Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 3:22-26

"After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John`s disciples with a Jew about purifying. And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." — John 3:22-26 (ASV)

1. Previously, the Lord gave us His teaching on spiritual regeneration in words; here He completes His teaching through action, by baptizing.

   First, two kinds of baptism are mentioned.

   Second, a question about their relationship is raised, at and there arose a question.

   Regarding the first, two things are done.

   First, mention is made of the baptism of Christ.

   Second, of the baptism of John, at and John also was baptizing.

2. He says first, after these things, that is, the teaching on spiritual regeneration, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory.

   There is a question here about the literal meaning. For previously, the Evangelist had said that the Lord had come from Galilee to Jerusalem, which is in Judean territory, where He taught Nicodemus. So how, after teaching Nicodemus, can He come into Judea, since He was already there?

   Two answers are given to this. According to Bede, after His discussion with Nicodemus, Christ went to Galilee, and after remaining there for a time, returned to Judea. And so, after these things Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory should not be understood to mean that He came into Judea immediately after His talk with Nicodemus.

   Another explanation, given by Chrysostom, is that He did come into the territory of Judea immediately after this discussion. For Christ wanted to preach where the people gathered, so that many might be converted: I have declared your justice in the great assembly (Psalms 39:10); I have spoken openly to the world (John 18:20). Now there were two places in Judea where the Jewish people gathered: Jerusalem, where they went for their feasts, and the Jordan, where they gathered on account of John’s preaching and his baptism. And so the Lord used to visit both places. After the feast days were over in Jerusalem, which is in one part of Judea, He went to another part, to the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

3. As for the moral sense, Judea means confession, to which Jesus came, for Christ visits those who confess their sins or speak in praise of God: Judea became his sanctuary (Psalms 113:2). He stayed there, because He did not make a merely temporary visit: we will come to him, and will make our abode with him (John 14:23). And there He baptizes, that is, cleanses from sin, because unless one confesses his sins he does not obtain forgiveness: he who hides his sins will not prosper (Proverbs 28:13).

4. Then when he says, and John also was baptizing in Aenon, the Evangelist presents the baptism of John.

   In regard to this he does four things:

   1. He presents the person who is baptizing.

   2. He presents the place of the baptism.

   3. He presents its fruit.

   4. He presents the time.

5. John is the person who is baptizing, so he says, John also was baptizing.

   There is a question about this: since John’s baptism was ordained for the baptism of Christ, it seems that John should have stopped baptizing when Christ started to baptize, just as a symbol does not continue when the reality arrives.

   Three reasons are given for this.

   1. The first is in relation to Christ, for John baptized in order that Christ might be baptized by him. But it was not fitting that John baptize only Christ; otherwise, on this point alone, it might seem that John’s baptism was superior to Christ’s. Accordingly, it was expedient that John baptize others before Christ, because before Christ’s teaching was to be made public it was necessary that people be prepared for Christ by John’s baptism. In this way, the baptism of John is related to the baptism of Christ as the religious instruction given to prepare candidates for baptism is related to true baptism. It was likewise important that John baptize others after he had baptized Christ, so that John’s baptism would not seem to be worthless. For the same reason, the practice of the ceremonies of the old law was not abolished as soon as the reality came, but as Augustine says, the Jews could lawfully observe them for a time.

   2. The second reason relates to John. For if John had stopped baptizing at once after Christ began baptizing, it might have been thought that he stopped out of envy or anger. And because, as the Apostle says, we ought to look after what is good, not only before God, but also before all men (Romans 12:17), this is the reason why John did not stop at once.

   3. The third reason relates to John’s disciples, who were already beginning to act like zealots toward Christ and His disciples because they were baptizing. So if John had entirely stopped baptizing, it would have provoked his disciples to an even greater zeal and opposition to Christ and His disciples. For even while John continued baptizing, they were hostile to Christ’s baptism, as later events showed. And so John did not stop at once: take care that your freedom does not become a hindrance to those who are weak (1 Corinthians 8:9).

6. The place of his baptism was at Aenon near Salim, where there was much water. Another name for Salim is Salem, which is the village from which the king Melchizedek came. It is called Salim here because among the Jews a reader may use any vowel he chooses in the middle of his words; hence it made no difference to the Jews whether it was pronounced Salim or Salem. He added, where there was much water, to explain the name of this place, Aenon, which is the same as water.

7. The fruit of his baptism is the remission of sins; thus he says, and they came and were baptized, that is, cleansed, for great crowds came to John (Matthew 3:5 and Luke 3:7).

8. The time is indicated when he says, for John was not yet cast into prison. He says this so that we may know that he began his narrative of Christ’s life before the other Evangelists, for the others began their account only from the time of John’s imprisonment. So it is said: when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee (Matthew 4:12). And so, because they had passed over the things that Christ did before John’s imprisonment, John, who was the last to write a Gospel, supplied these omissions. He suggests this when he says: for John was not yet cast into prison.

9. Note that by divine arrangement it came about that when Christ began to baptize, John did not continue his own baptizing and preaching for very long, in order not to create disunion among the people. But he was granted a little time so that it would not seem that he deserved to be repudiated, as was mentioned before. Again, by God’s arrangement, it came about that after the faith had been preached and the faithful converted, the temple was utterly destroyed, so that all the devotion and hope of the faithful could be directed to Christ.

10. Then when he says, there arose a question, he brings in the issue of the two baptisms.

    1. The issue is mentioned.

    2. It is brought to John’s attention, at and they came to John.

    3. The issue is resolved, at John answered and said (John 3:27).

11. Therefore, because two were baptizing, as was said, namely Christ and John, the disciples of John, zealous for their teacher, started a controversy over this. And this is what he says, there arose a question, that is, a dispute, between some of John’s disciples, who were the first to raise the issue, and the Jews, whom the disciples of John had rebuked for preferring Christ to John because of the miracles He did, while John did not do any miracles.

    The issue was concerning purification, that is, baptizing. The cause of their envy and the reason they started the controversy was the fact that John sent those he baptized to Christ, but Christ did not send those He baptized to John. It seemed from this, and perhaps the Jews even said so, that Christ was greater than John. Thus, the disciples of John, not yet having become spiritual, quarreled with the Jews over the baptisms. While there is envy and fighting among you, are you not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3:3).

12. They referred this issue to John; hence he says, they came to John. If we examine this closely, we see that they were trying to incite John against Christ. Indeed, they are like the gossip and the double-tongued: those who gossip and are double-tongued are accursed, for they disturb many who are at peace .

    So they bring up four things calculated to set John against Christ.

    1. They recall the previous unimportant status of Christ.

    2. They recall the good John did for Him.

    3. They recall the role which Christ took on.

    4. They recall the loss to John because of Christ’s new role.

13. They recall Christ’s unimportance when they say, he who was with you, as one of your disciples, and not the one you were with as your teacher. For there is no good reason for envy if honor is shown to one who is greater; rather, envy is aroused when honor is given to an inferior: I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking like slaves (Ecclesiastes 10:7); I called my servant, and he did not answer me (Job 19:16). For a master is more disturbed at the rebellion of a servant and a subject than of anyone else.

14. Second, they remind John of the good he did Christ. Thus they do not say, “the one whom you baptized,” because they would then be admitting the greatness of Christ which was shown during His baptism when the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove and in the voice of the Father speaking to Him. So they say, to whom you gave testimony. In other words, “We are very angry that the one you made famous and admired dares to repay you in this way”: the one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me (Psalms 40:10). They said this because those who seek their own glory and personal profit from their office become dejected if their office is taken over by someone else.

15. And so third, they even add that Christ took over John’s office for Himself, when they say, behold he baptizes, that is, He is exercising your office; and this also disturbed them very much. For we generally see that men of the same craft are envious and underhanded with respect to one another; a potter envies another potter, but does not envy a carpenter. So, even teachers who are seeking their own honor become sad if another teaches the truth. In opposition to them, Gregory says: the mind of a holy pastor wishes that others teach the truth which he cannot teach all by himself. So also Moses: would that all the people might prophesy (Numbers 11:29).

16. Yet they were not satisfied with merely disturbing John; rather, they report something that should really excite him, that is, the loss that John seemed to be having because of the office Christ took over. They state this when they say: and all men come to him, that is, the ones who used to come to you. In other words, they have rejected and disowned you, and now are all going to His baptism. It is clear from the testimony of Matthew that before this, they used to go to John: what did you go out to the desert to see? (Matthew 11:7). By such envy the Pharisees were moved against Christ; and they said that the whole world is gone after him (John 12:19). But John was not moved against Christ by this: he was not a reed shaken by the wind, as Matthew says (Matthew 11:7). This follows from his response to the question submitted to him.