Bible / Matthew
Matthew 3
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (1749–1752), the traditional Catholic English Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate. If you read a modern Bible, this is the same Scripture in older English; some names are spelled differently (Cesarea for Caesarea, Apocalypse for Revelation). About this translation
1 And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea.
2 And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. CCC · Fathers
4 And the same John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:
6 And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? CCC · Fathers
8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance. CCC
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. CCC · Fathers
10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. CCC · Fathers
11 I indeed baptize you in water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire. CCC · Fathers
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. CCC · Fathers
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him. CCC
14 But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? CCC
15 And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfil all justice. Then he suffered him. CCC
16 And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. CCC · Fathers
17 And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. CCC · Fathers
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text.
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 523 “St. John the Baptist is the Lord's immediate precursor or forerunner, sent to prepare his way. "Prophet of the Most High", John…”
“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough into smooth ways; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter IX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham [to our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter IX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“… stones raise up children unto Abraham, and fulfil the promise which God had given him, and that He might make his seed as the stars of heaven, as John the Baptist says: "For God is able from these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter VII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“For thus it had behoved the sons of Abraham [to be], whom God has raised up to him from the stones,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“The skill of God, therefore, is not defective, for He has power of the stones to raise up children to Abraham;”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“For every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire;”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter VIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“For that the word of God is likened to an axe, John the Baptist declares [when he says] in reference to it, "But now also is the axe laid to the root of the trees.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“… worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into the barn; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter XLIX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… when he says of Christ, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, having His fan in His hand to cleanse His floor; and He will gather His fruit into the garner, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter IV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 678 “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgement of the Last Day in his preaching.…”
“… worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into the barn; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter XLIX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… smiting the earth with the word of His mouth, and slaying the impious with the breath of His lips, and having a fan in His hands, and cleansing His floor, and gathering the wheat indeed into His barn, but burning the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… and in a flame of fire." Others again, speaking of Him as a judge, and [referring], as if it were a burning furnace, [to] the day of the Lord, who "gathers the wheat into His barn, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 1223 “All the Old Covenant prefigurations find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He begins his public life after having himself baptized by St.…”
- CCC 1286 “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 608 “After agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the "Lamb…”
- CCC 1286 “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 536 “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself…”
- CCC 608 “After agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the "Lamb…”
- CCC 1224 “Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus' gesture…”
- CCC 1286 “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving…”
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 536 “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself…”
- CCC 701 “The dove. At the end of the flood, whose symbolism refers to Baptism, a dove released by Noah returns with a fresh…”
- CCC 1224 “Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus' gesture…”
- CCC 1286 “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving…”
“And then, [speaking of His] baptism, Matthew says, "The heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God, as a dove, coming upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter IX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 444 “The Gospels report that at two solemn moments, the Baptism and the Transfiguration of Christ, the voice of the Father designates Jesus…”
- CCC 535 “Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of…”
- CCC 713 “The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs." These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how…”
- CCC 1224 “Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus' gesture…”
- CCC 1286 “In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving…”
“For this devil, when [Jesus] went up from the river Jordan, at the time when the voice spake to Him, Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten Thee,”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
A modern English Catholic translation will be added once its publisher grants permission.