The Jewish hierarchy was questioning John the Baptist, "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."
John, after stating the he was not the Messiah (Christ) and being asked if he was Elias or "that" prophet, John said he was a messenger sent to "make straight the way of the Lord". He was then asked "why baptizeth thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?"
The term "baptizeth", as it is applied in this text, is in regard to the preparatory message John was offering, "Make straight the way of the Lord", and had nothing to do with the ritual water immersions John administered. The difference between the two intents is clarified by John in his very next statement, "John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."
John is making it very clear to those priests and Levites, that there is a distinct difference between the traditional water immersion (baptism) he offered and the message (baptism) of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus IS the baptism John preached, water immersion was the preparatory bath required by Hebrew law and command.
Again, this lesson provides two very different intents of the term baptism.~
The term "baptizeth", as it is applied in this text, is in regard to the preparatory message John was offering, "Make straight the way of the Lord", and had nothing to do with the ritual water immersions John administered. The difference between the two intents is clarified by John in his very next statement, "John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose."
John is making it very clear to those priests and Levites, that there is a distinct difference between the traditional water immersion (baptism) he offered and the message (baptism) of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus IS the baptism John preached, water immersion was the preparatory bath required by Hebrew law and command.
Again, this lesson provides two very different intents of the term baptism.~
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