36. (Verse 16). Regarding the confession of truth in John, it is added: John answered, saying to all, that is, publicly, because all were in error: I indeed baptize you with water, and "only, as Ambrose says, I immerse bodies"; and therefore I am not the savior of souls, whom you think me to be. Whence he himself said, John 1: "Upon whom you shall see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining, he it is who baptizes in the Holy Spirit." Whence when the Jews asked who he was, according to what is said in John 1, "he confessed and did not deny, and he confessed: I am not the Christ." And therefore he could say that passage from 2 Corinthians 12: "But I forbear, lest anyone should think of me above that which he sees in me, or hears anything from me."
37. And note that there is the baptism of water, of the Spirit, and of blood. The baptism of water is twofold: one in water only, as that of blessed John, Acts 19: "In what were you baptized? And they said: In the baptism of John"; another in water and the Spirit, as the baptism of Christ, John 3: "Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit," etc. — The baptism of the Spirit: one in the gift of grace, Acts 1: "John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit"; another in the word of doctrine, Song of Songs 4: "Your teeth are like flocks of shorn sheep, which have come up from the washing," by which we understand preachers; and John 15: "You are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." — The baptism of blood: one in tribulation, Isaiah 4: "If the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning"; another in death, Luke 12: "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished."
38. As for the commendation of sublimity in the Savior, there follows: But one mightier than I comes, etc. Now John commends Christ with respect to the mystery of the Incarnation, with respect to the Sacrament of reparation, and with respect to the judgment of retribution. In the first is the beginning of our salvation; in the second, its increase; in the third, its completion. As for the mystery of the Incarnation, he says: But one mightier than I comes, mightier, worthier, and more excellent; Isaiah 9: "His name shall be called Wonderful," because, First Corinthians 1, "the weakness of God is stronger than men"; and this indeed not slightly, but incomparably: on account of which there follows: Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to unfasten. According to the literal sense, this can mean that he so greatly humbles himself that he is not worthy to serve Him in the most lowly ministry: whence also Matthew 3: "Whose sandals I am not worthy to carry." — Or spiritually, by the sandal is understood the human nature assumed, according to that verse of the Psalm: "Over Edom will I extend my shoe." By the strap I understand the union itself. The sense therefore, according to Bede, is: Whose I am not worthy, etc., "that is, to explain the mystery of the Incarnation," because it is said in Apocalypse 5 that "no one was found worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof except the Lamb alone." — In another way it is understood according to a third manner thus: I am not worthy, etc., that is, to carry the evangelical preaching throughout the world: whence Bede: "The nuptial sandal is the evangelical preaching, with which the Apostles were shod"; Ephesians 6: "Your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace." — In yet another way it is expounded according to a fourth manner, so that the sense is: I am not worthy to unfasten, that is, to remove His sandal according to the custom of the Law and to take His bride to myself: whence John 3: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom stands," etc. — But according to the first sense there seems to be greater testimony, in which the wondrous humility of blessed John is expressed, so that, while he is regarded by God as the greatest, he regards himself as the least, according to that verse of Ecclesiasticus 3: "The greater you are, humble yourself in all things, and you shall find grace before God."
39. As for the Sacrament of reparation, he adds: He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit: Acts 1: "John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit"; otherwise, "unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God"; and this indeed will be interior. And with fire, this is said as for the exterior sign: of which it is said in Acts 2 that "there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire"; and this, because the love of the Holy Spirit is rightly signified by fire, according to what is said below in chapter twelve: "I have come to cast fire upon the earth," etc. — Or with fire, namely of tribulation, purifying from the consequence of sin, according to that passage in Zephaniah 3: "In the fire of my zeal all the earth shall be devoured." — Or with fire, namely purgatorial, in which the dross of sin will be purged; 1 Corinthians 3: "He himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." — Or in the fire of testing: Psalm: "You have tested me by fire, and no iniquity has been found in me."
40. (Verse 17). As for the justice of retribution, he adds: Whose winnowing fan is in his hand. Here the justice of retribution is commended with respect to three things, namely with respect to the discerning judgment of merits, with respect to the rewarding of the good, and with respect to the punishment of the reprobate.
Therefore, as regards the discriminating judgment, it says: Whose winnowing fan is in his hand. He says this with respect to the judicial power by which the good are distinguished from the wicked, just as by the winnowing fan grain is purged from chaff: Jeremiah 15: "I will scatter them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land." And it says in his hand, that is, with full power, according to that passage in John 5: "The Father has given all judgment to the Son"; and therefore it says in 1 Peter 5: "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation"; Malachi 3: "Behold, he comes, says the Lord of hosts, and who shall be able to think upon the day of his coming?" And since it belongs to the judicial power to separate the good from the wicked, so as to glorify the good and afflict the wicked, therefore, as regards the discrimination and separation, it says: And he will purge his threshing floor: Joel, last chapter: "I will cleanse their blood which I had not cleansed, and the Lord will dwell in Zion." Because the good are now intermixed with hidden evils, therefore it says in the Psalm: "Cleanse me from my hidden faults," in the person of the Church. This will happen when that passage of Isaiah 26 is fulfilled: "Let the wicked be taken away, lest he see the glory of God"; and elsewhere: "Outside are dogs, sorcerers, the unchaste, and those who serve idols." — And note that the Church Militant is understood by the little plot on account of the narrowness of humility: Song of Songs 6: "My beloved went down into his garden, to the bed of spices"; but by the threshing floor on account of the breadth of charity: Judges 6: "I will place this fleece on the threshing floor," etc. This is cleansed at the end, according to that passage in Matthew 13: "So shall it be at the consummation of the age: the Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the midst of the just."
41. But as regards the rewarding of the good, it says: And he will gather the wheat into his barn: and this is when the Saints in glory will be brought together into one: Isaiah 56: "Thus says the Lord, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: I will yet gather together his congregations." And rightly the elect are compared to wheat by reason of their fruitfulness, according to that passage in John 12: "Unless a grain of wheat falling into the ground dies," etc.; Job 5: "You shall enter the grave in abundance, as a heap of wheat is brought in at its time."
42. As for the punishment of the reprobate, it is added: But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. He calls the reprobate chaff, because they are the material of burning: Jeremiah twenty-three: "What is the chaff to the wheat? says the Lord." Whence Job twenty-one: "They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind and as a spark which the whirlwind scatters"; the Psalm: "O my God, make them like a wheel and like stubble before the face of the wind." And so the chaff serves as fuel for the eternal fire, which neither is extinguished nor extinguishes, according to that passage of Isaiah, the last chapter: "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched"; and Deuteronomy thirty-two: "A fire is kindled in my fury and shall burn even to the lowest depths of hell." But this burning of the chaff shall be far from the gathered wheat, because the former shall be in hell, but the good in paradise, in which they shall be gathered in glory, because here they were gathered in grace.
43. On account of which it must be understood that there is a threefold gathering: for the pursuit of truth: Ecclesiasticus fifty-one: "Draw near to me, you unlearned, and gather yourselves into the house of discipline"; for the exercise of virtue; Joel two: "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call an assembly, gather the people, sanctify the church," etc.; for the reward of happiness: the Psalm: "The princes of the peoples are gathered together with the God of Abraham." — For the exercise of virtue, namely in prayer: Acts four: "When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken"; in preaching: Acts one: "It is necessary that from these men who have been gathered with us"; and afterward: "one of these should be made a witness of his resurrection with us"; in common life: Matthew eighteen: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." — For the pursuit of truth, to know the divine precepts: Deuteronomy four: "Gather to me the whole people, that they may hear my words"; the divine Sacraments: the Psalm: "Gather to him his saints, who set his covenant above sacrifices"; the divine promises: Genesis, the second to last chapter: "Gather yourselves to me, sons of Jacob, that I may announce to you what shall come upon you." — For the reward of happiness, through the bond of peace: Matthew twenty-four: "The Son of Man shall send his Angels"; and afterward: "And they shall gather his elect from the four winds," etc.; through the splendor of light: Isaiah sixty: "All these are gathered together, they have come to you"; through the harmony of praise: the Psalm: "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name."
The preaching of John is commended thirdly with regard to the perfidy of the tyrant in three ways.
44. (Vers. 18.). Exhorting many other things indeed, he preached the good news, etc. Above he commended the preaching of John in comparison to the need of the people and the excellence of Christ; in this part he commends it in comparison to the perfidy of the tyrant, in which patience is praised, because, Proverbs nineteen, "the learning of a man is known through his patience." In this part, therefore, John is first introduced exhorting the obedient people; second, rebuking the transgressing ruler; third, enduring the persecuting adversary.
As regards, therefore, the exhortation of the obedient people, it is said: Exhorting many other things indeed, he preached the good news to the people; but nevertheless all things were ordered to the good: Second Corinthians six: "Helping, we exhort you that you receive not the grace of God in vain," etc.; and First Thessalonians two: "Our exhortation was not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deceit, but as we were approved, that the Gospel should be entrusted to us." And therefore it is added: He preached the good news, that is, he announced good things: Isaiah fifty-two: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who announces and preaches peace, who announces good things, who preaches salvation," etc.
45. (Vers. 19.). As regards the rebuke of the transgressing ruler, it is added: But Herod the tetrarch, about whom it was treated above in the same chapter, when he was rebuked by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother: Matthew fourteen: "John said to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have her." And concerning all the evils which Herod had done. And so he did not spare him; Sirach ten: "The glory of the rich, of the honored, and of the poor is the fear of God; not to despise the just poor man, and not to magnify the rich sinner." Whence that which is said of Elisha in Sirach forty-eight applies to him: "In his days he did not fear the ruler, and in power no one overcame him, nor did any word surpass him." And because he sinned publicly, he rebuked publicly, according to that of First Timothy five: "Rebuke the one sinning before all, that the rest may have fear"; and this indeed boldly: Titus two: "These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority."
46. (Vers. 20.). As regards the endurance of the persecuting adversary, it is added concerning Herod: He added this also above all and shut John up in prison. And so that word of Sirach three was verified: "The wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner shall add sin to sin"; and this by the just judgment of God: Revelation, the last chapter: "He who is filthy, let him be filthy still." And so that word of Amos five was verified: "They hated the one who rebukes in the gate"; as Ahab hated Micaiah, Third Kings, the last chapter; as Zedekiah hated Jeremiah, chapter thirty-two; as another Herod hated Peter, Acts twelve. On account of which, Hebrews eleven: "Others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bonds and prisons, they were cut asunder," etc.
Third, concerning the baptism and preaching of John in the singular with respect to two things.
47. Now it came to pass, when [all the people] were baptized etc. After the Evangelist commended the preaching of the Precursor and the execution of his office in general and in particular, here he commends it in singular regard to Christ, to whom the entire preaching was principally directed. For as the Baptist himself says in John 1: "That he might be made manifest in Israel, therefore I came baptizing in water." Therefore here is described the spiritual regeneration of Christ, which is principally intended in the whole chapter. Now this part has two sections. In the first is determined Christ's sacramental regeneration: in the second, Christ's temporal genealogy, at the place: And Jesus himself was beginning etc.
First, concerning the sacramental regeneration of Christ, two things.
As to the first, two things are introduced: the first is humiliation through the reception of the Sacrament in his assumed humanity; the second is glorification through the presentation of testimony by the entire Trinity, at the place: Heaven was opened etc.
Concerning the reception of the Sacrament in the form of a servant, it should be noted that a threefold humiliation is distinguished in Christ: the first, with respect to the people who accompany him; the second, with respect to the minister who baptizes; the third, with respect to God who hears.
48. (Verse 21). The humiliation with respect to the people who accompany him is noted when he says: It came to pass, when all the people were baptized. By people the humble populace is understood, among whom Christ did not disdain to be humble, since, according to the Psalm, "the Lord is high and regards the lowly." By reason of which humility it is said below in chapter twenty-two: "But I am in the midst of you as one who serves," and that passage in John 1 also says: "There has stood in your midst one whom you do not know." And note that all the people is the same as many from the people — because, below in chapter seven, "the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves, not having been baptized with the baptism of John" — and thus it is understood in Matthew 3: "All Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, to be baptized by him."
49. The humiliation with respect to the minister baptizing is noted when it says: And Jesus having been baptized, namely by John, which was a wondrous humility, that the Lord willed to be baptized by the baptism of a servant. Whence it is said in Matthew 3 that John said: "I ought to be baptized by you," and it follows: "Suffer it now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all justice," that is, perfect humility, by which he subjected himself not only to a superior and to an equal, but even to an inferior. Now Christ was baptized not that he might be sanctified by baptism, but that he might confer regenerative power upon the waters. Whence Chrysostom says: "He did not receive the remission of sins, but sanctified the waters for all who were to be baptized." He also willed to be baptized so that he might give an example and model to others, because, as is said in Acts 1, "Jesus began to do and to teach"; also that by his baptism he might be made known, as is said in John 1: "that he might be made manifest in Israel," etc. He was also baptized so that he might approve the baptism of the precursor and show the Pharisees that the testimony of John was to be believed, just as a heavenly one; to whom he says in Matthew 21: "The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or from men?"
50. The humiliation, however, with respect to God who hears is noted when it says: And praying, namely to the Lord, according to that of the Psalm: "Be subject to the Lord and pray to him"; Hebrews 5: "Offering prayers and supplications to God, he was heard for his reverence." Whence John 11: "Father, I give you thanks that you have heard me; and I knew that you always hear me, but because of the people who stand about I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me." In all things the Lord is found praying, whether in the reception of baptism, or in solitude, or in preaching, or in the working of miracles and in his passion and in the dispensation of the Sacrament and in the commendation of his soul, to show what is said below in chapter 18: "It is necessary to pray always and not to faint."
51. For he prayed in the reception of baptism, as here: And it came to pass, Jesus having been baptized and praying, to give the model of praying to those approaching baptism. — In the solitude of the desert; below in chapter 5: "He withdrew into the desert and prayed," to give the model to contemplatives. — In preaching: below in chapter 6: "And it came to pass in those days, he went out into a mountain to pray," to give the model to preachers. — In the working of miracles: John 11: "Father, I give you thanks," etc., to give the model to workers. — In his passion: Matthew 26: "Going forward, he fell upon his face," to give the model to those who suffer. — In the administration of the body: below in chapter 22: "Taking the cup, he gave thanks to God," to give the model to priests. — In the commendation of the spirit: below in chapter 23: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit; and saying this, he expired," to give the model to the dying. And thus all must pray.
52. The heaven was opened etc. After the humiliation in the reception of the Sacrament, there follows the glorification in the display of testimony; and so that the testimony might be firm, it is shown to be that of three persons beyond all exception, that is, the person of the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. For there is present light, a dove, and a voice: light to signify the person of the Son; a dove, the Holy Spirit; and the voice is in the person of the eternal Father.
To signify, therefore, the person of the Son, it is said: The heaven was opened, in which opening, namely, a great splendor appeared. For the Son himself says of himself in John 8: "I am the light of the world"; and in John 1: "He was the true light"; and in Hebrews 1: "Who, being the splendor of glory and the figure of his substance." Therefore, while the opened heavens give forth splendor, that word of the Psalm is verified: "The heavens declare the glory of God," that is, of the Son, who is the splendor. — In this it was also signified that by the power of the baptism of Christ, the gate of heaven is opened for the baptized to enter, according to that word of the Psalm: "You have made known to me the ways of life," etc. The Son himself also appeared in his assumed nature; Titus 3: "The kindness and humanity of God our Savior appeared, not by works of justice which we have done," etc., up to: "we might be heirs according to the hope of eternal life." For since "no one ascends into heaven except he who descended from heaven," that is, unless he is a member of Christ, who descended—for this cannot be except through the Sacrament of regeneration—therefore in baptism "the heavens were opened." And just as through the carnal generation of Adam heaven is closed, so through spiritual regeneration it is opened; and just as on account of the burning of concupiscence "the flaming sword was placed to guard the tree of life," as is said in Genesis 3, so through the moisture of grace mitigating concupiscence in baptism, the sword is removed and the gate is opened; Daniel 3: "The angel of the Lord descended into the furnace and made the midst of the furnace like a blowing wind of dew." And this is the Angel of whom John 5 says: "The angel of the Lord descended at a certain time into the pool, and the water was stirred, and one was healed."