And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, saying,
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
{Isaiah 40:3.}The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about the Jordan;
and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming {Or, for baptism}to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of {Or, your repentance}repentance:
and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
I indeed baptize you {Or, with}in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not {Greek: sufficient.}worthy to bear: he shall baptize you {Or, with}in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer {Or, me}it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened {Some ancient authorities omit unto him.}unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, {Or, This is my Son; my beloved in whom I am well pleased. See chapter 12:18}This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Querverweise zu Matthäus 3,9 Mt 3,9
For from within, out of the heart of men, {Greek: thoughts that are evil.}evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall {Greek: recline.}sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven:
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy {Or, your repentance}of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.
but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
But Jesus perceiving their {Or, questionings}reasonings, answered and said unto them, {Or, What}Why reason ye in your hearts?
They answered unto him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.
Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were {Some ancient authorities read the prophet. See John 1:21, 25.}a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.
They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye {Greek: are}were Abraham's children, {Some ancient authorities read ye do the works of Abraham.}ye would do the works of Abraham.
Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.
(as it is written, {Genesis 17:5}A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: whom makest thou thyself?
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth.
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
What then shall we say {Some ancient authorities read of Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?}that Abraham, {Or, our forefather according to the flesh found?}our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
For not {Or, through law}through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, {Genesis 21:12}In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
For it is written, {Genesis 16:15.}that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
{Genesis 21:2}Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.
{Many ancient authorities read For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia.}Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.
For it is written, {Isaiah 54:1}Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
Now {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now.
Howbeit what saith the scripture? {Genesis 21:10, 12}Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.
Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.