Luke 3:1-22 Introduction:

THE RElATION OF JOHN THE

BAPTIST TO THE PERSON AND
WORK OF JESUS ,
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
BIRTH AND MINISTRY OF JOHN THE
FORERUNNER LUKE 1:5-38; 1:80;
2: 5 7-66 (See my notes on those sections.)
THE WITNESS OF
JOHN THE
BAPTIST
TO JESUS CHRIST
"johntheBaptist
emerges as a figure
of considerable
proportions and
importance, "
(Stonehouse), in
Luke'snarrative. In
fact, "whtle all the
Gospels give promi-
nencetoJohn,Luke
contains a number
of distincti.ve
features which
place the role ofjohn in even sharper
focus."- Stonehouse. (1). Luke
emphasizes the striking parallelism in
the births of john and of Jesus.
"Although only the origin of jesus is
set forth as distinctly miraculous, in
virtue of the conception by the Holy
Ghost and birth of the Virgin, John's
birth is shown to have been no ordinary
event. -- ... the child was conceived
only as the result of an intervention of
divine favor."- Stonehouse. (2). In
summarizing the career of john the
Baptist, Luke reports more fully the
message of his preaching than any
other synoptic Gospel. 0). Luke
introduces the public career of john
the Baptist with "elaborate
synchronism" in 3: 1,2. Luke links the
beginning of John's ministry with
several historical personages and
events. "He reflects indeed the
consciousness that the events he
narrates concern a movement which
found expression, not in some remote
comer of the world, but in the midst of
the Roman empire in the full light of
day. In his grandly conceived work
Luke tells us how this movement had
its beginnings in the vassal kingdom of
Herod, inJudaea, 1:5, in the province
of Syria, while Caesar Augustus was
emperor, 2: 1. He reflects further how
Christianity became a public
movement during the reign ofTiberius
Caesar, when sons of Herod, as
tetrarchs rather than kings, ruled over
the northern regions of Palestine while
in Judaea proper a Roman procurator
had stepped in the place of another
son who had been deposed, 3: 1. And
he proceeds to tell how, after the
ascension of Christ, His message and
church made their way under other
Herods and many governors from
Jerusalem to Rome, in a world which
everywhere recognized the sovereignty
of Roman emperors. For Luke,
therefore, Christianitywasa movement
spedfically within the framework of
world history. n - Stonehouse, pg. 59.
THE RELATION OF THE
PRESENTATION OF THE PUBLIC
CAREER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
4 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon January/February 1994
WITH WHAT HAS PROCEEDED IN
THE LUKAN BIRTH-NARRATIVES
"This narration .. of the
commencement of John's public
mission isnot the reader's introduction
to John nor does it stand in isolation
from what has gone before. Its
integration with the testimony ofJohn
within the birth narratives appears in
sharpest focus in Luke 1:80,"
(Stonehouse)---"And the child Oohn)
continued to grow, and to become strong
in spirit, and he lived in the deserts Wltil
the day of hls public appearance to
IsraeL"
Luke has led
his readers to
expect the dawn of
a great day when
John would
emerge from
obscurity to herald
the appearance of
the Messiah. As J.
Gresham Machen
wrote of Luke
1:80: "Does that
verse not lead the
reader to look for
the great day that
is there held in
prospect; the day when John would
emerge from his obscurity and appear
publicly as the foreruhner of the
messianic salvation? Whenever that
day should come, surely it would be
heralded by the writer who included
1:80inhis book, with all the solemnity
that he could command. And just
exactly that is done in Luke 3:1. The
period of obSCUrity and waiting in
which the reader was left in the former
passage is over; the forerunneremerges
from the deserts and the day of the
messiatlicsaivation has dawned. What
wonder that the concomitant political
conditions are marked with all the
precision that the wrttercan comrnand;
what wonder that rulers and high
priests are marshaled to do honor to
the great event that signalized their
reign?" - The Virgin Birdl oj Glnst, pg.
47ff.
THE RELATION OF
JOHN THE BAPTIST TO JESUS CHRIST
"The prominence assigned to the
Baptist is therefore not gained at the
expense of] esus; on the contrary, the
greater the significance attached to
John's mission, the greaterthe glory of
the One Whom he has sent to herald.
And Luke's very readiness to allow the
spotlight to rest upon john at the
beginning of his minisuy is another
proof that Luke was not writing a
secular biography with jesus as his
hero. Rather he is occupied here with
his task of pUblishing the gospel of
jesus Christ which came to public
expression in history with John's
wiUless to, and baptism of, jesus."-
Stonehouse
To highUght the greater glory of
jesus, Luke does two unexpected
things: (1). In the baptism of jesus,
where we might expect him to have
some share in the "limelight," since he
baptized jesus,] olin is not mentioned
atall! (2). In contrast with all the other
Gospels, Luke is the only Wliter who
does not mention the death of] ohn the
Baptist. This deliberate silence
"provides eloquent testimony that john
is not introduced for his own sake.
.. John the Baptist ... owes his place in
the early chapters of Luke to the light
that his testimony casts upon the
significance of jesus Christ. The
contacts of these two men with the
origin and early history of]esus provide
occasions for disclosures which
interpret authOritatively the meaning
of the. stupendous event represented
by the birth of Christ and His presence
in the world." - Stonehouse
THE SUMMARY OF THE liFE,
MISSION AND FAITH OF
JOHN THE BAPTIST
THE MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Two words define the
divinely-appointed mission of john:
(1). He was sent to bea witness of the
Light, jn. 1:6-8; 19-2B. His mission
was not of human, but of divine origin,
jn. 1:33;3:2B. He came to bear witness
to jesus, and nothing else he did was as
important as this. A wiUlessisaserious
thing. It commits a person, so that he
is no longer neutral. Its purpose is to
establish the truth (Light) about the
One of whom he bears witness.
Therefore, a false witness is a pervener
of the truth. A wiUless brings people
to decision. He calls upon them to
make a definite act of repentance and
faith. (2). john was called by God to be
a way-preparer for the coming of the
Lord incarnate, LK. 1:57f; Mk. l:lf;
Mal. 3: Iff, by calling upon his hearers
to repent of.their hardness of heart and
to soften their hearts by grieving over
their sins and turning from it to faith in
jesus Christ.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
The message of John's preaching
contained an indicative and an
imperative element. The indicative,
(statements of fact). included: (1). the
present reality of covenantal salvation,
affecting human experience
comprehensively, Lk. 1:57f, 76; 3:6;
(2). the ltingly self-assertion of God in
the coming of the Kingdom of Christ,
Mat. 3:1- 12; (3). the imminent
judgment of God about to fall on
apostatejudaism, Lk. 3:1-20; (4).jesus
Christ is the incomparable Son of God,
jn. 1:19f; (5). jesus Christ is the Lamb
of God, Who takes away the sins of the
world,]n. 1:29-34; (6).jesus Christ is
the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and
with fire,]n. 1:29-34. The imperative,
(commands), included: (1). Repent,
confess sins and believe in]esus, Mk.
1:I-B; Mat. 3:1-12; Lk. 3:1-20.
Repentance is radical change of mind
and heart leading to a complete
tuID-about oflife. (2). Be baptized,]n.
3:33,36. This command to be baptized
implies faith in jesus Christ, signified
in baptism, and an affirmation of]esus
as one's covenant Lord and Savior.
THE LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Several things distinguish the life
of John the Baptist: (1). He lived in
stark contrast to his times, Mat. 3: H.
(2). He allowed the Word of God to
define the direction and boundaries of
his entire life,]n. 3:25-36. (3). He was
fearless and uncompromising in his
wiUless to Christ, Mat. 14: 1; LK. 3: 7f.
(4). He was totally and selflessly
committedtojesusChrist,jn.3:25-36.
He was always pointing away from
himself to Christ, and always exalting
Christ and seeking to honor him. The
desire of his life, according to john
3:30 was that Christ would advance
his reign and control over his life more
and more; that Christ would be more
and more preeminent as he recedes
out of the picture, so that people will
see more and more of Christ and less
and less of john.
THE FAITH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
HIS KNOWLEDGEABLE FAITH
John's faith was profound and
knowledgeable, jn. 3:25-36. He
understood that Jesus is the
Bridegroom and the Church is the
Bride, 3:29; that being uniquely from
Heaven,Jesusisincomparablysupelior
to all, 3:31; that Christ speaks what He
knows omnisciently to be true, 3:32;
that to receive Christ's witness is to
receive God's witness, 3:33; that He is .
sent from God, speaks the words of
God, and is given the Spirit without
measure, 3:34; that Christ is loved
uniquely as a Son by the Father, and
that everything has been placed in His
hands, 3:35; that faith in Christ is a
prerequisite to eternal life, 3:36.
HIS IMPERFECT FAITH
As knowledgeable as John's faith
was, it was also imperfect, doubting
on occasion, Lk. 7: IBf. There are two
kinds of doubt: (1). the skeptical doubt
ofunbelief(diakrinesthai), Mat. 21:21;
Mk. 11:23. Wherever this critical
attitude toward divine things is found,
there faith is absent. This is not the
JanuarylFebmary 1994 t THE COUNSEL of Cha1cedon $ 5
kind of doubting John experienced.
"The critical habit of the
typical skeptic, which casts him upon
life like a derelict ship upon the sea,"
(B.B. Warfield), is the doubt of unbelief.
This habit of mind is the extreme
contradiction qf faith and cannot
coexist with it, therefore it is treated in
the Bible with condemnation. (2). The
second kind of doubt is the doubt of
imperfect and distracted faith
(edistasen and meteorizesthai), Lk.
12:29; Mat. 14:31; Lk.
24:38. This doubt is a
witness to the presence of
faith, for only those who
have faith can be distracted
or can waver from it. At the
same time it is an
incomplete and imperfect
faith, for only an imperfect
faith can be distracted from
its firm persuasion. A
kindred product of a weak
faith is a questioning
hesitation (dialogismos),
Lk. 24:38. This is John's
doubting. It is caused by a
failute to trust and rest in
what God has spoken, regardless of
what one sees around him. Itistowalk
by sight rather than by faith. And it is
inexcusable, forthereisno good reason
to doubt the word of God, Lk. 7:2l.
If our doubts are to be healed, we
must, as did John, bring those doubts
toJesus. The doubts ofimperfect faith
will drive that troubled believer closer
to Christ. The doubts of unbelief and
skepticism will drive the unbeliever
away from Christ, hardening his heart,
and making him cynical and proud.
Jesus Christ heals our confessed
doubts, (and forgives us), by focusing
our faith upon His divinely-attested
Word and Gospel. This is what He did
to John, Lk. 7:22. In this verse Jesus
reminds John ofIsa. 35:5-6; 61:1. In
focusing John upon the Word, He is
ultimately focusing John's attention
uponHimself as He is revealed in that
Word. NOtice also that included in
Christ's healing of John's doubt is a
mildrebuke,Lk. 7:23. WhenJohnthe
Baptist became dissatisfied with the
Savior's methods of doing things,] esus
did not change his methods but
continued in the same way, and in
addition He expressly informed John
that this and this alone was Hismethod
of work. He is saying, in effect, to
John: "Do not forget who is the Messiah
and who is the Forerunner!"
HIS FAITH WAS HONORED
BY CHRIST IDMSELF
Jesus' statement to John in Luke
7:28 was not degrading to John but
honoring of him ---"I say to you, among
those born oj women, there is no one
greater than John; yet he who is least in
the kingdom oj God is greater than he."
Geldenhuys explains: "Although he,
as the last envoy of the old covenant, is
nearest to Christ and thus the most
important of all, he takes a lower place
than even the most insignificant
member of the new covenant. He
belonged to the period of preparation
and had not yet learned to know Jesus
as the Crucified One, as the Risen
Redeemer, and as the One who through
His Spirit makes His habitation in the
believer'sheartandlife. Hewillindeed,
in common with all other saints of the
times before Christ's sacrificial death,
6 'I' THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 'I' JanuarylFebmary 1994
share fully in the. redemption and
blessings achieved by Him, but as
regards his place in the unfolding of
the divine revelation which culminated
in Christ, he still belongs to the
preparatory stage and is therefore in
this respect less than the most
insignificant believer of the new
dispensation. "
Findencouragementhere, believing
brother or sister. Our faith does not
have to be perfect before it is accepted
by Christ. However, real
faith, although weak, is not
satisfied with weakness, but
endeavors to go on to
strength. Therefore, it
keepscomingto Christwith
the prayer, "I believe, help
me in my unbelief."
EXPOSITION
(3:1-2) THE HISTORICAL
CONTEXT OF JOHN THE
FORERUNNER
THE REASONS FOR
MENTIONING THESE SIX
CHRONOLOGICAL ITEMS
llymeans of this concise
historical introduction, Luke's readers
can learn: (1). the timeJohn began his
public ministry, A.D. 26; (1). the
historical and cultural context in which
his preaching took place; (3). the
identities of the historical personages
who would playa part in the d1<\ma of
redemption in the earthly life ofJesus.
THE SIX CHRONOLOGICAL ITEMS
INDICATING THE TIME AND
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE
BEGINNING OF THE PUBLIC CAREER
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF
THE INFORMATION IN 3:1-2
Bible critics point to the alleged
historical inaccuracies and difficulties
in Luke's chronology of 3:1-2; but
they have failed in proving that any do
in fact exist. For excellent defenses of
the accuracyofLuke 3: 1-2 in answering
the critics questions, see: William
Hendriksen, The Gospel of Lulu, pages
194"200; R.C.H. Lenski, The
Interpretation of Luke's Gospel, pages
172"175; Geldenhuys, Commentary on
the Gospel of Luke, pages 134"136.
For example, critics have charged
Luke with error in saying that Lysanias
was tetrarch of Abilene at this time.
They say that Luke is confusing this
man with another Lysanias who was
king overthis territory priorto B. C. 36
and who was murdered that year. But
Lenski points out: "The fact that the
one was a king and the other, of whom
Luke speaks, a tettarch, seems to escape
the critics, as does also an inscription
that has been known for a century, a
new and improved copy of which was
found on the site of Abila. It refers to
the dedication of a temple and has the
words, 'on behalf of the salvation of the
Lords Imperial and theirwhole household'
by 'Nymphaios, a freedman ofLysanias,
the tetrarch.' 'The Lords Imperial' can be
only the emperor Tiberius and Julia,
his mother. The latter died between
A.D. 14 (or 12) and 29. Lukeisnotin
error. He (Luke) lived close to this
time and in all his writings shows
himself so exact, 1:3, and so
thoroughly informed on all points."
THE SIX CHRONOLOGICAL ITEMS
MENTIONED IN 3:1-2
All these chronological data, taken
together, reveal that John the Baptist
began his public career as the
Forerunner ofJesus the Christ in A.D.
26 or 27.
THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF
THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR
Tiberius was emperor from the
death of Caesar Augustus, August 19,
A.D. 14 until A.D. 37. However his
"fifteenth year" is counted from the
time when he was appointed co-ruler
of the provinces by his step-father
Augustus in A.D. 11-12. (See Lenski
for proof, pg. 173). Since Augustus
died on August 19,A.D.14;counting
from the time of the joint-reign, which
began at the end of A.D. 11 or the
beginning of A.D. 12,]ohn's ministry
began in the year A.D. 26.
If Tiberius' "fifteenth year" is not
counted from his appOintment as
co-ruler in A.D. 11-12, the early date
can be established another way.
"According to the Roman reckoning,
this would make his fifteenth year
A.D. 28-29. But in Syria the reigns of
monarchs were reckoned according to
a method retained from the days of the
Seleucid dynasty, by which a new
regnal year started in
September-October. Tiberius'ssecond
year would by this computation have
started in September-October of A.D.
14, although in fact he had donned the
purple only a month earlier; and his
fifteenth year would be deemed to
start in September-October of A.D.
27."- Geldenhuys
THE GOVERNORSHIP OF
PILATE IN JUDEA
Pontius Pilate was procurator of
]udaea from A.D. 26-36.
THE TETRARCHY OF
HEROD IN GALILEE
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the
Great, ruled as teu'arch over Galilee
and Perea from 4, B.C. until A.D. 39,
when he was removed from office by
Caligula for trying to change his title
from tetrarch to the higher one of king.
("Tetrarch" refers to an office which
ruled over a fourth pan of the land.)
(When Herod the Great died in 4,
B.C., his domain was divided among
his sons.)
HIE TETRARCH OF HEROD'S
BROTHER, PHILIP, IN THE REGION
OF lTURAEA AND TRACHONITIS
Philip, the son of Herod the Great
and Cleopatra, was the tetrarch over
Ituraea and Trachonitis, (as well as
otherregions), from4,B.C. to A.D. 34.
THE TETRARCHY OF
LYSANIAS IN ABILENE
Lysanias ruled over Abilene, to the
nonh of Philip's domain. Lysanias the
tetrarch was a younger and less famous
ruler than Lysanias the king, who may
have been the younger's father.
Lysanias the teu'arch's reign must come
between A.D. 14 (or 12) and A.D. 29.
THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF
ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS
After listing the civil rulers of the
area, Luke now mentions "the high
priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas."
Annas was high priest from A.D. 6-15,
when he was removed from office by
Valerius Gratus, the Roman governor.
"In practice, however, he still retained
and exercised a considerable share of
the high-priestly power, especially
during the high-priesthood of
Caiaphas, his son-in-law, and of a
number of his own sons. Luke's
uncommon expression, "epi archiereos
Hanna kae Kaiapha," "Annas and
Caiaphas being high priest' (singular
and not plural), thus indicates the real
state of affairs: although the Romans
had deposed Annas, and Caiaphas was
the official high priest, Annas
nevertheless in reality still exercised
some high-priestly authority."-
Geldenhuys
Some have criticized Luke for
speaking of Annas and Caiaphas as
sharing the high-priesthood, since
there was only one high priest at a
time. However, "itishastytoconc!ude
that Luke, who informed himself with
such exactness, did not know the
official relation of Annas and Caiaphas.
-- Annas was in office from 18 to 20
years, longer than any high priest
during the Herodian period. Deposed
in A.D. 15 or 16, he was followed in
quick succession by Ismael, son of
Phabi, by Eleazar, his own son, by
Simon, son of Camithes, and either in
A.D. 18 or 19 or in 25 or 26 (the date
is unceltain) by his son-in-law] oseph,
JanuarylFebruary 1994 t TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t 7
with the added name Caiaphas, who
was deposed early in A.D. 36. The
high priesthood no longer continued
until the death of the incumbent but
was manipulated by the Romans
according to their politics." - Lenski
THE PICTIJRE THESE SIX CHRONO-
LOGICAL ITEMS GIVE OF THE TIME
IN WtIlCH JOHN THE BAPTIST
BEGAN HIS PREACHING MINISTRY
This information depicts the
political and religious situation in
Palestine at the beginning of John's
public ministry. "the milieu in which
the ministry of John and Jesus took
place."- Geldenhuys. The situation
was dark. (1). The administration of
Tiberius Caesar was characterized by
severe cruelty and tyranny. Tiberius
reigned during a time of moral
degeneration and political chaos in the
Roman Empire, which eventually led
to its fall. (2). The Holy Land was
dominated by the tyranny of a pagan
power, (Rome), that arbitrarily divided
the country up and placed it under
different rulers, who themselves were
degenerates and tyrants. (3). Israel
itselfwas marked with religiOUS chaos,
"as a resultof the pagan domination by
which high priests were arbitrarily
deposed and supplanted by others."-
Geldenhuys
THE PROPHETIC OFFICE OF
JOHN THE FORERUNNER
During this dark and desperate time
in the world and in Palestine, God
cOmmissionedJohn to come fonh as a
great prophet, who would be the
forerunner of the Messiah.
"THE WORD OF GOD
CAME TO JOHN"
John did not begin his preaching
ministry on his own initiative or at his
own discretion. "The Word of God
carne to John," just as it did to the O.T.
prophets, such as Jeremiah, Jer. 1: 1,
and in that Word God commissioned
him in a clear and personal manner to
the office and ministry of PROPHET.
This phrase, "the Word (RHEMA in
Greek) of God came" is an b.T.
expression used of the prophets,
indicating divine inspiration and divine
authority. This phrase, which occurs
nowhere eIsein the N.T., placedJohn
in true prophetic succession. "The
RHEMA of God is the Greek
Sepruagint'sequivalent to "the DEBAR
YAHWEH," in the Hebrew O.T. "God
said something to John, and the result
is . described in what follows, from
which we can also gather what was
said. Thus, as being under God's own
direction and instruction, John
proceeds with the fullest assurance as
did the old Lenski
"'It was the glory oUohn the Baptist
to have revived the function of the
prophet,' (Bengal, ECCE HOMO, pg.
2); and it is difficult for us to realize
what that meant. A nation, which
from Samuel to Malachi had scarcely
ever been without a living oracle of
God, had for three or four centuries
never heard the voice of a Prophet. It
seemed as if Jehovah had withdrawn
from His people. The breaking of this
oppressive silence by the voice of the
Baptist caused a thrill through the
whole Jewish population throughout
the world." - Plumer
"THE SON OF ZACHARIAS"
Only Luke describes John the
Baptist as "the son of Zacharias," to
remind us again of the definition of
John's mission inUfe given by the
Angel to Zacharias before John was
born, Luke l:llf.
"IN THE WILDERNESS"
While John was in the wilderness,
where Luke 1:80 left him, the Word of
God came to him calling him to awaken
the people to theirneed of conversion
and to introduce the Messiah to them.
The wilderness, identified
geographically in the next verse, was
"a desolation, a vast undulating expanse
of barren chalky soil covered with
8 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon JanuarylFebruary 1994
pebbles, broken stones and rocks."-
Hendriksen. John was in the
wilderness to remind the Jewish people
of their wilderness experience under
Moses, and to symbolize to them the act
that theywere presently in the wilderness
ofjudgmemandapostasy, because of the
wilderness in their heans.
(3:3-6) THE MISSION OF
JOHN THE FORERUNNER
(3:3a) THE LOCALE OF
JOHN'S PREACHING MINISTRY
John preached in the desen regions
in "the district around theJordan:i.e. ,
the deep depression through which
theJordan River nows toward the Dead
Sea, beginning at 600 feet below sea
level and ending at 1300 feet below sea
leveL It was an arid, Uninhabited, wild
region, separate from any sign of
civilization. Why did God send J ohn
the Baptist to preach and to fulfill his
ministry in this forsaken, wild region,
where nobody lived? This region was
chosen byGod for two reasons: (1). ''to
draw people away from all their
ordinary occupations and interestsand
thus the more to fix their minds and
heans on their spiritual condition and
the saving message of God's great
herald" (Lenski); and (2). to remind
the Jewish people of the first century of
Israel's fony years of Wanderings in
the Wilderness, which they
experienced because of their unbelief
and rebellion against God, which kept
them out of the Land of Promise for so
long. The Jewish people ofjesus' day
were in the "wilderness" again for
similar reasons.
(3:3b) "THE BAPTISM OF
REPENTANCE FOR THE
FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
John's mission is SUCCinctly
described by Luke as "preaching a
baptism of repentance for forgiveness
of sins." Each word must be carefully
studied along with the exact relation of
these words to each other.
THE MEANING OF "PREACHING"
The Greek word for preaching here
is KERUSSO, which means to act as a
KERUX or herald, i.e., someone who
announces with a loud voice what his
superior has ordered him to announce.
"Preaching in the Biblical sense is
merely announcing clearly and
distinctly what God orders us to
announce in His Word. No herald
dare change his message by alteration,
by omission, or by addition. The
preacher is not to utter his own
eloquent wisdom but to
In II Kings 5: 14 it is used in reference
to N aaman's baptizing of himself seven
times in the] ordan River to cure his
leprosy. Ittranslates the Hebrewword,
TABAL, meaning to be moistened with.
What N aaman is doing at this point is
applying the cleansing ritual for lepers
to himself explained in Lev. 14:6, 16,
5l. Leviticus 14:6 says, "He shall then
SPRINKLE seven times the one who is
to be cleansed from the leprosy .... "
The point is this: BAPTO in the
Septuagint and BAPTIZO in the O. T.
instance where dipping but not
immersion is the reasonable and
natural supposition, Ruth 2: 14; finally,
in the case of! Sam. 14:27 immersion
is not unreasonable, but it is not by any
means necessary to the action denoted.
Hence we have no reason to suppose
that in a great many other instances
immersion is the action denoted by
BAPTO. In other words, we have no
ground upon which to insist that in
Exodus 12:22; Lev. 4:6,17; 9:9; Num ..
19:18; Deut. 33:24; II Kings 8:15
confine himself to the
foolishness and theskandalon,
(offense), of the gospel."-
Lenski
"lmmersionist:s :should
take note that the
immersion is the mode of
action referred to in the
respective cases. There is
nothing in the Hebrew
word used nor in the
context of the passages
THE MEANING AND
METHOD OF "BAPTISM"
THE DEFINlTION AND O.T.
ROOTS OF "BAPTISM"
Several ceremonial ablutions,
(symbolic cleansings), were practiced
in the Old Testament. Hebrews 9: 10
speaks of "various washings,"
(BAPTISMOIS in Greek) as in some
way pointing to Christ and His
redemptive work, Lev. 14:4-7, 16,
49-53; 16:19; Num. 8:5-7; 19:18,19
1
In the rest of the chapter the author of
Hebrews specifically refers to three of
these O.T. "BAPTISMS": (1). [9:13]
the SPRINKLING of blood on those
who have been defiled, Num. 19:9,
17f; (2). [9:19] the SPRINKLING of
the book of the Law and all the people
with blood and water, Lev. 14:4,7;
Num. 19:6, 18; (3). [9:21] the
SPRINKLING of the tabernacle and its
vessels with blood, Exod. 24:8; Lev.
5: llf; 17: 1l. Immersionists should
take note that the O. T. baptisms were
performed by sprinkling!2
In the Greek O.T. (Septuagint), the
word BAPTIZO occurs very
infrequently, II Kings 5: 14; Isaiah 21 :4.
In Isaiah 21:4 it is used in a figurative
sense to translate the Hebrew word
meaning to tentfy, startle, or fall upon.
Old Testament
baptisms were
periormed by
sprinkling!"
and N.T. do not and cannot mean
immersion.' Consider Leviticus 14:6,
51 where a ritual is prescribed for the
cleansing of a leper and of a house in
which leprosy has appeared. It is
obvious that a living bird cannot be
immersed in the bloodofanother bird.
Consider also Leviticus 14: 16 where
immersion is not required. "All that is
prescribed is dipping of the right finger
in the oil which is in the palm of the left
hand, and it is quite unreasonable to
suppose that immersion of that right
finger was required."- Murray, pg. 12.
See also Ruth 2:14 and I Sam. 14:27.
"What we have found is this: thete is
one case where BAPTO and even
BAPTO EIS does not mean and cannot
mean immersion, Lev. 14:6,51; there
is the other case where it is
unreasonable to suppose that
immersion was required ortook place,
Lev. 14:16; there is still another
concerned which reqUires
immersion."-].Murray, pg.13.
THE NEW TESTAMENT
USE OF BAPTIZO
In the New Testament BAPTO
recedes into the background and
BAPTIZO comes to the foreground.
BAPTO occurs only four times, Lk.
16:24; ]n.. 13:26(two times); Rev.
19:13, whereas BAPTIZO occurs
around eighty times. And a study of
this word shows that "the Baptist
contention that BAPTIZO and its
cognates mean immersion isnot borne
out by the evidence and that BAPTIZO
can be used to denote an action which
neither indicates nor implies
immersion."-]. Murray, pg. 15. (Por
Murray's defense of this claim see pgs.
15ffin his book 01lisLianBapLism) The
claim can be defended not only by:
(1). Hebrews 9:10-23 as we have seen;
(2). Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke
3:16; Acts 1:5; 11:16; (3). Hebrews
9:13,14,22; 10:22; 12:24; I Pet. 1:2;
(4). I Cor. 10:2; and (5). Matthew
15:2; Mark 7:2-5; Luke 11:38.
"BAPTIZO .. .is one of those words
which indicate a certain effect without
itself expressing or prescribing the
particular mode by which this effect is
secured."- Murray, pg. 33.
January/February 1994 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 1: 9
John the Baptist contrasted his
baptism with that of Christ when he
said: "I indeed baptize you with water
unto repentance ... He shall baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire: Luke
3:16; Mat. 3:11; Mk. 1:8. John is
prophesying the Day of Pentecost, as
Acts 1:5 and 11: 16 prove. Thecoming
of the Holy Spirit on the disciples on
the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2
is undoubtedly the baptism with the
Holy Spirit. "If baptism means
fallen upon the persons concerned,
and the,verb is EPIPIPTO.
"It is surely significant that the terms
in each case are those of affusion, (Le.,
pouring or sprinkling), and not of
immersion, Yet it is precisely this
affusion that is called the baptism of
the Holy Spirit. --- It is not without
relevance in this same connection that
in the O.T, the giving of the Spirit, in
some cases explicitly referring to
Pentecost, is promised in terms of
The last three texts mentioned in
the previous paragraph, Matthew 15:2;
Mark 7:2-5 and Luke 11:38, ate
concerned with the extra-biblital
religious practices of the Pharisees:
(1). they would not eat until they had
"washed their hands: Mt. 15:2. The
Jewish custom of washing at the time
was in pouring water over the hands,
according to the Talmud. (2). Luke
11:38 says that the Pharisees were
shocked that Jesus "had not first
baptized himself before
dinner." There is no reason at
"lfbaptl5m mean51mmer510nthen the 5tate-
ment of John that Je5u5 would baptize with
the Holy Spirit and fire must mean 5trlctly
'He 5hallimmer5e In the Holy Spirit and fire,'
and any language u5ed with the referenae to
the baptl5m of the Spirit, howeverflgumtlve
it may be, aannotdepart from or violate thl5
ba5ia meaning. -- But what we actually find
15 that the baptism of the Spirit 15 referred
to In terms that are quite aontmry to the
Idea of immersion and In fact prea/ude It."
all to believe that Luke is
referring to anything other
than the practice described in
Matthew 15:2, of pouring
water over the hands up to the
wrists. In Luke 11:38 the
word, EBAPTISTHE, is used
showing that washing the
hands by dipping them in
water, or more probably, by
pouring water upon them can
be called baptism. The
significant thing is that such
washing is referred to as
baptizing oneself. (3). In Mark 7:4we
are told that whenever the Pharisees
returned home from the market they
would not eat until they had washed
themselves. In this verse some
manuscripts use the word BAPTIZO,
and others HRANTIZO, meaning
"sprinkle." Verse 4 also speaks of the
"baptism of cups and pots and brazen
vessels," which statement some use to
prove immersion. However, some
manuscripts of Mark 7:4 include "And
many other things there be, which
they have received to hold, as the
washing (BAPTIZING) of cups, and
pots, and l>razen, vessels and TABLES."
Did the Pharisees immerse their tables
and other furniture every time they
returned from the market? No! But
they could have sprinkled them in a
symbolic cleansing.
pouring out, shedding forth,
and sprinkling, lsa. 32:15;
Joel 2:28; Provo 1:23; Ezek.
36:25-27 .... The language of
theO.T. provides the imagery
of the N. T. and is quite foreign
to the notion ofimmersion."-
J MU,rray, pg. 23-24.
THE PRACTICE OF BAPTISM
BY JOHN THE BAPTIST
The baptizing work of
John is said to have been in
the Jordan River, ("EN TO
JORDANE POTAMO", Mat.
TIlE USE OF BAPTIZO
BY JOHN TIlE BAPTIST
L-______________ ---l 3:6; Mk. 1:5; and "EIS TON
immersion then the statement oOohn
thatJesuswould baptize with the Holy
Spirit and fire must mean strictly 'He
shall immerse in the . Holy Spirit and
fire: and any language used with the
reference to the baptism of the Spitit,
however figurative it may be, cannot
depart from or violate this basic
meaning. --- But what we actually
find is that the baptism of the Spirit is
referred to in terms that are quite
contrary to. the idea 0 f immersion and
in fact preclude it. In Acts 1:8 the Holy
Spirit is represented as COMlNG
UPON the disciples: "Yousha11 receive
power whel1 the Holy Spirit has come
upon you." The verb is EPERCHOMAl
and conveys the notion of 'COMING
DOWN UPON'. In Acts 2: 17,33 the
Holy Spirit is represented as having
been poured out, and the verb is
EKCHEO. In Acts 10:44; 11:15 the
Holy Spirit is represented as having
JORDANAN:Mark 1:9; andinAinon
near Salim because there was "much
water" there, "HUDATA paLlA EN
EKEI: In. 3 :23, None of these phrases
require immersion. "In the Jordan
River" is nothing more than a
designation oflocation, as is "baptizing
inAinon." Neither"intotheJordan" or
"going clown into the water" imply
immersion, as far as the meaning of the
Greek verbs are concerned. Standing
in the water or on the edge of the river
would satisfy completely the idea
expressed. The phrase, "because there
was much waterthere,"ismoreliterally
translated, as the NASV points out,
"many waters: or many springs,
Consider the need for "much water"
and "many springs" in connection with
John's ministry. Besides the need of
water for baptizing, there would be the
need for abundant sources of water for
the familtes .and animals of those
10 f TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon f January/February 1994
multitudes of people who came out in
the hot, dry wilderness to hear John's
preaching and be baptized by him.
Furthermore,John himself said, "I
baptize you WITH WATER ... ," and
thatJesus Himself would "baptize you
WIlli lliE HOLY SPIRIT and fire,"
Lk. 3: 16. The first phrase is a dative of
means, expressing instrumentality, Le.,
John used water with which to baptize
people. The second phrase is "EN,
meaning with, the HolySpirit." Neither
Jesus nor John would baptize people
into the water or into the Spirit,
denoting immersion; instead they
would baptize people with, by means
of, the application of water and of the
Holy Spilit.
THE "NEWNESS"
OF JOHN'S BAPTISM
John called for all the members of
the covenant people to undergo
baptism to prepare themselves for the
Messiah's coming, which was
something new and unheard of in
Israel. "That true-bornJews should be
urged to undergo this initiatory rite
implied that hereditalY membership
in the nation of Israel was in itself
useless, or at least insufficient. Which,
as verse 8 makes plain, was exactly
what John desired to convey. The
strildng language of Zechariah 13:1
and Ezekiel 36:25f is specially
appropriate to John's ministry."-
Geldenhuys
The Jews of John's day required
proselyte baptism of all Gentile
converts to Judaism. They regarded
all non-Jews as unclean in need of the
cleansing of baptism. "The sting in
John's practice was that he applied to
the Jews the ceremony regarded as
suitable for unclean Gentiles. Many
Jews expected that in the judgment
God would deal hardly with Gentile
sinners, but that the Jews, the
descendants of Abraham, the friend of
God, would be safe. John denounces
this attitude and removes the fancied
security."- Mortis
THE MEANING OF "REPENTANCE"
Repentance is METANOIA in
Greek, representing the Hebrew word,
SHU)3H, which refers to turning away
from sin and turning back to God in
faith and obedience. It denotes an
inner change of heart and mind which
turns away from sin and guilt to
cleansing, forgiveness and spiritual
renewal by God's grace, and which
manifests itself in a real change of life
and behavior, a constant turning from
disobedience to obedience to God.
"The 'change of mind' (METANOlA)
has reference both to past deeds and to
future purposes, and is the result of a
realization of their true moral
significance."- Plumer
METANOIA, (repentance,
conversion) in the O.T. prophets
involved "a new relation to God that
embraces all spheres oflife and claims
the will in a way that no external rites
can replace." - Wurthwein, Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament. This
turning from sin and turning to God
with all one's being has three mcets in
the prophets: (1). "It means obedience
to the will of God, Le., unconditional
recognition of God in conduct
corresponding to His will," (TWOT)
Hos. 6:lf; Jer. 34:15; (2). "It means
trust in God in rejection of all human
help and all false gods" (TWOT), Hos.
14:4; Jer. 3:22-23; (3). "It means
turning aside from everything that is
ungodly," (TWOT), Jer. 26:3; Ezek.
18:26. And in John's preaching,
repentance included the faith thatJ esus
is the Divine-human Savior, the
long-awaited Messiah, Lk. 1:17, 76f;
John 1:18.
THE MEANING OF "FOR
FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
The Greek word for forgiveness,
APHIEMI means "sending away." The
sins of the believing sinner are taken
away and sent far from him in such a
way that God will never bring them up
against him again, Psa. 103: 12; lsa.
43:25; Micah 7:19. "What is sent away
are the sins, HAMARTION, objective
genitive. The plural spreads them out
in their number, heaps them up in
their mountainous mass. -- "Sins" or
HAMARTlA means 'a missing of the
mark,' namely the mark set by the
divine law, a mark which God must
hold us to meet fully and perfectly. Sin
thus entails guilt, and whereas we may
speak of the two separately, they are
actually never separated. The instant
we sin we have guilt, and guilt cannot
exist where sin is absent. Sin and guilt
entail punishment, and this follows
guilt as surely as the guilt follows the
sin. When the sins are thus sent away,
all their guilt and punishment leave
likewise." - Lenski (For more on
forgiveness see my notes on Luke 1: 77.)
THE RELATION OF BAPTISM,
REPENTANCE AND TI-IE
FORGIVENESS OF SINS
THE RELATION DEFINED
John preached repentance-baptism
for the forgiveness of sins. He called
the people to faith and repentance;
and then baptized those who did so,
assuring them that God forgives all
those who repent and believe in Jesus
the Messiah. Therefore,]ohn's baptism
is the outward sign and seal of the
forgiveness of sins by God in Christ.
This forgiveness was not given by John,
nor by the water of baptism, but by
God Himself through the preaching of
liis word and the administration of
baptism to those who receive that word
and submit to that baptism in faith.
That baptism was the outward symbol
and conveyer of the washing away of
sin through forgiveness in preparation
forthe appearance ofJesusthe Messiah.
THE BAPTISM OF JOHN
AS A TRUE MEANS OF GRACE.
John Calvin is helpful here: "A
sacrament, then, is not a dumb
ceremony, exhibiting some unmeaning
pomp without doctrine; but the Word
]anuary/February 1994 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 11
of God is joined to it. and gives life to
the outward ceremony. -- For we are
not simply told. that John baptized
unto repentance. as if the grace of God
were contained in a visible sign; but
that he explained. in his preaching.
the advantage of baptism. that the
sign. through the word preached.
might produce its effect. This is the
peculiarity of baptism. that it is said to
be an outward representation of
THE RELATION OF JOHN'S
BAPTISM TO CHRISTIAN BAPTiSM
THE VIEW OF JOHN MURRAY
Although John Calvin disagrees.
John Murray does not equate John's
baptism with Christian baptism
instituted with the Great Commission
of Matthew 28:19f. For Calvin's view
see hislnstitutes oj the ChristianReligion,
IV. xv. 7 and 18; IV, xvi, 27. Murray
John's baptism from Christian baptism
in this manner: "W eshall have to say
that John's baptism, together with all
the O.T. rites, had real grace connected
with it, but only the O.T. measure and
qUality of grace. What it had not was
the Spirit in the spedfic Christian
conception; for the bestowal of that.
and its connection with baptism. are
dependent on the Pentecostal
outpouring of the Spirit. Acts 2.
repentance Jor the Jorgiveness
oj stns." Every such baptism
administered to the truly
repentant actually
bestowed. (conveyed).
forgiveness of sins upon the
person baptized. "Not that
BAPllSMA is the objective
'John'e baptlem ie not to be
identified with the ordinance
in6titutf]d by Chri6t on the eve of
Hi6 a6cen6ion. The character of
Consequently the baptism
administered in the time
between by the disciples of
Jesus must be classified with
the baptism oUohn." -Biblteal
Theology
THE VIEW OF ROBERT L.
sacrament administered John'6 bapti6m wae analogou6 to
upon the person. and R.L. Dabney points out
DABNEY
METANOIAthesubjective the character of hie mini6try. John that whereas the Reformers.
condition that is necessary prepared the way of the Lord and like Calvin. identifiedJohn's
in the person to receive the baptism with Christian
gift (REMISSION OF SINS) hi6 mini6try wae preparatory, baptism. on the basis of the
offered in the sacrament. tran6itional and lntroductive. So fact that John's mission was
"Speaking Scripturally. it the dawn of the new
is impossibie to conceive wae hie baptiem." dispensation. that his
that any repentant sinner . John Murray baptism was a baptism of the
was baptized by John '--------------'----------' evangelical grace of
withoutreleasefromhissins."-Lenski. makes his point clear: "John'sbaptism repentance. and that it was fot the
Moreover. by means of baptism God is not to be identified with the forgiveness of sins. later Calvinists
powerfully stimulates true conversion ordinance instituted by Christ on the differ with the Reformers. and with the
in the hearts and lives ofhis people. As eve of his ascension. The character of Immersionists. holding that John's
Vos points out in the designation of John's baptism was analogous to the baptism was for a different purpose.
John's baptism as a "baptism of character of his ministry. John andthereforeofadifferentnaturethan
repentance ..... OFREPENTANCE .. may prepared the way of the Lord and his Christian baptism. Dabneysharesthe
be taken as a genitive of purpose. ministry was preparatory. transitional view of the latet Calvinists for the
indicating that the baptism. as a means and introductive. So was his baptism. following reasons: (I). John's baptism
of grace. was intended to produce We may; no more identify the baptism was not administered in the name of
repentance. whiCh view agrees with ofjohh with the ordinance instituted the Trinity; (2). It was not the initiatory
Matthew 3: 11. "If repentance was the by Christ than we may identify the rite into the Christian Church; (3).
expected result of"the act. it is clear ministry and mission ofjohn with the Paul seems clearly to have repeated
that the rite cannot have been a mere ministry and mission ofjesus. Hence Christian baptism on those who had
piece of symbolism. 'but must have we cannot derive from the nature of already hadJohn's baptism. Acts 19:5.
constituted a true sacrament. intended John's baptism the precise import of Dabneyconcludesthat"John'sbaptism
to convey some form of grace. And the ordinance of Christian baptism... was therefore not the sacrament of the
with this also agreesJohn's urging the (Christian Baptism. pg.5) new dispensation. but one of those
people 'to bring forth fruit worthy of purifications. preparing the way of the
repentance .... (Biblical Theology. pgs THE VIEW OF GEERHARDUS VOS Messiah about to come ...... Systematic
316-317. Geerhardus Vos distinguishes Theology. pg. 763.
12 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t JanuarylFebruary 1994
j
1
TIlE VIEW OF LOUIS BERKHOF
In his typically concise and clear
way, Louis Berkhof compares and
contrastsJohn's baptism with Christian
baptism: "It would seem to be conect
to say that the two are essentially
identical, though differing in some
points. The baptism oOohn, like the
Christian baptism, (a). was instituted
by God Himself, Mat. 21:25; John
1:33; (b). was connected with a radical
change of life, Lk. 1:1-17; John
1:20-30; (c). stood in sacramental
relation to the forgiveness of sins, Mat.
3:7,8; Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3; Acts 2:28 and
(d). employed the same material
element, namely, water. At the same
time there were several points . of
difference: (a). the baptism of John
still belonged to the old dispensation,
and as such pointed forward to Christ;
(b). in halmony with the dispensation
of the law in general, it stressed the
necessity of repentance, though not
entirely to the exclusion of faith; (c). it
was intended for the Jews only, and
therefore represented the O.T.
particularism rather than the N .T.
universalism; and (d). since the Holy
Spirit had not yet been poured out in
pentecostal fullness, it was not yet
accompanied with as great a measure
of spiritual gifts as the later Christian
baptism." - Systematic Theology, pg.
623-24.
THE VIEW OF R.C.H. LENSKI
The Lutherancommentator, R.C.H.
Lenski com pares the two baptisms
from a different perspective, based
upon his observations on Luke 3:3
he First 350 Years
and Acts 2:38: ':Jesus himself took up
and continued John's baptism, In.
4: 1,2, and eventually instituted this
baptism for all nations. John's and
Christ's baptisms are the same in
essentials. The Baptist's was
administered on the basis of the
revelation made at that time; that of
Jesus on the level of his completed
work. The Baptist's made followers of
the Christ to come; that of Jesus
followers of the Christ already come.
Thus the baptism of John was
preparatory for Israel alone, Christ's
pelmanent for all nations. Only in this
way was the onemerged into the other.
The remission that was bestowed by
them was identical." This section on
The Ministry ofJohn the Baptist will
be concluded in the next issue. n
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January/February 1994 'F THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t- 13