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Some other perspectives on Luke 3 and the discussion of John the Baptist:
Courson opines that John the Baptist preached a message of severity whereas Jesus Christ preached a message of serenity. (306). John preached on holiness whereas Jesus Christ preached on hopefulness. (306).
There is an aspect of truth in this observation, as in some sections of the Gospels, Christ emphasizes the benefits of being within the Kingdom of God.
But overall, I prefer my concept presented from the first version of this post, in the comparison of the baptisms and ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Porter (1191). Persons would be cleansed of sins, whereas the baptism associated with Jesus Christ was featured symbolically and spiritually as in cleansing and regeneration, in obedience; of course connected to the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ.
The ministry of Jesus Christ did preach on severe topics such as in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), including the concept of everlasting hell for those permanently outside the Kingdom of God
Matthew 5: 27
English Standard Version
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Yes, using metaphorical language to describe how to avoid hell, and yet acknowledging hell at the same time.
Browning writes that Jesus Christ aligned himself with the ministry of John the Baptist. (204) John was a forerunner of the ministry of Jesus Christ. (204). John the Baptist, was in a sense, the last type of Old Testament Prophet (Hebrew Bible). There was a heavy emphasis on repentance in the ministry of John, similarly to the Hebrew Bible, prior to the revelation of the gospel message.
In agreement with the first article, Courson's view reasons that Luke 3: 22 is clearly Trintarian in nature.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.
PORTER, L.E. (1986) Luke, in F.F. Bruce (gen.ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/ Zondervan.
