Commentary by John Calvin
John 3:22-28
22. After these things came Jesus, and his disciples, into the land of
Judea, and there he remained with them and baptized. 23. And John also
was baptizing in Enon, near Salim; because there were many waters
there. They came therefore and were baptized. 24. For John was not yet
cast into prison. 25. A question then arose between the disciples of
John and the Jews about purifying. 26. And they came to John, and said
to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou gavest
testimony, lo, he baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27. John answered
and said, A man cannot receive any thing, unless it be given to him
from heaven. 28. Yourselves are witnesses to me, that I said, I am not
Christ, but was sent before him.
22. After these things came Jesus. It is probable that Christ, when the
feast was past, came into that part of Judea which was in the vicinity
of the town Enon, which was situated in the tribe of Manasseh. The
Evangelist says that there were many waters there, and these were not
so abundant in Judea. Now geographers tell us, that these two towns,
Enon and Salim, were not far from the confluence of the river Jordan
and the brook Jabbok; and they add that Scythopolis was near them. From
these words, we may infer that John and Christ administered baptism by
plunging the whole body beneath the water; though we ought not to give
ourselves any great uneasiness about the outward rite, provided that it
agree with the spiritual truth, and with the Lord's appointment and
rule. So far as we are able to conjecture, the; vicinity of those
places caused various reports to be circulated, and many discussions to
arise, about the Law, about the worship of God, and about the condition
of the Church, in consequence of two persons who administered baptism
having arisen at the same time. For when the Evangelist says that
Christ baptized, I refer this to the commencement of his ministry;
namely, that he then began to exercise publicly the office which was
appointed to him by the Father. And though Christ did this by his
disciples, yet he is here named as the Author of the baptism, without
mentioning his ministers, who did nothing but in his name and by his
command. On this subject, we shall have something more to say in the
beginning of the next Chapter.
25. A question then arose. Not without a good reason does the
Evangelist relate that a question arose from the disciples of John; for
just in proportion as they were ill-informed about doctrine, they are
so much the more eager to enter into debate, as ignorance is always
bold and presumptuous. If others had attacked them, they might have
been excused; but when they themselves, though unfit to maintain the
contest, voluntarily provoke the Jews, it is a rash and foolish
proceeding. Now the words mean, that "the question was raised by them;"
and not only were they to blame for taking up a matter which they did
not understand, and speaking about it rashly and beyond the measure of
their knowledge; but another fault -- not less than the former -- was,
that they did not so much intend to maintain the lawfulness of Baptism
as to defend the cause of their master, that his authority might remain
unimpaired. In both respects, they deserved reproof, because, not
understanding what was the real nature of Baptism, they expose the holy
ordinance of God to ridicule, and because, by sinful ambition, they
undertake to defend the cause of their master against Christ.
It is evident, therefore, that they were astonished and confounded by a
single word, when it was represented to them that Christ also was
baptizing; for while their attention was directed to the person of a
man, and to outward appearance, [64] they gave themselves less concern
about the doctrine. We are taught, by their example, into what mistakes
those men fall who are actuated by a sinful desire to please men rather
than by a zeal for God; and we are likewise reminded that the single
object which we ought to have in view and to promote by all means is,
that Christ alone may have the pre-eminence.
About purifying The question was about purifying; for the Jews had
various baptisms and washings [65] enjoined by the Law; and not
satisfied with those which God had appointed, [66] they carefully
observed many others which had been handed down from their ancestors.
When they find that, in addition to so great a number and variety of
purifyings, a new method of purifying is introduced by Christ and by
John, they look upon it as absurd.
26. To whom thou gavest testimony. By this argument they endeavor
either to make Christ inferior to John, or to show that John, by doing
him honor, had laid him under obligations; for they reckon that John
conferred a favor on Christ by adorning him with such honorable titles.
As if it had not been the duty of John to make such a proclamation, or
rather, as if it had not been John's highest dignity to be the herald
of the Son of God. Nothing could have been more unreasonable than to
make Christ inferior to John, because his testimony was highly
favorable; for we know what John's testimony was. The expression which
they use -- all men come to Christ -- is the language of envious
persons, [67] and proceeds from sinful ambition; for they are afraid
that the crowd will immediately forsake their master.
27. A man cannot receive any thing. Some refer these words to Christ,
as if John accused the disciples of wicked presumption in opposition to
God, by endeavoring to deprive Christ of what the Father had given to
him. They suppose the meaning to be this: "That within so short a time
he has risen to so great honor, is the work of God; and therefore it is
in vain for you to attempt to degrade him whom God with his own hand
has raised on high." Others think that it is an exclamation into which
he indignantly breaks forth, because his disciples had hitherto made so
little progress. And certainly it was excessively absurd that they
should still endeavor to reduce to the rank of ordinary men him who,
they had so often heard, was the Christ, that he might not rise above
his own servants; and, therefore, John might justly have said that it
is useless to spend time in instructing men, because they are dull and
stupid, until they are renewed in mind.
But I rather agree with the opinion of those who explain it as applying
to John, as asserting that it is not in his power, or in theirs, to
make him great, because the measure of us all is to be what God
intended us to be. For if even the Son of God took not that honour to
himself, (Hebrews 5:4,) what man of the ordinary rank would venture to
desire more than what the Lord has given him? This single thought, if
it were duly impressed on the minds of us all, would be abundantly
sufficient for restraining ambition; and were ambition corrected and
destroyed, the plague of contentions would likewise be removed. How
comes it then, that every man exalts himself more than is proper, but
because we do not depend on the Lord, so as to be satisfied with the
rank which he assigns to us?
28. You are witnesses to me. John expostulates with his disciples that
they did not give credit to his statements. He had often warned them
that he was not the Christ; and, therefore, it only remained that he
should be a servant and subject to the Son of God along with others.
And this passage is worthy of notice; for, by affirming that he is not
the Christ, he reserves nothing for himself but to be subject to the
head, and to serve in the Church as one of the rest, and not to be so
highly exalted as to obscure the honor of the Head. He says that he was
sent before, to prepare the way for Christ, as kings are wont to have
heralds or forerunners.
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Footnotes
[64] "Et apparence exterieure."
[65] "De baptesmes et lavemens."
[66] "Que Dieu avoit instituez."
[67] "C'est une parole de gens envieux."
(Exegesis on John 3:22-28 from the John Calvin Commentary on John's Gospel) |