Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 3

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The sun, as it approaches the horizon and before it is yet visible, sends out its rays and makes the eastern sky glow with light, so that the dawn may go before and herald the coming day. In the same way, the Lord at His birth on this earth, and before He showed Himself, enlightened John with the rays of His Spirit's teaching, so that he might go before and announce the Savior who was to come. Therefore, after relating the birth of Christ, and before proceeding to His teaching and baptism (in which He received such testimony), Matthew first introduces something about the Baptist and forerunner of the Lord.

"In those days, etc."

Remigius of Auxerre: In these words, we have not only the time, place, and person of St. John, but also his office and work. First, the time is given generally: "In those days."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Luke describes the time by the reigning sovereigns (Luke 3:1). But Matthew must be understood to be speaking of a wider span of time with the phrase "those days" than just the fifteenth year of Tiberius. After relating Christ's return from Egypt—which must be placed in His early boyhood or even infancy to agree with Luke's account of Him being in the temple at twelve years old—Matthew immediately adds, "In those days." By this, he does not mean only the days of Christ's childhood, but all the days from His birth until the preaching of John.¹

Remigius of Auxerre: "The man" is mentioned in the words "came John," meaning he showed himself, having lived for so long in obscurity.

St. John Chrysostom: But why must John go before Christ in this way, preaching Him with a testimony of deeds? First, so that we might learn from this of Christ's dignity—that He, like the Father, has prophets, according to the words of Zechariah, And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest (Luke 1:76).

Secondly, so that the Jews might have no cause for offense, as He declared, John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a gluttonous man (Luke 7:33-34).

Moreover, it was necessary that the things concerning Christ should be told first by someone else, and not by Himself. Otherwise, what would the Jews have said, who after John's testimony complained, Thou bearest witness of thyself, thy witness is not true (John 8:13)?

Remigius of Auxerre: His office was "the Baptist." In this, he prepared the way of the Lord, for if people had not been accustomed to being baptized, they would have shunned Christ's baptism.²

His work was "Preaching."

Rabanus Maurus: Because Christ was to preach, John began his own preaching at the fitting time—that is, around thirty years of age—to make ready the way for the Lord.

Remigius of Auxerre: The place was "the desert of Judea."

St. Maximus the Confessor: There, neither a noisy mob would interrupt his preaching, nor would any unbelieving hearer wander away. Instead, only those would listen who were drawn to his preaching by motives of divine worship.³

St. Jerome: Consider how the salvation of God and the glory of the Lord are preached not in Jerusalem, but in the solitude of the Church—in the wilderness, to multitudes.⁴

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, he came to Judea, which was a desert because of the absence of God, not because of a lack of population, so that the place of preaching might itself testify to the few to whom the message was sent.

Glossa Ordinaria: The desert typically signifies a life removed from the temptations of the world, such as is fitting for the penitent.⁵

St. Augustine of Hippo: Unless a person repents of their former life, they cannot begin a new life.⁶

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He therefore preaches repentance as the Kingdom of Heaven approaches. Through repentance, we return from error, escape from sin, and after feeling shame for our faults, we profess to forsake them.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: In the very beginning, he shows himself to be the messenger of a merciful Prince. He does not come with threats for the offender, but with offers of mercy. It is a custom for kings to proclaim a general pardon on the birth of a son, but first they send officers throughout their kingdom to exact severe fines.

But God, willing to grant a pardon for sins at the birth of His Son, first sends His officer to proclaim, Repent ye. Oh, what a demand that leaves no one poor, but makes many rich! For even when we pay our just debt of righteousness, we are not doing God a service but are only gaining our own salvation. Repentance cleanses the heart, enlightens the mind, and prepares the human soul to receive Christ, as John immediately adds, For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

St. Jerome: John the Baptist is the first to preach the Kingdom of Heaven, so that the forerunner of the Lord may have this honorable privilege.

St. John Chrysostom: And he preaches something the Jews had never heard, not even from the Prophets: namely, Heaven and the Kingdom that is there. Of the kingdoms of the earth, he says nothing. Thus, by the novelty of the things he speaks about, he gains their attention for Him whom he preaches.

Remigius of Auxerre: "The Kingdom of Heaven" has a fourfold meaning. It refers to Christ, as in, The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). It refers to Holy Scripture, as in, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matthew 21:43). It refers to the Holy Church, as in, The kingdom of heaven is like unto ten virgins (Matthew 25:1). And it refers to the dwelling place above, as in, Many shall come from the East and the West, and shall sit down in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 8:11). All these meanings may be understood here.

Glossa Ordinaria: "The Kingdom of Heaven" will come near you; for if it did not approach, no one would be able to attain it. For being weak and blind, they did not have the way, which was Christ.⁷

St. Augustine of Hippo: The other Evangelists omit these words of John. Regarding what follows—"This is He..."—it is not clear whether the Evangelist is speaking in his own person, or whether these words are part of John's preaching. It is uncertain if the entire section from "Repent ye" to "Isaiah the prophet" should be attributed to John.

It is of no importance that the text says, "This is he," and not, "I am he." For Matthew, when speaking of himself, says, He found a man sitting at the tax collector's booth (Matthew 9:9), not "He found me." However, when John was asked what he said of himself, he answered, as John the Evangelist relates, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.⁸

St. Gregory the Great: It is well known that the Only-begotten Son is called the Word of the Father, as in John: In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1). But it is by our own speech that we are known; the voice sounds so that the words may be heard. Thus John, the forerunner of the Lord's coming, is called "the voice," because through his ministry the Word of the Father is heard by humanity.⁹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The voice is an indistinct sound, revealing no secret of the heart, only signifying that the one who utters it desires to say something. It is the word that is the speech that opens the mystery of the heart. Voice is common to humans and other animals; the word is unique to humanity. John, then, is called the voice and not the word, because God did not reveal His counsels through him. Instead, God only signified that He was about to do something among humanity. Afterwards, however, through His Son, He fully opened the mystery of His will.

Rabanus Maurus: He is rightly called "the voice of one crying" on account of the loud sound of his preaching. Three things cause a person to speak loudly: when the person they are speaking to is at a distance, or is deaf, or if the speaker is angry. All three of these conditions were found in the human race at that time.

Glossa Ordinaria: John, then, is, as it were, the voice of the crying Word. The Word is heard through the voice—that is, Christ is heard through John.

The Venerable Bede: In the same way, He has cried out from the beginning through the voice of all who have spoken anything by inspiration. And yet John alone is called "the voice," because the Word, whom others only pointed to from afar, he declares as being near.¹⁰

St. Gregory the Great: "Crying in the desert," because he shows to a deserted and forlorn Judea the approaching consolation of her Redeemer.¹¹

Remigius of Auxerre: Although, as a matter of historical fact, he chose the desert to be removed from the crowds of people. The purpose of his cry is suggested when he adds, Make ready the way of the Lord.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Just as a great king on a journey is preceded by couriers to cleanse what is foul and repair what is broken, so John preceded the Lord. He came to cleanse the human heart from the filth of sin with the broom of repentance, and to gather up by an ordinance of spiritual precepts those things that had been scattered.

St. Gregory the Great: Everyone who preaches right faith and good works prepares the Lord's way into the hearts of the hearers. They make His paths straight by cleansing their thoughts with the word of good preaching.¹²

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, faith is the way by which the Word reaches the heart. When a life is amended, the paths are made straight.¹³

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Having said that he is the voice of one crying in the desert, the Evangelist rightly adds, John had his clothing of camel's hair, thus showing what his life was. For while he testified of Christ, his life testified of himself. No one is fit to be another's witness until he has first been his own.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: For the preaching of John, no place was more suitable, no clothing more useful, no food more fitting.

St. Jerome: His clothing was of camel's hair, not of wool—the one a mark of austerity in dress, the other of delicate luxury.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: It is fitting for the servants of God to use clothing not for an elegant appearance or for comforting the body, but for covering their nakedness. Thus, John wears a garment that is not soft and delicate, but hairy, heavy, and rough, wounding the skin rather than comforting it, so that the very clothing of his body revealed the virtue of his mind. It was the custom of the Jews to wear girdles of wool; so, desiring something less indulgent, he wore one of skin.

St. Jerome: His food, moreover, was suited to a dweller in the desert—not choice foods, but only what satisfied the necessities of the body.

Rabanus Maurus: He was content with simple fare: namely, small insects and honey gathered from the trunks of trees. In the sayings of Arnulphusⁱ, a bishop of Gaul, we find that there was a very small kind of locust in the deserts of Judea, with bodies about the thickness and length of a finger. They are easily caught among the grass and, when cooked in oil, provide a humble kind of food.

He also relates that in the same desert there is a kind of tree with a large, round leaf, the color of milk and the taste of honey, so brittle that it can be rubbed into a powder in the hand; this is what is meant by wild honey.

Remigius of Auxerre: In this clothing and this humble food, he shows that he grieves for the sins of the whole human race.

Rabanus Maurus: His dress and diet express the quality of his spiritual character. His garment was of an austere quality because he rebuked the sinner's life.

St. Jerome: His girdle of skin, which Elijah also wore, is the mark of mortification.

Rabanus Maurus: He ate locusts and honey because his preaching was sweet to the multitude but was short-lived; honey has sweetness, while locusts have a swift flight but soon fall to the ground.

Remigius of Auxerre: John (whose name is interpreted "the grace of God") symbolizes Christ, who brought grace into the world. In turn, his clothing symbolizes the Gentile Church.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The preacher of Christ is clothed in the skins of unclean animals, to which the Gentiles are compared, and so by the prophet's dress, whatever in them was useless or unclean is sanctified.

The girdle is a thing of great power for every good work, so that we may be prepared for every ministry of Christ.

For his food, locusts are chosen. They flee from the face of humanity and escape every approach, signifying how we ourselves were turned away from every good word or teaching by our own impulses. We were weak in will, barren in works, complaining in our speech, and strangers in our own land. Now, however, we have become the food of the saints, chosen to satisfy the prophet's desire, providing our sweetest food not from the hives of the Law, but from the trunks of wild trees.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Having described the preaching of John, he goes on to say, "There went out to him," for his severe life preached even more loudly in the desert than the voice of his crying.

St. John Chrysostom: For it was wonderful to see such fortitude in a human body; this is what chiefly attracted the Jews, who saw in him the great Elijah. It also filled them with wonder that the grace of prophecy, having long failed among them, now seemed to have finally revived.

Also, the manner of his preaching had a great effect, as it was different from that of the old prophets. For they were no longer hearing the things they were accustomed to hearing—such as wars and conquests by the king of Babylon or of Persia—but about Heaven, the Kingdom there, and the punishment of hell.

Glossa Ordinaria: This baptism was only a forerunner of the one to come and did not forgive sins.^{i 1}

Remigius of Auxerre: The baptism of John symbolized the status of catechumens. Just as children are catechized so that they may become ready for the sacrament of Baptism, so John baptized in order that those who were baptized might, by a holy life, afterward become worthy of coming to Christ's baptism. He baptized in the Jordan so that the door to the Kingdom of Heaven might be opened there, where an entrance into the earthly kingdom of promise had been given to the children of Israel.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Compared with the holiness of John, who can think himself righteous? Just as a white garment placed near snow would seem dirty by contrast, so every person would seem impure when compared with John; therefore, they confessed their sins.

Confession of sin is the testimony of a conscience that fears God, and perfect fear takes away all shame. But the shame of confession is seen only where there is no fear of the judgment to come. Since shame is itself a heavy punishment, God therefore bids us confess our sins so that we may suffer this shame as a punishment, for that is itself a part of the judgment.

Rabanus Maurus: It is right that those who are to be baptized are said to "go out" to the Prophet, for unless one departs from sin and renounces the pomp of the Devil and the temptations of the world, he cannot receive a healing baptism.

This was also right to do in the Jordan, which means "their descent," because they descended from the pride of life to the humility of an honest confession. Thus, an early example was given to those who are to be baptized: to confess their sins and profess their amendment.

St. Gregory the Great: The words of teachers should be adapted to the character of their hearers, so that the teaching is consistent in every case and yet never departs from the stronghold of general edification.¹

Glossa Ordinaria: It was necessary that after the teaching he gave to the common people, the Evangelist should provide an example of the doctrine he delivered to the more advanced. Therefore, he says, "Seeing many of the Pharisees, etc."

Isidore of Seville: The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to one another. In Hebrew, "Pharisee" means "divided," because by choosing to be justified through traditions and observances, they were "divided" or "separated" from the people by this righteousness.²

In Hebrew, "Sadducee" means "just," for they claimed to be what they were not. They denied the resurrection of the body and taught that the soul perished with the body. They accepted only the Pentateuch and rejected the Prophets.

Glossa Ordinaria: When John saw those who were considered highly regarded among the Jews coming to his baptism, he said to them, "O generation of vipers, etc."

Remigius of Auxerre: It is the custom of Scripture to give names based on the deeds people imitate, according to Ezekiel: Thy father was an Amorite (Ezekiel 16:3). So, because they follow the ways of vipers, they are called a "generation of vipers."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Just as a skilled physician infers a man's disease from the color of his skin, so John understood the evil thoughts of the Pharisees who came to him. They were perhaps thinking, "We will go and confess our sins. He imposes no burden on us; we will be baptized and receive pardon for our sin."

Fools! If you have consumed impurity, must you not also take medicine? In the same way, after confession and baptism, a person needs great diligence to heal the wound of sin. Therefore, he says, "Generation of vipers."

It is the nature of a viper, as soon as it has bitten someone, to flee to water; if it cannot find water, it immediately dies. So this "progeny of vipers," after committing deadly sin, ran to baptism so that, like vipers, they might escape death by means of water.

Moreover, it is the nature of vipers to be born by bursting from their mother's womb. The Jews, then, are called a "progeny of vipers" because, through their continual persecution of the prophets, they had corrupted their mother, the Synagogue. Vipers also have a beautiful and speckled exterior but are filled with poison inside. In the same way, these men outwardly appeared holy.

Remigius of Auxerre: So when he asks, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" the phrase "except God" must be understood as the implied answer.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, who has warned you? Was it Isaiah? Surely not, for if he had taught you, you would not put your trust in water alone but also in good works. He speaks in this way: Wash you, and be clean; put your wickedness away from your souls, learn to do well (Isaiah 1:16).

Was it David, who says, Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7)? Surely not, for he immediately adds, The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit. If you had been disciples of David, you would have come to baptism with mourning.

Remigius of Auxerre: But if we read the verb "shall show" in the future tense, the meaning is this: "What teacher or preacher will be able to give you such counsel that you may escape the wrath of everlasting damnation?"

St. Augustine of Hippo: God is described in Scripture as being angry based on a likeness of effects, not because He is subject to such weakness; indeed, He is never moved by any passion. The word "wrath" is applied to the effects of His vengeance, not because God suffers from any disturbing emotion.³

Glossa Ordinaria: If, then, you would escape this wrath, Bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

St. Gregory the Great: Notice that he does not say merely "fruits of repentance," but "fruits meet for repentance." For a person who has never fallen into what is unlawful is rightly allowed to use all that is lawful. But if anyone has fallen into sin, he ought to put away from himself even lawful things to the degree that he is conscious of having used unlawful things.

It is left, then, to that person's conscience to seek gains from good works through repentance that are as great as the loss he has brought upon himself by sin.⁴

The Jews, who boasted of their lineage, would not admit they were sinners because they were Abraham's seed. Say not among yourselves we are Abraham's seed.

St. John Chrysostom: He does not forbid them to say they are Abraham's children, but to trust in that fact while neglecting the virtues of the soul.⁵

Pseudo-Chrysostom: What good is a noble birth to someone whose life is disgraceful? On the other hand, what harm is a lowly origin to someone who has the splendor of virtue? It is more fitting that the parents of such a son should rejoice over him, than that he should rejoice over his parents.

Therefore, do not pride yourselves on having Abraham for your father. Instead, blush that you inherit his blood but not his holiness. For someone who bears no resemblance to his father may be the child of adultery. These words, then, simply forbid boasting about one's ancestry.

Rabanus Maurus: Because, as a preacher of truth, he wished to stir them to bring forth fruit meet for repentance, he invites them to humility, without which no one can repent.

Remigius of Auxerre: There is a tradition that John preached at the place in the Jordan where the twelve stones taken from the riverbed had been set up by God's command. He might have been pointing to these when he said, Of these stones.

St. Jerome: He implies God's great power, who, just as He made all things from nothing, can also make people out of the hardest stone.

Glossa Ordinaria: It is the first lesson of faith to believe that God is able to do whatever He wills.⁶

St. John Chrysostom: That people should be made from stones is like Isaac coming from Sarah's womb. "Look into the rock," says Isaiah, "whence ye were hewn." By reminding them of this prophecy, he shows that something similar could happen even now.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, the stones may refer to the Gentiles, who worshiped stone idols.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Stone is hard to work, but once it is shaped, it does not lose its form. In the same way, the Gentiles were brought to the faith with difficulty, but once brought, they remain in it forever.

St. Jerome: "These stones" signify the Gentiles because of their hardness of heart. See Ezekiel, who says, I will take away from you the heart of stone, and give you the heart of flesh. Stone is emblematic of hardness, while flesh is emblematic of softness.

Rabanus Maurus: Sons were raised up to Abraham from stones, because the Gentiles, by believing in Christ (who is Abraham's seed), became Abraham's sons, to whose seed they were united.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The axe is the sharp fury of the consummation of all things, which is destined to hew down the whole world. But if it is already laid at the root, why has it not yet cut? It is because these trees have reason and the freedom to do good or to refrain from it, so that when they see the axe laid at their root, they may fear and bring forth fruit.

This denunciation of wrath, which is signified by the axe being laid to the root, may have no effect on the wicked, but it will sever the good from the bad.

St. Jerome: Alternatively, the axe signifies the preaching of the Gospel, just as the Prophet Jeremiah also compares the Word of the Lord to an axe that splits the rock (Jeremiah 23:29).

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, the axe signifies the Redeemer. Just as an axe consists of a handle and a blade, so He consists of a divine and a human nature; He is held by His humanity but cuts by His divinity. And though this axe is laid at the root of the tree, waiting in patience, it is still clear what it will do. For every obstinate sinner who neglects the fruit of good works in this life will find the fire of hell ready for him.

Notice that the axe is laid to the root, not the branches. When only the children of wickedness are removed, it is as if only the branches of the unfruitful tree are cut away. But when the whole wicked line, along with its source, is carried off, the unfruitful tree is cut down at the root, so that no source remains from which evil shoots can spring up again.⁷

St. John Chrysostom: By saying, "Every," he cuts off all privilege of noble birth, as if to say, "Even if you are a son of Abraham, if you remain fruitless, you will suffer the punishment."

Rabanus Maurus: There are four kinds of trees. The first is totally withered, which can be compared to pagans. The second is green but unfruitful, like the hypocrites. The third is green and fruitful but poisonous, such as heretics. The fourth is green and brings forth good fruit, which is like good Catholics.

St. Gregory the Great: Therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire, because whoever neglects to bring forth the fruit of good works in this life will find a fire in hell prepared for him.

Glossa Ordinaria: Just as in the preceding words John had explained in more detail what he had briefly preached in the words, "Repent," so now follows a more complete expansion of the words, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." ¹

St. Gregory the Great: John baptizes not with the Spirit but with water, because he did not have the power to forgive sins. He washes the body with water, but not, at the same time, the soul with the pardon of sin. ²

St. John Chrysostom: For since the sacrifice had not yet been offered, nor had remission of sin been sent, nor had the Spirit descended on the water, how could sin be forgiven? But because the Jews never perceived their own sin, and this was the cause of all their evils, John came to bring them to an awareness of their sins by calling them to repentance. ³

St. Gregory the Great: Why then does he baptize, since he could not remit sin? He does so in order that he might preserve in all things the office of a forerunner. Just as his birth preceded Christ's birth, so his baptism would precede the Lord's baptism.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, John was sent to baptize so that to those who came to his baptism he might announce the Lord's presence among them in the flesh, as he himself testifies in another place, "That He might be manifested to Israel, therefore am I come to baptise with water" (John 1:31).

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, he baptizes because it was necessary for Christ to be baptized. But if John was sent only to baptize Christ, why was Christ not the only one baptized by John? Because if the Lord alone had been baptized by John, there would have been those who would insist that John's baptism was greater than Christ's, since Christ alone was worthy to be baptized by it. ⁴

Rabanus Maurus: Or, by this sign of baptism he separates the penitent from the impenitent and directs them to the baptism of Christ.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Because, then, he baptized on account of Christ, he preached to those who came to him for baptism that Christ would come, signifying the greatness of His power in the words, "He who cometh after me is mightier than I."

Remigius of Auxerre: There are five points in which Christ comes after John: His birth, preaching, baptism, death, and descent into hell. A beautiful expression is that, "mightier than I," because he is a mere man, while the other is God and man.

Rabanus Maurus: It is as if he had said, "I am indeed mighty to invite to repentance, but He is mighty to forgive sins; I am mighty to preach the kingdom of heaven, but He is mighty to bestow it; I am mighty to baptize with water, but He is mighty to baptize with the Spirit."

St. John Chrysostom: When you hear, "for He is mightier than I," do not suppose this is said by way of comparison, for I am not worthy to be numbered among his servants, that I might undertake the lowest office.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He leaves to the Apostles the glory of carrying the Gospel, for it was their beautiful feet that were to bring the news of God's peace.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, by the "feet" of Christ we may understand Christians, especially the Apostles and other preachers, among whom was John the Baptist. The "shoes" are the infirmities with which He burdens the preachers. All of Christ's preachers wear these shoes, and John also wore them, but he declares himself unworthy so that he might show the grace of Christ and thus become greater than his own merits.

St. Jerome: In the other Gospels it is, "whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to loose." In the one, his humility is intended; in the other, his ministry. Christ is the Bridegroom, and John is not worthy to loose the Bridegroom's shoe, so that his house would not be called, according to the Law of Moses and the example of Ruth, "The house of him that hath his shoe loosed" (Deuteronomy 25:10).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: But since no one can give a benefit more worthy than he himself is, nor make another what he himself is not, he adds, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."

John, who is carnal, cannot give a spiritual baptism; he baptizes with water, which is matter, so that he baptizes matter with matter. Christ is Spirit because He is God; the Holy Ghost is Spirit; the soul is spirit. Thus, Spirit with Spirit baptizes our spirit.

The baptism of the Spirit is profitable as the Spirit enters and embraces the mind, surrounding it as if with an impregnable wall, not allowing fleshly lusts to prevail against it. Indeed, it does not prevent the flesh from lusting, but it restrains the will from consenting to it.

And as Christ is Judge, He baptizes in fire, that is, in temptation; a mere man cannot baptize in fire. He alone is free to tempt who is also strong to reward. This baptism of tribulation burns up the flesh so that it does not generate lust, for the flesh does not fear spiritual punishment, but only carnal punishment. The Lord therefore sends carnal tribulation on His servants so that the flesh, fearing its own pains, may not lust after evil. See then how the Spirit drives away lust and does not allow it to prevail, while the fire burns up its very roots.

St. Jerome: Either the Holy Ghost Himself is a fire, as we learn from the Acts, when what looked like fire sat on the tongues of the believers. Thus the word of the Lord was fulfilled who said, "I am come to send fire on the earth, I will that it burn" (Luke 12:49).

Or, we are baptized now with the Spirit and hereafter with fire, as the Apostle says, "Fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is" (1 Corinthians 3:13).ⁱ

St. John Chrysostom: He does not say, "shall give you the Holy Ghost," but "shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost," showing in a metaphor the abundance of the grace.

This further shows that in the life of faith, the will alone is needed for justification, not labors and toils. And just as it is an easy thing to be baptized, so it is an easy thing to be changed and made better.ⁱ

By "fire" he signifies the strength of grace, which cannot be overcome. This also helps us understand that He makes His own people immediately like the great prophets of old, since most prophetic visions involved fire.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: It is plain, then, that the baptismⁱ of Christ does not undo the baptism of John but includes it within itself. He who is baptized in Christ's name has both baptisms: that of water and that of the Spirit. For Christ is Spirit, and has taken a body to Himself so that He might give both a bodily and a spiritual baptism.

John's baptism does not include the baptism of Christ, because the lesser cannot include the greater. Thus the Apostle, having found certain Ephesians baptized with John's baptism, baptized them again in the name of Christ because they had not been baptized in the Spirit. In this way, Christ baptized a second time those who had been baptized by John, just as John himself declared He would: "I baptize you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Spirit."

And yet they were not baptized twice but once; for since the baptism of Christ was more than that of John, it was a new one given, not the same one repeated.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He marks the time of our salvation and judgment in the Lord. For those who are baptized in the Holy Spirit, it remains for them to be perfected by the fire of judgment.

Rabanus Maurus: By the "fan" is signified the separation of a just trial. That it is in the Lord's hand means "in His power," as it is written, "The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The "floor" is the Church, the "barn" is the kingdom of heaven, and the "field" is the world. The Lord sends forth His Apostles and other teachers as reapers to reap all nations of the earth and gather them into the floor of the Church.

Here we must be threshed and winnowed, for all people delight in carnal things just as grain delights in the husk. But whoever is faithful and has the core of a good heart, as soon as he faces a light tribulation, neglects carnal things and runs to the Lord. If his faith is feeble, however, he does so only with heavy sorrow; and he who is altogether void of faith, no matter how he may be troubled, does not turn to God.

When first threshed, the wheat lies in one heap with the chaff and straw, and is afterward winnowed to be separated. In the same way, the faithful are mixed together in one Church with the unfaithful. But persecution comes like a wind so that, tossed by Christ's fan, those whose hearts were already separate may now also be separated in place. He will not merely cleanse, but "thoroughly cleanse"; therefore, the Church must necessarily be tried in many ways until this is accomplished.

First the Jews winnowed it, then the Gentiles, now the heretics, and in time Antichrist shall thoroughly winnow it. For just as a gentle blast carries off only the lighter chaff while the heavier remains, so a slight wind of temptation carries off only the worst people. But should a greater storm arise, even those who seem steadfast will depart. Heavier persecution is needed, then, for the Church to be cleansed.

Remigius of Auxerre: The Lord cleanses this floor of His—that is, the Church—in this life, both when the wicked are put out of the Church by the sentence of the priests, and when they are cut off by death.

Rabanus Maurus: The cleansing of the floor will be finally accomplished when the Son of Man shall send His Angels, and shall gather all offences out of His kingdom.

St. Gregory the Great: After the threshing is finished in this life, where the grain now groans under the burden of the chaff, the fan of the last judgment will so separate them that no chaff will pass into the granary, nor will any grain fall into the fire that consumes the chaff. ⁵

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He declares that the wheat—that is, the full and perfect fruit of the believer—will be laid up in heavenly barns. By the chaff, he means the emptiness of the unfruitful.

Rabanus Maurus: There is this difference between the chaff and the tares: the chaff is produced from the same seed as the wheat, but the tares are from a different kind of seed. The chaff, therefore, are those who enjoy the sacraments of the faith but are not solid; the tares are those who, in profession as well as in works, are separated from the company of the good.

Remigius of Auxerre: The unquenchable fire is the punishment of eternal damnation, either because it never totally destroys or consumes those it has seized but torments them eternally, or to distinguish it from purgatorial fire, which is kindled for a time and then extinguished.

St. Augustine of Hippo: If anyone asks which words John actually spoke—those reported by Matthew, Luke, or Mark—it can be shown that there is no difficulty here for someone who rightly understands that the meaning is essential for our knowledge of the truth, while the specific words are not. It is clear we should not consider any testimony false simply because the same event is related in different words and ways by several people who were present. ⁶

Whoever thinks that the Evangelists could have been so inspired by the Holy Spirit that they would not have differed among themselves in the choice, number, or order of their words fails to see something important. The more preeminent the authority of the Evangelists, the more their example establishes the truthfulness of other people who report events under similar circumstances.

But the discrepancy may seem to be in the substance, not only in the words, between "I am not worthy to bear His shoes" and "to loose His shoe-latchet." Which of these two expressions did John use? The one who reported the exact words will seem to have spoken the truth, while the one who reported other words—even if he did not hide anything or forget—will have said one thing for another.

But the Evangelists should be free from every kind of falsehood, not only from lying but also from forgetfulness. If this discrepancy is important, then we may suppose that John used both expressions, either at different times or at the same time.

But if John only meant to express the Lord's greatness and his own humility, then the meaning is preserved whether he used one phrase or the other. Even if someone were to repeat the same profession of humility in his own words using the figure of the shoes, the will and intention would not differ.

This, then, is a useful rule to remember: it is not a lie when someone accurately represents the meaning of a person whose speech he is recounting, even if he uses different words, as long as he shows that the meaning is the same. Understood this way, it is a wholesome guideline that we are to inquire only after the speaker's meaning.