SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:15
Pero respondiendo Jess le dijo: Deja ahora; porque así nos conviene cumplir toda justicia. Entonces le dej.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:15
Verse 15. To fulfill all righteousness.] That is, Every righteous ordinance: so I think the words pasan dikaiosunhn should be translated; and so our common version renders a similar word, Luke i. 6. The following passage, quoted from Justin Martyr, will doubtless appear a strong vindication of this translation. "Christ was circumcised, and observed all the other ordinances of the law of Moses, not with a view to his own justification; but to fulfill the dispensation committed to him by the Lord, the God and Creator of all things."] Wakefield.
How remarkable are the following words of Creeshna (an Incarnation of the Supreme God, according to the Hindoo theology) related in the Bhagvat Geeta, p. 47. Addressing his disciple Arjoon, he says, "I myself, Arjoon, have not, in the three regions of the universe, any thing which is necessary for me to perform; nor any thing to obtain, which is not obtained; and yet I live in the exercise of the moral duties. If I were not vigilantly to attend to those duties, all men would presently follow my example. If I were not to perform the moral actions, this world would fail in their duties: I should be the cause of spurious births, and should drive the people from the right way. As the ignorant perform the duties of life from a hope of reward, so the wise man, out of respect to the opinions and prejudices of mankind, should perform the same without motives of interest. The wise man, by industriously performing all the duties of life, should induce the vulgar to attend to them." The Septuagint use this word often for the Hebrew tpm mishpat, judgment, appointment. And in Ezek. xviii. 19, 21, the person who dikaiosunhn kai eleov pepoihke-hath done righteousness and mercy, is he who sacredly attended to the performance of all the religious ordinances mentioned in that chapter, and performed them in the genuine spirit of mercy. dikaiwmata is used 1 Mac i. 13, 49; ii. 21, and in Heb. x. 1, 10, to denote religious ceremonies. Michaelis supposes that qj lk kol chok, all religious statutes or ordinances, were the words used in the Hebrew original of this Gospel.
But was this an ordinance? Undoubtedly: it was the initiatory ordinance of the Baptist's dispensation. Now, as Christ had submitted to circumcision, which was the initiatory ordinance of the Mosaic dispensation, it was necessary that he should submit to this, which was instituted by no less an authority, and was the introduction to his own dispensation of eternal mercy and truth. But it was necessary on another account: Our Lord represented the high priest, and was to be the high priest over the house of God:- now, as the high priest was initiated into his office by washing and anointing, so must Christ: and hence he was baptized, washed, and anointed by the Holy Ghost. Thus he fulfilled the righteous ordinance of his initiation into the office of high priest, and thus was prepared to make an atonement for the sins of mankind.
Then he suffered him.] In the Opus Imperfectum, quoted by Griesbach, there is the following addition, which, at least, may serve to show the opinion of its author: Et Johannes quidem baptizauit ilium in aqua, ille autem Johannem cum Spiritu. "Then John baptized him with water, and he baptized John with the Spirit."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. And Jesus answering, said unto him , etc.] This is an Hebrew way of speaking, often used in the Old Testament, and answers to rmayw [y ; (see Job 3:1). He replied to John, who had made use of very forbidding words, after this manner, suffer it to be so now ; let me have my request; do not go on to object, but comply with my desire; let it be done now, immediately, directly, at this present time; do not put me off with any excuse; it is a proper season for it, even now, since the time is not yet come that I am to baptize with the Holy Ghost; and besides, thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. It became John to administer the ordinance of baptism to Christ, as he was his forerunner, and the only administrator of it, and that he might fulfill the ministry which he had received; and as it became Christ to fulfill all righteousness, moral and ceremonial, and baptism being a part of his Fathers will, which he came to do, it became him to fulfill this also. And since it became Christ, it cannot be unbecoming us to submit to this ordinance; and since he looked upon it as a part of righteousness to be fulfilled by him, it ought to be attended to by all those who would be accounted followers of him. Christ having strongly urged the conveniency and equity of the administration of baptism to him, which showed his eager desire after it, and the lowliness of his mind; and John being convinced, and overcome by the force of his reasoning, agrees to his baptism; then he suffered him , i.e. to be baptized in water by him, as he had requested, and accordingly did administer it to him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-17 - Christ's gracious condescensions are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep an mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to star objections against the will of Christ. And those who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that they need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of him yet declares he will now be baptized of John. Christ is now in a stat of humiliation. Our Lord Jesus looked upon it as well becoming him to fulfil all righteousness, to own every Divine institution, and to sho his readiness to comply with all God's righteous precepts. In an through Christ, the heavens are opened to the children of men. Thi descent of the Spirit upon Christ, showed that he was endued with his sacred influences without measure. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance. At Christ's baptism there was a manifestation of the thre Persons in the sacred Trinity. The Father confirming the Son to be Mediator; the Son solemnly entering upon the work; the Holy Spiri descending on him, to be through his mediation communicated to his people. In Him our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable, for He is the altar that sanctifies every gift, 1Pe 2:5. Out of Christ, God is consuming fire, but in Christ, a reconciled Father. This is the sum of the gospel, which we must by faith cheerfully embrace __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
αποκριθεις 611 5679 V-AOP-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S προς 4314 PREP αυτον 846 P-ASM αφες 863 5628 V-2AAM-2S αρτι 737 ADV ουτως 3779 ADV γαρ 1063 CONJ πρεπον 4241 5901 V-PQP-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ημιν 2254 P-1DP πληρωσαι 4137 5658 V-AAN πασαν 3956 A-ASF δικαιοσυνην 1343 N-ASF τοτε 5119 ADV αφιησιν 863 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:15 {To fulfil all righteousness} (plerwsai pesan dikaiosunen). The explanation of Jesus satisfies John and he baptizes the Messiah though he has no sins to confess. It was proper (prepon) to do so else the Messiah would seem to hold aloof from the Forerunner. Thus the ministries of the two are linked together.
