He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[b] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch
because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil
things he had done, 20 Herod added this to
them all: He locked John up in prison.
Wow verse 16 made me dig a little deeper and
here what I came up with. We will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and
fire....
Some interpret the baptism of fire as referring to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent from heaven. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2-3). It is important to note that these were tongues as of fire, not literal fire.
Some believe that the baptism with fire refers to the Holy Spirit’s office as the energizer of the believer’s service, and the purifier of evil within, because of the exhortation “Do not quench the Spirit” found in 1Thessalonians 5:19. The command to the believer is to not put out the Spirit’s fire by suppressing His ministry.
A third and more likely interpretation is that the baptism of fire refers to judgment. In all four Gospel passages mentioned above, Mark and John speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but only Matthew and Luke mention the baptism with fire. The immediate context of Matthew and Luke is judgment (Matthew 3:7-12; Luke 3: 7-17). The context of Mark and John is not (Mark 1:1-8; John 1:29-34). We know that the Lord Jesus is coming in flaming fire to judge those who do not know God (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; John 5:21-23; Revelation 20:11-15), but praise be to God that He will save all that will come and put their trust in Him (John 3:16)!
Some interpret the baptism of fire as referring to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent from heaven. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:2-3). It is important to note that these were tongues as of fire, not literal fire.
Some believe that the baptism with fire refers to the Holy Spirit’s office as the energizer of the believer’s service, and the purifier of evil within, because of the exhortation “Do not quench the Spirit” found in 1Thessalonians 5:19. The command to the believer is to not put out the Spirit’s fire by suppressing His ministry.
A third and more likely interpretation is that the baptism of fire refers to judgment. In all four Gospel passages mentioned above, Mark and John speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but only Matthew and Luke mention the baptism with fire. The immediate context of Matthew and Luke is judgment (Matthew 3:7-12; Luke 3: 7-17). The context of Mark and John is not (Mark 1:1-8; John 1:29-34). We know that the Lord Jesus is coming in flaming fire to judge those who do not know God (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; John 5:21-23; Revelation 20:11-15), but praise be to God that He will save all that will come and put their trust in Him (John 3:16)!
Sorry this is so long here is more of what I
found.
It’s
important to notice the context of Matthew 3. Large crowds came to witness John
as he baptized. Some were baptized; others were not. Those that John refused to
baptize included some of the Pharisees and Sadducees, whom Jesus often labeled
as hypocrites. In this context John called them a “brood of vipers” (verse 7).In verses 10-12, John warned the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees of their fate if they refused to repent. John stated in verse 10 that those who didn’t bear good spiritual fruit would be thrown in the fire—not a good result!
The context shows that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a good result, but the baptism with fire is a punishment.After saying that Jesus Christ would baptize with “the Holy Spirit and fire” in verse 11, John used an agricultural analogy in verse 12. Jesus will not only “gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This means that after His second coming, Christ will take repentant converts into His Kingdom but will consume the unrepentant people with fire, called in Revelation 19:20 “the lake of fire.”
So the context shows that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a good result, but the baptism with fire is a punishment.
The apostle Peter was inspired to write about the future time of punishment in 2 Peter 3:10-12. This passage describes a fire that will engulf the whole earth with fervent heat that will burn up the face of the earth and everything on it. However, verse 13 says that after this consuming fire new heavens and a new earth will emerge. This verse gives us understanding that this fire will not be the end of everything.
This same event is referred to in Revelation 21:8, where we learn that people who persist in sinning and who are unrepentant will be destroyed in “the lake which burns with fire.”
This point was also prophesied by Malachi, hundreds of years before John wrote the book of Revelation. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up” (Malachi 4:1).
The baptism with fire will be the destruction of the incorrigible sinners. Some of these people are described in Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-27. (For more about this, see our article “Unpardonable Sin: What Is It?”)
God also destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone for their sins. The difference is that the people who perished in Sodom and Gomorrah will be resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-13; see also Matthew 11:23-24). On the other hand, the Bible shows that those who are destroyed in the lake of fire will be destroyed forever.
In fact, Jesus is the One who will authorize the destruction of the incorrigibly wicked in the lake of fire. This point is illustrated in Matthew 13:40-42 in the parable of the tares. The sinners will be immersed or engulfed in the lake of fire. This is the baptism with fire, and this is the baptism none of us want to go through!
____________________________________________________________________________________
John Burnett:
7 So
he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be
baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to
come? 8 Therefore
bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say [a]to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for
our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up
children to Abraham. 9 Indeed
the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Again,
John talks of repentance and that our lifestyle should bear fruits that reflect
Christ.
10 And
the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to
them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and
he who has food is to do likewise.” 12 And some tax
collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall
we do?” 13 And
he said to them, “[b]Collect no more than what you have
been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers
were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall
we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force,
or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your
wages.”
15 Now
while the people were in a state of expectation and all were [c]wondering in their hearts about
John, as to whether he was [d]the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them
all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier
than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize
you [e]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His
hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His
barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The
chaff (unbelievers) will be burned up.
18 So
with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19 But when Herod the tetrarch
was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and
because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, 20 Herod also added this to them
all: he locked John up in prison. Persecution of Christians is taking
place all over the world. We need to be ready for the day when we could
be locked up because of our faith.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Commentary:
The
soldiers likewise demanded of him - He, thirdly, instructs those among the
military. They were either Roman soldiers, or the soldiers of Herod or Philip.
Use no violence to any, μηδενα διασεισητε, do not extort money or goods by
force or violence from any. This is the import of the words neminein concutite,
used here by the Vulgate, and points out a crime of which the Roman soldiers
were notoriously guilty, their own writers being witnesses. Concussio has the
above meaning in the Roman law. See Raphelius in loco.
Neither accuse any falsely - Or,
on a frivolous pretense - μηδε συκοφαντησητε, be not sycophants, like those who
are base flatterers of their masters, who to ingratiate themselves into their
esteem, malign, accuse, and impeach the innocent. Bishop Pearce observes that,
when the concussio above referred to did not produce the effect they wished,
they often falsely accused the persons, which is the reason why this advice is
added. See the note on Luke 19:7.Be content with your wages - Οψωνιοις. The word signifies not only the money which was allotted to a Roman soldier, which was two oboli, about three halfpence per day, but also the necessary supply of wheat, barley, etc. See Raphelius.
Whether
he were the Christ - So general was the reformation which was produced by the
Baptist's preaching that the people were ready to consider him as the promised
Messiah. Thus John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and reformed all
things; showed the people, the tax-gatherers, and the soldiers, their
respective duties, and persuaded them to put away the evil of their doings. See
the note on Matthew 17:11.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Monday’s reading for Luke 3:21-38.
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24 the son
of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of
Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son
of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of
Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son
of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of
Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son
of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of
Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32 the son
of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,[d] the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of
Amminadab, the son of Ram,[e]
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34 the son
of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of
Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36 the son
of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of
Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38 the son
of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment