4. The Beginning of Jesus' Public Ministry (According to John)

Our word "baptize" transliterates the Greek (βαπτίζω), which itself is just the verb form of the word for dunking (βάπτω).

βάπτω

1. dip, ("so as to temper the red-hot steel")
2. dye, ("dye the beatiful cloths")

We note that this word, βάπτω, which can be transliterated "bapto", sounded to the Greeks like the sound of water closing over the top of something that has been dunked or dipped.

βαπτίζω

1. dip, plunge
   • in passive voice: to be drowned
   • of ships: sink or disable them
   • "flooded the city": metaphorically, of the crowds who flocked into Jerusalem at the time of the siege
   • to be drenched, soaked
   • "over head and ears in debt"
   • "seeing that he was getting into deep water"
2. draw wine by dipping the cup in the bowl

And we note here the ancient use of the term "baptize" (βαπτίζω) was unambiguously about an overwhelming amount of liquid, whether that was enough to fill a cup by dunking or enough to sink a ship. This is why the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 9 (below) would have been looking for a body of water in which to be baptized. He obviously would have had plenty of drinking water in the traveling company; he was just getting started on a desert journey back to Ethiopia. But drinking water is stored in drinking vessels, and not accessible for completely overwhelming an adult in water.

Acts 8:26–28, 36, 38–39

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot....
And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
They both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And...they came up out of the water....

1 Corinthians 10:1–2

Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea....

Romans 6:3–4

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

1 Peter 3:20–21

God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ....

Ironically, the testimony of John had been heeded by Jesus' first disciples. Why are these still with John instead of having joined the first in following the Lord? See also verse 28.

John 3:2

This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

John 9:30, 32-33

The man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes....
Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

John 19:10-11

So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin."

John 1:15, 19-20, 23

(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me....'")
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."...
He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

This translation, though common, is simply not American English. We might rather say, "The one who has the bride is the groom. The best man, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice."

John's point is clear: this is not his wedding--he's just the best man.

The theme of God's people as God's bride is well established in Scripture.

Jeremiah 3:20

Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.

2 Corinthians 11:2

I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

John's work proved effective.

John 10:40-42

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." And many believed in him there.

The contrast between heaven and earth, spirit and flesh has been a theme (3:12) and will continue to grow in John's gospel.

John 4:34

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work...."

John 6:63

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

John 10:1-2, 6

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep....
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

John 3:11

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

John 20:25

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

Acts 4:20

We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life....

John 7:14-18

About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood."

Literally, "Not by measure does He give the Spirit."

The passage indicates the Father has endowed the Son with the fullness of His Spirit, and this is why the Son speaks the utterances of God.

John 7:37-39

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Acts 5:32

"And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

Romans 5:3-5

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

1 John 3:24

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 4:12-13

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

Isaiah 42:1

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.

John 5:19-20

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel."

John 15:8-10

"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."

John 17:26

"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Matthew 28:18

Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Ephesians 1:22-23

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:25-28

He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

The opposite of belief, or faith, is disobedience.

The Greek of the New Testament used at least a couple of different forms for belief and disbelief, obedience and disobedience. One pair is based on persuasion and the other on trust.

Persuasion words include:

πείθω

1. • persuade
     • Active voice: prevail upon, persuade, usually by fair means
     • prevail on by entreaty
   • in bad sense, talk over, mislead
2. • Passive:
     • to be prevailed on, be won over, be persuaded
     • listen to one, obey him
   • believe, trust in
   • trust, rely on

ἀπειθέω

Attic form of ἀπῐθέω (though even Tragedians preferred ἀπιστέω),

1. to be disobedient, refuse compliance; disobey; not to abide by [orders]
2. of animals; of ships
3. of a woman: refuse compliance

And these words are trust-based:

πιστεύω

1. trust, put faith in, rely on a person, thing, or statement
   • comply
   • believe that, feel confident that a thing is, will be, has been
   • example: "to whom he trusted that they would keep silence"
   • have faith
2. entrust something to another

ἀπιστέω

1. • disbelieve, distrust
     • disbelieve one in a thing; suspect
     • to doubt that it could be; not believed to be possible
     • to be incredulous
   • = ἀπειθέω, disobey; to be disobedient; refuse to comply
     • to be faithless
     • to belie

See also:

Hebrews 3:18-19

To whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

1 Peter 2:6-7

It stands in Scripture:
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...."