The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 253

nrgoncy of these icle,1s thnt, o.e he must have it were at the hands of John. Consequently, known, the Essoues hnd formecl separate com- we cannot believe, with this entire group of munities, with the view of carrying out to the facts before us, that our Lord was makin~ full consummation tho icleo. of ritual purity, any ceremonio.l rite whntsoever indispen; Morotho.n this, itis not improbable that prose- able to entrance into the kingdom. His lytesfromheathcnnntions, when brought into own reception and foro-iveness of the woman ooveno.nt rolo.tion with the theocratic people, that wa.s a sinner, or°the paralytic, and of were, at the very time of this conversation, the dying brigand, his breathing over hie nclmHted by bnptismo.l rites into this privi- d!3ciples as symbolic of thP- great spiritual lege. To the entire confusion of Pho.risee o.nd gift they were afterwa.rrls to receive, is Sadducee, John the Bo.ptist had demanded of the startling and impressive repndia.tion ot' every ch,ss of the holy people "repentance the idea that Chrutian baptum in his own uuto remission of sins," a demand which was name, or, still less, that that ordinance treaterl nocepte<l on the part of the multitudes by ae a supernatnmlly endowed and divinely submitting to the 1ite of baptism. The vastly enrichP,d sacrament, was even so much a.s important question then a.rises-Did John by referred to in this great utterance. But the this baptism, or by any power he wielcled, entire system of Jewish, proselyte, and give to the people repentance or remission of Johannine baptisms was in the mind of both eina? Certo.inly not, if we mo.y conclude from Nicoclemus a.nd Christ. These were all sym- the repeatecl judgment pronounced by himself bolic of the confessiou ancl repentance, which o.nd by the apostles after him. Nothing but are the universal human conditions of pardon, the blood and Spirit of Christ could convey ancl, as e. ritual, were allowed to his disciples either remission or repentance to,the souls of before and after Pentecost, a.s anticipatory of men. John preached the baptism of repent- the great gift of the Holy Spirit. No bap- ance unto remission, but could confer neither. tism, no '' birth out of water," can give He to.ught the people to look to One who repentance or enforce confession ; but the should come after him. He sharply dis- familiar process may indicate the imperative criminated the baptism: with water from the necessity for both, and prove still more a baptism of the Spirit and fire. This dis- prophecy of the vital, spiritue.l transforma. crimination has been repeatedly referred to tion which, in the following verse, is disso- already in this Gospel Thus the Fathers of ciated from the water altogether. Calvin, lhe Church saw distinctly that there was no while admitting the general necessity for regenerating efficacy in the water-baptism of baptism, repudiates the idea that the rite is John, and the Council of Trent elevated this indispeusable to salvation, and maintains position into a canonical: dogma. It is most that "water" here means nothing different melancholy that they did not also perceive or other than "the Spirit,'' a.s clescriptive of that this judgment of theirs about the one of its great methodi of operation, just bo.ptism of John applied to water-baptism as "Holy Spirit and fire" a.re elsewhere altogether. Christ's disciples baptized (not conjoined. Christ himself, eh. iv. 2) with water unto Ver. 6.-That which hs.th been born of repentance and remission; but even up to the :flesh, is :flesh. :ll&.p~ is not the physical the do.y of Pentecost there is no hint of this as opposed to the spiritual or immaterial, process being more than stimulus to that re- nor is cr&.p~ necessarily sinful, as we see from pentance which is the gift of God, and to the eh. i. 14, but as it often appears in John's consequent pnrdon which was the condition writing and Paul's, cr&p~ is the constituent of still further communication of the Holy element of humanity as apart from grace- Spirit. The great baptism which Cluist hnmanity (body, intellect, heart, conscien<:>e, would o.druinister was the baptism of Spirit soul, spirit)viewed on its own side and merits and fire. The refe1·enoes to the baptism of Rnd capacity, without the Divine life, or the early Chnroh are not numerous in the the Divine supernatural inbreathing. Ths New Testament, but they are given as if for being born of tho flesh is the being born the very purpose of showing that the woter- into this world, with all the privo.tions ancl baptism was not e. necessary or indispensable cleprnvations, evil tcncloncies und passions condition to the gift of the Holy Ghost. of a fallen hurucmity. Birth into the theo- Cornelius and his friends reoeivcd the saored cracy, birth into natione.l or ecclesiastirol bestowment before baptism. The ln.ngu:i.ge privilege, birth that hilS no higher quality of the Ethiopio.n eunuoh shows that he had than flesh, no better germ or graft upon rcoeivccl the holy o.nd best gift of Divine it, simply produces flesh, hnmonity over illumination and fnith befOTe baptism. Simon again. When the Logos " become flesh,'' :Jlilo.gue was bnptized with water by Philip, somothiug more than nnd different from but we.a in the gall of bitterness and un- ordinnry trnduction of humanity took plo.ce. 1 spirilunlity. '!'here is no proof at all thRt 1 .A.ttontion is here called to [\ profoundly the apostles of Christ (with tho exception of Pnul) were ever brtptizecl wit.h water, unless interesting but specious reproduction hy Dr. 116 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [011. Ill. 1-36,