Six Baptisms; #1 Baptism by Fire

Some folks would call me a Baptist and there is some truth to this. I’ve been baptized in more than one way.  The first church I was ever involved in was a Baptist church. I’ve pastored in Baptist churches and I’m currently a member of a Baptist church. I am also ‘baptistic’ in my theological doctrine.

The word ‘baptism’ is used several times in the New Testament of God’s Word so I thought I would write about biblical baptism.

When you come across the word ‘baptism’ what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Many would probably first think about some sort of religious practice involving water. And this true in one sense because there is a Christian baptism that involves water but not all baptisms in God’s Word are water baptisms. I see seven main types of baptisms in the Holy Bible. There is Baptism by Fire, Baptism by Holy Spirit (& into Christ), Baptism by Water, Baptism into Suffering, Baptism into John's Baptism (the Baptism of Repentance), and Baptism into Moses.

The following verses refer to these baptisms.

Matthew 3:11 (ESV) “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Romans 6:3 (ESV) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Acts 8:38 (ESV) So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 

Mark 10:38 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

1 Corinthians 10:2 (ESV) and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

I plan to write about all these types of baptisms but in separate blog entries. First up is Baptism by Fire.

To help us better understand the Biblical subject of baptism, let’s consider the New Testament Greek word translated into the English word “baptism”. The Greek word “baptizo” means to immerse, submerge, and/or cleanse.

When it comes to ‘baptism by fire’ think, immersion by fire. What could that mean? It doesn’t sound good, does it? I have played with fire a few times in my life, touched flames and been burned by fire but I would never want to be immersed by or in fire. This would be painful and deadly.

One time I attended a Monster Truck show (I know, I one of those guys who likes high performance engines and stunts) where a stunt man purposely sat in a car that exploded in flames. What? Are you kidding me? I am not that courageous or should I say ‘crazy?’ He then jumped out the fiery window on fire, ran a little bit, and then rolled on the ground as he was extinguished by firemen nearby. Some people call that entertainment and a way to earn money. Other people call that stupid crazy because being immersed in actual fire is life threatening big time!

There’s an idiom known as “baptism by fire” which is similar to “trial by fire” which refers to a very difficult experience with something. Matt. 3:11 is not referring to such an idiom or acting like a crazy stunt-person.

Don’t confuse this baptism by fire with the ‘tongues as of fire’ seen at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit dramatically came upon the Lord’s Apostles. That moment was a rare phenomenon event and not the same thing as baptism by fire referred to in Mt. 3.

In God’s Word, there is a connection between fire and God’s judgment upon people (i.e. Isa. 66:15-16). God is ultimately the judge over creation and He judges people based on His righteous holy just character. Praise God for His grace and mercy as well or we would all be in big trouble for eternity. The main types of God’s judgment upon people involve divine discernment between right and wrong and also divine separation between good and evil.

An example of God’s judgment of discernment is when true Christ-followers have their works processed by spiritual fire and the works that are God-honoring lead to eternal rewards.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV) ¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³ each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

An example of God’s judgment of separation between good and evil is found in Matt. 3:7-12 (ESV) ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² 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.”

Based on the context of this passage, this ‘baptism by fire’ refers to the judgment of separation between good and evil which is when God eternally separates those who trust God for salvation (according to His plan of redemption) from those who don’t; non-believers. The two groups are separated from each group and the non-saved group is separated from God, for eternity, in a horrible place the Bible calls Hell.

Consider the winnowing process which involves swinging a winnowing fan or fork tool to separate the kernels of threshed grain, such as wheat or barley, from the chaff with a current of air. The grain and its mixture of straw and husks were thrown into the air. The kernels of wheat or barley would fall into a pile on the Threshing Floor; and the chaff, (the junk not wanted) would be blown away by the wind.

In God’s Word, chaff symbolizes worthless, evil, or wicked persons (or things) that are about to be destroyed. For example,

Psalm 1:4-6 (ESV) ⁴ The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶ for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Chaff is a fitting figure of speech to describe destruction by judgment. Those who are ultimately separated from God will experience this ‘baptism by fire.’ I believe this ‘baptism by fire’ will occur at the second coming of Christ, sometime in the future. God’s Word is not clear as to an exact date/time of His Second Coming. It only provides some signs pointing to it and some ordering of related future events.

The ‘baptism by fire’ is not something you want to experience. Consider some similar wording to ‘baptism by fire’ in this passage:

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (ESV) ⁷ and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

The great news is that you and I do not have to experience this eternal judgment from God if you experience the ‘Baptism by the Holy Spirit’ which coincides with the ‘Baptism into the Body of Christ’ about which I’ll write about in separate blog entries.

What do you think about this ‘baptism by fire’ mentioned in God’s Word?

The next entry in this series is found at http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/03/six-baptisms-2-baptism-by-holy-spirit.html

Mike