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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
What then saith He? He doth not answer them directly, to show that, if they had been willing to see His authority, they could; but He asks them again, saying, "The baptism of John, whence is it? From heaven, or of men?" And what sort of inference is this? The greatest surely. For if they had said, from heaven, He would have said unto them, why then did ye not believe him? For if they had believed, they would not have asked these things. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
John received his authority to baptize from Him, whom he afterwards baptized; and that baptism which was committed to him is here called the baptism of John. He alone received such a gift; no righteous man before or after him was entrusted with a baptism to be called from himself. For John came to baptize in the water of repentance, to prepare the way for the Lord, not to give inward cleansing, which mere man cannot do.
Jerome
The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? For if they had answered that the baptism of John was from heaven (as they cleverly handled in their malice), the consequent response would have been: Why then were you not baptized by John?
Thomas Aquinas
"The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or from men?" Peter baptized, and it is not called the baptism of Peter; and John baptized, and it is called the baptism of John; because in John's baptism everything was done by man; but in Peter's baptism sins were remitted, which could not be done by man. …
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