Matthew 3:15

Matthew 3:15 is the fifteenth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Jesus has come to John the Baptist to be baptized, but John balked at this, saying that he should be the one baptized. In this verse, Jesus explains why it is right that He should be baptized.

Matthew 3:15
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3:16 →
The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, c. 1448-50
BookGospel of Matthew
Christian Bible partNew Testament

Content

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer it to be so now: for thus
it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

But Jesus, answering, said to him,
"Allow it now, for this is the
fitting way for us to fulfill all
righteousness." Then he allowed him.

For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 3:15

Analysis

These are the first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, which is traditionally placed as the first book of the New Testament, so these are textually the first words spoken by Jesus in the entire Bible.[lower-alpha 1] According to general scholarship, the first recorded words of Jesus are actually in Mark 1:15 (as it was considered the first Gospel that was written): "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. So repent (mετανοείτε), and believe in the gospel."

Like the previous verse, this one only occurs in Matthew. Many scholars see this section as an add-on attempting to explain why the messiah is baptized by someone much lower than he is.[1] The phrase "fulfill all righteousness" is a problematic one. Righteousness is an important concept in Matthew and it generally means obedience to God. Matthew also often uses the word "fulfill", almost always referring to an Old Testament prophecy which Jesus is fulfilling. David Hill notes that the phrase could thus be interpreted as Jesus fulfilling divine rules of which only he is aware.[2] Cullman emphasizes the word all and argues that Jesus' baptism is to obtain righteousness for all humanity. Jesuit theologian Daniel Harrington links the fulfillment not to the Old Testament but to the discussion of fruits of repentance at Matthew 3:8.[3]

A second important issue is why Jesus, who is sinless, should go through a ritual that is designed to cleanse all sins. There are two main explanations of this. One is that Jesus by being baptized is setting a good example for the rest of humanity, that while he does not himself need the cleansing he is showing how important it is for others. The second view is that Jesus' being baptized is part of the process of taking on the burden of the sins of all humanity.[4] German theologian Heinrich Meyer lists and evaluates a number of reasons offered for why Jesus came to be baptized by John.[5]

The Book of Mormon provides an additional perspective on these two issues, explaining that Jesus "fulfilled all righteousness" by humbly witnessing that he would obey the Father, thus setting an example for how "the children of men" should live.[6]

Reformed Presbyterian theologian R.C. Sproul alternatively views Jesus as saying being baptized was necessary for Him to accomplish the Active Obedience of Christ.[7]

Several of the Fathers of the Church infer from the words "it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" that John was afterwards baptized by Jesus.[8]

Notes
  1. The first recorded words spoken by Jesus prior to the event in Matthew 3:15 were at the temple at age 12 (Luke 2:49)

References
  1. Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
  2. Hill, David. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981
  3. Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Liturgical Press, 1991 pg. 62
  4. Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.
  5. See Matthew 3:13
  6. 2 Nephi 31:6-7,9
  7. R.C. Sproul, "Jesus and His Active Obedience", view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyAPhJVbuYM
  8. Pulpit Commentary on Matthew 3, accessed 30 November 2016
Preceded by
Matthew 3:14		 Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 3		 Succeeded by
Matthew 3:16
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