Matthew Chapter 3 -

WHY WAS JOHN GREAT?!

Matthew Chapter 3

If Jesus Christ had a favorite preacher when he walked this earth in the flesh I think it would be John. Notice the great compliment he gave him.

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

John was so great that some men even thought that Jesus Christ was actually John risen from the dead.

Mat 14:2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

WILDERNESS PREACHER

Mat 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

“In those days” came John the Baptist. In those days he is probably around 30 since he is 6 months older than Jesus Christ fleshly speaking. And JESUS began his ministry at “about thirty years of age”(Luke 3:23)
There was a time when “in those days” were the present time.
If time lasts than today, yesterday, and tomorrow will be “days gone by”.
John used his days wisely. What will they say you did “in those days”.
John was a rough character.
He didn’t have to be in a building. He preached in the wilderness.
He was “John the baptist” because he baptized people not because he went to a “baptist” church.

Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Being a rough character he was a rough preacher.

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine

John did a lot of reproving and rebuking.
He says “repent ye”.
When you tell people to “repent” you are letting them know that they are not right with God!

Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Mat 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

He didn’t have a suit & tie on. A lot of men wouldn’t have listened to John for 5 minutes because of what he was wearing.
I believe JESUS liked What John wore.

Mat 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

Mat 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

2 Kings 1:8 shows us that Elijah was a “hairy man” with a “girdle of leather about his loins”.
John had that. He also wore “camel’s hair”. I read camel’s hair is “water resistant”. Maybe he wore it because he knew he was going to be dunking a lot of people in the water.
Danny Castle said “don’t get confused this is a manly man’s girdle”.
That is what John had. He was a tough character. When the TV shows & movies portray a tough character they give them a “leather” jacket.
John’s “meat” was “locusts” and “wild honey”. This would have been easy for him to get in the wilderness.
This is a good diet. God allowed you to eat locusts under the law.

Lev 11:22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

Since John is a great picture of Elijah the prophet who returns during the tribulation, maybe Elijah will have a locust barbecue when those things get released in chapter 9.
John also ate “wild honey”. The words of God are like “HONEY”.

Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Jonathan said in 1 Samuel 14:29 “…mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. “
John ate “wild honey”. We may not eat wild honey and have a leather girdle but we have a leather bible with wild honey in it.
Ephesians 6:14 says to “have your loins girt about with truth”. I’ve got my loins girt about with truth in a ironed calfskin leather cover.
The Bible has wild men, wild beasts, wild asses, wild stories, so it is also “wild honey”.

John was great because he was a wilderness preacher that wasn’t materialistic, a pansy, or effeminate. He was a manly man’s man.

He’s also great because he was…

WAITING FOR THE KING

Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

John wasn’t “looking forward to the cross” but rather “looking forward to a kingdom”.
The same way me and you are waiting on Jesus to rapture out the church, John was waiting on Jesus to show up as King and bring in the Kingdom!
The “kingdom of heaven” has to do with a physical kingdom on this earth.
When John was preaching everything that needed to be fulfilled was ready to be fulfilled for the kingdom to come.
When John was preaching the “kingdom of heaven” was “AT HAND”.
If the Jews would have accepted Jesus Christ as the son of God than the second coming would have happened shortly after the first coming and there would have never been a church age.
Elijah is going to show up before Jesus Christ comes back the second time.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Me and you are waiting for the King to rapture us out.

1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

John was great because he was “waiting for the King”. John is great because he let God use Him and the…

WORD OF GOD WAS FULFILLED

Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

John is there VOICE that Esaias(Isaiah) prophesied about.

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

John didn’t HAVE TO be that VOICE but he chose to be.
If he hadn’t of chose to be than God could have easily raised up someone else.
John allowed the LORD to use him and the word of God was fulfilled through him.
God can greatly use you if you choose to walk in the Spirit.

John was also great because…

WARNED SOULS

Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

He gathered a crowd without any shock value, without any gimmicks, or anything.
Remember that John was just a preacher. He didn’t do any signs and wonders. He didn’t speak with tongues. He didn’t have a healing line. No flashy suits, flashy cars, nice buildings, or any of that.
John 10:41 says “John did no miracle”.
He was preaching to a bunch of Jews who “require a sign” and yet he didn’t really have any signs.
This shows that John’s preaching was definitely led by God.

IMPORTANT!!

You need to notice That John has a different message than we are preaching today.
Here is how we know it was a different message. Consider the man Apollos. It says concerning him in…

Act 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

Act 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

All Apollos knew was the baptism of John and they had to shew him the way of God more perfectly.

Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

All these guys had heard of was John’s baptism.

John says “I Indeed baptize you with water unto repentance”. He goes on to explain how JESUS will “baptize them with the Holy Ghost”. That is the Spirit baptism that takes place when you believe on JESUS CHRIST.
These people weren’t getting the Spirit baptism yet.(which has nothing to do with water I might add)
They were just getting John’s baptism. He was baptizing people that didn’t even have the Holy Spirit indwelling them like me and you have. The Holy Spirit hadn’t even come yet, in the sense of how he is operating today.

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

It is a different setup, different message, completely different thing going on.
Also take note that John’s baptism is taking place during a transition period.

Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

John‘s ministry was during a time of transition that was going from the Old Testament into the New Testament.
Take note that this baptism was BEFORE THE CROSS. (Hebrews 9:16) The New Testament doesn’t officially start until the death of JESUS CHRIST.
Take note that John’s baptism is not the same as believer’s baptism today.
After we get saved today, we get water baptized, NOTE: AFTER salvation.
John isn’t baptizing people who have just believed in the “death, burial, and resurrection” of Jesus Christ. That hasn’t even taken place yet.
John’s baptism was to manifest JESUS to Israel.

Joh 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

The reason to take note of all these things is because…
People are going to come to these verses to prove water baptism saves…
Or to prove that if you haven’t “repented and confessed all your sins” than your not saved.
those are examples of wrongly dividing the word of truth.

Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Many man love to go to these verses to prove that if a person doesn’t have FRUIT than he isn’t “really” saved.
They might teach that if a person is still living a “sinful lifestyle” or not doing “goof works” than they don’t have “fruits meet for repentance” and therefore are “false converts”.
This is wrong division and I’m going to prove to you that you don’t really believe that…
John says “bring fruits” right?
Let’s look at the fruits he is wanting brought to prove repentance…

Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Notice these “fruits”. The guys who are “fruit inspectors” don’t mention these fruits as evidence of salvation.
The things they consider fruits is “quit smoking, quit drinking, quit shacking up, quit committing fornication”.
John says “be content with your wages, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely”. “He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none”
These are fruits that the fruit inspector hasn’t even always had.
A Christian should have good fruits, but when you rely on good fruits to prove salvation than you are STILL making it about what your doing and not what JESUS CHRIST did.

Take note that John is preaching “the kingdom of heaven” and not the “spiritual kingdom of God”. He is trying to get people ready for a physical kingdom on earth.
He isn’t preaching “CHRIST in you the hope of glory” as Paul taught.

Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

The phrase “in jordan” shows that the baptism was by immersion.
John warned the people about their sin. His baptism was connected with “confession of sins”.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

John is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t matter if a poor man or big shot walks in. He gives the same negative message.

Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Matthew 3:7 is the first mention of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So it sets the tone for them as being wicked men.
Unsaved religious people are the most evil people in the world.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were two groups that the LORD never ordained or put in place.
They weren’t bible believers. They didn’t believe JESUS was God and they gave him a hard time his whole ministry.
The sadducees didn’t even believe in the resurrection. So they were “sad ya see”.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees many times. Especially in his red hot sermon in Matthew 23.
John calls these groups a “generation of vipers”. So they are in the family line of the serpent. Jesus says the same thing about them…

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

In John 8:44 he lets them know who they are the “son of”.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

When this world gets mad at someone they call them “sons of blank”. John and Jesus basically call these guys sons of the serpent.

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

We don’t “flee” from the wrath to come because we are “delivered from the wrath to come”. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
The “wrath to come” has to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is when the LORD is going to open up a can of wrath on these snakes.
You see John was preaching about how these guys need to get right before the Kingdom shows up.
And he knew before the kingdom showed up that the LORD had to unleash the wrath & fury on the God haters that was prophesied so many times in the Old Testament.
So John is like “who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come”.
Elijah the prophet is sent before the great day of wrath.

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIJAH!

If the Jews would have accepted JESUS CHRIST than John would have been Elijah and the great day of his wrath would have taken place not too long after John was preaching.

Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Mat 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

John was such a rough character that he could have passed for Elijah the prophet
John ends up getting his head cut off, just like Elijah will get his head chopped off in the tribulation.
John has an enemy named Herod who is a picture of the antichrist (the one who kills Elijah)
Imagine being such a rough character that the people think you could be Elijah.
This shows it is possible for a man to be just as rough and old fashioned as the old preacher.
Christians today can listen to men of the past and let the old paths rub off on them.

Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

if something is “meet” than it is a “match” or equal to it. John wants them to bring fruits “meet” for someone who has repented.
He’s warning them to get right with the LORD. This verse is used to prove that a Christian must have “fruits” or he isn’t REALLY saved.
I’ll show you that you can’t jam that on a Christian today. That is wrongly dividing the word of truth.

Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Notice that John said “and think not to say within yourselves”. Remember that John did no miracle. He didn’t have some gifts to read minds.
John is a “soul warner”. After warning sinners so much you begin to understand what they are thinking.
Just like today people think they are in good standing with God because of who their parents are or because of where they go to church. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
God deals with each individual.
John is pointing out that the Pharisees and Sadducees shouldn’t think they are just going to go into the kingdom because they are “Children of Abraham”.
They should have known by reading the Old Testament that God would torch guys like them whether they were children of Abraham or not.
God is able to raise up new children from the stones in front of them!

Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Men are like trees. In Mark 8:24 the blind man said “I see men AS TREES walking”. The axe is laid unto the root of the trees.
When Jesus Christ comes back at the second advent he will be mowing them down like a threshing machine.
The “corrupt trees” are hewn down, or cut down and cast into the fire.
When Jesus comes the second time as the “lion of the tribe of Juda” he comes “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that known not God”. Men will be getting cut down and cast into the fire.

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Notice that there are three different baptisms in this one verse.
You have John’s water baptism. This isn’t just like “believer’s water baptism” that we do today.
His baptism was to manifest Jesus Christ to Israel. John was preaching a primarily Jewish message.

Joh 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

John says that Jesus Christ will baptize them with “the Holy Ghost”. That is the spirit baptism which doesn’t have anything to do with water. This baptism has to do with the Holy Spirit baptizing you into the body of Christ.

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

John also says that Jesus Christ will “baptize you with the Holy Ghost AND with FIRE”.
Many people think this is the “cloven tongues of fire” in Acts 2 but look what the next verse says.
It defines the fire.

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The baptism of fire than has to do with Jesus Christ burning up the chaff with “unquenchable fire” at the second coming and those men eventually being cast into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment.
This has to do with the second coming.
His “fan”Is in his hand. That is a “winnowing fan” like a fork. He takes that fan and tosses the grain in the air. The wind then separates the chaff from the wheat.
He gathers the wheat into the garner, that is where grain is stored and he burns up the chaff with “unquenchable fire”.
That is how it will be at the second coming. The believers are gathered up in a rapture before the tribulation, tribulation saints are gathered during the tribulation & right before the second coming. Then the wicked are burned in the fire he brings with him.
John is a “hellfire” preacher. He talks about “unquenchable fire”.

So in that verse you had three different baptisms. There are others as well.

LIST OF SEVEN BAPTISMS

1 – John’s baptism (John 1:31)

2 – Spirit baptism (1 Cor 12:13)

3 – Of Fire (Matthew 3:11-12)

4 – Red Sea Crossing (1 Corinthians 10:1-2)

5 – Peter’s baptism or Israel after they crucified their messiah (Acts 2:38)

6 – Of suffering (Matthew 20:22-23)

7 – Believer’s baptism (Acts 10:47)

John warns the people about this coming judgment. He is preaching for them to get right. That makes him great. He’s also great because he knows he is…

WORTHLESS WHEN COMPARED TO JESUS

John knew that Jesus Christ is “MIGHTIER” than him. He knew that Jesus Christ is almighty God manifested in flesh.

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Joh 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John knew he wasn’t WORTHY to shine the LORD’s shoes.
In Revelation 5 you find out that Jesus Christ is the only one worthy.

Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

John really would be worthy to bear the LORDS shoes in Revelation 1 because “his feet are like fine brass as if they burned in a furnace”. John would get burned trying to do that.
John really wouldn’t be worthy to bear his shoes in Revelation 14,16,and 19. Which talks about the LORD threshing the heathen in his anger.

Psa 58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Jesus humbled himself. He didn’t have any sins that needed to be confessed. Yet he came to be baptized of John anyway.
He associated himself with John’s ministry and put his stamp of approval on it.

Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

John knows he is a sinner looking in the eyes of the lamb of God. He knows he needs the “spirit baptism” from the LORD way more than Jesus needs to be water baptized of him.

Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Jesus Christ didn’t have to be baptized. But what Jesus Christ did was left heaven, came down in the flesh, and fulfilled everything that we need to be done for someone to “fulfill all righteousness”.
Me and you could never “fulfill all righteousness”.
We could never live a life where God could say “that man did everything 100% right in his life from birth to death”.
Jesus Christ DID DO THAT!
Then he went to the cross willingly, had all your sins poured on Him, so that he could pay for them, then he offers you his righteousness in place of your filthiness.
If you will believe on Him, your sins are nailed to the cross, and you get his righteousness. You accept the payment that he paid, he then gives you his RIGHTEOUSNESS in exchange for your filthiness.
He imputes his righteousness to your record and no longer imputed your filthiness to your record. It’s back there in the cross where he paid for it.

Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

John was great because he…

WITNESS THE GODHEAD IN ACTION

Many times men in the Bible were great who saw something amazing. Moses saw the burning bush, Paul saw the LORD on the road to Damascus, Peter saw the LORD work miracles, Joshua saw the captain of the Lord’s hosts.
John sees the Godhead in action.
You haven’t seen anything like what these men have seen but if you have been in the book you have seen amazing things.
I believe the bible because of what me and the bible have been through together.
I’ve seen amazing things in the scriptures. It is like journeys that you go on through the words.
When the LORD allows you to see amazing things like John did than it can give you boldness, confidence, motivation, and excitement going forward.

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Notice he “went up straight way out of the water”. This shows that water baptism in the bible is not sprinkling but full immersion.

Joh 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

You wouldn’t need “much water” for sprinkling.
Philip & the Ethiopian Eunuch “went down INTO the water” when Philip baptized him.
Water baptism pictures the death, burial, and resurrection. When someone is buried, it is more than sprinkling dirt on a coffin.

Notice that the “heavens were opened” and John saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove as he was holding onto Jesus Christ.
Jesus always holds on to us but when you hold on to Jesus Christ than you’ll see the Spirit move like John.

Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

So John is baptizing the Son of God, sees the Spirit descend, and hears the voice of the Father from heaven.
Try to talk John out of the Godhead and see what happens.

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one

John could operate by faith and sight. Not only that but he could operate by faith(he believed JESUS was who he said he was) sight(he saw the Spirit descend), touch(he baptized the saviour), smell(he was close enough to smell him), hearing(he heard the father), and taste(he tasted and saw that the LORD was good) . He had all six senses working in his favor. John seems like he might have some doubt later on just like a lot of people.

The voice from heaven said He was “well pleased”.
The Son of God pleased the father with his RIGHTEOUS life and then pleased the father by appeasing his wrath on the cross. He was without sin in his life, that pleased God, then he took all the sins of mankind and died for them…and that was a sacrifice pleasing to God.

Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

So Jesus Himself was “water baptized”. Paul the apostle was water baptized.(Acts 22:16) Paul baptized some (1 Cor 1:14-16). Paul says 1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
If all these guys got water baptized, it made sense for me to get that done as well.