Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

What is the baptism of fire?

Question: In the Statement of Beliefs, part of the statement about baptism says the following: "Baptism of the Spirit and fire refers to the regenerating and purifying work of the Holy Spirit."

In the past, we used to say that the baptism by fire was something that none of us wanted, as it referred to punishment in the lake of fire.

Answer: It is natural to see the baptism of fire as a punitive judgment, because John the Baptist goes on to refer to the fire of final punishment. But the grammar of the saying "in Holy Spirit and fire" (literal translation) indicates that there is only one baptism in view, not two. If the writer meant two baptisms, then he would have said in Holy Spirit and in fire, using the preposition twice.

Moreover, John said that the Messiah would baptize "you"—meaning the audience that was coming to him for baptism. He didn’t say the Messiah will baptize some of you in Holy Spirit and some of you in fire. Rather, it is one baptism.

D.A. Carson, in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8, says: "There are good reasons ... for taking ‘fire’ as a purifying agent along with the Holy Spirit. The people John is addressing are being baptized by him; presumably they have repented. More important is the preposition en (‘with’) is not repeated before fire: the one preposition governs both ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘fire,’ and this normally suggests a unified concept, Spirit-fire or the like....

"Fire often has a purifying, not destructive connotation in the Old Testament (e.g. Isa. 1:25; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:2-3). John’s water baptism relates to repentance; but the one whose way he is preparing will administer a Spirit-fire baptism that will purify and refine. In a time when many Jews felt the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn till the Messianic Age, this announcement could only have been greeted with excited anticipation."

The purifying work of the Holy Spirit begins in this life, and will be intensified when Christ returns, when we will be transformed and will not sin any more. As Paul says, everyone’s work will be tested by fire (1 Cor. 3:13-15). We will all have the baptism of fire. For some of us, it will be a great relief to get rid of impurities. Others will find it very unpleasant, because they like impurity.

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