Whenever I share my faith with a highly religious person, the question of fire baptism comes up. What did John mean when he said "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"? I know there is one faith, one Lord and one baptism, so what is the fire John speaks of?
The baptism of fire is not an experience you, or anyone, should seek! Fire is consistently a metaphor for judgment and purification throughout the Bible. As John said, "The axe is already at the root of the tree." The fire is none other than the fire of judgment. John seems to be saying, we can be baptized (positively) in this age, be born of water and spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), or we can be baptized (negatively) in the age to come (Revelation 20).
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