John the Baptist, St

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church | 2000 | 700+ words | Copyright

John the Baptist, St, the ‘Forerunner of Christ’. According to Lk. (1: 5–25), he was the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, his birth being foretold by an angel. All four Gospels record his appearance c.AD 27 as a preacher on the banks of the Jordan, demanding repentance and baptism from his hearers. Christ Himself was among those baptized by him. John's denunciation of Herod Antipas for his marriage led to his imprisonment and death (Mt. 14: 1–12). His continued influence is attested in Acts (18: 25), and outside the NT he is mentioned by Josephus. The Feast of his Nativity (24 June) is of more solemnity than that of his death (‘Decollation’; 29 Aug.).

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John the Baptist, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John the Baptist, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JohntheBaptistSt.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "John the Baptist, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JohntheBaptistSt.html

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