Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

Matthew III. 11, 12. 269
marks especially the superiority of the Messiah, in reference to his
baptism. (See note on John i. 25, ff.) He contrasts the baptism of
water (tv v6art ftairril^eLv) with that of the Holy Ghost and fire (/Sarr-
TL^eiv iv Tivevfiari ayicd koX irvpt.) We might feci tempted here to
join 'nvp,Jlre, with Trveviia, spirit; so that either fire should appear
as a concomitant (as if the baptism of the Spirit would bo accompanied
by fiery appearances, as on the day of Pentecost) ; or Trvevfia,
spirit, be taken as quahfying ~vp,Jirc, ( = ~vp Trvevfiarticov, a sjnrit-
ualfire), fire, as the more powerful element, being contrasted with
water. But the passages, Matth. xx. 22 ; Luke xii. 50, appear to
me to favour the ancient distinction of a threefold baptism {fiuminis,
Jlamim's, sanguinis.)--' In this the Saviour appears as the type of
believers, who, like himself, if not outwardly, yet inwardly, must all
pass through the consummating baptism of blood. In the triple
elements of baptism—viz., water, spirit, and fire, there is intimated
a gradation in the development of the spiritual life, and in the element
from which it results. While the lowest stage, baptism with
water, implies external purification from sin, and repentance, the
baptism of the Spirit refers to the inward cleansing in faith (the
Holy Spirit being conceived of as the regenerating principle, John
iii. 1, fi". ; Acts i. 5) ; and lastly, the baptism of fire expresses the
consummation and complete triumph of the new and higher life in
its peculiar nature.
Ver. 12.—The exhortation concludes, very appropriately, with a
renewed admonition of the nearness of the tipiaig, Judgment (ver. 10),
the execution of which belonged to the Messiah's office. The act of
judging is here represented under the figure of the winnowing of
chaff and wheat. The same figure occurs in Jer. xv. 7 ; Luke xxii.
31. {Ov h rfi xeipt avrov — '."i^i ntN. IiTvov:^=vannus, ventilabrum.
"Axvpov = 7^2, Psalm i. 4. On ~vp aa(iea~ov, see note on Mark ix. 44.)
In the concluding verses in Luke iii. 18-20, the Evangelist calls
these addresses of the second Elijah a evayyeXi^eoOai, bringing good
neivs (ver. 18), inasmuch as they treated of the coming of the Mes-
* De Wetle is altogether wrong in taking irvp to denote punishment, for the idea of
baptism does not admit of any reference to punishment. It is always subservient to sal-
vation. [May not fire and sjnrit point prophetically to Acts ii. ? When did the apostles
receive the Christian baptism, as a symbol of regeneration, if not at the Pentecost ? (Acts
i. 5.) Then came in place of the inward repentance the external spirit (as res sacramenti),
and in place of water, fire (as signum sacramentale.) And by this spiritual baptism were
they prepared to administer the ordinary Christian baptism (that of water and spirit.)*
-[E.
* I think neither of the above explanations correct. John is discriminating Christ's office and work
from his own as higher and more profoundly searcliing and spiritual. For this he makes n.se of the rite
which formed so prominent a feature of his ministry. "What spirit and fire are to water, that is Christ's
baptism and general work to his. He is not, I think, speaking of the Saviour's baptism of believers particularly,
but of the general searching, discriminating character of his work. This ht ndicates by combining
with spirit the subtle, purifying, powerful element, fire. De Wette's explanatioi. embraces a
part of the truth, but not the whole of it—[K.