The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptizer is one of the theologically richest narratives in the Gospels, touching the transition from the old to the new covenant, the doctrines of water and Holy Spirit baptism, and the doctrine of the Trinity, to name only the most significant of topics. In The Baptism of Jesus the Christ, Ralph Allan Smith addresses each of these areas, aiming in particular to respond to James D. G. Dunn''s view that Jesus'' baptism and the gift of the Spirit are fundamentally distinct events, to revive John Calvin''s view of the baptism of Jesus as central to understanding Christian baptism, and to suggest directions for re-thinking the doctrine of God''s attributes in the light of the fully personal interaction of Father, Son, and Spirit reflected in the baptismal narrative.

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptizer is one of the theologically richest narratives in the Gospels, touching the transition from the old to the new covenant, the doctrines of water and Holy Spirit baptism, and the doctrine of the Trinity, to name only the most significant of topics. In The Baptism of Jesus the Christ, Ralph Allan Smith addresses each of these areas, aiming in particular to respond to James D. G. Dunn''s view that Jesus'' baptism and the gift of the Spirit are fundamentally distinct events, to revive John Calvin''s view of the baptism of Jesus as central to understanding Christian baptism, and to suggest directions for re-thinking the doctrine of God''s attributes in the light of the fully personal interaction of Father, Son, and Spirit reflected in the baptismal narrative.