Is a submerged baptism the only way to be truly baptized? This has been a very misunderstood issue with us. I was taught to be submerged my friends have been taught differently. All of us want to follow the TRUE instructions of God, but haven't been able to pin point it in the Bible .
"Baptism by fire is a reference to the day of the Lord, where the recipients of the 'abomination of desolation' are burned up by the flame. It is Jesus who comes like a thief in the night to lay the land desolate 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Revelation 16:15
If we were to compare water baptism today with how it was done back in Jesus' day, there wouldn't be much resemblance. I am not aware of any church that performs baptisms the same way it was done back then. Baptism back then would be complete full immersion.
It is very interesting how these baptism's worked. The person who was performing the baptism (In this case, John the Baptist), they would never touch the person being baptized. So Jesus went into the water alone. John would just be there to witness it. The person being baptized would be responsible for pulling them self under the water and the witness would be there to make sure that all of you went under, hair and everything!
Everything had to be immersed and you had to be immersed three times. Even to this day the Jews immerse three times in their baptism. The Jews had no idea why they immersed 3 times for their baptism. But after Messiah came, and when He gave the believing Jews the commission to go out and preach the gospel to the Gentiles, He said, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three times for the Trinity. Interesting background!
As for Matthew 3:11, the fire represents judgment, and we get that from the very next verse ( Matthew 3:12) where is says "But He (Christ) will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. So Christ is going to baptize His people with the Holy Spirit. That is the Lord's ministry. He baptizes people with the Holy Spirit.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:10 that we have been all baptized by one Spirit and all made to drink of the one Spirit, and we have been baptized into the body of Christ. When the Lord ministers His Spirit, when He gives His Spirit to people, that is called "the baptism of the Holy Spirit."
So fire is judgment! He is going to baptize people (Those who have rejected Him) with fire in the judgment. But He is going to baptize His people with the Holy Spirit. That is His ministry.
Jesus taught us many things while on this earth, including why we need to be baptized, and exactly how we need to perform the baptisim.
Matthew 3:16
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
Yes, Jesus was submerged.
Matthew 28:19
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
If we are Christ followers, we will listen to His instructions, and follow Jesus.
Regarding your question about Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist is stating that: he (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:"
On the day of Pentecost, after His resurection, Jesus did send the Holy Spirit to baptize believers and the evidence of the Holy Spirit that day is found in Acts 2:3-4 "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
So, I believe that John the Baptists reference to fire in Matthew 3:11 may have referred to the future purification that would come with Christ's baptism as observed above, with the cloven tongues like of fire in conjunction with receiving the Holy Spirit during Pentecost.
What is meant by baptized by fire, Matthew 3:11?
Thank you for your help
If we were to compare water baptism today with how it was done back in Jesus' day, there wouldn't be much resemblance. I am not aware of any church that performs baptisms the same way it was done back then. Baptism back then would be complete full immersion.
It is very interesting how these baptism's worked. The person who was performing the baptism (In this case, John the Baptist), they would never touch the person being baptized. So Jesus went into the water alone. John would just be there to witness it. The person being baptized would be responsible for pulling them self under the water and the witness would be there to make sure that all of you went under, hair and everything!
Everything had to be immersed and you had to be immersed three times. Even to this day the Jews immerse three times in their baptism. The Jews had no idea why they immersed 3 times for their baptism. But after Messiah came, and when He gave the believing Jews the commission to go out and preach the gospel to the Gentiles, He said, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three times for the Trinity. Interesting background!
As for Matthew 3:11, the fire represents judgment, and we get that from the very next verse ( Matthew 3:12) where is says "But He (Christ) will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. So Christ is going to baptize His people with the Holy Spirit. That is the Lord's ministry. He baptizes people with the Holy Spirit.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:10 that we have been all baptized by one Spirit and all made to drink of the one Spirit, and we have been baptized into the body of Christ. When the Lord ministers His Spirit, when He gives His Spirit to people, that is called "the baptism of the Holy Spirit."
So fire is judgment! He is going to baptize people (Those who have rejected Him) with fire in the judgment. But He is going to baptize His people with the Holy Spirit. That is His ministry.
Jesus taught us many things while on this earth, including why we need to be baptized, and exactly how we need to perform the baptisim.
Matthew 3:16
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
Yes, Jesus was submerged.
Matthew 28:19
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
If we are Christ followers, we will listen to His instructions, and follow Jesus.
Regarding your question about Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist is stating that: he (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:"
On the day of Pentecost, after His resurection, Jesus did send the Holy Spirit to baptize believers and the evidence of the Holy Spirit that day is found in Acts 2:3-4 "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
So, I believe that John the Baptists reference to fire in Matthew 3:11 may have referred to the future purification that would come with Christ's baptism as observed above, with the cloven tongues like of fire in conjunction with receiving the Holy Spirit during Pentecost.
Hope this helps, and God bless.
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