D&C 22 = JST-Matt. 9:18-21 Chiasm

In PDF

Note:  The first half of this chiasm, the ideas in ascending order, comes from jst-Matthew 9:18-21, and the second half of the chiasm, the parallel ideas in descending order, comes from Doctrine & Covenants section 22.

jst-Matthew 9:18-21

. . A v18 Then said the Pharisees unto him,

. . . . B-1 Why will ye not receive us
. . . . .B-2 with our baptism,

. . . . . . C seeing we keep the whole law?
. . . . . . . . D v19 But Jesus said unto them, Ye keep not the law.
. . . . . . . . . . E If ye had kept the law,
. . . . . . . . . . . . F ye would have received me,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G for I am he who gave the law.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 v20 I receive not you with your baptism,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H-2 because it profiteth you nothing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I v21 For when that which is new is come,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1 the old
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J-2 is ready
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-3 to be put away.

Doctrine and Covenants 22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-1 v1 Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J-2 have I caused
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J-3 to be done away in this thing;

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I and this is a new and everlasting covenant,⁽¹⁾
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I even that which was from the beginning.⁽²⁾

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 v2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H-2 it availeth him nothing,⁽³⁾

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G for you cannot enter in⁽⁴⁾
. . . . . . . . . . . . F at the strait gate⁽⁵⁾
. . . . . . . . . . E by the law of Moses,⁽⁶⁾
. . . . . . . . D neither by your dead works.⁽⁷⁾
. . . . . . C v3 For it is because of your dead works⁽⁸⁾

. . . . B-1 that I have caused this last covenant
. . . . . . . . and this church to be built up unto me,⁽⁹⁾

[Omission] even as in days of old.⁽¹⁰⁾

. . . . .B-2 v4 Wherefore, enter ye in at the gate, as I have commanded,⁽¹¹⁾

. . A and seek not to counsel your God. Amen.

In PDF

by Sterling D. Allan; Tucson, Arizona; May 3, 1995

New Wine in New Bottles
(jst-Luke 5:36-39)

    v36 And he spake also a parable unto them, saying, No man putteth a piece of new cloth upon an old garment; if so, then the new maketh a rent, and agreeth not with the old.
    v37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
    v38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
    v39 No man also, having drunk old wine, desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.

  Commentary

See J.J. Dewey's commentary on baptism in light of D&C 22

The following comments are similar to his.

From: Randall Shortridge <rds@acsu.buffalo.edu>
To: David's Outcasts <davids_outcasts@listbot.com>
Date: Monday, October 25, 1999 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: all those without the law

David's Outcasts - http://www.GreaterThings.com/OpenForum/Davids_Outcasts.htm


D&C 22 is a very enlightening passage of scripture.  It is only four verses long and is all about this topic of the necessity of baptism.

Read it very carefully.  Notice particular the third verse about "... because of your dead works, I give this church unto you."  The Moroni passage also talks about putting ones faith in dead works.

The dead works are the outward ordinances.  The outward ordinance of baptism is a dunking process.  It is only symbolic of the real baptism and has no power to save, but rather the real baptism (death of the old person, and rebirth of the new) is the real baptism. 

Anyway, notice how D&C 22 is all about this question.  The Lord tells them not to sweat the outward ordinances, but to come into the gate (the new and everlasting covenant).  But, they completely missed the point. So, they emphasized the importance of dunking in water and came to where the LDS are today with emphasizing dead works (work for the dead). 

Randall

From: Laura S Shortridge <lsshortridge@juno.com>
To: davids_outcasts@listbot.com <davids_outcasts@listbot.com>
Date: Monday, October 25, 1999 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: all those without the law

David's Outcasts - http://www.GreaterThings.com/OpenForum/Davids_Outcasts.htm

Stephen,
     I just reread D&C 22 again, too... and I have to agree with Randall.
The key verse is:

>3. For it is because of your dead works that I have caused this last
>covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of
>old.

I guess I had never paid attention to that before, that the covenants
and church are given to us "even as in days of old" because of our dead
works.  That is, we get we are willing to accept and what we ask for.
(i.e., You want a king?  Okay, people, I'll give you a king.  "Oh, look,
the Lord gave us a king.  We are suppose to have a king, thus sayeth the
Lord.")  We are like the Jews in Moses' day who rejected the highest law
and were thus given a lower law.  Is baptism necessary for me?  Yes,
because I'm a low-life telestial being. I rely on the outward ordinances
to remind me of what is supposed to take place inside of me. Is it
necessary for someone on a higher spiritual plane?  I'm not so sure now.
I'm not in a position to judge anyone else and what is necessary for
them. 

Love always,
Laura

  Endnotes

1. [See Jer. 31:31-34.]

2. [See JST-Gen. 14:28,31,34,40 (26-40).]

3. [See 2 Ne. 31:21; John 3:5; Msh. 27:26; Alma 5:24; Jer. 36:26,27.]

4. [See 2 Ne. 9:41.]

5. [See John 10:9.]

6. [See 2 Ne. 11:4; Jacob 1:7; JST Exo. 34:1,2.]

7. [See D&C 1:15,16; 50:4-7; 76:29-31; 112:26; 3 Ne. 16:10; Isa. 1:11-15; 29:13; Ezk. 12:2; 13:16,19.]

8. [See Matt. 23:13; Ezk. 34:2; 2 Ne. 19:16,17; D&C 86:3; Isa. 28:1,7,8; Ezk. 22:25-29; 20:31,38,39.]

9. [See Ezk. 11:18-20; 13:21; 17:22-24; 18:31; 20:33-43; 21:25-27; 34:10,11,16,27; JST-Isa. 52:15; JST-Matt. 21:55,56; 3 Ne. 16:11; D&C 50:8; 64:39,40; 85:7; 113:7-10 = 115:3-5; 114:2.]

10. [See Ezk. 20:35,36; D&C 103:18-20.]

11. [See 2 Ne. 31:17; 32:5.]

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