Tractates on the Gospel of John

⁴ John bare record because he saw. What record did he bear? “That this is the Son of God.” It behooved, then, that He should baptize who is God's only Son, not His adopted son. Adopted sons are the ministers of the only Son: the only Son has power; the adopted, the ministry. In the case that a minister baptizes who does not belong to the number of sons, because he lives evilly and acts evilly, what is our consolation? “This is He which baptizes.”