Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance More simply, And Paul said. The best MSS. omit the word for "verily." Such was John's description of his own baptism (Matthew 3:11), but after the day of Pentecost the language of the Christian preacher (Acts 2:38) is, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." These Ephesian disciples knew nothing of baptism for the remission of sins, or of the other sacrament of the Lord's Supper, nor of the gift of the Spirit to the church, nor of the doctrines of faith in Christ and salvation by grace through faith.

saying unto the people, that they should believe The demand for faith makes the difference between the preaching of Christ and the preaching of John. The latter said "Prepare by repentance for the coming King," Christ says (and John also spake of this) "Believe on me, for I am He that should come."

on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus The oldest MSS. omit "Christ." In his preaching John had constantly used the phrase "He that cometh after me." This was the stage of instruction at which these disciples had arrived. They knew that John spake of one who was to come. St Paul's teaching made clear to them that this was Jesus. The closing words of the sentence are a condensation of all the explanations by which the Apostle convinced them, that Jesus, whom he preached, was the prophet whom John announced. St Luke does not anywhere give speeches or arguments in extenso, but only so much as is needed to explain the results which he describes

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising