The Preaching of John^(A)

3 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar [^Cthe Roman emperor, ad 14–37]. ·These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, [^L…when Pontius Pilate was] the ·ruler [or governor; ^Chis official title was “prefect”; Pilate governed from ad 26–36] of Judea; Herod [^CHerod Antipas, son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [^Ltetrarch; ^Cthe title meant “ruler of a fourth,” but came to be used of any minor ruler] of Galilee; Philip [^Canother son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [^Ltetrarch] of Iturea and Traconitis; and Lysanias, the ·ruler [^Ltetrarch] of Abilene. ² Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests [^CAnnas was the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, the official high priest]. At this time, ·the word of [a message from] God came to John son of Zechariah in the ·desert [wilderness]. ³ He went all over the ·area [country; region] around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of ·changed hearts and lives [repentance] for the forgiveness of sins.