THE JOHN THE BAPTIST MOVEMENT IN ITS RELATION

TO THE CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT

 

A Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty

of the

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

in

Partial Fulfillment

of the

Requirements for the Degree

of

Doctor of Philosophy

 

Wallie Amos Criswell, Jr.

1937

FOREWORD

   As late as 1853 an author could preface his work with the statement that, "This
is the first book devoted exclusively to the treatment of the life and ministry of
John the Baptist which has ever appeared in the English language."1   In the years
that have intervened since the publishing of this first volume, not many books have
followed.   Contemporary authors still lament the paucity of facts which character-
izes modern acquaintance with the life and influence of the great Baptist, as Mead,
who writes that it is "to be regretted that our information concerning John the
Baptizer and his doctrines is so meagre"2, and Foakes- Jackson [liberal], who refers to the
Forerunner as "one of the most mysterious figures in religious history," a man
concerning whom "we are almost in the dark."3

   It is a wonder that the theme of this dissertation has not before been
exhaustively covered, and yet, though the subject is partly discussed by several
authors and incidentally involved in many places, the end in view has never been
exactly that of determining the influence and history of the Baptist movement.   The
study has been a sustained pleasure, both because heretofore it has never been
extensively considered, and because the evaluation of the growth and influence of
the Johannine movement has been to me a revelation.

   There is no introduction as such to the work; the first chapter on the origin
of the Baptist movement suffices.   Nor is there a chapter of conclusions at the end
of the study.   Throughout the eight divisions into which the thesis has been divided,
the positions defended have been summarized, and it seemed useless to cover the
ground again.

   The day has come when one must defend the use of the literature of the New
Testament as an authority for any position he might wish to substantiate.   Particu-
larly is this true with the narratives in the four Gospels and the Acts of the
Apostles.   Not everything could be discussed in the dissertation; many things had to
be assumed, of which assumptions this is one, that for the history of the Johannine
and Christian movements in the first century A.D. we have no better witnesses than
the documents of the New Testament.   Unless an adverse critic could give cause to
impeach their testimony, they have been followed.   The authors and dates of the
books have been accepted, with some deviations, as they are presented in the numer-
ous works of Dr. A.T. Robertson.

   The Scripture quotations will vary rarely from those of the American Standard
Revision [W&H?], the text of Dr. Robertson's Chronological New Testament.   The footnotes
may seem excessive in number, but I have sought to make possible a verification for
every conclusion established, and the means by which the conclusion was drawn.

   My deepest appreciation is extended to Dr. W. Hersey Davis, Professor of New
Testament Interpretation in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, whose class
lectures and seminar discussions color the whole dissertation.   He will find that
many of the things presented here are not mine but his, particularly his interpre-
tation of the relationship between the Baptist and the Christ.   It has been a covet-
ed privilege to work under him, as also under those who conducted my other seminar
---------------
1. Duncan, John the Baptist, p. vi.
2. The Gnostic John the Baptizer, p. 25.
3. The Rise of Gentile Christianity, pp. 23-24.

studies, Dr. H. W. Tribble and Dr. J. B. Weatherspoon.   I also wish to thank the
Librarian of the Seminary, Dr. Thomas A. Johnson, without whose gracious assistance
the material upon which the thesis is based had been more difficult of collection.

Wallie Amos Criswell, Jr.

Bowling Green, Kentucky

February, 1937

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

CHAPTER I

THE ORIGIN OF THE BAPTIST MOVEMENT

  1. John and Contemporary Groups . . 1
    (1) John and the Essenes . . 1
    (2) John and political movements . . 2
    (3) John not the product of his times . . 4
  2. The Originality of the Baptist and His Work . . 5
    (1) The originality of his baptism . . 5
    (2) The originality of his message . . 8
  3. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

CHAPTER II

THE BAPTIST MOVEMENT AS A PREPARATION FOR CHRISTIANITY
  1. The Need for Such Preparation . . 11
  2. The Baptist Movement the Beginning of the Christian Movement . . 11
  3. The Reception of the Reform Movement of John . . 12
    (1) Among the rulers of the Jewish people . . 12
    (2) Among the masses of the Jewish people . . 14
  4. The Accomplishments of the Baptist's Ministry . . 15
    (1) The revival of Messianic enthusiasm . . 15
    (2) The clarification of kingdom ideas . . 16
    (3) The preparation of future Christian disciples . . 17
    (4) The introduction of Christ to the world . . 17
  5. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

CHAPTER III

THE CONTINUATION OF THE BAPTIST MOVEMENT
BY THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN
  1. The Fact of the Continuation of the Baptist Movement . . . . . 19
  2. An Inquiry into the Reasons for the Continuation of the Baptist
    Movement . . 20
    (1) The double character of John's testimony to the
          Messiah . . 20
    (2) The difference in type between the work of John and
          that of Jesus . . 21
    (3) The continued work of John alongside that of Jesus . . . . 22
    (4) The question of John's loyalty to Jesus . . 22
    (5) The nature of John's disciples . . 23

CHAPTER IV

EARLY CHRISTIAN PRESENTATION
OF THE TRUE POSITION OF THE BAPTIST
  1. The Place of the Baptist in Early Christian Propaganda . . . . . 25
  2. "Purpose" in the Transmission and Writing of the Gospel Story . 26
  3. This "Purpose" Extended to John and His Work . . 27
    (1) The presentation of John in "Q" . . 28
    (2) The presentation of John in Mark . . 30
    (3) The presentation of John in Luke . . 32
    (4) The presentation of John in Matthew . . 33
  4. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

CHAPTER V

BAPTIST PROBLEMS FACED BY THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
  1. The Problem of the Baptism of Jesus by John . . 34
  2. Was Jesus One of John's Disciples? . . 36
  3. The Message from the Baptist in Prison . . 37
  4. The Identification of John with the Promised Elijah . . . . . . 39

CHAPTER VI

CHRISTIANITY WINNING CONVERTS
FROM THE DISCIPLES OF THE BAPTIST
  1. The Friendly Side of the Baptist Movement . . . . . . . . . . . 42
  2. The Disciples of the Baptist as They Met the Full
    Teaching of Paul . . 42
    (1) Some observations afforded by Luke in Acts 18:24-19:7 . . . 42
    (2) The case of Apollos of Alexandria . . 44
    (3) The case of the twelve Ephesian disciples . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER VII

THE CHALLENGE: AN ANTAGONISM OF THE BAPTIST MOVEMENT
TO CHRISTIANITY
  1. The Hostility to Christ from the First among the Personal
    Disciples of John . . 50
    (1) The first quarrel over baptism . . 50
    (2) The attack upon Jesus about fasting . . 51
    (3) The tone of resentment in the message brought from the
          Baptist to Christ ... . . 51
  2. The Question of the Development of the Baptist Movement into
    Sects Opposed to Christianity . . 52
    (1) Simon Magus and his school . . 52
    (2) The Hemero-Baptists . . 55
    (3) The Mandaeans ... . . 56
    (4) The question of an early literature featuring John the
          Baptist as the Messiah . . 60
  3. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

CHAPTER VIII

THE ANSWER: THE JOHANNINE INTERPRETATION
OF THE BAPTIST AND HIS WORK
  1. The Difference in Presentation of the Baptist in the
    Fourth and the Synoptic Gospels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
  2. An Explanation of These Facts: That the Fourth Gospel Was
    Written with a Purpose of Counteracting an Antagonistic Baptist
    Sect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
    (1) The purpose of John in writing his Gospel . . . . . . . . . 64
    (2) John's answer to those who misappropriated the name and
          work of the Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  3. The Apostle John as an Interpreter of the Baptist . . . . . . . 67

Bibliography