Dimensions of Baptism Biblical and Theological Studies

MARSHALL The Meaning of the Verb 'Baptize' 11

So it would seem to be the case that John is saying that the Stronger One

will do something with the Spirit that is analogous to what he himself does

with water. If, however, we attempt to carry through the first meaning of

'baptize' in both parts of the saying, we run into a more significant diffi-

culty. On the analogy of the traditional understanding of the first half of

the saying, the second half should refer to dipping or plunging a person in

the Holy Spirit. This understanding of the act apparently does not make

good sense. The Spirit is never represented elsewhere as a river or pool in

which a person might be metaphorically dipped. The fact that the words

mi and TTVEUHOC each mean both 'breath' or 'wind' and 'Spirit' makes

such a view unlikely.

A further point is that in 1 Cor. 10.2 Paul speaks of the Israelites being

baptized in the cloud and in the sea during the exodus from Egypt: while

the idea of 'dipping' might just fit in more or less with the mention of the

sea which piled up on both sides of them so that they were in a sense

'under' and surrounded by the water but without getting wet much above

their ankles, it is clearly less applicable to the cloud which was regarded as

being a covering (Exod. 40.34, 38; Ps. 105.39; cf. Isa. 4.5-6.). It appears,

therefore, that we must attempt to find either a new understanding of

'Spirit' which will make sense with the verb 'dip', and/or a new meaning

for 'baptize' which will fit in with the use of both 'water' and 'Spirit'.

I

Our first clue is provided by a re-examination of the phrase 'with the Holy

Spirit and with fire'. There are a number of passages in the Old Testament

and Jewish literature which refer to fire being cast down from heaven or to

a river or lake consisting of fire. To people familiar with volcanic activity

with its streams of molten lava or with lakes of bitumen (cf. Isa. 34.9-10;

Gen. 14.10) this imagery would be natural. Such language is found in Ps.

11.6, where God rains down fire on the wicked; see also Rev. 8.5,7; 20.9,

where fire is hurled down from heaven as a judgment. Dan. 7.10 (NIV) can

say that 'a river of fire was flowing, coming out from before' the Ancient

of Days. A similar description is given in 4 Ezra 13.10-11, where the man

from heaven attacks his enemies:

He sent forth from his mouth something like a stream of fire, and from his

lips a flaming breath, and from his tongue he shot forth a storm of sparks.

All of them were mingled together, the stream of fire and the flaming breath

and the great storm, and fell on the onrushing multitude that was prepared

to fight, and burned up all of them.