Thomas Aquinas

Above, John, when questioned, bore witness to Christ concerning himself as to his person; here, however, he does so as to his office. And concerning this four things are set down. First, those questioning; second, the questioning, at "and they asked him"; third, the response, in which he bore witness, at "John answered them," and so on. Fourth, the place where these things were done, at "these things were done in Bethania." Now those questioning are the Pharisees. Whence he says, "and they who had been sent were of the Pharisees." And indeed, according to Origen, what is said from this passage pertains to another testimony: and these who were sent from the Pharisees are not the same as the priests and Levites who were sent by the whole body of the Jews, but others sent specially by the Pharisees. And according to this it is said: "and they who were sent," namely not by the Jews, as were the priests and Levites, but others "were of the Pharisees." And therefore he says that, because the priests and Levites were well-schooled and reverent, they question John humbly and with reverence concerning his dignity, namely whether he were the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet; but these, who were of the Pharisees, being according to their name divided and importunate, put forward abusive words against the Baptist, whence they said to him: "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" But according to others, namely Gregory, Chrysostom, and Augustine, these who were of the Pharisees are those same ones who had been sent by the Jews as priests and Levites. For there was a certain sect among the Jews, who on account of an exterior form of worship were separated from the others: whence they were also called Pharisees, that is, "the separated"; and in it were indeed some of the priests and Levites, and some of the people. Therefore, that the messengers might be of greater authority, they sent priests and Levites who were of the Pharisees, so that these might lack neither the dignity of the priestly order nor the authority of religion. Now the Evangelist adds this which is said, "and they who had been sent were of the Pharisees," so that first he might assign the reason for the question about John's Baptism, for which they had not been sent; as if to say: they had been sent to ask of John who he was. But that they ask, "Why then do you baptize?" they did this because they were of the Pharisees, to whom their religion afforded the boldness. Second, as Gregory says, that he might show with what intention they asked of John, "Who are you?" For the Pharisees among all the others bore themselves treacherously and slanderously toward Christ. Whence they themselves said to him, Matthew 12:24: "By Beelzebub the prince of demons he casts out demons." They themselves also entered into counsel with the Herodians, that they might catch Jesus in his speech, Matthew 22:15. And therefore by saying "they who had been sent were of the Pharisees," he shows that they bore themselves slanderously, and out of envy questioned him.

Now the questioning is about the office of baptizing, whence it is said, "and they asked him, and said to him: Why then do you baptize?" and so on. Whence it must be noted that they do not ask in order to know, but in order to hinder. For because they saw the multitude of the people running to John, on account of the new rite of baptizing, foreign to the rite of the Pharisees and of the law, they envied John, and endeavored so far as they could to hinder his Baptism; and therefore, being unable to contain themselves, they make manifest their envy, and say, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" As if they said: you ought not to baptize, since you deny that you are any of those three in whom Baptism was prefigured, as was said above. Namely, if you are not the Christ, who is to have a fountain for the washing away of sin; and if you are not Elijah, or the prophet, that is, Elisha, who crossed the Jordan with dry foot, as is said 4 Kings 2:8, how do you dare to baptize? Like to these are the envious, who hinder the advancement of souls, who say to those who see: "See not," etc., Isaiah 30:10.

Now the response is true: whence he says, "John answered them, saying: I baptize in water." As if to say: you ought not to marvel if I, who am not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, baptize: because my Baptism is not completive, but imperfect. For to the perfection of Baptism there is required the washing of body and soul; and the body indeed according to nature is washed with water, but the soul only by the Spirit. Whence "I baptize in water," that is, with the body I wash the body; but another will come, who will baptize perfectly, namely in water and the Holy Spirit; God and man, who will wash both the body with water and the spirit with the Spirit, in such a way that the sanctification of the Spirit will be conveyed to the body. Acts 1:5: "John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence."

Now he bears witness concerning Christ, when he says, "but there has stood one in the midst of you," etc., and first by comparison to the Jews; second by comparison to himself, at "he it is who is to come after me." Now he compares him to the Jews, saying, "but there has stood one in the midst of you"; as if to say: I have done an imperfect work; but there is another who will perfect my work, who "has stood in the midst of you." And this is indeed expounded in many ways. In one way, according to Gregory, Chrysostom, and Augustine, so that it refers to Christ's common association among men, because, according to human nature, he appeared like to other men; Philippians 2:6: "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, made into the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man." And according to this he says, "he has stood in the midst of you," that is, he has many times associated as one of you; Luke 22:27: "I am in the midst of you." "Whom you know not," that is, this that God has been made man, you cannot grasp. Likewise, you know not how great he is according to the divine nature, which lay hidden in him; Job 36:26: "Behold, the Lord is great, surpassing your knowledge." And therefore, as Augustine says, the lamp, namely John, has been lit, that Christ may be found. Psalm 131:17: "I have prepared a lamp for my Christ." In another way it is expounded, according to Origen, and this in two ways. First, so that it refers to Christ's divinity; and according to this "in the midst of you," that is, in the midst of all things, "has stood," namely Christ: because he himself, according as he is the Word, from the beginning of creation filled the whole creation. Jeremiah 23:24: "Heaven and earth I fill." "Whom nevertheless you know not," because, as is said above, "he was in the world (...) and the world knew him not." In another way, so that it refers to the causality of human wisdom, and it is said "he has stood in the midst of you"; that is, in the understanding of all he shines forth: because whatever of light and wisdom there is in men, comes to them from participation in the Word. And he says "in the midst," because in the midst of a man is corporeally the heart, to which a certain wisdom and understanding is attributed: whence, although the understanding does not have a bodily organ, nevertheless because the heart is the principal organ, it is accustomed to be taken for the understanding; whence he is said to stand in the midst according to this likeness, inasmuch as he enlightens every man coming into this world. "Whom nevertheless you know not"; because, as is said above, "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." In a fourth way it is expounded so that it refers to the prophetic foretelling of Christ, so that in this way the answer is directed principally to the Pharisees, who continually searched the Scriptures of the Old Testament, in which Christ was foretold, and yet did not know him. And according to this it is said, "he has stood in the midst of you"; that is, in the sacred Scripture, which you always turn over; below 5:39: "Search the Scriptures." "Whom nevertheless you know not," because your heart is hardened on account of unbelief and your eyes are blinded, so that you do not recognize as present the one whom you believe to be future.

Now John compares Christ to himself, when he says, "he it is who is to come after me." Where first he sets down the excellence of Christ in relation to himself; second he shows the immensity of the excellence, at "whose latchet of the shoe I am not worthy to loose." Now he shows the excellence of Christ in relation to himself both as to the order of preaching, and as to the order of dignity. As to the order of preaching indeed, John became known first. And therefore he says, "he it is who comes after me," to preach, to baptize, and to die; because, as is said Luke 1:76, "you shall go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways." But John indeed preceded Christ, as the imperfect the perfect, and as the disposition the form; as is said 1 Corinthians 15:46: "not first that which is spiritual, but that which is animal." For the whole life of John was a certain preparation for Christ; whence he said above, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." But Christ preceded John and us all, as the perfect the imperfect, and as the exemplar the thing exemplified. Matthew 16:24: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me"; 1 Peter 2:21: "Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example." But as to the order of dignity, when he says "who was made before me," that is, has been set before me, and placed above me in dignity; because, as he says below 3:30, "I must be diminished, but he must increase." Now he assigns the immensity of the excellence when he says, "whose latchet of the shoe I am not worthy to loose." As if to say: do not understand him to be placed before me in dignity as one man is preferred to another, but so excellently that I am nothing in comparison to him. And this is clear, because I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoe: which is the least service that can be done to men. From which it is clear that John had approached much toward the knowledge of God, inasmuch as from the consideration of the infinite magnitude of God he utterly disparaged himself, and said that he was nothing. Just as Abraham, when he had come to know God, said, Genesis 18:27: "I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes." So Job 42:5, when he had seen the Lord, said: "Now my eye sees you; therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes." So Isaiah 40:17, after he had seen the glory of God, said: "All nations are before him as if they were not." And this exposition indeed is literal.

But it is also expounded mystically. In one way according to Gregory, so that by the shoe, which is made from the skins of dead animals, is understood mortal human nature, which Christ assumed; Psalm 59:10: "Into Idumea I will stretch out my shoe," and so on. But the latchet of his shoe is that very union of divinity and humanity, which neither John, nor anyone, can loose nor was able fully to investigate, since it was such that it would make man God, and God man. And therefore he says, "whose latchet of the shoe I am not worthy to loose"; that is, to unfold the mystery of the incarnation, and so on. It is to be understood fully and perfectly: for in some manner both John and the other preachers, though imperfectly, do loose the latchet of the shoe. In another way it is expounded, because in the old law it was commanded, Deuteronomy 25:5-10, that when someone died without children, the brother of the deceased was bound to take the wife of the deceased, and to raise up seed for his brother from her; but if he were unwilling to take her as wife, then some relative of the deceased wishing to take her ought to unshoe him as a sign of this yielding, and to take her as wife, and his house ought to be called the house of the unshod. According to this therefore he says, "whose latchet of the shoe I am not worthy to loose"; that is, I am not worthy to have the spouse, who is due to him, the Church. As if to say: I am not worthy to be called the spouse of the Church, which is consecrated to Christ in the Baptism of the Spirit; but I baptize in water only. Below 3:29: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom," and so on.

Now the place, where the aforesaid things were done, is subjoined consequently, when he says, "these things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan." But concerning this first a question arises. Since Bethania is on the Mount of Olives which is near Jerusalem, as is said John 11:1 and Matthew 26:6, how does he say that they were done beyond the Jordan, which was far distant from Jerusalem? But it must be said, according to Origen and Chrysostom, that it ought not to be called Bethania, but Bethabara, which is a certain village beyond the Jordan: and that he says Bethania is corrupted by the fault of the copyists. But because both the Greek and the Latin books have Bethania, therefore it must be said otherwise, that there is a twofold Bethania: one which is near Jerusalem on the side of the Mount of Olives, another beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Now that he makes mention of the place, has a literal and a mystical reason. Literal indeed according to Chrysostom, because John was writing this Gospel while perhaps some were living who both saw the time in which these things were done, and the place, and therefore, as if for greater certainty, he makes them witnesses of those things which they had seen. Mystical, however, because these places befit Baptism. For, if it be called Bethania, which is interpreted "house of obedience," it signifies that it is necessary to come to Baptism through the obedience of faith; Romans 1:5: "unto obedience of faith in all nations." But if it be called Bethabara, which is interpreted "house of preparation," it signifies that through Baptism man is prepared for eternal life. Nor is it without mystery that it is beyond the Jordan. For Jordan is interpreted "their descent"; and, according to Origen, it signifies Christ, who descended from the heavens, as he himself says: "I descended from heaven, to do the will of my Father." Whence it is said Ecclesiasticus 24:41: "I, like the river Dorix." Now through him it is fitting that all who enter into this world be cleansed, according to that of Revelation 1:5: "he washed us from our sins in his blood." Fittingly also does the Jordan signify Baptism. For it is itself the boundary between those who received the lots of inheritance from Moses on one side of the Jordan, and those who received them from Joshua on the other; and thus Baptism is as it were a certain boundary between the Jews and the Gentiles, who set out thither, that they may wash themselves as they come to Christ, that they may lay aside the reproach of sin. For just as the children of Israel entering the land of promise had to cross the Jordan, so also through Baptism one must enter the heavenly homeland. Now he says "beyond the Jordan," to intimate that John preached the Baptism of penance also to transgressors and sinners; whence also the Lord, Matthew 9:13: "I came not to call the just, but sinners."