Matthew 3:16

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: AND JESUS, WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED, WENT UP STRAIGHTWAY OUT OF [ apo (G575)] - rather, 'from' - "the water." Mark has "out of the water" [ ek (G1537)]. AND - adds Luke (Luke 3:21), "while He was praying;" a grand piece of information. Can there be a doubt about the burden of that prayer; a prayer sent up, probably, while yet in the water-His blessed head suffused with the baptismal element; a prayer continued likely as He stepped out of the stream, and again stood upon the dry ground? The work be...

16._And, lo, the heavens were opened to him. The opening of the heavens _sometimes means a manifestation of heavenly glory; but here it means also a _cleft, or opening, _of the visible heaven, so that John could see something beyond the planets and stars. The words of Mark can have no other meaning, _he saw the heavens cleft asunder _(296) An exact inquiry into the way in which this opening was made, would be of no importance, nor is it necessary. It is sufficient for us to believe, that it was a symbol of the Divine presence. As the Evangelists say that John saw the Holy Spirit, it is probable that the _opening of the heavens _was chiefly on his account. Yet I do not hesitate to admit that Christ also, so far as he was man, received from it additional certainty as to his heavenly calling. This appears to be the tendency of the words of Luke: while Jesus was praying, the heaven was opene...

13-17 Christ's gracious condescensions are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep and mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to start objections against the will of Christ. And those who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that they need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of him, yet declares he will now be baptized of John. Christ is now in a state of humiliation. Our Lord Jesus looked upon it as well becoming him to fulfil all righteousness, to own every Divine institution, and to show his readiness to comply with all God's righteous precepts. In and through Christ, the heavens are opened to the children of men. This descent of the Spirit upon Christ, showed that he was endued with his sacred influences without measure. The fruit of the Spirit is love, j...

Verse Matthew 3:16. _THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED UNTO HIM_] That is, to John the Baptist - _and he_, John, _saw the Spirit of God - lighting upon him_, i.e. Jesus. There has been some controversy about the manner and form in which the _Spirit of God_ rendered itself visible on this occasion. St. Luke, Luke 3:22, says it was _in a bodily shape like to a dove_: and this _likeness_ to a _dove_ some refer to a _hovering motion_, like to that of a dove, and not to the _form_ of the dove itself: but the terms of the text are too precise to admit of this far-fetched interpretation. This passage affords no mean proof of the doctrine of the _Trinity_. That _three_ distinct _persons_ are here, represented, there can be no dispute. 1. The...

OUT OF THE WATER - This shows that he had descended to the river. It literally means, “he went up directly from the water.” The original does not imply that they had descended into the river, and it cannot be proved, therefore, from this passage, that his baptism was by immersion; nor can it be proved that even, if his baptism was by immersion, that therefore the same mode is binding on people now. In order to demonstrate from this passage that immersion is essential, it is necessary to demonstrate: (a) that he went into the river; (b) that, being there, he was wholly immersed; (c) that the fact that he was immersed, if he was, proves that all others must be, in order that there could be a valid baptism. Neither of these three things ha

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 3:1 THE HERALD. His public appearance and proclamation (Matthew 3:1, Matthew 3:2), as foretold by Scripture (Matthew 3:3). His Elijah-like dress (Matthew 3:4). He is listened to by multitudes (Matthew 3:5, Matthew 3:6). His faithful warning to typical Jews, and his pointing not to himself, but to the Coming One ...

AND JESUS, WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED,.... Christ, when he was baptized by John in the river Jordan, the place where he was baptizing, WENT UP STRAIGHTWAY OUT OF THE WATER. One would be at a loss at first sight for a reason why the Evangelist should relate this circumstance; for after the ordinance was administered, why should he stay in the water? what should he do there? Everyone would naturally and reasonably conclude, without the mention of such a circumstance, that as soon as his baptism was over, he would immediately come up out of the water. However, we learn this from it, that since it is said, that he came up out of the water, he must first have gone down into it; must have been in it, and was baptized in it; a circumstance strongly in favour of baptism by immersion: for that Christ should go down into the river, more or less deep, to the ankles, or up to the knees, in order that Joh...

Matthew 3:1. _In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand._ His was a preparatory ministry; his work was to prepare men's minds for Christ; and never is the heart of man so ready to receive Christ as when it is in a state of repentance. When it is weary of sin, then is it that Christ comes in, and is welcomed by the soul conscious of its guilt, tired of it, and longing to be rid of it. Matthew 3:3. _For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey._

JESUS For the first time the Trinity, foreshadowed in many ways in the Old Testament, is fully manifested. The Spirit descends upon the Son, and at the same moment the Father's voice is heard from heaven....

MATTHEW 3:16 @auvtw|/# {C} The joining of a* B, the Old Syriac, and Irenaeuslat in support of the shorter reading makes a very strong combination, which might well be regarded as the original text. On the other hand, however, it is possible that copyists, not understanding the force of auvtw|/, omitted the word as unnecessary. In order to show this balance of possibilities the Committee enclosed auvtw|/ within square brackets....