CROSS Spirit- and Water-Baptism 131
3.11/Lk. 3.16 and Jn 1.33), which is the only part of the Baptist's preach-
ing which appears in all four Gospels. The saying appears again in Acts
(1.5; 11.16), and Paul's statement in 1 Cor. 12.13 shows that he was aware
of this tradition and deliberately alludes to it. Dunn believes that the
imagery of 'baptized in Spirit' is a metaphor coined from the rite of water-
baptism and 'set in some distinction from or even antithesis to the rite of
baptism. The consistent form of the Gospel saying contrasts John's baptiz-
ing in water with the Coming One's baptizing in Spirit. In the metaphorical
adaptation, Spirit takes the place of water as that "in" which the individual
is immersed.' He then observes that both passages in which the reworked
metaphor is applied (Acts 2.1-4 and 10.44-48) are notable because their
description of the Spirit's outpouring is separate and distinct from water-
baptism. 'In the light of such a tradition history of the motif ("baptized in
Spirit") it is at least likely that Paul, in his own use of it, likewise alluded
simply to the Corinthians' experience of receiving the Spirit.'^34 Dunn
rightly emphasizes the fact that Panri^siv simply means 'baptize/im-
merse' and does not necessarily mean water-baptism,^35 but equally, it does
not mean that it excludes a reference to water-baptism at a secondary
level. A number of points need to be considered.
First is that Dunn interprets the Baptist's saying as a form of antithetical
parallelism in which 'I baptize in water' is contrasted with 'he will baptize
in the Holy Spirit'. But what if this saying is really a form of step parallel-
ism in which 'the second strophe takes up the thought of the first strophe
and advances the thought one additional step. As a result, the second
line...is an additional, although related, statement that brings the entire
saying to its climax and completion'?^36 Surely this is true to the way the
early Christians saw Jesus as fulfilling in his life and ministry the work for
which John the Baptist prepared the way (cf. Mt. 3.3; Mk 1.3; Lk. 3.4; Jn
1.23). This sees Jesus' baptism in the Spirit as the climax/fulfilment of
John's baptism not its antithesis.
Secondly, when Dunn notes that the evangelists do not present Jesus'
anointing by the Holy Spirit as a part of his baptism (citing Lk. 3.21-22;
Acts 10.37-38; Jn 1.32-34) it raises for him the question of 'whether there
are any exegetical grounds for.. .talk of Jesus' own "baptism with water- Dunn, Theology, pp. 450-51.
- E.g. Dunn, Theology, p. 451 n. 46, and Baptism, p. 129.
- R.H. Stein, The Method and Message of Jesus' Teaching (Louisville, KY:
Westminster/John Knox Press, 2nd edn, 1994), p. 29.