John Chapter 1, Verse 25
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25: και ηρωτησαν αυτον και ειπον αυτω τι ουν βαπτιζεις ει συ ουκ ει ο χριστος ουτε ηλιας ουτε ο προφητης
25: And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou
then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that
prophet?
25: And they asked him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if
thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?
Why baptizest thou then, &c. Baptism on receiving a proselyte from heathenism was common before the time of John, but it was not customary to baptize a Jew. John had changed the custom. He baptized all, and they were desirous of knowing by what authority he made such a change in the religious customs of the nation. They presumed, from the fact that he introduced that change, that he claimed to be a prophet or the Christ. They supposed that no one would attempt it without pretending, at least, authority from heaven. As he disclaimed the character of Christ and of the prophet Elijah, they asked whence he derived his authority. As he had just before applied to himself a prediction that they all considered as belonging to the forerunner of Christ, they might have understood why he did it; but they were blind, and manifested, as all sinners do, a remarkable slowness in understanding the plainest truths in religion.
