This has been one of the hardest points on this forum that I have ever encountered to make...
I mean, most here claim to be Bible Christians...
There are four Gospels...
EACH of the four has Christ's beginning of John's baptism of repentance...
That's the Gospel Truth, period...
John was even conceived before Christ - Gospel Truth!
The plain ontological meaning is the need for repentance prior to Christ coming to you...
"The voice of one crying in the Wilderness:
Prepare the Way of the Lord!
Make straight a highway for our God!"
And finally you come along!
I mean, it took you long enough!!
I have not had anyone covering my 6 here on this issue...
IF one does not preach repentance, one does not preach Christ...
The Jews were prepared by the Law - At least those who kept it...
All they needed was the Call to Repentance...
To turn their repentance inward...
To purify the heart of its evils...
The Gentiles needed the same thing...
But they were not prepared by the Law...
Yet they are still called to repentance from sin...
And this Way is the Way of the Cross...
It is denial of self...
Then taking up one's cross of suffering in self-denial...
And following Christ in poverty of spirit...
The narrow and hard and obstructed Way of the Cross...
Many are called to this Way...
Early Christians were called the People of the Way...
Few are those who find this Way...
Few are those Chosen...
So thank-you for being here...
For standing in the truth...
For establishing repentance as the proper response to God's Call...
God's Call to Repentance...
That is God's Truth!
Arsenios