AlightSeeker
Active Member
I'm trying to see the whole word here. We know Gentiles got the spirit before water baptism. And we know that paul wasn't sent to baptize. And this baptism of fire and spirit isn't just that we are suddenly made new, but it's the work of the spirit in us. Why are so many who are baptized In water still unfaithful to the Lord? Is the spirit not helping them? Or is it that they have taken God's grace in vain?There you go again. An out-of-context quotation and belief. Unbelievable.
It is an open question whether or not Matthew 3:11 does refer to the Pentecost event of Christian baptism and the giving of the Spirit for rebirth. Contextually, Matthew 3:7-12 is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees who rejected John’s baptism and his preaching. This is clear.
I am not sure at this point what John's statement means by his usage of "spirit baptism" but I am sure of what "fire" means. It is judgment and no Christian wants to be apart of that.
A POSSIBLE INTERPRETATION: In Matthew 3:10, John said that “even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt 3:10). In other words, those who would not repent would be destroyed by a judgment of fire. As a general rule, when a word is clearly defined by an author, and he uses the same word again within the same context, we presume that he has the same meaning in mind in both instances. It would stand to reason, then, that if the “fire” of verse 10 refers to judgment, so does the “fire” of verse 11.
If that were not enough, immediately after speaking of the baptism of fire, John went on to say “his winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:12). Verse 12 elaborates on and explains verse 11.
It is possible John has two groups of people in mind: those who respond to Jesus in repentance, and those who do not. Those who respond in repentance will be gathered into the barn (saved), while those who do not repent will be burned (damned). Burned with what? Fire. In context, then, the baptism with “the Holy Spirit and fire” John spoke of was a single baptism with a double effect. Those who believe and repent would be baptized with the Spirit, whereas those who do not believe and do not repent will be baptized with fiery judgment by the God who is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). Both are called a baptism.
This may sound weird to us because we associate baptism with something good. However, “baptism” is also associated with negative things, such as death. In Mark 10:38-39 and Luke 12:50, Jesus spoke of His death as a baptism. So whether the baptism is good or bad depends on the context. In the context of Matthew 3, the baptism is both good and bad. It’s good for the repentant, but bad for the unrepentant. The repentant will be given the Holy Spirit while the unrepentant will be judged.
I need to do much more work in this area. Context. Context. Context.
Upvote
0