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| The libertines who complain about clerical hypocrisy ignore the fact that hypocrisy only exists in the face of a standard. The Left's greatest achievement is to remove hypocrisy altogether. It's not just the double standards of holding others to rules unobserved, it's the absence of standards altogether that magically remove the stains of hypocrisy. The only hypocrites are those with standards, and, of course, they are to be judged, and viciously. | | The libertines who complain about clerical hypocrisy ignore the fact that hypocrisy only exists in the face of a standard. The Left's greatest achievement is to remove hypocrisy altogether. It's not just the double standards of holding others to rules unobserved, it's the absence of standards altogether that magically remove the stains of hypocrisy. The only hypocrites are those with standards, and, of course, they are to be judged, and viciously. |
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| == John the Baptist: why did Jesus call him the greatest? ==
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| [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/16 Matthew 16:14]
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| “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
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| They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,* others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
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| * * [16:14] John the Baptist: see Mt 14:2. Elijah: cf. Mal 3:23–24; Sir 48:10; and see note on Mt 3:4. Jeremiah: an addition of Matthew to the Marcan source.
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| * [3:4] The clothing of John recalls the austere dress of the prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). The expectation of the return of Elijah from heaven to prepare Israel for the final manifestation of God’s kingdom was widespread, and according to Matthew this expectation was fulfilled in the Baptist’s ministry (Mt 11:14; 17:11–13).
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| [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17:9 Mt. 17:9-13]:
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| <blockquote>The Coming of Elijah.
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| As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision* to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
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| Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
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| He said in reply,* “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
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| but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
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| Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
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| </blockquote>
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| [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/21:24 Mt 21:24-27]
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| </blockquote>
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| Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question,* and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
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| Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
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| * p But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.”
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| So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.*</blockquote>
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| https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?2
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| * He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”*
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| https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11:11
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