The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 317

to interfere with thjll.' me.ne.gement, and and conld not be denied. The rultrs and to use the snored precinots for his own the people with them he.d allowed John to purposes? These e.nd such like quesUons be a prophet, and be.d never questioned hill were in their mind when they addressed claims hitherto. This was one fa.et; the him thus. Wilfully ignoring the many other was that John had borne unmistakable proofs they had of Uhrist's Divine mission evidence to Christ. " Behold the Lamb of (whioh one of them, Nicodemua, had long God I" etc. (John i. 32-36), he had so.id. before been oonstrained to own, John iii. 2), He came and asserted that he co.me e.e they raised the question now as a novel and Christ's forerunner; his mission was to pre- unanswered one. Who gave thee this pare Christ's way, and had no meaning or authority 1 They resolve the general inquiry intention but this. Here was a dilemma.. into the personal one-Who was it that con- They had asked for Jesus' credentials; the ferred upon you this authority which you prophet, whose mission they had virtually presume to exercise? We.a it some earthly endorsed testified that Jesus was the ruler, or we.sit God himself? Perhaps they Messiah; if they believed that John spoke mean to insinuate that S11te.n was the master by inspiration, they must e.ccept Christ; if whose power he wielded-an e.ccusation now they discredited John, they would already often me.de, '£hey thought thus stultify themBelves and endanger their in- to plaoe Obrist in an embarrassing position, 11.uence with the people. They rea.aoned from which he could not emerge without with themselves ('trap' ,au-rois). The some- o.lfording the opportunity whioh they de- what unusual introduction of this preposition sired. The trap we.a cleverly set, and, as instead of the more common iv implies the.t they deemed, unavoidable. If he was the refieotion was not confined to their own forced to confess that he spoke and e.oted breast, but passed in consultation from one withont any proper authorization, he would to another. They saw the difficulty, and be humiliated in the eyes of the people, and deliberated how they could meet it without might be officially silenced by the strong compromising themselves, seeking, not truth, hand. If he asserted himself to be the but evasion. Why did ye not then (6,ciT( Messiah and the bearer of a Divine com- olJv: why then did ye not) believe him 1 i.e. mission, they would at once bring age.inst when he bore such plain testimony to me. him a ohe.rge of blasphemy (oh. I.Xvi. 65). This nppee.l could be silenced only by deny- Ver. 24.-I also will ask you one thing; ing John's mission, or asserting the.the WBB >..&-yo11 11111 : 07l8 wOf'd, question. Jesus does mistaken in what he said. not reply directly to their insidious demand. Ver. 26.-We fear the people. They de.red He might have asserted his Divine mission, not, as they would gladly have done, affirm and appealed to his mire.oles in confirmation that John was a false prophet and impostor; of such olaim, which would have been in for then, e.s according to St. Luke they strict conformity with the old-established said, "All the people will stone us." Public rule for discriminating false and true opinion was too strong for them. Whatever prophets (see Dent. xviii. 22: Jer. xxvili. view they really took of John's position, 9); but he knew too well their sceptioism they were forced, for the sake of retaining and malice and inveterate prejudice to lay popularity, to uphold its Divine character. stress on this allegation at the present All hold John as a prophet. Even Herod, moment. Before he satisfied their inquiry, for the same reason, long hesitated to pn t he must have their opinion conoerning one the Be.ptist to death (eh. xiv. 5); e.nd mo.ny whom they had received e.s a prophet o. few of the J ewe believed that Herod's defeat by years ago, and whose memory we.a still held A.rate.a wo.s a judgment upon him for this in the highest respect, John the Baptist. murder (Josephus,' Ant.,' xviii. 5. 2); comp. The manner in whioh they reg11,rded him and Luke vii. 29, whioh shows how extensive was his testimony would enable them to answer the infiuence of this holy teacher, who indeed their own interrogation. did no mire.cle, but persuaded men by pure Ver. 25.-The baptism of John ( -rb/1d.'IM'ur,,_,. doctrine, holy life, genuine love of souls, -rb 'lw&vvou). By "the baptism whioh was courageous reproof of sin wherever found. of John" Christ means his whole ministry, Others had drawn the very inference which doctrine, pree.ohing, eto. ; as by oiroumoision Christ now deme.nded (see John x. 41, 42). is implied the whole Mosaio Law, and the Ver. 27.-We ce.nnot tell; ol,,, ol6al'-•": 1.C8 doctrine of the cross comprises all the know not; Vulge.te, nescimua. The Autho- teo.obing of the gospel, the chief chare.o- rized Version seems, at first sight, to be in- teristio connoting all pe.rticule.rs. From tended to give a false emphasis to " tell " hee.ven, or of men 1 Did they regard in Christ's e.nswer; but our translators often John as one inspired and commissioned by render the verb or3ci in this way (see John God, or as a fo.ne.tio and impostor, who we.s iii. 8; viii. 14; xvi. 18; 2 Cor. xii. 2). The self-sent and had reoeived no exteme.l questioners oould find no way out of the authorization? Now, two fe.ots were plain' dilemme. in which Ohrist's unerring wisdom MATTHEW-II, 'I 322 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oH. :xn. 1-46