John (the Eremite of whom the Prophets) preaching penance, and living himself accordingly, baptiseth the people to prepare them to Christ, (7) telling them, that it is not his, but Christ’s Baptism, in which they shall receive the Holy Ghost. (9) Jesus there is manifested from Heaven: (12) and by and by he also goeth into the wilderness. (14) Beginning in Galilee, (16) after that he hath called four Disciples, (21) he preacheth first in Capharnaum, confirming his doctrine with beneficial Miracles, to the great admiration of all: (35) then also (but first retiring into the wilderness) in all the rest of Galilee, with like miracles.
THE beginning of the Ghospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. 2As it is written in Esay the Prophet: (Behold I send mine Angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.) 3A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of our Lord, make straight his paths. 4 * John was in the desert baptising, and preaching the Baptism of penance [a] unto remission of sins. 5And there went forth to him all the country of Jewry, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptised of him in the river of Jordan, • confessing • their sins. 6And John was • clothed with camel’s hair, and a girdle of a skin about his loins: and he did eat locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying: There cometh a stronger than I after me: whose latchet of his shoes I am not worthy stooping down to loose. 8I have baptised you • with water; but he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost.
9And it came to pass, in those days came Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee; and was • baptised of John in Jordan. 10And forthwith coming up out of the water, he saw the Heavens opened, and • the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on him. 11And a voice was made from Heaven: Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.
12And forthwith * the Spirit drove him out into • the desert. 13And he was in the desert forty days, and forty nights: and was tempted of Sathan, and he was with beasts, and the Angels ministered to him.
14And * after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Ghospel of the Kingdom of God, 15and saying: That the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: [b] be penitent, and believe the Ghospel.
16 * And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea (for they were fishers) 17and Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him. 19And being gone thence a little further, he saw James of Zebedee, and John his brother, and them repairing their nets in the ship: 20and forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.
21And * they enter into Capharnaum, and he forthwith upon the Sabboths going into the Synagogue, taught them. 22And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as having power, and not as the Scribes. 23And * there was in their Synagogue a man in an unclean Spirit; and he cried out, 24saying: What to us and to thee Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Saint of God. 25And Jesus threatened him, saying: Hold thy peace, and go out of the man. 26And the unclean Spirit tearing him, and crying out with a great voice, went out of him. 27And they marvelled all, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying: What thing is this? what is this new doctrine? for with power he commandeth the unclean Spirits also, and they obey him. 28And the bruit of him went forth incontinent into all the country of Galilee.
29And immediately * going forth out of the Synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30And Simon’s wife’s mother lay in a fit of a fever: and forthwith they tell him of her. 31And coming near he lifted her up taking her by the hand: and incontinent the ague left her, and she ministered unto them. 32And when it was evening after sun set, they brought to him all that were ill at ease and that had Devils. 33And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34And he cured many that were vexed with diverse diseases: and he cast out many Devils, and he suffered not them to speak that they knew him.
35And rising very early, and going forth he went into • a desert place: and there he prayed. 36And Simon sought after him, and they that were with him. 37And when they had found him, they said to him, That all seek for thee. 38And he saith to them: Let us go into the next towns and cities, that I may preach there also; for to this purpose am I come.
39And he was preaching in their Synagogues, and in all Galilee, and casting out Devils. 40And a * leper cometh to him beseeching him; and kneeling down saith to him: If thou will, thou canst make me clean. 41And Jesus having compassion on him, stretched forth his hand; and touching him, he saith unto him: I will. Be thou made clean. 42And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. 43And he threatened him, and forthwith cast him forth. 44And he saith to him: See thou tell nobody, but go, show thyself [c] to the high Priest, and offer for thy cleansing the things that Moyses * commanded, for a testimony to them. 45But he being gone forth, began to publish, and to blaze abroad the word: so that now he could not openly go into the city, but was abroad in desert places, and they came together unto him from all sides.
Footnotes
- ↑ John’s Baptism put them in hope of only remission of sins as a preparative to Christ’s Sacrament by which sins were indeed to be remitted, Aug. lib. 5 de Bapt. ch. 10.
- ↑ He doth not preach belief or faith only, but penance also.
- ↑ Our Saviour even when he healed the leper by extraordinary miraculous power, would yet for order sake send the party to the Priest.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. I.
↑ 5. Confessing their sins.) A certain confession of sins there was even in that penance which John preached, and which was made before men were baptised. Whereby it is clear that John made a preparation to the Sacrament of Penance which afterward was instituted by Christ, as well as he did by baptising prepare the way to Christ’s Baptism.
↑ 5. Their sins.) He doth not say that they confessed themselves to be sinners, which may be done by a general confession: but that they confessed their sins, which is a particular confession.
↑ 6. Clothed.) The Holy Ghost thought it worthy of special reporting how straightly this Prophet lived, and how he abstained from delicate meats and apparel. See Mat. 6, 3.
↑ 8. With water.) John with water only, Christ with the Holy Ghost, not only, as the Heretics hold, that say water is not necessary, but with water and the Holy Ghost, as it is plain, Joh. 3, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
↑ 9. Baptised of John.) The humility of Christ not disdaining his servant’s Baptism. Which is an example for all faithful not to disdain Christ’s Sacraments of any Priest, be he never so simple, being by the Catholic Church lawfully called. Aug. lib. 5 de bapt. ch. 9.
↑ 10. The Spirit.) Express mention of the Bl. Trinity; the Father speaketh from Heaven, the Holy Ghost appeareth in the likeness of a dove, the Son also is recommended unto us. Ambros. lib. 1 de Sacramen. ch. 5.
↑ 12. Desert.) Christ doing penance by long fasting, solitariness, and conversing with wild beasts, gave example and instruction to the Church for Lent fast, and to holy Eremites of retiring themselves to the wilderness and prayer.
↑ 35. Desert place.) Christ used very often to retire into solitary places, no doubt for our example to teach us that such places are best for prayer and contemplation, and that we should often retire ourselves from worldly matters to solitary meditation of heavenly things.
Margin Notes
- The First part of the Ghospel: of the preparation to Christ’s manifestation.
- 14. The second part of this Ghospel: of Christ’s manifestation.
- annot. 5. Confession.
- annot. 5. Particular confession.
- annot. 6. John’s example of penance.
- annot. 8. Baptism in water.
- annot. 10. The Bl. Trinity.
- annot. 12. Christ’s example of penance.
- annot. 35. Solitary contemplation.
Margin References
- 2. Mal. 3, 1.
- 3. Esa. 40, 3.
- 4. Mat. 3, 1. Luc. 3, 4. Joh. 1, 25.
- 12. Mat. 4, 1. Luc. 4, 1.
- 14. Mat. 4, 12. Luc. 4, 14.
- 16. Mat. 4, 18. Luc. 5, 2.
- 21. Mat. 4, 13. Luc. 4, 31.
- 33. Luc. 4, 32.
- 29. Mat. 8, 14. Luc. 4, 42.
- 40. Mat. 8, 2. Luc. 5, 12.
- 44. Lev. 14:3.
- annot. 8. Calv. lib. 4 inst. ch. 15.
