the home of Cornelius he too traced its beginning to John the Baptist (Acts 10:37).11 And finally, did not Jesus also state that it was John the Baptist who had begun to proclaim God’s royal rule in his Son? See Luke 16:16. On the basis of all these considerations the most natural meaning of verse 1 would seem to be: “The good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began with John the Baptist. It was John who, as predicted, prepared the way for Christ’s coming.” There was a time when the word