John Chrysostom, On John

to be able to be dismissed, it is clear that he does not come to confess sins, but to give an occasion to that wondrous herald, and with a second voice to impress more accurately what had been said on those who had heard the former things, 59.109 and to add other things again. But the word, 'Behold,' is said, because many often sought him from the things that had been said and from a long time ago. For this reason this one shows him present and says, 'Behold;' declaring that this is he who was sought of old. This is the lamb. And he calls him a lamb, reminding the Jews of the prophecy of Isaiah and of the shadow according to Moses, so that from the type he might more readily bring them to the truth. That lamb, then, took away the sin of no one at all; but this one, of the whole world. For when it was in danger of perishing, he swiftly delivered it from the wrath of God. This was he of whom I said: He who comes after me is become before me. 2. Do you see here too how he interprets 'before'? For having said 'lamb,' and that 'he takes away the sin of the world,' he then says that 'He is become before me,' declaring that this is what 'before' means, to take away the sins of the world, to baptize in the Holy Spirit. For my coming had nothing more than to proclaim the common benefactor of the world, and to provide the baptism of water; but his, to cleanse all men and to bestow the energy of the Paraclete. This one 'is become before me;' that is, he was shown to be more glorious than I, 'Because he was before me.' Let those who have inherited the madness of Paul of Samosata be ashamed, resisting such manifest truth. And I knew him not. See how he here makes the testimony free from suspicion, showing that it was not of human friendship, but had come from divine revelation. For I knew him not, he says. How then could you be a trustworthy witness? And how could you teach others, being ignorant yourself? He did not say, 'I do not know him,' but, 'I knew him not;' so that in this way he might be most trustworthy. For how could he have shown favor to one who was unknown? But that he might be made manifest to Israel, for this reason I came baptizing in water. He therefore did not need baptism, nor did that washing have any other cause, than to prepare the way for faith in Christ for all the rest. For he did not say, 'That I might cleanse those being baptized,' nor, 'I came baptizing to deliver from sins,' but, 'That he might be made manifest to Israel.' For what, tell me, was it not possible to preach without the baptism, and to bring over the crowds? But so easily, by no means. For all would not have flocked together thus, if the preaching had occurred without baptism; they would not have learned the superiority from the comparison. The multitude, at least, went out, not to hear what he said; but what? To be baptized, confessing their sins. But having come, they were taught the things concerning Christ and the difference of the baptism. And yet this was more venerable than the Judaic one, and for this reason all ran to it; but nevertheless even so it was incomplete. How then did you know him? Through the descent of the Spirit, he says. But lest anyone think again, that he stood in need of the Spirit, as we do, hear how he refutes this suspicion too, showing that the descent of the Spirit occurred only for the purpose of proclaiming Christ. For having said, 'And I knew him not,' he added: 'But he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me: Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, that is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' Do you see that this 59.110 was the work of the Spirit, to show Christ? Indeed, the testimony of John was also free from suspicion. But wishing to make it more trustworthy, he traced it back to God and the Holy Spirit. For since John testified to something so great and wonderful, and sufficient to astonish all who heard, such as that he alone takes away the sins of the whole world, and that the greatness of the gift is sufficient for such a ransom, he therefore establishes this declaration. And the establishment is that He is the Son of God, and that not

ἀπολύεσθαι δύνασθαι, εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐχ ὥστε ἐξομολογήσασθαι ἁμαρτήματα παραγίνεται, ἀλλ' ὥστε δοῦναι ἀφορμὴν ἐκείνῳ τῷ θαυμαστῷ κήρυκι, καὶ δευτέρᾳ φωνῇ τοῖς τὰ πρό 59.109 τερα ἀκηκοόσιν ἀκριβέστερον ἐνθεῖναι τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ προσθεῖναι ἕτερα πάλιν. Τὸ δὲ, Ἴδε, εἴρηται, διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς πολλάκις ἐπιζητεῖν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ ἀπὸ μακροῦ τοῦ χρόνου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρόντα δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν οὗτος καὶ λέγει, Ἴδε· δηλῶν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πάλαι ζητούμενος. Οὗτος ὁ ἀμνός. Ἀμνὸν δὲ αὐτὸν καλεῖ, τῆς προφητείας ἀναμιμνήσκων Ἰουδαίους τῆς Ἡσαΐου καὶ τῆς σκιᾶς τῆς κατὰ τὸν Μωϋσέα, ἵν' ἀπὸ τοῦ τύπου μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς προσαγάγηται πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν ὁ ἀμνὸς οὐδενὸς καθάπαξ ἁμαρτίαν ἔλαβεν· οὗτος δὲ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης. Κινδυνεύουσαν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀπολέσθαι, ταχέως αὐτὴν ἀπήλλαξε τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὗτος ἦν περὶ οὗ εἶπον· Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς κἀνταῦθα πῶς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν ἑρμηνεύει; Εἰπὼν γὰρ ἀμνὸν, καὶ ὅτι αἴρει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, τότε φησὶν, ὅτι Ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονε, δηλῶν, ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ, Ἔμπροσθεν, τὸ τὰς ἁμαρτίας λαβεῖν τοῦ κόσμου, τὸ βαπτίσαι ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὴ παρουσία πλέον οὐδὲν εἶχε τοῦ κηρῦξαι τὸν κοινὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης εὐεργέτην, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ὕδατος βάπτισμα παρασχεῖν· ἡ δὲ τούτου, τὸ καθᾶραι πάντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ χαρίσασθαι τοῦ Παρακλήτου τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Οὗτος Ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονε· τουτέστιν, ἐδείχθη μου λαμπρότερος, Ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν. Αἰσχυνέσθωσαν οἱ Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως τὴν μανίαν διαδεξάμενοι, πρὸς οὕτω φανερὰν ἀλήθειαν ἀνθιστάμενοι. Κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν. Ὅρα πῶς ἀνύποπτον ἐνταῦθα τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐργάζεται, δεικνὺς αὐτὴν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης οὖσαν φιλίας, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀποκαλύψεως θείας γεγενημένην. Οὐκ ᾔδειν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐγὼ, φησί. Πῶς οὖν ἂν εἴης ἀξιόπιστος μάρτυς; πῶς δὲ ἂν καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαις αὐτὸς ἀγνοῶν; Οὐκ εἶπεν, Οὐκ οἶδα αὐτὸν, ἀλλ', Οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν· ὥστε ταύτῃ μάλιστα ἀξιόπιστος ἂν γένοιτο. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐχαρίσατο τῷ ἀγνοουμένῳ; Ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον βαπτίζων ἐν ὕδατι. Οὐ τοίνυν αὐτὸς βαπτίσματος ἐδεῖτο, οὐδὲ ἄλλην τινὰ αἰτίαν εἶχεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ λουτρὸν, ἢ τὸ προοδοποιῆσαι τῇ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστει τοῖς λοιποῖς ἅπασιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἵνα καθάρω τοὺς βαπτιζομένους, οὐδ', Ἵνα ἀπαλλάξω ἁμαρτημάτων ἦλθον βαπτίζων, ἀλλ', Ἵνα φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ βαπτίσματος χωρὶς οὐκ ἐνῆν κηρῦξαι, καὶ ἐπαγαγέσθαι τοὺς ὄχλους; Ἀλλὰ ῥᾳδίως οὕτως οὐδαμῶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν οὕτω συνέδραμον ἅπαντες, εἰ βαπτίσματος χωρὶς τὸ κήρυγμα ἐγένετο· οὐκ ἂν ἔμαθον τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς συγκρίσεως ὑπεροχήν. Τὸ γοῦν πλῆθος ἐξήρχετο, οὐκ ἀκουσόμενον ὧν ἔλεγεν· ἀλλὰ τί. Βαπτίσασθαι ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Παραγενόμενοι δὲ, ἐδιδάσκοντο τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος τὸ διάφορον. Καίτοι τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ τοῦτο σεμνότερον ἦν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάντες ἐπέτρεχον· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτως ἀτελὲς ἦν. Πῶς οὖν σὺ ἔγνως αὐτόν; ∆ιὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος καθόδου, φησίν. Ἵνα δὲ μή τις νομίσῃ πάλιν, ὅτι ἐν χρείᾳ καθειστήκει τοῦ Πνεύματος, καθάπερ ἡμεῖς, ἄκουσον πῶς καὶ ταύτην ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ὑποψίαν, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος κάθοδος ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρῦξαι τὸν Χριστὸν μόνον ἐγένετο. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτὸν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν· Ἐφ' ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ Πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον, καὶ μένον ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦτο 59.110 ἔργον τοῦ Πνεύματος ἦν τὸ δεῖξαι τὸν Χριστόν; Ἦν μὲν καὶ ἡ τοῦ Ἰωάννου μαρτυρία ἀνύποπτος. Βουλόμενος δὲ αὐτὴν ἀξιοπιστοτέραν ποιῆσαι, ἀνήγαγεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐμαρτύρησεν ὁ Ἰωάννης οὕτω μέγα τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν, καὶ ἱκανὸν τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἐκπλῆξαι πάντας, οἷον ὅτι τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης τὰς ἁμαρτίας λαμβάνει μόνος αὐτὸς, καὶ ὅτι πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἀρκεῖ λύτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τὸ μέγεθος, κατασκευάζει λοιπὸν ταύτην τὴν ἀπόφασιν. Ἡ δὲ κατασκευὴ, ὅτι Υἱός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ