Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§11.3 Beginning from the Baptism of John
In the latter (GTh 78), any allusion to John is absent (given only by the Q introduction).
This is significant. For the distinguishing feature and frame of the 'gospel
form' evident in all the canonical Gospels is provided not only by the Passion,
but also by its beginning with John and his baptism, as attested also by Q. If
the Thomas tradition is old, then those who made use of it can hardly have been
unaware of this (as GTh 46 probably confirms). In which case it looks as though
the Thomas tradents have deliberately abbreviated the Baptist motif. This suggests
in turn a conscious elimination by the Thomas tradents of the strong note of
imminent judgment, which characterizes the Q account of John's preaching (Q
3.7-9, 16-17), as part of a broader redactional diminution of the larger judgment
motif in the Q/Synoptic tradition. This line of reasoning runs counter to the arguments
of Koester and others that the theme of judgment in Q is a redactional development
of Q (= Q 2 ) unknown to Thomas. 11 On the contrary, it rather looks as
though Thomas omits what was a clear recollection (in Q) of John's significance
for the first disciples of Jesus and of (or despite) the judgmental character of
John's preaching. 78 It will be well to bear in mind this initial finding since it will
have bearing on our attempts to hear again the preaching of Jesus through the
ears of his first disciples.
For the moment, however, the initial conclusion can be fully affirmed, that
John was seen as the beginning of the good news of Jesus from the earliest days
of discipleship to Jesus.
11.3. John's Baptism
The significance of John independently of Jesus and of his likely influence on Jesus
makes it all the more important to understand as fully as possible this immediate
antecedent to Jesus, the springboard, perhaps, from which Jesus launched
his own career as a preacher.
a. 'The Baptist'
Of the little we know about John, the most outstanding feature was clearly his
baptism. This is the point on which all accounts agree most closely. Mark introduces
John as 'baptizing in the desert' (Mark 1.4), or as 'the baptizer' (ho
baptizön) (6.14, 24). 79 He sums up John's message as 'proclaiming a baptism of
77. Koester, Ancient Christian Gospels 86-99 (here 96-97). See further above §7.4c.
78. See A. Kirk, 'Upbraiding Wisdom: John's Speech and the Beginning of Q (Q 3:7-9,
16-17)', NovT 40 (1998) 1-16; and further below §12.4e.
79. The original text of Mark 1.4 may well have lacked the definite article: 'John came
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