Water Baptism

[37818]

Perhaps you are referring to Christ baptizing with "spirit" and with "fire. Matthew 3:11, That word (G907) is NOT the subject. I agree, Christ baptizes believers with spirit and non-believers with fire.

Luke 3:16-17, . . . and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

Parallel passage to Matthew 3:11-12, . . . and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

[Van]

Parallel passage to Matthew 3:11-12, . . . and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

To repeat, G908 is used to describe undergoing, or "to be immersed in" suffering and hardship, a baptism of fire. This term is not used to address the fallen, but exclusively addresses Christ and His believers.

Since "baptism of fire" creates confusion with judgement, how about baptism of distress for the three verses, Mark 10:38, 39 and Luke 12:50?

 

[Craigbythesea]

Stop posting vague claims. Do all 24 commentaries on 1 Perter 3:21 say water baptism is not emphatic of Christ's spiritual baptism.

“And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

“I baptized you]with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Unless you have been baptized into Christ's Spirit, such that you are in Christ and indwelt such that Christ is in you, you have not been saved. Full Stop

All of the 24 commentaries on 1 Peter that I have here in my study interpret 1 Peter 3:21 to be speaking of water baptism rather than some sort of Spirit baptism. I have in my personal library only 37 books specifically on the Holy Spirit, but two of them are excellent:

Swete, Henry Barclay. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament. London: Macmillan and Company, 1910. (417 pages). In addition to the New Testament, Swete covers “SOME EARLY CHRISTIAN UNECONOMICAL GOSPELS, ACTS, AND APOCALYPSES.” He assumes that the readers of the book are fluent in Greek and Latin, but he provides a translation for Hebrew words. This book was the result of many years of intense scholarship and deserves a place in the personal library every English speaking Christian who seriously desires to know and understand what the New Testament says about the Holy Spirit.

Bruner, Frederick Dale. A Theology of the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans/Publisher. 1970. (390 pages). This is another very well researched scholarly work with an extensive bibliography (34) pages. Foreign words are translated. Very much of the book is devoted to Pentecostalism and although Bruner is not Pentecostal he has an excellent understanding of it and treats it fairly and respectfully.

I need, however, to mention one more of the 37 books.

Torrey, R. A. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. First published in 1910. Torrey had an excellent education but he is not primarily known for his scholarship but for his success as an evangelist, educator, and writer. This book is much more brief than the other two, but it is packed full of spiritual insights making the reading of it to be highly recommended.

 

[Ben1445]

The real question is how anyone can read 1 Peter 3:21 and somehow think that it means that water baptism is efficacious in putting away the filth of the flesh.
Spiritual baptism is not something that we do to ourselves. But baptism with water is the answer of the clear conscience toward God.

 

[Van]

All of the 24 commentaries on 1 Peter that I have here in my study interpret 1 Peter 3:21 to be speaking of water baptism rather than some sort of Spirit baptism. I have in my personal library only 37 books specifically on the Holy Spirit, but two of them are excellent:

Swete, Henry Barclay. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament. London: Macmillan and Company, 1910. (417 pages). In addition to the New Testament, Swete covers “SOME EARLY CHRISTIAN UNECONOMICAL GOSPELS, ACTS, AND APOCALYPSES.” He assumes that the readers of the book are fluent in Greek and Latin, but he provides a translation for Hebrew words. This book was the result of many years of intense scholarship and deserves a place in the personal library every English speaking Christian who seriously desires to know and understand what the New Testament says about the Holy Spirit.

Bruner, Frederick Dale. A Theology of the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans/Publisher. 1970. (390 pages). This is another very well researched scholarly work with an extensive bibliography (34) pages. Foreign words are translated. Very much of the book is devoted to Pentecostalism and although Bruner is not Pentecostal he has an excellent understanding of it and treats it fairly and respectfully.

I need, however, to mention one more of the 37 books.

Torrey, R. A. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. First published in 1910. Torrey had an excellent education but he is not primarily known for his scholarship but for his success as an evangelist, educator, and writer. This book is much more brief than the other two, but it is packed full of spiritual insights making the reading of it to be highly recommended.

1) Please address what I say, and not what you make up. Spiritual baptism is when God baptizes or immerses our human spirit into Christ's Spirit. Your "some sort of Spirit baptism" demonstrates willful ignorance.

2) You need to study your bible, not the obviously slanted commentary of people. Baptismal Regeneration is a well known heresy.

3) 1 Peter 3:21 NASB
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Interpretation:

Noah's salvation from the flood, resulting from being within the Ark God designed, prefigured and foreshadowed our spiritual sanctification from sin once we are placed spiritually "in Christ." Our spiritual baptism into Christ is not like the symbolic water baptism which could remove dirt from our body, but provides the washing of regeneration, which results in our being born anew. Subsequently we can appeal to God with a clear conscious, because all our sins have been taken out of the way. And this great blessing was obtained through our faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God.

 

[Deacon]

I have here in my study ... 24 commentaries on 1 Peter, including very recent commentaries on the Greek text of these two books of the New Testament written by scholars who are very much abreast of current New Testament scholarship. None of them agree with what you have written. ... [snip]

Another rather recent commentary has been written on 1 Peter by someone very close to an honored poster here on the BB.

Rob

~~~~~~~~~
"What is the meaning and significance of the phrase “baptism now saves you” in 1 Pet 3:21? Before we list the options for the meaning of the phrase in 1 Peter 3:21, we’ll establish a few preliminary points."

"First, “baptism” is in some way analogous to the Noah event. As the word antitypon (esv: “corresponds”) makes clear, this historical event in Noah’s era somehow points forward to the baptism event." ...

"Second, the word “baptism” is qualified with the expression ou sarkos apothesis rhypou alla syneidēseōs agathēs eperōtēma eis theon, with a clear ou … alla contrast. ... Whether syneidēseōs is an objective or subjective genitive will be especially important." ...

"Third, we must grapple with the fact that either the eperōtēma, the baptism, or the act of salvation occurs “through/by means of” Jesus Christ’s resurrection (di’ anastaseōs Iēsou Christou). Whatever we decide about this passage, we must acknowledge that the efficacy of salvation comes primarily through Jesus Christ’s resurrection (see also Romans 4:25)." ... [underlining added]

A few scholars see the expression sarkos apothesis rhypou as referring to Jewish circumcision (e.g., Dalton 1989, 199–206; Achtemeier 1996, 269). Achtemeier (1996, 269) sees a theological parallel to Colossians 3:8–9, so that in 1 Peter 3:21 “The negative half of the contrast points to what baptism is not, that is, a rite similar to Jewish circumcision that is understood here as a purely physical act.” This position is relatively rare among scholars ..."

Himes, Paul A. 2026. 1 Peter. Edited by Douglas Mangum, Elizabeth Vince, and Abigail Salinger. Logos Research Commentaries. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

 

[Van]

Whatever we decide about this passage, we must acknowledge that the efficacy of salvation comes primarily through Jesus Christ’s resurrection (see also Romans 4:25)." ... [underlining added]

1) We must acknowledge salvation come through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, as the Lamb of God.

2) Romans 4:25 NASB He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.

a) Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness not for his benefit alone.

b) When God credits our faith as righteousness, the result is for our benefit also.

c) To those of us who believe in the resurrection, who believe God raised Jesus from the dead.

d) The resurrection provides the basis of our faith God exists and keeps His promises!

e) And the result of that faith, a faith like Abraham's, is being placed into Christ and being justified with the washing of regeneration.​

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