But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

John's Baptism, whence was it? --had it a heavenly or a human origin?" So they debated the matter among themselves. "If we say 'a heavenly origin,'" they argued, "he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

So John the Baptizer came, and was in the Desert proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for forgiveness of sins.

"You know not," said He, "what you are asking. Are you able to drink out of the cup from which I am to drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized?"

"We are able," they replied. "Out of the cup," said Jesus, "from which I am to drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I am to be baptized you shall be baptized;

John's Baptism--was it of Heavenly or of human origin? Answer me."

John went into all the district about the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for the forgiveness of sins;

And all the people, including the tax-gatherers, when they listened to him upheld the righteousness of God, by being baptized with John's baptism.

But I have a baptism to undergo; and how am I pent up till it is accomplished!

"was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"

And John too was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there were many pools of water there; and people came and received baptism.

beginning from His baptism by John down to the day on which He was taken up again from us into Heaven--one should be appointed to become a witness with us as to His resurrection."

Instantly there dropped from his eyes what seemed to be scales, and he could see once more. Upon this he rose and received baptism;

the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

Before the coming of Jesus, John had proclaimed to all the people of Israel a baptism of repentance.

And Crispus, the Warden of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, and so did all his household; and from time to time many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and received baptism.

He had been instructed by word of mouth in the way of the Lord, and, being full of burning zeal, he used to speak and teach accurately the facts about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's.

"Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.

"John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus."

Well, then, we by our baptism were buried with Him in death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from among the dead by the Father's glorious power, we also should live an entirely new life.

There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

having been buried with Him in your baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith produced within you by God who raised Him from among the dead.

And, corresponding to that figure, the water of baptism now saves you--not the washing off of material defilement, but the craving of a good conscience after God--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,