Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- PREFACE TO THE FIRST GERMAN EDITION
- PREFACE TO THE FOURTH GERMAN EDITION
- Contents
- INTRODUCTION: DEVELOPMENT OF THE MYTHICAL POINT OF VIEW IN RELATION TO THE GOSPEL HISTORIES
- FIRST PART HISTORY OF THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
- SECOND PART HISTORY OF THE PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS
- CHAPTER I RELATIONS BETWEEN JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
- CHAPTER II BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF JESUS
CHAPTER II - BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 May 2011
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- PREFACE TO THE FIRST GERMAN EDITION
- PREFACE TO THE FOURTH GERMAN EDITION
- Contents
- INTRODUCTION: DEVELOPMENT OF THE MYTHICAL POINT OF VIEW IN RELATION TO THE GOSPEL HISTORIES
- FIRST PART HISTORY OF THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
- SECOND PART HISTORY OF THE PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS
- CHAPTER I RELATIONS BETWEEN JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
- CHAPTER II BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Summary
WHY DID JESUS RECEIVE BAPTISM FROM JOHN
In conformity with the evangelical view of the fact, the customary answer given by the orthodox to this question is, that Jesus, by his submission to John's baptism, signified his consecration to the messianic office; an explanation which is supported by a passage in Justin, according to which it was the Jewish notion, that the Messiah would be unknown as such to himself and others, until Elias as his forerunner should anoint him, and thereby make him distinguishable by all. The Baptist himself, however, as he is represented by the first evangelist, could not have partaken of this design; for had he regarded his baptism as a consecration which the Messiah must necessarily undergo, he would not have hesitated to perform it on the person of Jesus (iii. 14.).
Our former inquiries have shown that John's baptism related partly εἰς τὸν ἐρχόενον, its recipients promising a believing preparation for the expected Messiah; how then could Jesus, if he was conscious of being himself the ἐρχόμενος, submit himself to this baptism? The usual answer from the orthodox point of view is, that Jesus, although conscious of his Messiahship, yet, so long as it was not publicly attested by God, spoke and acted, not as Messiah, but merely as an Israelite, who held himself bound to obey every divine ordinance relative to his nation. But, here, there is a distinction to be made.
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- The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined , pp. 348 - 394Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010