Early Mark 9:1 Comments

The thought that Baptists actually came from the Churches of Christ in Britain before 1700 is a part of history they would want lost. Seven of 54 churches in Britain broke off into Calvinism and eventually left the COC.

The interesting thing is we can show that none of these churches were premillennial, they all believed in the current kingdom of Christ. Most Baptists and Pentecostals today believe Christ's kingdom is future. It is important because Pentecostals who claim to be led by the Holy Spirit actually teach opposite from the Apostles concerning the kingdom of Christ.

Peter in Acts 2:30-37 declared Christ's reign had begun and the kingdom fulfilled. Paul in Colossians 1:13 said we are translated into the kingdom of the Father's dear son. It exposes Pentecostalism as fraudulent.

When looking at early Baptist writers we see they believed Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 were fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles with power from on high, and proven in the fall of Jerusalem where Jesus exercised judgment. We see this also in early Presbyterians who turned to Calvinism. We can say with certainty that almost all churches fro the 1400's to the 1900's believed in the current kingdom of Christ.

.

Albert Barnes Commentary (Presbyterian)

Mark 9:1

And he said unto them,.... Both to his disciples, and the multitude,

verily I say unto you, there be some of them that stand here; that were then living, and upon the spot,

which shall not taste of death, or die,

till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. When Jesus was declared both Lord and Christ, by the wonderful effusion of the Holy Spirit; the Gospel spread in the world both among Jews and Gentiles, in spite of all opposition, under the power and influence of the grace of God, to the conversion of thousands of souls; and that branch of Christ's regal power exerted in the destruction of the Jewish nation; See Gill on Mat_16:28. This verse properly belongs to the foregoing chapter, to which it is placed in the Vulgate Latin version; and so it concludes one in Matthew, and ought not to begin a new chapter.

and in Matthew Henry's Commentary concerning Matthew 16:28. (Baptist)

(2.) The near approach of his kingdom in this world, v. 28. It was so near, that there were some attending him who should live to see it. As Simeon was assured that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ come in the flesh; so some here are assured that they shall not taste death (death is a sensible thing, its terrors are seen, its bitterness is tasted) till they had seen the Lord's Christ coming in his kingdom. At the end of time, he shall come in his Father's glory; but now, in the fulness of time, he was to come in his own kingdom, his mediatorial kingdom. Some little specimen was given of his glory a few days after this, in his transfiguration (Mat_17:1); then he tried his robes. But this points at Christ's coming by the pouring out of his Spirit, the planting of the gospel church, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the taking away of the place and nation of the Jews, who were the most bitter enemies to Christianity. Here was the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Many then present lived to see it, particularly John, who lived till after the destruction of Jerusalem, and saw Christianity planted in the world.

We see that almost all early commentaries teaching that Christ's kingdom came in the early days of Christianity when Christ was coronated at his ascension. Modern day Baptists and Pentecostals are the Spirit of anti-Christ by denying Christ's current reign.

We can also study their quotes from Revelation commentaries to verify the same, consider Matthew Henry on Rev. 14.

Christ is with his church and in the midst of her in all her troubles, and therefore she is not consumed. It is his presence that secures her perseverance; he appears as a Lamb, a true Lamb, the Lamb of God. A counterfeit lamb is mentioned as rising out of the earth in the last chapter, which was really a dragon; here Christ appears as the true paschal Lamb, to show that his mediatorial government is the fruit of his sufferings, and the cause of his people's safety and fidelity.

Since almost all early Baptists taught as the Church of Christ does today, they should simply repent and return to the truth.

Early Methodists also were in agreement with the Church of Christ.

Joseph Benson (1749-1821)

Matthew 16:28

Verily, there be some standing here, &c. — And that you may not doubt that there shall be a day of judgment, when I shall come clothed with divine majesty, to render unto men according to their actions in this life, let me assure you there are some here present that shall not die till they shall see a faint representation of this, in events which will soon take place, especially in my coming to set up my mediatorial kingdom with great power and glory, in the increase of my church, and the destruction of mine enemies. Accordingly the disciples saw their Master coming in his kingdom, when they were witnesses of his transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension, and the miraculous gifts of his Spirit conferred upon them; and lived to see Jerusalem, with the Jewish state, destroyed, and the gospel propagated through the greatest part of the then known world.

Benson referred to it as Christ's mediatorial kingdom. It was a common understanding among almost all groups before 1900.