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24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Therefore there arose a controversy between John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to [a]purification (ceremonial washing). 26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!”

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Footnotes

  1. John 3:25 An immersion baptism was one of the requirements for a convert to Judaism, and John the Baptist had most likely taken over the ritual, giving it new meaning in his own ministry. Jewish tradition specified that there had to be enough water to completely cover a person, and that it had to be collected naturally.

24 (This was before John was put in prison.)(A) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.(B) 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,(C) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified(D) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

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