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KRISTOVO KRŠTENJE
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

1 Pitanje: – U Evanđelju Svetog Mateja, poglavlje 3, stihovi 13, 14, 15, kaže se: “Tada dođe Isus iz Galileje na Jordan k Ivanu da ga on krsti. A Ivan ga odvraćaše govoreći: Treba da Ti krstiš mene, a Ti dolaziš k meni? Ali mu Isus odgovori, Pusti sada: jer tako nam dolikuje da sve ispunimo što je u skladu s voljom Božjom. Tada Ga pripusti”. Question.—It is said in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 3, verses 13, 14, 15: “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him.”
2 Kakva je mudrost u tome: kad je Krist posjedovao sve bitno savršenstvo, zašto Mu je trebalo krštenje? What is the wisdom of this: since Christ possessed all essential perfection, why did He need baptism?
3 Odgovor. – Načelo krštenja je očišćenje pokajanjem. Ivan je opominjao i savjetovao ljude i poticao ih da se pokaju; potom bi ih krstio. Stoga je jasno da je to krštenje simbol kajanja za sve grijehove; njegovo je značenje u sljedećim riječima: “O, Bože! Kao što je moje tijelo očišćeno i oprano od tjelesnih nečistoća, na isti način očisti i posveti moj duh od nečistoća svijeta i naravi, koji nisu vrijedni Praga Tvoga Jedinstva”! Kajanje je povratak od neposluha ka poslušnosti. Čovjek, nakon što je bio udaljen i lišen Boga, kaje se i prolazi kroz očišćenje koje je simbol čije se značenje ogleda u sljedećim rječima “O, Bože! Daj da srce moje bude dobro i čisto, oslobođeno i posvećeno od svega osim od Tvoje ljubavi”. Answer.—The principle of baptism is purification by repentance. John admonished and exhorted the people, and caused them to repent; then he baptized them. Therefore, it is apparent that this baptism is a symbol of repentance from all sin: its meaning is expressed in these words: “O God! as my body has become purified and cleansed from physical impurities, in the same way purify and sanctify my spirit from the impurities of the world of nature, which are not worthy of the Threshold of Thy Unity!” Repentance is the return from disobedience to obedience. Man, after remoteness and deprivation from God, repents and undergoes purification: and this is a symbol signifying “O God! make my heart good and pure, freed and sanctified from all save Thy love.”
4 Kao što je Krist želio da tu instituciju Ivanovu u to vrijeme svi koriste i On joj se Sam podvrgao da bi probudio ljude i ispunio zakon prethodne religije. Premda je pokajničko obredno pranje bila Ivanova institucija, ona se zapravo i ranije koristila u religiji Božjoj. As Christ desired that this institution of John should be used at that time by all, He Himself conformed to it in order to awaken the people and to complete the law of the former religion. Although the ablution of repentance was the institution of John, it was in reality formerly practiced in the religion of God.
5 Kristu nije trebalo krštenje; no, kako je u to vrijeme to bio prihvatljiv i hvalevrijedan čin i znak radosnih vijesti o Kraljevstvu, On ga je potvrdio. Međutim, kasnije je rekao da istinsko krštenje nije ono materijalnom vodom, već mora biti obavljeno duhom i vodom. U ovom slučaju voda ne predstavlja materijalnu vodu, jer svuda se izričito kaže da se krsti duhom i vatrom, iz čega je jasno da se to ne odnosi na materijalnu vatru i materijalnu vodu, jer je krštenje vatrom nemoguće. Christ was not in need of baptism; but as at that time it was an acceptable and praiseworthy action, and a sign of the glad tidings of the Kingdom, therefore, He confirmed it. However, afterward He said the true baptism is not with material water, but it must be with spirit and with water. In this case water does not signify material water, for elsewhere it is explicitly said baptism is with spirit and with fire, from which it is clear that the reference is not to material fire and material water, for baptism with fire is impossible.
6 Zato je duh milost Božja, voda je znanje i život, a vatra je ljubav prema Bogu. Jer materijalna voda ne čisti srce čovjekovo; ne, ona čisti samo tijelo. Ali nebeska voda i duh, koji su znanje i život, čine ljudsko srce dobrim i čistim; srce koje prima dio milosti Duha postaje posvećeno, dobro i čisto – tj. stvarnost čovjeka čisti se i posvećuje od nečistoća svijeta i naravi. Te nečistoće naravi jesu: ljutnja, pohota, svjetovnost, oholost, laganje, licemjerje, prevara, sebeljublje itd. Therefore, the spirit is the bounty of God, the water is knowledge and life, and the fire is the love of God. For material water does not purify the heart of man; no, it cleanses his body. But the heavenly water and spirit, which are knowledge and life, make the human heart good and pure; the heart which receives a portion of the bounty of the Spirit becomes sanctified, good and pure—that is to say, the reality of man becomes purified and sanctified from the impurities of the world of nature. These natural impurities are evil qualities: anger, lust, worldliness, pride, lying, hypocrisy, fraud, self-love, etc.
7 Čovjek se može osloboditi oduševljenja tjelesnim strastima samo uz pomoć Svetoga Duha. Zato on kaže da je krštenje duhom, vodom i vatrom nužno i bitno – tj. duhom božanske milosti, vodom znanja i života i vatrom ljubavi prema Bogu. Čovjek se mora krstiti tim duhom, tom vodom i tom vatrom da bi se ispunio vječnom milošću. U suprotnom, kakva bi bila korist od krštenja materijalnom vodom? Ne, to krštenje vodom bilo je simbol kajanja i traženja oprosta za grijehe. Man cannot free himself from the rage of the carnal passions except by the help of the Holy Spirit. That is why He says baptism with the spirit, with water and with fire is necessary, and that it is essential—that is to say, the spirit of divine bounty, the water of knowledge and life, and the fire of the love of God. Man must be baptized with this spirit, this water and this fire so as to become filled with the eternal bounty. Otherwise, what is the use of baptizing with material water? No, this baptism with water was a symbol of repentance, and of seeking forgiveness of sins.
8 No u ciklusu Bahá’u’lláha nema više potrebe za ovim simbolom; njegova se stvarnost, koja se ima krstiti duhom i ljubavlju prema Bogu, podrazumijeva i uspostavljena je. But in the cycle of Bahá’u’lláh there is no longer need of this symbol; for its reality, which is to be baptized with the spirit and love of God, is understood and established.