Articles
The Other Baptisms - Baptism of Fire
John the Baptist was sent with the mission of preparing the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. Baptism became an important part of his work… obviously. Otherwise, we wouldn’t call him “the Baptist.” However, for as familiar as most Christians are today about baptism into Christ, there are three baptisms surrounding John the Baptist that still cause confusion (all three are mentioned in Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:15). There is the baptism that John performed but then there are the two baptisms that John predicted concerning Jesus: baptism of the Holy Spirit and baptism of fire. What are these three baptisms?
Let’s start with the baptism of fire. The Bible records John’s prophecy about the baptism of fire on two occasions.
- Matthew 3:11 – “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
- Luke 3:15 – “John answered and said to them all, ‘As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Immediately, we can see that the baptism of fire would be done by Jesus. But, what, exactly, is it? Some turn to the day of Pentecost where we are told, “there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them” (Acts 2:3). Could that be the baptism of fire? We don’t need to look to Acts for the answer. Matthew and Luke have already pointed us in a different direction in the context.
Immediately after mentioning the baptism of fire, John adds, “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Mt. 3:12 – Luke reads similarly). In Matthew’s account, we also have the context that came just before the statement. “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 3:10).
What is especially telling on this subject is that Mark and John both have parallel passages that make reference to Jesus’ baptizing with the Holy Spirit but they both neglect to mention the baptism of fire AND the surrounding context. The two (baptism of fire and the unquenchable fire) are in this way connected. They are either included together or excluded together. This, plus the clear connection of fire with fire, strongly points to the context giving us a definition for baptism of fire.
What is the definition? Baptism of fire is a reference to the coming Judgment. Jesus came to save (to gather wheat in the barn), but those who rejected Him, would ultimately face His wrath and judgment (He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire). This is corroborated by the way fire is used in both Matthew and Luke. In the Sermon on the Mount, for example, Jesus mentioned people being guilty enough to be thrown into “the fiery hell” (Mt. 5:22) and false teachers being “cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 7:19).
We know that Jesus came to save the world and not to condemn (John 12:47), but His coming would require everyone to make a decision. Follow Jesus and be spared. Or reject Him and face the fiery consequence that would come.
The latter picture is bleak. The judgment of Jesus is a baptism of fire. It is fire that cannot be quenched (Mt. 3:12; Mk. 9:43) and since baptism is a word meaning immersion, then this fire will be all engulfing. All of those who wish to avoid the baptism of fire, must prove themselves to be wheat (disciples) rather than chaff (those who don’t follow Jesus). The choice is ours.
