EVANS The Baptism of John in a Typological Context 67
A few other interesting sayings may be mentioned briefly. The Markan
evangelist appends a very curious saying to his sayings about the danger
of hell: Tor every one will be salted with fire' (9.49). Although we cannot
be sure what this curious saying originally meant, it is probable that it
alludes to Lev. 2.13 ('with all your offerings you shall offer salt') and that
it originally was a metaphor describing the process of purification, or
purging through which everyone must pass in order to gain entry into the
kingdom. Just as every offering must be salted to meet the standards of the
covenant, so the faithful must be 'salted' and thus purified.
We find some interesting sayings in Luke's material: 'I came to cast fire
upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to
be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!' (Lk.
12.49-50). Verse 50 is in some way related to Mk 10.38 ('can you be bap-
tized with the baptism with which I am baptized?'), but the unit as a whole
probably represents independent, authentic tradition and probably refers to
John's words about being baptized with fire (Mk 1.8).^37 Again we find
material unique to Luke: 'but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom
fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be
on the day when the Son of man is revealed' (Lk. 17.29-30). This material
is not found in Matthew, though some think it was originally part of Q (cf.
Lk. 17.26-27 and Mt. 24.37-39). It is more likely material drawn from
Luke's special source and may go back to Jesus.^38
Finally, there are some related sayings in Johannine and Matthean tra-
ditions whose origins are more difficult to trace. These include Mt. 5.22;
7.19; 13.40,42,50; 25.41; Jn 15.6. Of these Mt. 7.19 ('Every tree that doesnot bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire') has the best claim
to authenticity. The other sayings may represent variations that developed
in the early Church, perhaps in the preaching and teaching of the respec-
tive evangelists, but they are reflective of genuine dominical imagery
nonetheless.
We might pause here for a moment to consider the interesting Q tradi-
tion in which the imprisoned John sends messengers to Jesus: 'Are you he
who is to come, or shall we look for another?' (Mt. 11.3 = Lk. 7.19-20).
Jesus' reply (Mt. 11.5 = Lk. 7.22: 'the blind receive their sight and theRabbi and His Bible: Jesus' Use of the Interpreted Scripture of His Time (GNS, 8;
Wilmington: Glazier, 1984).
- See J.A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke X-XXIV (AB, 24A; Garden
City, NY: Doubleday, 1985), p. 994. - See Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke X-XXIV, p. 1165.