5. And what saith the Lord to him?  “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”30    Matt. iii. 15. “Suffer it to be so now,” John; thou art not wiser than I. Thou seest as man; I foreknow as God. It becomes me to do this first, and thus to teach. I engage in nothing unbecoming, for I am invested with honour. Dost thou marvel, O John, that I am not come in my dignity? The purple robe of kings suits not one in private station, but military splendour suits a king: am I come to a prince, and not to a friend? “Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness:” I am the Fulfiller of the law; I seek to leave nothing wanting to its whole fulfilment, that so after me Paul may exclaim, “Christ is the fulfilling of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”31    Rom. x. 4.  “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Baptize me, John, in order that no one may despise baptism. I am baptized by thee, the servant, that no one among kings or dignitaries may scorn to be baptized by the hand of a poor priest. Suffer me to go down into the Jordan, in order that they may hear my Father’s testimony, and recognise the power of the Son. “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then at length John suffers Him. “And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and the heavens were opened unto Him; and, lo, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and rested upon Him. And a voice (came) from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”32    Matt. iii. 16, 17.

[5] τί οὖν ὁ κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν; „ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστι πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην„. ”ἄφες ἄρτι”, Ἰωάννη, οὐκ εἶ μου σοφώτερος. σὺ ὡς ἄνθρωπος βλέπεις, ἐγὼ ὡς θεὸς προγινώσκω. πρῶτόν με δεῖ ποιῆσαι καὶ οὕτω διδάξαι. οὐδὲν ἀπρεπὲς μετέρχομαι, εὐπρέπειαν γὰρ περιβέβλημαι. θαυμάζεις, ὦ Ἰωάννη, ὅτι οὐκ ἦλθον μετὰ τοῦ ἀξιώματός μου; ἰδιώτῃ μὲν γὰρ οὐ πρέπει βασιλικὴ ἁλουργίς, βασιλεῖ δὲ πρέπει στρατιωτικὸν σχῆμα. πρὸς τύραννον ἦλθον, μὴ γὰρ πρὸς φίλον; „ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστιν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην„. πληρωτής εἰμι νόμου, οὐδὲν βούλομαι ἐλλιπὲς καταλεῖψαι εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα, ἵνα μετ' ἐμὲ βοήσῃ ὁ Παῦλος ”πλήρωμα νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι”. „ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστιν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην„. βάπτισόν με, Ἰωάννη, ἵνα μηδεὶς βαπτίσματος καταφρονήσῃ. ὑπὸ σοῦ τοῦ δούλου βαπτίζομαι, ἵνα μηδεὶς βασιλέων ἢ ὑπερεχόντων διαπτύσῃ ὑπὸ πενιχροῦ ἱερέως βαπτισθῆναι. ἄφες ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ κατέλθω, ἵνα ἀκούσωσι τὴν πατρῴαν μαρτυρίαν καὶ ἐπιγνώσωνται τὴν τοῦ υἱοῦ δύναμιν. ”ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστιν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε λοιπὸν ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰωάννης. καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθέως ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἠνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ κατέρχεται ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν καὶ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ ηὐδόκησα”.