Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

§ 11.4 Beginning from the Baptism of John
Behold, the name of the Lord comes (erchetai) from far away,
burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke,
and his lips are full of indignation (Greek different),
and his tongue is like a devouring fire (kai he orge tou thymou has pyr
edetai);
his breath (ruah/pneuma) is like an overflowing stream
that reaches to the neck;
to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction,
and to place on the jaws of the people a bridle that leads astray.
Whether John had this particular passage in mind is impossible to say, although
the heavy dependence of his message on language which was characteristic of
Isaiah has been apparent throughout this section. At the very least, however, we
have to recognize that John placed himself in a tradition of prophetic and apocalyptic
warning to Israel which drew on these powerful images.
Probably the most impressive feature at this point is the way John adapted
this imagery in terms of the feature most distinctive of his mission as 'the Baptist'.
The one to come would baptize in the river of God's fiery breath.
Here we need to remind ourselves of how the term 'baptize' was actually
used before it became a technical term for the rite administered by the Baptist. In
wider usage it meant simply 'dip, immerse, plunge, sink, drench or wash'. 137 In
the LXX baptizein is used three times to denote a ritual washing or immersion.
138 And Josephus uses it characteristically of the sinking of a ship, 139 or of
someone drowning or being drowned, 140 or of dipping something in water (Ant.
4.81). 141 More interesting still, the imagery of immersion obviously lent itself to
metaphorical usage. So already the LXX of Isa. 21.4 uses the imagery of being
overwhelmed by lawlessness (anomia me baptizei). Philo typically speaks of the
river of the objects of sense 'drowning (baptizonta) the soul'. 142 Josephus uses
baptizein of the act of plunging a sword into a throat {War 2.476), of a flood of
people into a city drowning it (War 4.137), and of one 'sunken (bebaptismenon)
into unconsciousness and drunken sleep' (Ant. 10.169). 143
demic, 1994) 42-54, reprinted in my Pneumatology 118-29 (here 126-27), I remain surprised
that so few have picked up this background imagery in their attempts to expound the Baptist's
message.
137. LSJ, baptizö.
138. 4 Kgdms. 5.14 (translating tabal in 2 Kgs. 5.14); Jdt. 12.7; Sir. 34.25.
139. War 2.556; 3.368, 423, 525, 527; Ant. 9.212; Life 15.
140. War 1.437; Ant. 15.55.
141. See also Aquila's translation of Job 9.31 and Ps. 69.2.
142. Leg. 3.18; similarly Det. 176; Migr. 294; Prov. 2.67; cf. Contempt. 46.
143. Sib. Or. 5.478 speaks of the setting sun as 'plunged (baptistheie) in the waters of
the ocean'.
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