Verse 80
3. The preparation of John 1:80
Luke’s comment on John’s personal development shows his interest in human beings, which characterizes this Gospel (cf. Luke 2:40; Luke 2:52). John’s spirit here corresponds roughly to his character and personality (cf. 1 Samuel 2:21).
There has been considerable speculation about whether John became a member of the ascetic Essene community at Qumran because he lived in the deserts. [Note: See A. S. Geyser, "The Youth of John the Baptist," Novum Testamentum 1 (1956):70-75; and J. A. T. Robinson, Twelve New Testament Studies, pp. 11-27.] There is no way to prove or to disprove this theory presently. The factors in its favor are their common eschatological expectations, their use of Isaiah 40:3, and their use of ritual washings. Against it is John’s connection with the Jerusalem temple through his father, which the Essenes repudiated. [Note: Marshall, The Gospel . . ., p. 96.] Probably John was not an Essene but simply a prophet who went into the deserts to commune with God to be free of the distractions of ordinary life. [Note: John C. Hutchinson, "Was John the Baptist an Essene from Qumran?" Bibliotheca Sacra 159:634 (April-June 2002):187-200.]
Thus John gives way to Jesus in the text.
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