notes
Main point summary
John preaches to the religious leaders, exposing their hypocrisy.
Arc
editing
NT
Matthew 3:7-12
nasb
But when he saw many of the a Pharisees and b Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them,
“You c brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from d the wrath to come?
a Therefore bear fruit b in keeping with repentance;
and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘ a We have Abraham for our father’;
for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
ground
series
inference
The a axe is already laid at the root of the trees;
therefore b every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire.
ideaexplanation
“As for me, a I baptize you 1 with water for repentance,
but He who is coming after me is mightier than I,
and I am not fit to remove His sandals;
b He will baptize you 1 with the Holy Spirit and fire.
concessive
His a winnowing fork is in His hand,
and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor;
and He will b gather His wheat into the barn,
but He will burn up the c chaff with d unquenchable fire.”
alternative
progression
actionpurpose
temporal
Rhetorical question filled with irony: You brood of vipers, you haven't repented and so cannot escape the coming wrath.
discourse
Phrase
Matthew 3:7-12
A. John and the Religious Leaders
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
B. Parable
The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
A'. John and the Messiah
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
B'. Parable
His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
phrasing