25. — [There arose.. .quefition... disciples. ..Jews.. .purifying.'] The nature and partimlnrs of this dispute must be left to conjecture. We can only form an idea of it from the context. It seems proba- ble that it was a dispute between the unbelieving Jews and the disciples of John the Baptist, about the comparative value of the two baptisms which were being administered in Judea, viz., John's baptism and Christ's. — Which was the most puiifying? Which was the most efficacious? Which was the most valuable of the two? — The Jews probably taunted John's disciples wiih the dechne of their master's popularity. John's disciple^, in ignorant zeal and heat for their master, probably contended that no new teacher's baptism could possibly be more purifying and valuable than their own master's.
Wordsworth remarks upon the word '' purifying," that St. John never uses the word " baptism," and never calls John the Baptist by his common surname " the Baptist." He says " John was no longer the Baptist, when St. John wrote. His baptism had passed away."
Musculus, on this verse, observes the excessive readiness of men in every age to raise questions, controversies, and persecu- tions about ceremonies of merely human institution, while about faith, and hope, and love, and humility, and patience, and mor- tification of the flesh, and renewal of the Spirit, they exhibit no zeal at all.
Controversies about baptism certainly appear to be among the oldest and most mischievous by which the Church has been plagued.
26. — [They came unto JoJin^ &cl] The language of the whole verse seems intended to show that John's disciples were jealous for their master's ministry, and that its declining popularity, in con- sequence of our Lord's appearance in Judsea as a public teacher, was a cause of annoyance to them. The ver^e is an instructive instance of that littleness and party spirit which are ?o painfully common among Christians when one minister's popularity is interfered with by the appearance of another.
[He. ..u-ith thee.. ..thou harest witness.] This expression shows the publicity and notoriety of John's testimony to our Lord as the Messiah and the Lamb of God. It was testimony not borne privately in a corner, but in the hearing and full knowledge of all John's disciples. It would seem to have had very little effect on their minds. The words fell on their ears, but went no further.
[Behold the same baptizeth.] This expression implies partly