Chapter XVI: Part V: The Beginning of the Baptist's Ministry

Probably six months and in A.D. 25. In the Wilderness of Judea and beside the Jordan, Sects. 20-23

Sect. 20. THE TIME OF THE BEGINNING

Mark 1:1 |Luke 3:1-2
|
1 The beginning of | 1 Now in the fifteenth [a]year of the
the gospel of Jesus | reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate
Christ, [1]the Son | being governor of Judea, and Herod being
God. | tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother
| Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea
| and Trachonitis, and Lysanias[b] tetrarch
| 2 Abilene, in the highpriesthood of Annas
| and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto
| John the son of Zacharias in the
| wilderness.

[Footnote 1: Some ancient authorities omit _the son of God_.]

[Footnote a: See note 6 at end of Harmony.]

[Footnote b: See note 6. Luke follows the custom of ancient historians in dating events by the names of the rulers. As the son of a priest John was probably thirty years old when he came forth.]

Sect. 21. THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER

Mark 1:2-6 |Matt. 3:1-6 |Luke 3:3-6
| |
2 Even as it is | 1 And in those days | 3 And he came into
written [1]in Isaiah| cometh John the | all the region
the prophet, | Baptist, preaching | round about Jordan,
Behold, I send my | in the wilderness of| preaching the
messenger before| 2 Judea, saying,[a] | baptism of
thy face [_see | Repent ye; for the | repentance unto
Mal. 3:1_], | kingdom of heaven is| remission of sins;
Who shall prepare | 3 at hand. For this is| 4 as it is written
thy way; | he that was spoken | in the book of the
3 The voice of one | of [2]by Isaiah the | words of Isaiah the
crying in the | prophet, saying, | prophet,
wilderness [_see| The voice of one | The voice of one
Isa. 40:3_], | crying in the | crying in the
Make ye ready the | wilderness, | wilderness,
way of the Lord,| Make ye ready the | Make ye ready the
Make his paths | way of the Lord,| way of the
straight; | Make his paths | Lord,
4 John came, who | straight. | Make his paths
baptized in the | 4 Now John himself had| straight.
wilderness and | his raiment of | 5 Every valley
preached the baptism| camel's hair, and a | shall be
of repentance unto | leathern girdle | filled,
remission of sins. | about his loins; and| And every
And there went out | his food was locusts| mountain and
unto him all the | 5 and wild honey. Then| hill shall be
country of Judea, | went out unto him | brought low;
and all they of | Jerusalem, and all | And the crooked
Jerusalem; and they | Judea, and all the | shall become
were baptized of him| region round about | straight,
in the river Jordan,| 6 Jordan; and they | And the rough
confessing their | were baptized of him| ways smooth;
sins. And John was | in the river Jordan,| 6 And all flesh
clothed with camel's| confessing their | shall see the
hair, and _had_ a | sins. | salvation of
leathern girdle | | God [_see Isa.
about his loins, and| | 40:4-5_].
did eat locusts and | |
wild honey. | |

[Footnote 1: Some ancient authorities read _in the prophets_.]

[Footnote 2: Or, _through_.]

[Footnote a: See Mark 1:15 (= Matt. 4:17); Matt. 10:7; Acts 2:38.]

Sect. 22. A SPECIMEN[a] OF JOHN'S PREACHING

Matt. 3:7-10 |Luke 3:7-14
|
7 But when he saw many of the | 7 He said therefore to the
Pharisees and Sadducees | multitudes that went out to be
coming to his baptism, he | baptized of him, Ye offspring of
said unto them, Ye offspring| vipers, who warned you to flee from
of vipers, who warned you to| 8 the wrath to come? Bring forth
flee from the wrath to come?| therefore fruits worthy of
8 Bring forth therefore fruit | [1]repentance, and begin not to say
9 worthy of [1]repentance: and| within yourselves, We have Abraham
think not to say within | to our father: for I say unto you,
yourselves, We have Abraham | that God is able of these stones to
to our father: for I say | raise up children unto Abraham.
unto you, that God is able | 9 And even now is the axe also laid
of these stones to raise up | unto the root of the trees: every
10 children unto Abraham. And | tree therefore that bringeth not
even now is the axe laid | forth good fruit is hewn down, and
unto the root of the trees: |10 cast into the fire. And the
every tree therefore that | multitudes asked him, saying, What
bringeth not forth good |11 then must we do? And he answered
fruit is hewn down, and cast| and said unto them, He that hath
into the fire. | two coats, let him impart to him
| that hath none; and he that hath
12 food, let him do likewise. And there came also [2]publicans to be
13 baptized, and they said unto him, [3]Master, what must we do? And
14 he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed
you. And [4]soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we
do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither [5]exact
_anything_ wrongfully; and be content with your wages.

[Footnote 1: Or, _your repentance_.]

[Footnote 2: That is, _collectors or renters of Roman taxes_.]

[Footnote 3: Or, _Teacher_.]

[Footnote 4: Gr. _soldiers on service_.]

[Footnote 5: Or, _accuse_ any one.]

[Footnote a: Here we see Matthew and Luke preserving a non-Markan section, as so frequently hereafter, an example of the so-called Logia (Discourses).]

Sect. 23. THE FORERUNNER'S PICTURE OF THE MESSIAH BEFORE SEEING HIM

Mark 1:7-8 |Matt. 3:11-12 |Luke 3:15-18
| |
7 And he preached, |11 I indeed baptize |15 And as the
saying, There cometh| you [1]with water | people were in
after me he that is | unto repentance: but| expectation, and
mightier than I, the| he that cometh after| all men reasoned
latchet of whose | me is mightier than | in their hearts
shoes I am not | I, whose shoes I am | concerning John,
[2]worthy to stoop | not [2]worthy to | whether haply he
8 down and unloose. I | bear: he shall | were the Christ;
baptized you [1]with| baptize you [1]with |16 John answered,
water; but he shall | the [3]Holy Ghost | saying unto them
baptize you [1]with |12 and _with _fire: | all, I indeed
the [3]Holy Ghost. | whose fan is in his | baptize you with
| hand, and he will | water; but there
| throughly cleanse | cometh he that is
| his threshing-floor;| mightier than I,
| and he will gather | the latchet of
| his wheat into the | whose shoes I am
| garner, but the | not [2]worthy to
| chaff he will burn | unloose: he shall
| up with unquenchable| baptize you [1]with
| fire. | the [3]Holy Ghost
| | and _with_ fire:
17 whose fan is in his hand, throughly to cleanse his threshing-floor,
and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn
up with unquenchable fire.
18 With many other exhortations therefore preached he [4]good
tidings unto the people.[a]

[Footnote 1: Or, _in_.]

[Footnote 2: Gr. _sufficient_.]

[Footnote 3: Or, _Holy Spirit_.]

[Footnote 4: Or, _the gospel_.]

[Footnote a: One can easily put together all that we are told of John the Baptist in John 1:6-15 and in Sections 4, 6, 8, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 49, 57, 71, 86, 132. See also Acts 1:5, 22; 10:37; 13:24; 18:25; 19:1-7. For a full discussion of the Baptist see my _John the Loyal_. These months of John's ministry prepared the way for the Messiah.]