1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 1 through the forgiveness 2 of their sins.
1 sn John’s role, to give his people knowledge of salvation, is similar to that of Jesus (Luke 3:1-14; 5:31-32).
2 sn Forgiveness is another major Lukan theme (Luke 4:18; 24:47; Acts 10:37).
3 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
4 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
5 sn A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was a call for preparation for the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. To participate in this baptism was a recognition of the need for God’s forgiveness with a sense that one needed to live differently as a response to it (Luke 3:10-14).