De Baptista nil nisi bonum: John the Baptist as a paradigm for mission

This paper considers how John the Baptist may function as a model of mission. The preaching, behaviour and praxis of Jesus and the Baptist are compared, and the results show that there are significant similarities between all three aspects of their depictions across the Gospel traditions. The major difference arises in the subordination of the Baptist to Jesus. The commonalities between the two are further seen in the praxis of the disciples of Jesus. This in turn suggests that the Baptist and the disciples share a common task: to proclaim the repentance which is effected by Jesus alone. A final section suggests how their proclamation of Jesus might be translated into the author’s contemporary context.