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running. But if one should ask, what advantage did the baptism of the disciples have over that of John? we shall say, none. For both were alike without the grace of the 59.168 Spirit, and the one reason for baptizing for both was to bring those who were baptized to Christ. For so that they might not always be running about and thus gathering those who ought to believe, as the brother did in the case of Simon, and Philip in the case of Nathanael, they instituted baptism, so that through it all might be brought in without labor, and a way might be prepared for the faith that was to come. And that the baptisms had no advantage over one another, the following shows. What then are these things? There arose, it says, a questioning from John's disciples with a Jew about purification. For the disciples of John, being always jealously disposed toward the disciples of Christ, and indeed toward Christ Himself, when they saw them baptizing, began to dispute with those who were being baptized, as if their own baptism had some advantage over that of the disciples of Christ. And taking one of those who had been baptized, they attempted to persuade him, but did not succeed. For that they are the ones who ran up, and that he did not seek it out, hear how the Evangelist hinted at this. For he did not say that a certain Jew questioned with them, but that a questioning arose from the disciples of John with a certain Jew about purification. 2. But consider for me also the gentle manner of the Evangelist. For he did not use accusatory language; but as much as he could, he mitigates the accusation, saying simply that a questioning arose; since that what was said was said out of jealousy, the following makes clear, which he also set down gently. For they came, he says, to John and said to him: Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, he is baptizing, and all are coming to him; that is, he whom you baptized. For they hint at this by saying, To whom you have borne witness; as if to say, he whom you made illustrious and caused to be admired, dares the same things as you. But they did not say, whom you baptized; for then they would have been compelled to recall both the voice that came down from above, and the descent of the Spirit; but what? He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness; that is, he who held the rank of a disciple, who had no advantage over us, this man having separated himself is baptizing. And not only by this did they think to provoke him, but also by the fact that their own work was henceforth being eclipsed; For all, he says, are coming to him. From which it is clear that they had not prevailed over the Jew with whom they had the questioning. And they said these things, being still imperfectly disposed, and not yet pure from ambition. What then did John do? Neither does he rebuke them harshly, fearing that they might again separate from him and work some other evil; but what does he say? No man can receive anything, unless it has been given to him from heaven. And if he speaks rather humbly concerning Christ, do not be surprised; for it was not possible to teach the whole matter at once and from the beginning to those who were preoccupied with such a passion; but he wishes for the time being to strike them with awe and fear, and to show that they are not warring against another, but against God, in warring against him. What Gamaliel therefore also said: You cannot overthrow it, lest you be found even to fight against God; this he himself also covertly establishes here. For to say, No one can receive, unless it has been given to him from heaven, from this means nothing else 59.169 than that they are attempting impossible things, and that they are again found here to be fighting against God. What then? did the followers of Theudas not receive of themselves? They did receive, but they were immediately scattered and perished; but the things of Christ are not so. Hence he also gently comforts them, showing that it is not a man, but God, who is eclipsing them. Wherefore if his works are glorious, and all are coming to him, one ought not to wonder; for such are divine things, and it is God who is accomplishing these things; for never did such things have so much power For all human things are easily detected and unsound, and quickly collapse and perish; but these things are not so; therefore they are not human. And see how when they said, To whom you

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τρέχοντες. Εἰ δέ τις ἐξετάζοι, καὶ τί πλέον εἶχε τὸ τῶν μαθητῶν βάπτισμα, τοῦ Ἰωάννου; ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι οὐδέν. Ἑκάτερα γὰρ ὁμοίως τῆς ἐκ τοῦ 59.168 Πνεύματος χάριτος ἄμοιρα ἦν, καὶ αἰτία μία ἀμφοτέροις ἦν τοῦ βαπτίζειν, τὸ τῷ Χριστῷ προσάγειν τοὺς βαπτιζομένους. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀεὶ περιτρέχοντες οὕτω συνάγωσι τοὺς ὀφείλοντας πιστεύειν, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σίμωνος ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐποίησε, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ναθαναὴλ ὁ Φίλιππος, τὸ βαπτίσαι ἐνεστήσαντο, ὥστε δι' αὐτοῦ ἅπαντας ἐπάγεσθαι ἀπονητὶ, καὶ τῇ μελλούσῃ προοδοποιεῖν πίστει. Ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲν πλέον εἶχεν ἀλλήλων τὰ βαπτίσματα, τὰ ἐχόμενα δηλοῖ. Ποῖα δὴ ταῦτα; Ἐγένετο, φησὶ, ζήτησις ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰωάννου μετὰ Ἰουδαίου περὶ καθαρισμοῦ. Ζηλοτύπως γὰρ ἔχοντες ἀεὶ πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητὰς οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐπειδὴ εἶδον αὐτοὺς βαπτίζοντας, ἤρξαντο διαλέγεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς βαπτιζομένους, ὡς τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῖς βαπτίσματος πλέον τι τοῦ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔχοντος. Καὶ λαβόντες ἕνα τῶν βαπτισθέντων, ἐπεχείρουν τοῦτον πείθειν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔπειθον. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτοὶ οἱ ἐπιδραμόντες εἰσὶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ἐζήτησεν, ἄκουσον πῶς τοῦτο ὁ Εὐαγγελιστὴς ᾐνίξατο. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἰουδαῖός τις μετ' αὐτῶν ἐζήτησεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ζήτησις ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰωάννου ἐγένετο μετὰ Ἰουδαίου τινὸς περὶ καθαρισμοῦ. βʹ. Σκόπει δέ μοι καὶ τὸ ἀνεπαχθὲς τοῦ Εὐαγγελιστοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ καταφορικῶς ἐχρήσατο τῷ λόγῳ· ἀλλ' ὅση δύναμις, παραμυθεῖται τὸ ἔγκλημα, ζήτησιν γενέσθαι ἁπλῶς λέγων· ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε ἀπὸ ζηλοτυπίας ἐλέγετο τὰ λεγόμενα, τὰ ἑξῆς δηλοῖ, ἃ καὶ αὐτὰ ἀνεπαχθῶς τέθεικεν. Ἦλθον γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Ῥαββὶ, ὃς ἦν μετὰ σοῦ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ᾧ σὺ μεμαρτύρηκας, ἴδε οὗτος βαπτίζει, καὶ πάντες ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτόν· τουτέστιν, ὃν ἐβάπτισας σύ. Τοῦτο γὰρ αἰνίττονται λέγοντες, Ὧ σὺ μεμαρτύρηκας· οἷον, ὃν σὺ λαμπρὸν ἔδειξας, καὶ περίβλεπτον ἐποίησας, τὰ αὐτά σοι τολμᾷ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπον, ὃν σὺ ἐβάπτισας· ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἠναγκάσθησαν καὶ τῆς φωνῆς ἀναμνῆσαι τῆς ἄνωθεν κατενεχθείσης, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιφοιτήσεως· ἀλλὰ τί; Ὃς ἦν μετὰ σοῦ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ᾧ σὺ μεμαρτύρηκας· τουτέστιν, ὃς μαθητοῦ τάξιν ἐπεῖχεν, ὃς ἡμῶν πλέον εἶχεν οὐδὲν, οὗτος ἑαυτὸν ἀποσχίσας βαπτίζει. Οὐ τούτῳ δὲ μόνον ᾤοντο παρακνίζειν αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τὰ αὐτῶν παρευδοκιμεῖσθαι λοιπόν· Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὔτε τοῦ Ἰουδαίου περιεγένοντο, μεθ' οὗ τὴν ζήτησιν ἔσχον. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγον, ἀτελέστερον ἔτι διακείμενοι, καὶ οὐδέπω φιλοτιμίας ὄντες καθαροί. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης; Οὐδὲ αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς σφοδρῶς ἐπιτιμᾷ, δεδοικὼς μὴ καὶ αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἀποσχισθέντες ἕτερόν τι κακὸν ἐργάσωνται· ἀλλὰ τί φησι; Οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνειν οὐδὲν, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ταπεινότερον φθέγγεται περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· οὐ γὰρ ἦν τοιούτῳ πάθει προκατειλημμένους ἀθρόον καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων διδάξαι τὸ πᾶν· ἀλλὰ θέλει τέως αὐτοὺς καταπλῆξαι καὶ φοβῆσαι, καὶ δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐχ ἑτέρῳ, ἀλλ' ἢ τῷ Θεῷ πολεμοῦσιν, αὐτῷ πολεμοῦντες. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Γαμαλιὴλ ἔλεγεν· Οὐ δύνασθε καταλῦσαι αὐτὸ, μήποτε καὶ θεομάχοι εὑρεθῆτε· τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς λανθανόντως ἐνταῦθα κατασκευάζει. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Οὐδεὶς δύναται λαμβάνειν, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐντεῦθεν οὐδὲν ἄλλο δη 59.169 λοῦντός ἐστιν, ἢ ὅτι καὶ ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειροῦσι, καὶ ὅτι θεομάχοι ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν εὑρίσκονται. Τί οὖν; οἱ περὶ Θευδᾶν οὐκ ἔλαβον ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν; Ἔλαβον, ἀλλ' εὐθέως διελύθησαν καὶ ἀπώλοντο· τὰ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐ τοιαῦτα. Ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς καὶ παραμυθεῖται ἠρέμα, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ Θεός ἐστιν ὁ παρευδοκιμῶν αὐτούς. Ὅθεν εἰ καὶ λαμπρὰ τὰ ἐκείνου, καὶ πάντες πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρχονται, θαυμάζειν οὐ χρή· τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ θεῖα, καὶ Θεός ἐστιν ὁ ταῦτα κατασκευάζων· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοσαῦτα ἴσχυσέ ποτε Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώπινα ἅπαντα, εὐφώρατα καὶ σαθρὰ, καὶ καταῤῥεῖ ταχέως καὶ ἀπόλλυται· ταῦτα δὲ οὐ τοιαῦτα· οὐκ ἄρα ἀνθρώπινα. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ὅτε εἶπον, Ὧ σὺ