John 3:25

There arose a question. Although, for fear of the people (Matt. 21:26), the Jewish authorities avoided an open attack on John, they sought less conspicuous ways of hindering his work. Baptism was central to John’s preaching (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3), as a symbol of repentance and cleansing from sin. The Jews practiced proselyte baptism, for the ceremonial purification of Gentile converts (see on John 3:3-5). But John required Jews to accept the rite, and made it a token of repentance, and of turning from a life of sin. It is true that the Essenes practiced baptism more nearly in the sense in which John administered it (see pp. 63, 91), but they were few in numbers and had little influence on the life and thought of the nation.

The Jews. Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 146) for the reading “a Jew.”

Purifying. That is, ceremonial washing.