in the Apostolic Church. How is it explained from the activity of Christ Himself? What is the relation of this new form of spiritual, pneumatic life to the "Author of life" and His historical work?

John the Baptist already speaks of the coming baptism of the Spirit (Mark 1:8), but it is remarkable that this new baptism, which is opposed to John's baptism, is performed only once during Christ's lifetime, and that over Him Himself. Then it appears that although the disciples of Jesus continued to baptize the people (which confused the disciples of the Baptist), Jesus Himself did not baptize (John 3:22; 4:2). Moreover, the disciples themselves were "filled with the Spirit" only after the death of Jesus; and if in the Fourth Gospel Christ makes the sending of the Spirit to His disciples directly dependent on His death (16:7), then the Synoptics also speak of the gift of the Spirit as a future (Matt. 10:20; Mk. 13:11; Lk. 12:12; 24:48). Thus, in the Gospel story, after John's preaching (L. 1:15), the only bearer of the Spirit is Christ Himself (Luke 4:1, 14, 18; Matt. 12:18).

That the "Spirit of God" was not only seen as a moral force is already indicated by the account of the birth of Jesus by Matthew and Luke. He was filled with the Spirit after baptism (Matt. 13:16) and was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness (4:1). He began his sermon in the synagogue of Nazareth with the words of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, and has sent me to heal the brokenhearted..." (Isaiah 61:1-2). And He began to say to them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled which you have heard." And all testified to Him (Luke 4:18ff.). "And when they heard, many were amazed, saying, Whence is this to him? And what wisdom is given to Him, and such signs are wrought by His hands" (Mark 6:2). We have already pointed to the apostolic depiction of Christ's activity: "You know... about Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and power, and He walked doing good and healing..." Evangelism and healings in spirit and power are essential features of His ministry. During healings, He "feels in Himself that power proceeds from Him" (Mark 5:30); He acknowledges that He casts out demons "by the Spirit of God," and sees this as an unmistakable sign

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of the approaching kingdom, recognizing as a mortal sin blasphemy against the Spirit by which He does His works.

Thus, from the testimony of the entire Apostolic Church and from the authentic words of Christ handed down by the Evangelists, we see that even during His lifetime He was looked upon as a prophet, or pneumatic, a "spiritual man," a bearer of the Spirit. This also explains to us the disputes about His spirit: some, even those "near" to Him, said that He was in a frenzy (ὄτι ἐξέστη), and wanted to "take Him by force" (κρατῆσαι αὐτόν Mk. 3:21); and the scribes said that He had Beelzebub in Him (ib. 22). Here the testimony of the fourth gospel is unappreciated. Other critics have suspected his testimony, among other things, on the grounds that it depicts Christ as a perfect "pneumatic" under the influence and in the light of the "spiritual" life and "spiritual" phenomena of the subsequent epoch: it is not for nothing that Clement of Alexandria calls the Gospel of John "spiritual" or "pneumatic" (τὸ πνευματικὸν εὐαγγέλιον Euseb. h. e. VI, 13, 9).

He tells us individual words of Christ, strange and incomprehensible to those who heard, enthusiastic words, not invented by reason, but coming from the depths of the heart, expressed under the inspiration of immediate inspiration. Jesus does not speak, but shouts, shouts (ἔκραξεν) them. "And Jesus cried out (ἔκραξεν), teaching in the temple, saying, 'And you know me, and you know where I come from; but I have not come from myself, but he who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know Him because I am from Him, and He has sent me" – words after which many sought to seize (πιάσαι) Him (7:28). "And on the last day of the feast Jesus stood and cried out (ἔκραξε), saying, 'Whosoever thirst, let him come to me and drink! whoever believes in Me, rivers of living water will flow out of his belly (as the Scripture says)..." Again a word that confuses the listeners and at the same time strikes them, a word that

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непонятное, что евангелист считает нужным его объяснить («сие же сказал о Духе, Которого имели принять верующие в Него, ибо еще не было на них Духа Святого…» ib. 37–39)[603]. Или еще слово: «Я есмь хлеб жизни» (6, 35), возбудившее ропот учеников: «какие странные слова, кто может это слушать!» То же следует сказать и о слове Иисуса о Его жизни, из‑за которого «произошла распря между иудеями; многие из них говорили: Он одержим бесом и безумствует (δαιμόνιον ἔχει καὶ μαίνεται, ср. 8, 48–52); что слушаете Его? Другие говорили: это слова не бесноватого; может ли бес отверзать очи слепым?» (10, 19 сл.).

Синоптики также приводят речи подобного же характера и свидетельствуют о подобном же впечатлении недоумения, изумления, страха, а иногда и негодования. Таково слово, которое донесли первосвященнику: «разрушьте храм сей, и Я в три дня воздвигну его», или слова о Сыне Человеческом, о Его славе и страданиях, о которых ученики «боялись» Его спрашивать (ἔφοβοῦντο γὰρ Мк. 9, 32; Мк. 9, 45; ср. Иоан. 12, 34); столь же непонятны были им и другие слова, например об огне и крещении (Мк. 12, 44) или об огне и соли (Мк. 9, 49).

В этой пророческой речи слышится необычайная сила и власть (ἐξουσία), которая приводит слушателей в смущение: одни видят в Его словах проявление демонической силы, другие – силы Божией, но что в словах Его говорит «дух», в этом сходятся как те, которые видят в них «глаголы жизни», так и те, которые видят в них «речи бесноватого» (ρήματα δαιμονιζομένου 10, 21). Но не в одних словах Христос является «облеченным силою свыше», как «помазанник Духа». «Мой отец доныне действует, и Я действую», – отвечает Он иудеям на упрек в нарушении субботы (Иоан. 5, 17). Если у синоптиков нарушение субботы оправдывается на основании самого закона и пророков, то здесь мы имеем прямую ссылку на действие Отца и на Его непосредственное откровение: Отецпоказывает Сыну дела; Сын ничего не может делать, если не видит Отца делающего, – и опять–таки