14-7-7 Paul and John the Baptist

An analysis of the data presented above reveals that Paul alluded to some parts of the Gospels much more than others. An example of this is the way in which he alluded so extensively to the passages related to John the Baptist. I would suggest that the reason for this is that he saw John as somehow his hero, one for whom he had a deep respect. In doing so he was sharing the estimation of his Lord, who also saw John as one of the greatest believers. There are many 'unconscious' links between Paul's writings and the records of John, indicating how deeply the example and words of John were in Paul's mind (e.g. Mt. 3:7 = 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Jn. 3:31 = 1 Cor. 15:47). Or consider how John said that wicked Jewry would be " hewn down" (Mt. 3:10); Paul uses the very same word to describe how the Jewish branches had now been " cut off" (Rom. 11:22,24). Paul saw himself as being like the best man, who had betrothed the believers to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2,3)- just as John had described himself as the friend of the bridegroom (Jn. 3:28). Or again, reflect how Paul's mention of John in Acts 13:24,25 apparently adds nothing to his argument; it seems out of context. But it surely indicates the degree to which John was never far below the surface in Paul's thinking.  

It seems likely that Paul went to hear John the Baptist preach; " there went out to him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem" (Mk. 1:5), and at this time Paul was living in Jerusalem. I believe Paul heard John and was convicted by him of Christ. John preached the need to " bring forth fruits meet unto repentance" (Mt. 3:8); and Paul made those his own watchwords in his world-wide preaching (Acts 26:20). John's mission was to prepare Israel for Christ, to figuratively 'bring low' the hills and mountains, the proud Jews of first century Israel, and raise the valleys, i.e. inspire the humble with the real possibility of salvation in Christ (Lk. 3:5). Paul uses the same Greek word for " bring low" no fewer than three times, concerning how the Gospel has humbled him (Acts 20:19; 2 Cor. 11:7; Phil. 4:12). It's as if he's saying: 'John's preaching did finally have it's effect upon me; it did finally make me humble enough for the Lord Jesus'. And as John made straight paths for men's feet that they might come unto Christ (Mt. 3:3), so did Paul (Heb. 12:13). 

Paul seems to have admired the humility John the Baptist manifested in his preaching. He knew he had been chosen from the womb for his mission, as John had been (Gal. 1:15 =  Lk. 1:15). He describes his preaching in language which is directly alluding to how John preached (Acts 26:20 = Mt. 3:8). As John said that he was sent to baptize, but especially to witness of Christ (Jn. 1:33), so Paul felt that he too was sent to baptize, but his emphasis was more on the preaching of Christ than physically baptizing (1 Cor. 1:17). As John preached repentance with a deep sense of his own unworthiness, so did Paul, with exactly that same sense (Acts 13:24,25 = 17:3; 20:21; 26:20). John described himself as a preacher of Christ who was not " worthy" to do so (Mt. 3:11). The same Greek word is used by Paul when he says he is " not meet (s.w.) to be called an apostle" (1 Cor. 15:9); and that it was God's grace alone that had made him an " able (s.w. " worthy" ) minister of the Gospel" (2 Cor. 13:6). He knew that his " sufficiency" (s.w. " worthy" ) to give knowledge of salvation (John language- Lk. 1:77), to be a preacher, was from God alone (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5); and that in fact this was true of all preachers. But do we really feel like this in our preaching? John was a burning and shining light to the world (Jn. 5:35), just as we should be (Phil. 2:15). And therefore, if we are to witness as John did, we need to have the humility of John in our preaching. He was 'in the Truth' from a baby, he lived a spiritual, self-controlled life. And yet he had this great sense of personal sinfulness and unworthiness as a preacher. It's difficult for those raised Christian to have the sense of sinfulness which Paul had, and thereby to have his zeal for preaching. But actually his zeal was a reflection of John's; and John was a 'good boy', brought up in the Truth. Yet he had a burning sense of his spiritual inadequacy. Anglo-Saxon Christianity urgently needs to capture his spirit.   

Truly Paul 'bore' Christ to the world just as John 'bore' (s.w.) Christ's Gospel (Acts 9:15 = Mt. 3:11). He was to bring others to the light just as John had (Lk. 1:77,79 =  Acts 13:47; 26:18,23). Paul knew from all this that John the baptist was his example: a man increasingly dwarfed by the utter supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ, dogged by a sense of his own unworthiness, but deeply committed to spreading the knowledge of the glory of the Lord Jesus to others. We have shown elsewhere (Paul and Christ) that Paul achieved this; it is possible to trace an increasing awareness within him of the Lordship of Christ, of his own sinfulness, and of his ever increasing zeal for the preaching of the word (2 Tim. is classic proof of this). Sadly many a twentieth century disciple has lost his (or her) enthusiasm for these things once they hit their 30s. Paul felt he was " less than the least" of all saints, that he would be the least in the Kingdom (Eph. 3:8). He uses a closely related word to that used by John when he spoke of how he must " decrease" (Jn. 3:30). It was as if he felt like John at his most 'decreased', in prison at Machaerus, fearing death; and remember that Paul wrote Ephesians from prison too. But John was weak in prison; he doubted (momentarily) whether Jesus was the Messiah, " him that should come" (Lk. 7:19). Yet Paul seems to allude to this when he says that " he that shall come will come" (Heb. 10:37)- as if to say 'John, my hero, you had your weak moments too, but I've tried to learn the lesson from them'.  

Paul's enthusiasm for John the Baptist was not just a passing phase; unlike our rather fleeting enthusiasm for Bible characters, as they come and go in our minds as we 'do our readings' or hear them spoken about in depth at a Bible School. As he began his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul's mind was still with John (Acts 28:28 = Lk. 3:6). And in his time of dying (at which he wrote 2 Tim.), John his hero was still in Paul's mind. Paul speaks of finishing his course (Acts 20:24; 2 Tim. 4:7), using a word only used elsewhere concerning John finishing his course (Acts 13:25).  

Paul was keen for others to copy John the baptist, to find in him the inspiration which he too had found. So he encourages his Ephesians not to drink wine but instead be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18)- the very language of John (Lk. 1:15). In other words, 'Be like that Spirit-filled zealot John rather than enjoying the sloppy pleasures of this life!'. He saw John as an cameo of all the faithful (Heb. 11:37 = Mk. 1:6 and 1 Cor. 15:47 = Jn. 3:31). 

God seems to have recognized with pleasure the degree to which Paul modelled his life on John, in that Paul's experiences of life were over-ruled to have connections with those of John. These connections simply could not have been engineered by Paul;  e.g. the way in which they both died in prison at the behest of a crazy, woman-influenced despot. The Spirit also seems to make connections between John and Paul in the manner in which it describes them (e.g. Lk. 1:14 = Acts 15:13; 13:52; Lk. 1:15 = Acts 9:17; 13:9; Lk. 3:18 = Acts 13:15-19; Jn. 1:7,8,15 = Acts 23:11; 26:22; Jn. 3:27 = 1 Cor. 2:8-16). And the Spirit in Acts 19:18 seems to portray Paul in the language of John: " they came (to Paul) and confessed, and shewed their deeds" - just as men had to John.