Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

260 Matthew III. 1, 2.
in tlie minds of believers, as peculiar to them (expressed by aheiv
in John's language), it appears in the Old Testament rather as a sud-
den, momentary one, which is then succeeded by other dry, and, as it
were, spiritless periods, such as appeared afterwards in the life of
the Baptist. (See note on Matth. xiv. 1, ff.) For this reason the
formula V? n^ih^ -i:, the hand of Jehovah upon one^ is frequently apphed
to the inspired moments of the prophets, to denote the violent
and sudden character of the influence. Such formulas are, of course,
not used of Jesus, because divine things were not manifested to him
at single moments of his life ; but he himself was the one eternal
manifestation of the Divine—the Word. (On the relation of pinia
and Xoyog, which imply the same fundamental idea of the relation
oi XeyeadaL and elvai, see note on John i. 1.)
The object of the Baptist's preaching, which is not specified in
Matth. iii. 1, Luke describes more definitely, by designating it, in
iii. 3, f3d7TTiaiJ,a [ieravoiag, a baptism of repentance. (See Matth. iii.
11, Avhere John says, Pa-nri^o) elg neTavoiav.) Merdvoia, repentance,
change of mind, denotes here the result of the law in its eflect on
the mind. By its form of inflexible requirement, it rouses to a sense
of weakness, and to a longing for a power sufficient to satisfy it. It
is therefore, in fact, a change of mind {vovg) in its deepest vital
principle. Considered in itself, indeed, it is something merely negative,
which stands in need of a positive element to complete it ; and
this is the Spirit, whom Christ obtained, and whom men receive by
faith. This is conveyed in the additional clause in Luke iii. 3, and
Mark i. 4, elg acpeoiv dixagrcojv^ for the remission of sins. John's
preaching was not itself to effect the remission, but to prepare for
that remission, which was to be accomplished by Christ. It is not
inappropriate therefore to supply £p;^o/^ev7;v, coming, future.. (On
this point see note on Acts xix. 4, where Paul instructs the disciples
of the Baptist in the import of their baptism.)
Matth. iii. 2.—The presence of the kingdom of God is put forward
as a motive for repentance, since it excluded persons in their
natural unchanged state of heart. (The perfect i'jyyiKE, is to be
taken in a present sense ; so that the meaning is, the kingdom of
God is already present—that is, in the person of the Messiah, who
represents it, and of whom John says : \iiooq v\mv torrjKev, bv vfietg
ovK oldare, there standeth one among you, etc. John i. 26.)
The phrase iiaoiXela rwv oiigavCdv, kingdom of heaven, does not
occur except in Matthew. In 2 Tim. iv. 18, we find jSaaiXeta enov-
pdviog, heavenly kingdom. The more common phrase is (3aatXeia rov
Geov, Tov XgLorov, kingdom of God, of Christ,^-' or simply PaoiXda^
* It is very seldom that the phrase (iaaclEia tov v'lov tov uvdpuwuv is put for ,3aai.?.eia
TOV XpiaTov, as in Matth. xiii. 41. In the passage Mark xi. 10, (iaaL'keia tov ^adtd occurs^,
inasmuch as David is viewed as a type of Messiah the king.