The Baptism of John, Was it from Heaven or of Men? How Can You Tell?
By: Noel Corpuz
Tags: Christianity, Spirituality, Life, Faith, Religion

Second: The Action — The Baptism of John, from where was it? From heaven or of men?

Was the work of baptizing people commanded by God?

John, the Disciple’s Account

Another John, one of the disciples of Jesus described John (the Baptist) in his gospel (John 1:19–26):

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the LORD,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24–25 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26–27 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

There, John claimed to have come to fulfill God’s command to baptize people with water.

Gospel of Matthew’s Account

Matthew in his gospel gave us his record about John (Matthew 3:3–6):

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were BAPTIZED by him in the Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS.

In order to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, John was sent to preach that men must REPENT, then they were BAPTIZED, CONFESSING their sins.

Gospel of Luke’s Account

Luke recorded in his gospel a more detailed account as he further testifies concerning John (Luke 3:1–18):

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying (Isaiah 40:3–6):

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

In the preceding account, John set the pre-requisite for baptism, and that is to repent. They would then bear fruits, good fruit worthy of repentance. Luke 3:10–14 continues,

So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Then, he announced the coming of the Lord, the One mightier than him who will baptize with the Holy Spirit from God (Luke 3:15–18).

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

John claimed that he was sent to baptize with water in preparation for the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Now, the question: Are baptism with water and baptism with the Holy Spirit as proclaimed by John ordained by God?

Applying the biblical principle we laid out at the beginning and that is, if it was ordained or commanded by God, there must be a word from the scriptures ordaining such an act to be done, to prove that the baptism of John is from heaven (from God).

Searching the scriptures, we find God speaking to the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 36:22–28):

Ezekiel’s Prophecy

22–24 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will pour (“sprinkle” in some bible versions) clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26–27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

There, spoken clearly in Ezekiel 36:25–27 are God’s words for John’s work (baptism with water) to make people ready for Jesus Christ’s work (baptism with the Holy Spirit) in order to reconcile men back to God, and eventually save them from the wrath of God’s judgment.