of its context and consequences to the baptismal candidate. It is an absolute necessity that the potential Christians to be fully aware of various aspects of sin, repentance, salvation, and its effect on their lives. I recently ran into a couple of baptism candidates who sincerely love Christ and wanted to be baptized. But these young people did not have a good understanding about sin, salvation or the purpose and significance of baptism. They wanted to be baptized simply because their parents encouraged them and kind of threatened, that it is needed to go to heaven. One of them said, I am afraid of the worms in hell, I do not want to go there, so I want to get baptized. Misleading teachings and standards.

As mentioned, this is an attempt to explore and confirm the fundamentals of Christianity, Baptism and Christian Life, in relation to the Bible and Jesus Christ’s teachings. Here I am presenting an unbiased scrutiny of Christianity in its entirety. The whole kit and caboodle. Everyone must read it, no, not just read, but study it. So, I encourage you to read it, comprehend it, practice it, and proclaim it to others. This book is also intended to serve as a guide and steppingstone for those readers who are enthusiastic to know the fundamentals of Christianity.

I would like to dedicate this book to all those who are Christians and yet to be Christians. I pray, that as you read through this book, the Holy Spirit to help you correctly interpret the contents discussed, clear any doubt, and bring a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Amen!

1

Chapter

Who we are?

The Bible teaches us, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2). From there, God worked for six days (God’s Day or our day? Do not know). Apostle Peter explains in 2 Peter 3:8, But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. So, how much time it took to bring the earth to the state that we see and cherish today? It is beyond our comprehension. God created the lights, the atmosphere with air, separated the dry land with mountains and valleys, from the waters; created the seas with volcanos and bottoms, created the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea, brought forth the grass and the trees, created the cattle and the numerous types of animals, dragons to lizards and all the cosmic bodies, the ones we see and don’t see. All looked very good, but, yet something was missing. What is going to be done with all these marvelous things? Who is going to enjoy it? Who is going to manage this great plethora of living and nonliving things? Then God said there needs to be someone with great ideas, strength, and intelligence to be in-charge of all these. God looked at all inhabitants of His great creation for a dominating leader to take care of the earth and its inhabitants. There was none. He saw only one solution; create one like Himself with His attributes and likeness. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. -Genesis 2:7. Pondering on to the creation of man we see, God created man in plural, and blessed them, and called their name Adam in the day when they were created. Scripture? Genesis 5:1-2, This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And note that, the first human is addressed plural (called their name Adam in the day when they were created). Let us remember God did not name the man and the woman separately. To God, they are Adam, His creation in his image and likeness. To God, she was also Adam. And God saw everything that he made was very good. How we know the name of the first man of the earth was Adam? In the book of Genesis, we see God calling them Adam. (And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? - Genesis 3:9). That was the God given name for the man; there was none else to name him, but God. When God created the initial man, He created a human of both male and female in a unisex body. When Adam was Blessed to be dominant and subdue the earth, the un-named female, woman, was there. Genesis 1:28, And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move upon the earth. The initial blessing for mankind was equally shared by both man and woman.

When God brought ‘Adam’ to the Garden and commanded him about the tree in the middle of the Garden, the woman was there. We read in Genesis 2:15-17, And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die. Later they were separated to male and female through the world’s first and most stringent surgery. Genesis 2:18, And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. As the female, the most suitable helpmeet, was inside the male, God had to perform the very first surgery in the human history with a deep sleep. Just like the anesthesia now. The Scripture says in Genesis 2:21-22, And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam, the singular male now, looked at the beautiful creation and said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.-Genesis 2:23. According to God’s standard, the man’s helpmeet was a woman, not another man or an animal. It is obvious that both Adam and his helpmeet were a pure and holy creation of God; there was no sin in them. But from where did sin come into the earth and engulfed humanity? Let us look through the sequence of events in the garden of Eden. As part of the original creation, God also created two very significant trees in the middle of the garden; the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:17). And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.- Genesis 2:16-17. Here let us remember ‘God is a Spirit’ and thereby His acts, deeds and conversations are directly related to ‘spirit’ not flesh or the human body. Is it in the Bible? Let us see, John 4:24, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Therefore, when God said, you shall surely die, He meant, "Adam you will be a spiritually dead man. The glory that enwraps both of you will be lost. You are not naked now; but you will be if you eat the forbidden fruit. The glory of God that cover your nakedness will be lost and you will be ashamed." They both, Adam and his helpmeet heard it. Adam was addressed plural at that time as seen in Genesis 2:18.

Let us ponder a bit on this matter. Genesis 3:1 state, Now the serpent was more subtill than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. One day the first woman of the world had an encounter with serpent. A meeting in which the subtill serpent explains to the woman the intentions of God – a kind of a theological conference. In this meeting the serpent was able to convince the woman that God did not reveal His full intentions and it is not forbidden to eat the fruits of the trees in the middle of the garden. Genesis 3:4-5, And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Pondering on to the conversation, in Genesis 3:6 we see, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. The woman was convinced by the serpent that the fruit of the forbidden tree is desirable to eat. Now that she is convinced, that God did not tell her the full truth; she reached out and plucked the good-looking fruit that was forbidden by God. After eating it herself, she fed Adam with the desirable forbidden food. After the feast of the forbidden fruit their fleshly eyes were opened, and they realized they do not look the same as before. Now they felt the nakedness.

Let us take a closer look into the details of this meeting between the woman and the serpent. One day the woman was having a very friendly conversation with one of the creatures called, serpent. We already saw earlier in Genesis 3:1 that, Now the serpent was more subtill than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Pay attention to the serpent’s question and the way it is presented. He used the term ‘every tree’ to confuse the woman. Have you met people in your life who would use compelling words like, ‘everyone’, ‘actually’, ‘seriously’, ‘really’, ‘surely’, etc., to stress the contrary of the truth? Be careful when listening to others for advice. These are the subtle followers of the old serpent trick in our community. What are the three important things the woman saw about the forbidden fruit? It is ‘good for food’, ‘pleasant to the eyes’, and ‘good to make one wise’. These are the three fundamental weapons the serpent (Satan) always uses against humanity – ‘the lust of the flesh’, the ‘lust of the eye’, and the ‘lust of life/fame’. Satan has only these three weapons against humanity. He even tried these against Jesus during the temptation in the wilderness.

Returning to our garden, the woman fell for the advice of the serpent. And the woman, (not named Eve, yet) replied to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. - Genesis 3:2-3. But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not ‘surely’ die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Another word, ‘surely’, purposefully used to confound her understanding of death. As we saw earlier, God said Adam and his helpmeet will be spiritually dead, and the serpent twisted it to the death of the body (flesh). Of course, if you disobey God the ‘flesh’ will not die; but only flourish. Even today among us are ‘serpents’ like the one we see in the ‘garden conference’. Beware of those. Be wise to choose with whom you will consult and from whom you will take advice.

Continuing the conversation, what are the key aspects here? The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was to be desired to make one wise. So, she took the fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he also ate. Disobedience to the commandment of God to satisfy the desires of the flesh, enticements of the eyes, and