GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN
7. But the Lord Jesus Christ could, if He wished, have given power to one of His servants to give a baptism of his own, as it were, in His stead, and
have transferred from Himself the power of baptizing, and assigned it to one of His servants, and have given the same power to the baptism transferred to the servant as it had when bestowed by the Lord. This He would not do, in order that the hope of the baptized might be in him by whom they acknowledged themselves to have been baptized. He would not, therefore, that the servant should place his hope in the servant. And therefore the apostle exclaimed, when he saw men wishing to place their hope in himself, “Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” Paul then baptized as a servant, not as the power itself;
but the Lord baptized as the power. Give heed. He was both able to give this power to His servants, and unwilling. For if He had given this power to His servants — that is to say, that what belonged to the Lord should be theirs — there would have been as many baptisms as servants; so that, as we speak of the baptism of John, we should also have spoken of the baptism of Peter, the baptism of Paul, the baptism of James, the baptism of Thomas, of Matthew, of Bartholomew: for we spoke of that baptism as that of John. But perhaps some one objects, and says, Prove to us that that baptism was called the baptism of John. I will prove it from the very words of the Truth Himself, when He asked the Jews, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?” Therefore, lest as many baptisms should be spoken of as there are servants who received power from the Lord to baptize, the Lord kept to Himself the power of
baptizing, and gave to His servants the ministry. The servant says that he baptizes; he says so rightly, as the apostle says. “And I baptized also the household of Stephanas;” but as a servant. Therefore, if even he be bad,
and he happen to have the ministration of baptism, and if men do not know him, but God knows him, God, who has kept the power to Himself, permits baptism to be administered through him.
8. But this John did not know in the Lord. That He was the Lord he knew, and that he ought to be baptized by Him he knew; and he confessed that He was the Truth, and that he, the true man, was sent by the Truth: this he knew. But what was in Him which he knew not? That he was about to retain to Himself the power of His baptism, and was not to transmit or transfer it to any servant; but that, whether a good servant baptized in a ministerial manner, or whether an evil servant baptized, the person
baptized should not know that he was baptized, unless by Him who kept to Himself the power of baptizing. And that you may know, brethren, what john did not know in Him, he learned it by means of the dove: for he knew the Lord; but that He was to retain to Himself the power of
baptizing, and not to give it to any servant, he did not yet know.
Regarding this he said, “I knew Him not.” And that you may know that he there learnt this, give heed to what follows: “But He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He.” What same is He? The Lord? But he already knew the Lord. Suppose, then, that John had said thus far, “I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me — “ We ask, what He said? It follows:
“Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him.” I do not say what follows. In the meantime give heed: “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He.” But what same is He? What did He who sent me mean to teach me by means of a dove? That He was Himself the Lord.
Already I knew by whom I was sent; already I knew Him to whom I said,
“Comest Thou to me to be baptized? I have need to be baptized of Thee.”
So far, then, did I know the Lord, that I wished to be baptized by Him, not that He should be baptized by me; and then He said to me, “Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” I came to suffer; do I not come to be baptized? “Let all righteousness be fulfilled,”
says my God to me. Let all righteousness be fulfilled; let me teach entire humility. I know that there will be proud ones in my future people; I know that some men then will be eminent in some grace, so that when
they see ordinary persons baptized, they, because they consider
themselves better, whether in continence, or in alms-giving, or in doctrine, will perhaps not deign to receive what has been received by their inferiors.
It was needful that I should heal them, so that they should not disdain to come to the baptism of the Lord, because I came to the baptism of the servant.
9. Already, then, John knew this, and he knew the Lord. What then did the dove teach? What did He desire to teach by means of the dove — that is, by means of the Holy Spirit thus coming to teach who had sent him to whom He said, “Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He”? Who is this He? The Lord?
I know. But didst thou already know this, that the same Lord having the power to baptize, was not to give that power to any servant, but to retain it to Himself, so that all who were baptized by the ministration of the servant, should not impute their baptism to the servant, but to the Lord?
Didst thou already know this? I did not know this: so what did He say to me? “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending as a dove, and abiding upon Him, the same is He who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.”
He does not say, “He is the Lord;” He does not say, “He is the Christ;”
He does not say, “He is God;” He does not say, “He is Jesus;” He does not say, “He is the One who was born of the Virgin Mary, after thee, before thee.” This He does not say, for this John did already know. But what did he not know? That this great authority of baptism the Lord Himself was to have, and to retain to Himself, whether present in the earth or absent in body in the heaven, and present in majesty; lest Paul should say, my baptism; lest Peter should say, my baptism. Therefore see, give heed to the words of the apostles. None of the apostles said, my baptism.
Although there was one gospel of all, yet thou findest that they said, my gospel: thou dost not find that they say, my baptism.
10. This, then, my brethren, John learned. What John learned by means of the dove let us also learn. For the dove did not teach John without teaching the Church, the Church to which it was said, “My dove is one.” Let the dove teach the dove; let the dove know what John learned by the dove.
The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. But this which John learned in the dove, wherefore did he learn it in the dove? For it behooved him to learn, and perhaps it did not so, much behoove him to learn as to
learn by the dove. What shall I say, my brethren, concerning the dove? or when will faculty of tongue or heart suffice to speak as I wish? And perchance, my wish falls short of my duty in speaking; even if I were able to speak as I wish, how much less am I able to speak as I ought? I could wish to hear one better than myself speak this, rather than speak of it to you.
11. John learns to know Him whom he knew; but he learns in Him with