22. Augustine may have Eph 4.14 in mind here.
TRACTATE 4 99 straighten the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the Prophet."
He did not say, "I am John, I am Elias, I am a Prophet." But what did he say? "I am called this, 'the voice of one crying in the desert, straighten the way for the Lord.' I am the prophecy itself." 8. "And they who were sent were from among the Pharisees"; that is, from among the leaders of the Jews. "And they asked him, and said to him, 'Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elias, nor a prophet?'" [It was] as if to baptize seemed to be an act of audacity, as if, [they were asking], "in what official capacity?" We ask whether you are the Christ; you say that you are not. We ask whether perhaps you are his forerunner, because we know that Elias will come before the arrival of the Christ; you say that you are not. We ask whether you are some herald, that is, a prophet, coming long before him, and have received this power; you say that you are not a prophet.
(2) And John was not a prophet; he was greater than a prophet. The Lord gave the following witness concerning him: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind?"^' You understand, of course, "not shaken by the wind" because John was not the sort of person who would be moved by the wind; for he who is moved by the wind is blown about by every seductive breeze. "But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?"^^ For John was clothedin rough garments, that is, a tunic made of camel hair. "Behold, those who are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings. "^^ Therefore you did not go out to see a man clothed in soft garments. "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? And I say to you, this one is greater than a prophet. "^^ Because the Prophets have predicted long before, but John vas pointing to one who was present.
9. '"Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elias, nor a prophet?' John answered them, and said, 'I bap-
21. Cf. Mt 1 1.7. 22. Augustine may have Eph 4.14 in mind here. 23. Cf. Mt 11.8. 24. Ibid. 25. Cf. Mt 1 1.9.