being such?” Paul’s words following this statement may shed light on the matter. He goes on to say that he and his companions were in peril every hour, and that he himself faced death daily. (1 Cor. 15:30, 31) Again this brings to mind Paul’s statements at Romans 6:3-5 and Philippians 3:10, 11, when he points out that he is submitting himself to a death like Christ’s, being buried through baptism into his death with the hope of a resurrection like his.

GOD DETERMINES THE BAPTIZED ONE’S PLACE IN HIS PURPOSE

It should be noted that the one being baptized in water enters a special relationship as Jehovah’s servant, to do His will. The individual does not determine what the will of God is for him, but it is God who makes the decision as to the use of the individual and the placing of such one in the framework of His purposes. For example, in times past, the entire nation of Israel was in special relationship with God; they were Jehovah’s property. (Ex. 19:5) But only the tribe of Levi was selected to perform the services at the sanctuary, and out of this tribe only Aaron’s family constituted the priesthood. (Num. 1:48-51; Ex. 28:1; 40:13-15) The kingship came to be established exclusively in the line of David’s family by Jehovah God.—2 Sam. 7:15, 16.

Likewise those who undergo Christian baptism become God’s property, his slaves, to employ as he sees fit. (1 Cor. 6:20) An example of God’s direction of such matters is found at Revelation chapter 7, where it is stated that there is a definite number of persons “sealed,” namely, 144,000. (Rev. 7:4-8) Paul explained that that seal is God’s holy spirit and that it gives those sealed a token in advance of their inheritance, a heavenly one. (Eph. 1:13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:1-5) He also told these having such a hope: “God has set the members in the body [of Christ], each one of them, just as he pleased.”—1 Cor. 12:18, 27.

Jesus called attention to another group when he said: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) These not of the “little flock” (Luke 12:32) are gathered as the work of making disciples of people of all the nations progresses “until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:20) These must approach Jehovah through Jesus Christ and be baptized in water.

The vision given to the apostle John, as recorded in Revelation chapter 7, harmonizes with this when, after showing John the 144,000 “sealed” ones, it turns his eyes to “a great crowd, which no man was able to number.” These are shown as having “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” indicating faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. (Rev. 7:9, 14) They are therefore given favorable recognition, “standing before [God’s] throne,” but are not those whom God selects to be the “sealed” 144,000. As to this “great crowd,” the vision goes on to point out that they serve God day and night, and will be protected and cared for by him.—Rev. 7:15-17.

BAPTISM WITH FIRE

John the Baptist, when many Pharisees and Sadducees came out to his baptism, called them “offspring of vipers.” He spoke of the coming One and said: “That one will baptize you people with holy spirit and with fire.” (Matt. 3:7, 11; Luke 3:16) The baptism with holy spirit took place as described earlier. The fiery baptism could not be, as some say, the tongues of fire at Pentecost, for the disciples there were not immersed in fire. (Acts 2:3) John told his listeners that there would be a division, there would be a gathering of the wheat, after which the chaff would be burned up with fire that could not be put out. (Matt. 3:12) He pointed out that the fire would be, not a blessing or a reward, but because ‘the tree did not produce fine fruit.’—Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9.

Using fire as a symbol of destruction, Jesus foretold the execution of the wicked to take place during his second presence, saying: “On the day that Lot came out of Sodom it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. The same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is to be revealed.” (Luke 17:29, 30; Matt. 13:49, 50) Other instances of fire representing, not a saving force, but a destructive one, are found at 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Jude 7 and 2 Peter 3:7, 10.

BARABBAS

(Bar·abʹbas) [son of the father, master or teacher].

The imprisoned criminal guilty of robbery, sedition and murder whom Pilate set free in place of Jesus. Pilate did this, “wishing to satisfy the crowd” who clamored for his release at the insistence of the chief priests and older men. The name Barabbas suggests that he may possibly have been the son of a rabbi or Jewish leader.—Matt. 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:16-25; John 18:39, 40; Acts 3:14.

This unique custom of releasing a prisoner on the eve of the Passover every year finds no basis or precedent in the Hebrew Scriptures and little support, if any, in Roman or other pagan practices. However, certain Rabbinical writings indicate that this custom may have been from a Jewish source that predated the Roman occupation of Palestine. This explains why Pilate said to the Jews: “You have a custom that I should release a man to you at the passover.”—John 18:39.

BARACHEL

(Barʹa·chel) [God blesses].

Father of Job’s friend Elihu; a Buzite, likely a descendant of Abraham’s nephew Buz.—Job 32:2, 6; Gen. 22:20, 21.

BARACHIAH

(Bar·a·chiʹah) [Jah blesses].

Father of the Zechariah who was murdered “between the sanctuary and the altar.”—Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:50, 51.

As to the words “son of Barachiah,” they are not found in Luke’s account and they are omitted from Matthew’s account in the Codex Sinaiticus. Some scholars believe that they are possibly an addition to the text made by a “corrector” who confused this Zechariah with Zechariah the prophet “the son of Berechiah.” (Zech. 1:1) However, there is no evidence that the latter prophet was murdered. Another suggestion is that Jehoiada, the father of a Zechariah who was murdered, may have had two names, as is the case with other Bible characters. (Compare Matthew 9:9 and Mark 2:14; Matthew 10:2, 3.) The meaning of Barachiah is much like that of Jehoiada, which means “Jehovah knows.”

It is generally understood that Jesus here referred to Zechariah “the son of Jehoiada the priest.” (2 Chron. 24:20-22) This is the most logical conclusion, since Chronicles is listed last in the traditional Jewish canon, thereby making Abel the first and Zechariah the last righteous man recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures as murdered. According to 2 Chronicles 24:21, Zechariah was murdered “in the courtyard of Jehovah’s house.” The altar of burnt offering was in the inner courtyard, outside of and in front of the entrance to the sanctuary. This would correspond with Jesus’ location of the incident “between the sanctuary and the altar.”

In the cases of both Abel and Zechariah a reckoning for shedding of blood was foretold. (Gen. 4:10; 2 Chron. 24:22) Also, there is a strong parallel between the circumstances and events in the days of Zechariah the son of Jehoiada and those of the generation living when Jesus spoke these words. As Zechariah was dying he said: “Let Jehovah see to it and ask it back.” Very soon his prophetic words began to be fulfilled. A small Syrian force came up and Jehovah delivered a great military force of Judah into their hand, the princes of Judah being greatly ruined and despoiled. The Syrians executed acts of judgment on Jehoash and left him with many diseases, after which he was murdered by his servants. (2 Chron. 24:23-25) After describing the bloodguilt of those to whom he was talking, Jesus said: “All these things will come upon this generation.” (Matt. 23:36) Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled in a major scale on Jerusalem and Judea in 70-73 C.E.

If, indeed, the name Barachiah was inserted by a “corrector” at Matthew 23:35, based on the traction that Isaiah and Jeremiah were martyred later, as some believe is the case, this would betray an unfamiliarity of such a “corrector” with the order of the Hebrew canon, and it does not seem to be the likely solution.

Another suggestion, based on the old age of Jehoiada, is that Jehoiada may have been the grandfather, not the father, of Zechariah and that the name of the father (Barachiah) was preserved in the genealogies of the priests. But this is not generally given wide acceptance.

BARAK

(Baʹrak) [lightning-flash].

Son of Abinoam of Kedesh in the territory of Naphtali. During an early period in the time of the judges the Israelites fell away from true worship and so for twenty years God permitted them to be oppressed by Jabin, the king of Canaan. They cried out to Jehovah for relief and it was then that Barak became their God-appointed leader. (Judg. 4:1-3) Whereas the Israelites’ Canaanite oppressors were heavily armed, “a shield could not be seen, nor a lance, among forty thousand in Israel.” (Judg. 5:8) However, in Barak’s day, Jehovah gave Israel victory over their foes, a triumph that was not forgotten. (Ps. 83:9) The two accounts of these matters in Judges (chapter four, and in the exultant song of Deborah and Barak in chapter five) complement each other and paint a vivid picture of what occurred at that time.

The prophetess Deborah, who was then judging Israel, spurs Barak to take the initiative in freeing his people. Barak consents, but on the condition that Deborah accompany him. She agrees, though telling Barak that Jehovah will sell Sisera, chief of Jabin’s forces, into the hand of a woman.—Judg. 4:4-9.

Barak recruits ten thousand men from Naphtali, Zebulun and other tribes of Israel (Judg. 5:9-18) and ascends Mount Tabor. Hearing of this, Sisera and his forces, equipped with nine hundred chariots having iron scythes, advance toward the Israelites along the dry riverbed in the torrent valley of Kishon (the area generally known as the Plain of Esdraelon, also being near Megiddo). With Barak in the lead, the Israelite army, being only lightly equipped, courageously descends from Mount Tabor, ready for the fray with the fully armored Canaanites. However, the Kishon became an overwhelming torrent, immobilizing the enemy chariots. Indeed, “from heaven did the stars fight, from their orbits they fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon washed them away.” Barak and his men press their advantage, and the account states: “All the camp of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword. Not as much as one remained.”—Judg. 5:20-22; 4:10-16.

Sisera himself, having abandoned his chariot and his beleaguered army, flees and finds refuge in the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, a Kenite who is at peace with Jabin. Jael extends hospitality to Sisera, but while he sleeps, she kills him by driving a tent pin through his temples and into the earth. When Barak comes along, Jael invites him into the tent, where he sees that Jehovah’s word has come true; Sisera has actually been sold into the hand of a woman. (Judg. 4:17-22; 5:24-27) Thereafter, the hand of the victorious Israelites “went on getting harder and harder against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had cut off Jabin.” Consequently, that area of Israel “had no further disturbance for forty years.”—Judg. 4:23, 24; 5:31.

Barak may be the “Bedan” of 1 Samuel 12:11 (if LXX and the Syriac Peshitta Version are followed). Barak is also cited as a faithful example among those “who through faith defeated kingdoms in conflict, . . . became valiant in war, routed the armies of foreigners.”—Heb. 11:32-34; see BEDAN No. 1.

BARBARIAN

(Bar·barʹi·an) (Gr., barʹba·ros).

The repetition of “bar bar” conveyed the idea of stammering, babble, or unintelligible speech; hence the term “barbarian” was originally applied by the Greeks to a foreigner, particularly one speaking a different tongue. At that time it did not indicate lack of civilization, refinement or good manners, nor convey any feeling of hostile contempt. “Barbarian” simply distinguished especially non-Greeks from Greeks, much the same as “Gentile” divides off non-Jews from Jews. These non-Greeks did not object or feel insulted because they were called barbarians. Some Jewish writers, including Josephus, recognized themselves as being designated by the term; Romans called themselves barbarians until they adopted Greek culture. It is in this not unfavorable light, then, that Paul in writing to the Romans used an all-inclusive expression: “Both to Greeks and to Barbarians.”—Rom. 1:14.

The principal factor separating Greeks from the “barbarian” world was their language; hence the term had special reference to those who did not speak Greek, as, for example, the inhabitants of Malta who spoke an unrelated tongue. In this instance the New World Translation gives meaning to barʹba·roi by rendering it “foreign-speaking people.” (Acts 28:1, 2, 4) Writing on the gift of tongues, Paul twice calls one speaking in an unintelligible tongue barʹba·ros (“foreigner”). (1 Cor. 14:11; see also Colossians 3:11.) Similarly the Septuagint uses barʹba·ros at Psalm 113:1 (114:1 in Hebrew and English versions) and Ezekiel 21:31.

Because the Greeks felt their language and culture superior to all others, and because of indignities suffered at the hand of their enemies, “barbarian” gradually assumed its common disparaging connotation.

BAR-HUMITE

(Bar-huʹmite).

A variant reading of Baharumite; a resident of the village of Bahurim.—Compare 2 Samuel 23:31 and 1 Chronicles 11:33; see BAHURIM; BAHARUMITE.

BARIAH

(Ba·riʹah) [fugitive].

Distant descendant of David through Solomon and Zerubbabel.—1 Chron. 3:1, 10, 19, 22.

BAR-JESUS

(Bar-Jeʹsus) [son of Jesus].

A certain Jew of Paphos on the island of Cyprus in the first century C.E., who was “a sorcerer, a false prophet.” (Acts 13:6) He assumed the professional name or title “Elymas,” a Greek form of an Arabic word meaning “magi; sorcerer.”—See ELYMAS.

This was an appropriate name for Bar-Jesus to take since it appears he held the influential position as court magician and adviser to Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul at Paphos. As a “priest” of the divination cult, Bar-Jesus was naturally against Christianity, and, wanting to protect his own lucrative position, he was adamant in his opposition to the preaching of Paul and Barnabas. So, when Sergius Paulus “earnestly sought to hear the word of God,” Elymas “began opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”—Acts 13:7, 8.

Thereupon, Paul looked this Satanic sorcerer in the eye and, “filled with holy spirit,” responded: “O man full of every sort of fraud and every sort of villainy, you son of the Devil, you enemy of everything righteous, will you not quit distorting the right ways of Jehovah? Well, then, look! Jehovah’s hand is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sunlight for a period of time.” Instantly Bar-Jesus was struck with blindness. The proconsul, upon witnessing this first recorded miracle of Paul, “was astounded at the teaching of Jehovah,” and he immediately accepted the message and “became a believer.”—Acts 13:9-12.