136 Dimensions of Baptism
argues that TTOTI^EIV 'refers simply to the Corinthians' experience of the
Spirit in conversion (aorist)—not to baptism, the Lord's Supper, or con-
firmation, as most commentators seem to think', TTOTI^EIV can mean 'to
drink' and 'to water/irrigate' and both are used as such by Paul (1 Cor. 3.2,
6-8) and he contends that it means the latter in 12.13c.^55 Fee dismisses the
suggestion of some that v. 13c points to a second experience of some kind
on the grounds of the lack of such a use elsewhere in Christian literature.^56
Rather he understands v. 13 as an example of Semitic parallelism where
both clauses mean the same thing (cf. such parallelism in w. 15-16, 17,
21, and 22-23). As v. 13c is clearly metaphorical ('There is, after all, no
experience called "drinking the Spirit"!'^57 ) he concludes that this 'argues
most strongly for a metaphorical, rather than literal, meaning for "bap-
tism" in the first clause'.^58 If this is conceded, then, he asks what Christian
experience are they metaphors for, and the answer he finds to be 'their
common experience of conversion' for which Paul uses conversion's
'most crucial ingredient, the receiving of the Spirit'.^59 At this point, how-
ever, it need only be commented that conversion is a process in which the
reception of the Spirit was the essential, but by no means the only,
element. If, as so many now recognize, New Testament conversion is to be
considered in terms of conversion-initiation, then it is highly likely that
any reference to it in the New Testament would have triggered the hearer
to recall the other elements of their conversion-initiation, water-baptism
need be no surprise in the bringing together of 'were baptized' and 'were given to
drink with one Spirit', precedent for which can be found in the saying of Jesus in Mk
10.38-39 which brings baptism and drinking together, the two clauses of which are
parallel in meaning, so Beasley-Murray, Baptism, p. 73. It should also be noted that
6TroTio0r||j6V can equally, and perhaps better, be translated as 'watered', so GJ.
Cuming, 'ETTOTII0HMEN (1 Corinthians 12.13)', NTS 27 (1981), pp. 283-85
(though he is challenged by E.R. Rogers, 'ErTOTII0HMEN Again', ATO29 [1983],
pp. 139-42, who contends for the basic meaning of TTOTI^EIV as 'to drink'), or 'irri-
gated' (Bruce, 1 and2 Corinthians, p. 121, and Dunn, Baptism, pp. 130-31), 'drenched'
(Thiselton, First Corinthians, pp. 1000-1001, see also his discussion on p. 997),
'flooded' (D.A. Carson, Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition ofl Corinthians
12-14 [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987], p. 46), or 'imbued' (Conzelmann,
1 Corinthians, p. 212).
- Dunn, Baptism, pp. 130-31.
- Fee, First Corinthians, p. 604.
- Fee, First Corinthians, p. 605 n. 29.
- Fee, First Corinthians, pp. 604-605, especially the lengthy discussion of the
metaphorical sense of v. 13c on p. 605 n. 28 and the literature there cited. - Fee, First Corinthians, p. 605.