BAPTIZM BY FIRE

BAPTIZM BY FIRE

By O. Khodjo

Welcome to mis-translations and mis-interpretations

The "baptism of fire" is only mentioned in two places in the Bible:

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11)

"John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16)

John the Baptist said that Jesus will baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and there are several interpretations of what this might mean:

We have Three Groups that teach Baptism of Fire in a way that agree with their human Doctrine. Let’s have a closer look to what they believe and teach.

Group One

1. Some people believe that Christians will automatically be "baptized with fire" at the same time that they are baptized with the Holy Spirit (such as the "tongues of fire" that came onto the disciples at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4). In other words, being baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire is essentially one act (one baptism).

Group Two

2. Another interpretation is that Christians need to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit after salvation, but we also need to receive a separate "baptism of fire" which will "set us on fire" for the Lord (or for evangelism, etc.). In other words, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire are two separate baptisms for Christians. A similar view says that Christians will be refined by "fire", which would also mean that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire are two separate baptisms for Christians.

Group Three

3. A third interpretation is that Christians will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, but non-Christians will be "baptized with fire" (i.e. the "lake of fire" in Revelation 20:15). In other words, Christians will never receive the "baptism of fire."

Let's look at Group One first. Notice that when the disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost it was accompanied by "tongues of fire": and there was also a rushing wind!!

"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:                

(Acts 1:4-5) "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.""

(Acts 2:1-4)"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

One problem with Group One is that the "tongues of fire" at Pentecost are never referred to as "the baptism of fire." In addition, there is never any mention of fire or a rushing wind when other people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus never asked the apostles to wait for the baptism of fire…neither did the apostles ever preached to people receiving the baptism of fire.

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers [Jews] who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God; Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." (Acts 10:44-48)

"As I [Peter] began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" (Acts 11:15-17)

"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ... When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:12-17)

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them,

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered,

"No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked,

"Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied.

Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.

“On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:1-6)

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18)

These are the scriptures that gives the Pentecostal/Apostolic/charismatic churches authority to lay hands on people to speak in tongues – I don’t agree to that though because this is not a command for Christians but a specific instruction from GOD that was  executed at a specific time to specific individuals.

The New Testament describes the "tongues of fire" at Pentecost, but this is never referred to as the "baptism of fire." Further, in all of the other descriptions of people receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, there is never any mention of a "baptism of fire" happening at the same time. Therefore, we have no Scriptural support for the idea that people are always baptized with fire when they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. In addition, we can't point to any Scripture passages which show that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire are meant to be interpreted as a single baptism.

Now let's look at Group Two. Perhaps John the Baptist meant that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire are two separate and distinct baptisms for Christians. If that's the case, then it is strange that there is no record in the entire New Testament of anyone receiving both of these baptisms. The New Testament describes Christians receiving water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it never describes any Christians receiving a separate "baptism of fire."

Some people might point out that our faith will be refined by fire, and that our earthly works will be tested in the fire:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire --may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6-7)

"If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

While it's true that these passages describe certain kinds of "fire," notice that the above situations are never referred to as "baptisms of fire." Therefore, we can't dogmatically claim that these situations are, or are not, the "baptism of fire." If we say that the above passages are describing the "baptism of fire" then we're simply making an assumption without any Scriptural support.

Do u agree with me SOO FAR? I want you to hold this taught and when you have finish reading this paper try and read my paper on the LAKE OF FIRE. I DID WRITE AGAINST THIS PAPER IN THE LAKE OF FIRE, DON’T GET CONFUSED. I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS FIND A WAY OF EXPLAINING SCRIPTURES TO MAKE A DOCTRINE. THIS IS A GOOD PAPER ON FIRE BAPTISM BUT ITS NOT THE BEST, ITS MISSING A VERY VITAL POINTS

The Group Three of the "baptism of fire" is that it refers to sinners being cast into the "lake of fire" on Judgment Day:

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15)

The "lake of fire" is never referred to as the "baptism of fire" in the New Testament, but it turns out that there is Scriptural evidence which supports the idea that the "baptism of fire" refers to the fire of judgment. To see why, let's look at the context in which John the Baptist mentioned the "baptism of fire":

Matthew 3:4: "John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey."

Matthew 3:5: "People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan."

Matthew 3:6: "Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River."

Matthew 3:7: "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

Matthew 3:8: "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

Matthew 3:9: "And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

Matthew 3:10: "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

Matthew 3:11: ""I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

Matthew 3:12: "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.""

Notice what this passage says in the context of the "baptism of fire." First we see one group of people who confessed their sins, and then we see another group of people whom John referred to as a "brood of vipers," so in John's audience there were two kinds of people (righteous people and unrighteous people). With that in mind, consider the parallelism in this passage. Notice that we see righteous people and then unrighteous people (Vs. 6-10), followed by descriptions of a baptism for righteous people and a baptism for unrighteous people (according to Group Three (Vs 11), followed by the separation of righteous people and unrighteous people (Vs. 12), all in the same context. Based on this consistent parallelism between righteous people and unrighteous people, the most likely meaning of "baptism of fire" is that it refers to the fire of judgment for unrighteous people.

Now let's look at the word "fire" in the above passage.

John specifically pointed out that every "tree" which does not produce "fruit in keeping with repentance" will be thrown into the fire. So here we have the fire of judgment (Vs.10) followed by the "baptism of fire" (Vs.11) followed by the unquenchable fire of judgment (Vs.12), all in the same context.

Now let's look at the "baptism of fire" in context again:

"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12)

When, he was speaking to believers only the baptism of fire is not mentioned (Mark 1:8)!!

We can see that John the Baptist was very careful to give us the exact meaning of the "fire" that he was referring to. In this context, fire is a reference to the judgment of sinners. In fact, John used the symbolism of sinners being burned up like "chaff" (such as straw or husks of grain), and notice that this very same symbolism is used in the Old Testament, as in these examples:

"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 5:22-24)

""Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up. You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you. The peoples will be burned as if to lime; like cut thorn bushes they will be set ablaze." You, who are far away, hear what I have done; you, who are near, acknowledge my power! The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?"" (Isaiah 33:10-14)

Ezekiel had a similar scripture

The common belief that we should desire that baptism with FIRE springs from texts Showing God will purify and cleanse those who are His, by purging away the dross. And the Scriptures speaking of this purifying process usually speak of it as "purge away," or "take away the dross," rather than burning it away with fire. Ezekiel 22, God does speak of burning away this Dross with fire. Dross purified by FIRE. Here it is! READ! "Son of man, the House of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. Therefore thus saith the Eternal God; because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in Mine ANGER and in My FURY, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you and blow upon you the FIRE of My WRATH," (Ezekiel 22:18-21). Now do you want to become dross? Do you want this kind of fire? CALLING ON THE HOLY GHOST FIRE TO FILL US IS ALSO QUESTIONABLE? NOT A GOOD THING. Do we want to become so wicked -- so rebellious, stiff-necked, hard-hearted, as god says Israel was, that we provoke god's anger to the extent that he has to chastise us in the fire of his wrath? Those here purified in this fire were those so wicked, so rebellious, in such a wrong spirit that god is scourging them in anger (fire), and in fury. He is not here speaking of Christians at all, but with unregenerate, stiff-necked, rebellious, sinning, Israel.

Let Us Examine This Scripture In Understanding!! Matthew 13:30: "Let both (wheat and tares -- the wheat representing saints, the tares lost sinners) grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." What do the symbols represent? Jesus explained: "The field is the world; the good seed (wheat) are the children of the kingdom; but the tares (chaff) are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom (purge His floor) all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of FIRE," (Matthew 13:38-42). WHAT IS HIS FLOOR? Now the key to the whole question lies in the definition of "his floor." those who believe Christians should seek this baptism with fire believe the "floor" means the individual Christian -- that Christ will fan up the flames with the fan in his hand, burning out the dross from the life of the Christian, purging this life of sin, thus burning up the chaff, leaving only the good part of the man -- the wheat. But that is merely an interpretation read into, it is correct somehow but not exactly how theologians explain though. Notice, Christ's fan is to be in His hand. He will purge His floor. Purge it of what? Of the chaff. Then the wheat will be gathered into His garner. What is "His floor"? Evidently the same as “His field” of Matthew 13:24: "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in HIS FIELD." But while He slept, the enemy, the devil, came and sowed tares -- sinners. Now He let BOTH -- saints and sinners -- the wheat and the tares, (or the wheat and the chaff) -- grow together in HIS field -- (His floor) -- until the harvest. Then He sends the angels to baptize (immerse) the  tares, or the chaff -- the lost sinners -- with FIRE, which burns “them up”, but the wheat -- the saved -- are gathered into His garner -- His kingdom. Vs. 38 says the field is the world. The expressions used are almost identical to John's statement about baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Before John were gathered the children of the wicked one, and also some of those to be heirs of salvation. Christ will PURGE His floor -- His field -- the earth. The wheat will be gathered into His Kingdom, but the chaff, or tares -- the lost sinners -- are to be PURGED from the world, burned with unquenchable fire. Now examine that word "purge." What is it Christ will PURGE? Notice Ezekiel 20:38. When He comes again, "I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: . . . and they shall not enter into the land of Israel." What about that word "fan"? lets look at Jeremiah 51:1-2,"Thus saith the LORD, I will raise up against Babylon (sinners) . . . a DESTROYING WIND; and will send unto Babylon FANNERS (destroying wind), that shall fan (winnow) her, and shall empty her land." "And she (Babylon) shall be utterly BURNED WITH FIRE: for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her," also in (Revelation 18:8). The fan is an instrument To destroy sinners with FIRE – lake of fire - not purifying saints. Now what is the "chaff"? Speaking of sinners (not sins to be cleansed out of saints). GOD says in Hosea 13:3,"Therefore they shall be as the . . . CHAFF that is driven with the whirlwind (fanned) out of the FLOOR." How closely this language matches that of Christ, with His fan, whipping up a wind that purges the chaff off His floor, to be burned! Now notice further, Daniel 2:35:"Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, (Babylon -- sinners) broken to pieces together, and became like the CHAFF of the summer threshing FLOORS; and the wind (fanned up by His fan) carried them away." Yes, to be burned. These scriptures show the chaff refers to lost sinners, not faults in saints. With His fan He purges His floor, carrying away the chaff, or the tares, to be burned with FIRE. Now what is UNQUENCHABLE fire? Is it used in connection with purifying saints or punishing the lost? Lets look at Isaiah 66:24:"And they (saints) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall THEIR FIRE BE QUENCHED." also Malachi 4:1:"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble (chaff; tares): and the day that cometh shall BURN THEM UP, saith the Lord of hosts." Surely that settles it. John was speaking to both sinners and those to be saved. When he said Christ shall baptize you – “the you” included both. The saved he would baptize with his spirit -- and the others with the fire! THIS IS A GOOD INTERPRETATION, I HOPE MY READER DOES NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, MOST OF THE INTERPRETATION IS SLIGHTLY TRUE BUT THE CONCLUSION IS FALSE FALSE FALSE!, THIS IS WHAT MOST OF YOU BELIEVE FROM THE PULPIT.  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU BELIEVE. BOTH CHRISTIANS AND SINNERS SHALL BE BAPTIZE WITH FIRE AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIZER WAS TALKING ABOUT.  OH BOY. READ MY FINAL PAPER ON THE LAKE OF FIRE, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND JOHN THE BAPTIST WELL. MAY GOD GUIDE YOU IN ALL YOU READ