Paragraph 1:4–8
This paragraph describes the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in 1:2–3. It identifies John as “the messenger” and “the voice” that were mentioned in those verses. It also describes what John did and what he preached. In some languages you may want to divide 1:4–8 into two paragraphs: 1:4–5 and 1:6–8.
1:4a
There is an implied connection between 1:4 and the prophecy in 1:2–3. John fulfilled this prophecy. He was the messenger whom Isaiah predicted. Try to indicate this connection in a natural way in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
So (Good News Bible)
-or-
And so (New International Version)
-or-
And those words were fulfilled, because
See the notes at the beginning of 1:2a for more discussion on this connection.
John the Baptist appeared: There is a textual issue with the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Baptist:
(1) Some Greek manuscripts indicate that this word is used as a title for John. (These manuscripts have the definite article before the word “baptizing.”) It means “John, the Baptizing [One].” For example:
John the Baptizer (God’s Word)
-or-
John who baptized people
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, 2011 edition, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible)
(2) Some Greek manuscripts indicate that this word goes with came and describes John’s actions. (These manuscripts do not have the definite article before “baptizing.”) It means “John came, baptizing.” For example:
So John appeared…baptizing… (Good News Bible)
(New International Version (1984 Revision), Good News Bible, New Century Version, King James Version, English Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1). It has the best manuscript and version support. However, if a major language Bible in your area follows option (2), you may choose to follow it. There is good evidence for both options, and the difference in meaning is slight.
Be careful that the title does not imply that John was a member of a Baptist Church. This may be a problem with a transliterated title like “John the Baptist.”
Here is another way to translate John the Baptist appeared :
John the Baptizer appeared
John the Baptist: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Baptist can also be translated as “baptizer.” It refers to a person who baptizes people. The verb “baptize” means to purify people with a special ritual that uses water. (In some verses, the verbs “wash” and “clean” are used to translate the Greek verb “baptize.” Luke 11:38 says, “But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.” (The Greek verb here is baptizo, but English versions translate it as “wash.” The context refers to a ritual washing, not merely a removal of dirt.). Mark 7:4 and Matthew 23:25 both speak of washing/cleaning cups and other utensils. The verb in Mark is baptizo while the verb in Matthew is katharizo (clean). Again, a ritual cleansing is involved. Mark 7:4 says, “And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.” Matthew 23:25 says, “You clean (katharizo) the outside of the cup and dish.” However, the above references do not indicate that “wash/cleanse” is the only meaning of the rite of baptism as practiced by John and by the early Christians. And certainly Jesus’ baptism of people with the Holy Spirit signified more than purification.) In this context the ritual involved purification from sin. It did not mean that the person was cleaned to remove dirt. Baptism was an initiation that marked the beginning of a person’s life as one of God’s pure people.
You will probably need to decide how to translate the verb “baptize” before you translate the title “John the Baptist.”
Here are some ways to translate “baptize”:
• Use a descriptive term. For example:
ritually wash
-or-
initiate people in/with water
-or-
immerse people in water for God
-or-
sprinkle/shower people with God’s initiation water
• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:
purify people with God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
wash people in initiation water for God
• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.
Churches use different ways to baptize people. Choose a term that is acceptable to the different churches in your area.
Here are some other ways to translate the title John the baptizer:
John who cleansed people for God
-or-
John the Ritual Purifier
-or-
John who initiated people with God’s washing
See baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.
appeared: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as appeared has more than one meaning. There are two ways to interpret it here:
(1) It indicates that John came/appeared. For example:
John went to a place in the wilderness (Easy English Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version)
(2) It indicates that John lived/was in the wilderness. For example:
He lived in the wilderness. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
(New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). John may have lived in the wilderness before this time. However, the focus here is that he began to preach publicly and that many people quickly heard about him. (An idiom to describe this in English is “John appeared/came on the scene.”)
In some languages a word that means “appeared” can imply a wrong meaning. It may imply that John was invisible and then he suddenly became visible or that John appeared to people in a vision. Be careful to avoid these wrong meanings.
in the wilderness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wilderness is the same word in 1:3a. See the note in 1:3a on wilderness.
1:4b
Here in 1:4b John preached in an area where no people lived, but people came to listen to him. In 1:4a also, he was calling out his message in a place where few people lived, but people came from other places to listen to him. If you made this information explicit in 1:4a, consider whether you need to do so again here. See the note on “in the wilderness” at 1:3a. See also the General Comment on 1:4b–d for a suggestion about how to translate the content of John’s preaching.
preaching: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preaching means to publicly tell people something important. John was proclaiming God’s message to the crowds who came to listen. He did this often, and your translation should imply that.
Here are some other ways to translate preaching in this context:
announcing
-or-
proclaiming
-or-
telling people
In some languages it may be natural to start a new clause or sentence here. For example:
He was preaching to the people.
1:4c–d
a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins: In this phrase there are four important nouns: baptism, repentance, forgiveness, and sins. In many languages you may need to translate some or all of these nouns as verbs. Then you may need to make other information explicit. For example:
[preaching that] people should be baptized to show that they were rejecting their sins so that God would forgive them.
In many languages it may also be more natural to use direct speech here. For example:
Allow me to baptize you to show that you are turning from your sins so that God will forgive you for the evil things that you have done.
See the General Comment on 1:4b–d for another example. See baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.
1:4c
a baptism of repentance: The phrase a baptism of repentance means “a baptism that shows repentance.” Baptism was the way people could show that they had repented.
People repented and then were baptized. So in some languages it may be necessary to translate the actions in a different order. For example, the Good News Bible has:
Turn away from your (plur) sins and be baptized. (Good News Bible)
In some languages it may be not be natural or even possible to use the passive verb “be baptized.” In those languages it may be possible to say:
Turn away from your (plur) sins and allow me to baptize you (plur).
-or-
Turn from your (plur) sins and receive/accept baptism.
baptism: The word baptism refers to a special ritual washing that purifies someone. In this context the ritual implied purifying/cleansing from sin. It was an initiation that marked the beginning of that person’s life as one of God’s pure people.
You should translate baptism in a similar way as you translate “baptize.” However, the form of the word or phrase may be different. For example, here are some ways to translate baptism with a descriptive term:
ritual washing
-or-
purification/initiation for God
-or-
entering the water
Be sure that the term you use is acceptable to the different churches in your area. See the note on 1:4a for more translation suggestions. Remember that in 1:4a the focus was on John as the one who baptized people, rather than on the people who were being baptized. You may need to modify your term for baptism to fit different contexts.
repentance: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repentance means “a change of a person’s mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible it refers specifically to a change of mind and heart about sin and about God. The person who repents is sorry for his past sins. He decides to stop sinning and to obey God.
Here are some other ways to translate repentance:
changing heart/mind
-or-
rejecting sin
In some languages, you may have an idiom for this type of change. For example:
turning from sin to God
-or-
leaving sin behind
In some languages it may be more natural to translate repentance here with a verb or verb phrase. For example:
Turn away from your sins (Good News Bible)
-or-
Change your (plur) thinking/mind/heart
1:4d
for the forgiveness of sins: The phrase for the forgiveness of sins indicates that the purpose of repenting and being baptized is to receive forgiveness. It also implies that the forgiveness is the result that people can expect from these actions. (Louw and Nida (page 784) define eis here as “a marker of intent, often with the implication of expected result.” UBS Handbook (page 12) also says that in this context the preposition may indicate “either purpose or result.” Hiebert (page 32) speaks of forgiveness as being the spiritual result or end of baptism, and Taylor (page 154) describes baptism as an action that leads to forgiveness.) In some languages it may be necessary to emphasize either purpose or result. For example:
Stop sinning and be baptized in order that God will pardon your sins.
-or-
Turn away from your (plur) sins and be baptized…and God will forgive your sins. (Good News Bible)
-or-
Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven. (Contemporary English Version)
forgiveness of sins: In this context the phrase forgiveness of sins means that God chooses not to punish a person for the evil things that he has done and thought. God cancels his guilt and treats him as though he had never offended.
Here are some other ways to translate forgiveness of sins:
canceling sins
-or-
release from sins
-or-
taking away of sins
In some languages it may be necessary to translate the noun forgiveness with a verb. Here are some ways to do this:
pardon sins
-or-
cancel sins
In many languages there may be an idiom for this. For example:
erase guilt
-or-
wiping away sins
In some languages it is more natural to say “forgive people,” rather than to “forgive sins.” For example:
forgive people for their sins
sins: The word sins refers to offenses against God. Sins include acts, thoughts, and attitudes that are not what God wants or approves. (In Greek, the verb that English versions translate as sin is also a term that is used in archery to mean “miss the target”. When a person sins, he “misses” the target, that is, he fails to reach God’s standard.) A person can also offend God by not doing what God wants him to do.
It is helpful to translate sins with a general term that can include any offense against God. Here are problems to avoid:
(a) The term should not imply that only serious crimes like murder or stealing are sins. Other offenses like gossip and greed are also sins.
(b) The term should not include accidents or mistakes that are not against God’s will.
Here are some ways to translate sins:
wrong acts
-or-
offenses against God
-or-
evil deeds
In some languages it may be natural to translate sins with a phrase that includes a verb. For example:
wrong things that you have done
General Comment on 1:4b–d
This part of the verse tells what John preached to the people. In some languages it may be more natural to use a direct quote. For example, the Good News Bible says:
…preaching. “Turn away from your (plur) sins and be baptized,” he told the people, “and God will forgive your (plur) sins.”
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