John, to prepare all to Christ (as Esay had prophesied of him) baptizeth them to penance, (7) insinuating their reprobation, and the Gentiles’ vocation, (10) teaching also and exhorting each sort to do their duty. (15) That himself is not Christ, he showeth by the difference of their two Baptisms: (17) and saith that Christ will also judge his baptized. (19) John’s imprisonment. (21) Christ being himself also baptized of John, hath testimony from Heaven (23) as he whose Generation reduceth us again to God.
AND in the fifteenth year of the empire of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being Governor of Jewry, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother Tetrarch of Iturea and the country Trachonitis, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilina, 2under the high Priests Annas and Caiphas: the Word of our Lord was made upon John the son of Zachary, in the desert. 3And * he came into all the country of Jordan, preaching the Baptism of [a] penance unto remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the sayings of Esay the Prophet: 4A voice of one crying in the desert; prepare the way of our Lord, make straight his paths. 5Every valley shall be filled: and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and crooked things shall become straight; and rough ways, plain: 6and all flesh shall see the SALVATION of God.
7He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized of him: * Ye vipers’ broods, who hath showed you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Yield therefore [b] fruits worthy of penance; and do ye not begin to say, we have Abraham, to our father. For I tell you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9For now the axe is put to the root of the trees. [c] Every tree therefore that yieldeth not good fruit, ′ shall be cut down, and cast into fire. 10And the multitudes asked him, saying: What shall we do then? 11And he answering, said unto them: [d] He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath not; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12And the Publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Maister, what shall we do? 13But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you. 14And the soldiers also asked him, saying: What shall we also do? And he said to them: Vex not, neither calumniate any man; and be content with your stipends.
15And [e] the People imagining, and all men thinking in their hearts of John, lest perhaps he were Christ: 16John answered, saying unto all: * I indeed baptize you with water; [f] but there ′ shall come a mightier than I, whose latchet of his shoes I am not worthy to loose; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire: 17whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor; and will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
18Many other things also exhorting did he evangelise to the People.
19 * And Herod the Tetrarch, when he was rebuked of him for Herodias his ′ brother’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod did: 20 • he added this also above all, and shut up John into prison. 21 * And it came to pass when all the People was baptized, Jesus also being baptized and praying, Heaven was opened: 22and the Holy Ghost descended in corporal shape as a dove upon him: and a voice from Heaven was made: Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. 23And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old: as it was thought, the son of Joseph, who was • of Heli, 24who was of Matthat, who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph, 25who was of Matthathias, who was of Amos, who was of Naum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge, 26who was of Mahath, who was of Matthathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda, 27who was of Johanna, who was of Resa, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri, 28who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosam,
who was of Elmadan, who was of Her, 29who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Matthat, who was of Levi, 30who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliacim, 31who was of ′ Melcha, who was of Menna, who was of Matthatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David, 32 * who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson, 33who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas, 34who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor, 35who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale, 36 [g] who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech, 37who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan, 38who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.
Footnotes
- ↑ Penance prepareth the way to Christ.
- ↑ Fruits of penance be works satisfactory.
- ↑ A man without good works is unfruitful, and shall be cast into everlasting fire.
- ↑ Alms counselled or enjoined for sins and to avoid damnation.
- ↑ John was so holy that many might by error easily think he was Christ.
- ↑ How say then the Heretics that the Baptism of Christ is of no greater virtue than John’s?
- ↑ Beza boldly wipeth out of this Ghospel, these words, who was of Cainan: though all the Greek copies both of the old Testament and of the new, have them with full consent. Whereby we learn the intolerable sauciness of the Calvinists, and their contempt of holy scripture, that dare so deal with the very Ghospel itself.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. III.
↑ 20. He added this above all.) The fault of Princes and other great men, that can not only not abide to hear their faults, but also punish by death or imprisonment such as reprehend them for the same (specially if they warn them, as Prophets and Priests do, from God) is exceeding great.
↑ 23. Of Heli.) Whereas in St. Matthew, Jacob is father to Joseph, and here Heli, the case was thus. Mathan (named in St. Matthew) of his wife called Escha begat Jacob: and after his death, Melchi (named here in St. Luke) of the same woman begat Heli: so that Jacob and Heli were brethren of one mother. This Heli therefore marrying and dying without issue: Jacob his brother, according to the Law married his wife, and begat Joseph, and so raised up seed to his brother Heli. Whereby it came to pass, that Jacob was the natural father of Joseph which as (St. Matthew saith) begat him: and Heli was his legal father according to the Law, as St. Luke signifieth. Euseb. lib. 1 Ecc. Hist. ch. 7 Jero. in ch. 1 Mat. Aug. lib. 2 ch. 2. 3 de cons. Evang.
Margin Notes
- intro. The second part: The preparation that was made to the manifestation of Christ.
- 1–6. The Ghospel upon Ember Saturday in Advent. And on the 4. Sunday in Advent.
- anno. 23. The reconciliation of Matthew and Luke in our Saviour’s pedigree.
Margin References
- 3. Mat. 3, 1. Mar. 1, 1.
- 4. Esa. 40, 3.
- 7. Mat. 3, 7.
- 9. ′ is
- 16. Mat. 3, 11. Mar. 1, 8. Joh. 1, 26. Act. 1, 5. 11, 16. 19, 4.
- 16. ′ cometh
- 19. Mat. 14, 3. Mar. 6, 17.
- 19. ′ brother Philip’s
- 21. Mat. 3, 13. Mar. 1, 9. Joh. 1, 32.
- 31. ′ Melcae
- 32. Mt. 1, 5.
