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A question asked by many is, “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” To answer this, let’s first explore the nature of baptism as explained by Saint John Chrysostom. Jewish Baptism Saint John Chrysostom points out that the Jewish Baptism was one of cleansing. He says, There was a Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins. Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or who did some … [Read more...]
St. John the Baptist was the Forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate his nativity on June 24th. He preached repentance to all, and though a celibate himself preached especially for the honor of marriage (to Herod and Herodias). He preached for about 90 days, then was imprisoned and beheaded. You know when they want you dead after only 3 months of preaching, well... Now that's great preaching. … [Read more...]
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