Was John the Baptist a saint?

Father Michael H. Crosby's article Why Didn’t John the Baptist Commit Himself to Jesus as a Disciple?  makes a very good point about the reality of making exegetical work. He writes:

In the “Interpretation of the Bible in the Church,” the Pontifical Biblical Commission (q.v.) discusses “pre-understanding.” This notion refers to ways we approach a biblical text with certain mindsets that cannot find verification in the text itself. This presents a “danger,” according to the PBC. It notes that in “Catholic exegesis, the risk is that of attributing to biblical texts a meaning which they do not contain but which is the product of a later development within the tradition. The exegete must beware of such a danger” (§513).

Aware that this “pre-understanding” may color our own “received” notions about John the Baptist, his story as well as that of his disciples, yet building on 25 points raised in the four Gospel accounts, I have concluded that nothing in the scriptures shows either that John “followed” Jesus as a disciple or that any but two of his disciples ever became Jesus’ disciples. This leads one to question John’s real effectiveness vis-à-vis being the “Precursor” as well as his ability (or willingness?) to influence others to follow Jesus.

Traditionally, we have held John the Baptist in very high regard. As a matter of fact, when Columbus, with his Spanish conquistadores, discovered my island of Puerto Rico hundreds of years ago he named the island San Juan Bautista, in honor of Saint John the Baptist. At that time Puerto Rico ( Rich Port). was only the capital, Eventually an interchanged occurred.

Some scholars and exegetes even regard him as the first disciple of Jesus, and several Christian traditions venerate him as a saint.

Some puzzling questions have never been answered.

Why did John never became an active disciple of Jesus?

I mean, actually stop everything he was doing and just go sit down an Rabbi Jesus’ feet and listen to his teachings.

One of the most confusing moments in the relationship between the Lord Jesus and John was when each of them answered the direct opposite to a simple question: is John Elijah?

The Unification Principle sheds light on a very challenging aspect of the life of John as depicted on the Gospels. Many decades before Father Crosby had realized the failure of John in carrying out his duty, already the content of the chapter of The Mission of the Messiah of the Divine Principle explained what happened in detail.

Rev. Moon spoke publicly about this in a message sent to American ministers as he paid an unjust and fabricated case agaisnt him in federal prison, he said:

One day John's followers came to him and asked, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him," (John 3:26) They carried concern in their question: "Look at all the people going to Jesus. What about you?" John the Baptist replied, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Usually Christians interpret this message as a proof of John's humble personality. This is an incorrect understanding of the significance of his words. If Jesus and John had been united, their destiny would have been to rise or fall together. Then Jesus could not increase his reputation while John's own prestige diminished! The lessening of his own role was what John feared. John once stated that the Messiah was the one ". . . whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; . . ." (Matt. 3:11) Yet he failed to follow Jesus even after he knew that Jesus was the Son of God. John the Baptist was a man without excuse. He should have followed Jesus.

In a series ofs posts on the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist we will look at several important points in the life of John where he did not live up to the heavenly mandate entrusted to him.

If we have an open mind one can find the great inconsistencies between the image of John as a saint and the textual evidence found in the four canonical gospels .