Chapter 9.—10. Now we must see what is said of the baptism of John. For "we read in the Acts of the Apostles, that those who had already been baptized with the baptism of John were yet baptized by Paul,"1480
simply because the
baptism of John was not the
baptism of
Christ, but a
baptism allowed by
Christ to John, so as to be called especially John’s
baptism; as the same John says, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from
heaven."
1481
And that he might not possibly seem to receive this from
God the
Father in such
wise as not to receive it from the Son, speaking presently of
Christ Himself, he says, "Of His fullness have all we received."
1482
But by the
grace of a certain dispensation John received this, which was to last not for long, but only long enough to prepare for the
Lord the way in which he must needs be the
forerunner. And as our
Lord was presently to enter on this way with all
humility, and to lead those who humbly followed Him to
perfection, as He
washed the
feet of His
servants,
1483
so was He willing to be
baptized with the
baptism of a
servant.
1484
For as He set Himself to
minister to the
feet of those whose
guide He was Himself, so He submitted Himself to the
gift of John which He Himself had given, that all might understand what sacrilegious arrogance they would show in despising the
baptism which they ought each of them to receive from the
Lord, when the
Lord Himself accepted what He Himself had bestowed upon a
servant, that he might give it as his own; and that when John, than whom no greater had arisen among
them that are
born of
women,
1485
bore such
testimony to
Christ, as to confess that he was not worthy to
unloose the latchet of His shoe,
1486
Christ might both, by receiving his
baptism, be found to be the humblest among men, and, by taking away the place for the
baptism of John, be believed to be the most high
God, at once the
teacher of
humility and the
giver of exaltation.
11. For to none of the prophets, to no one at all in holy Scripture, do we read that it was granted to baptize in the water of repentance for the remission of sins, as it was granted to John; that, causing the hearts of the people to hang upon him through this marvellous grace, he might prepare in them the way for Him whom he declared to be so infinitely greater than himself. But the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses His Church by such a baptism that on receiving it
no other is required; while John gave a first washing with such a baptism that on receiving it there was further need of the baptism of the Lord,—not that the first baptism should be repeated, but that the baptism of Christ, for whom he was preparing the way, might be further bestowed on those who had received the baptism of John. For if Christ’s humility were not to be commended to our notice, neither would there be any need of the baptism of John; again, if the end were in John, after his
baptism there would be no need of the baptism of Christ. But because "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,"1487
it was shown by John to whom men should go, and in whom, when they had reached Him, they should
rest. The same, John, therefore, set forth both the exalted
nature of the
Lord, when he placed Him
far before himself, and His
humility, when he
baptized Him as the lowest of the people. But if John had
baptized Christ alone, he would be thought to have been the dispenser of a better
baptism, in that with which
Christ alone was
baptized, than the
baptism of
Christ with which
Christians are
baptized; and again, if all ought to be
baptized first with the
baptism of John, and then with that of
Christ, the
baptism of
Christ would deservedly seem to be lacking in fullness and
perfection, as not sufficing for
salvation. Wherefore the
Lord was
baptized with the
baptism of John, that He might bend the
proud necks of men to His own
health-giving baptism; and He was not alone baptized with it, lest He should show His own to be inferior to this, with
which none but He Himself had deserved to be baptized; and He did not allow it to continue longer, lest the one baptism with which He baptizes might seem to need the other to precede it.
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