16 Dimensions of Baptism
therefore, not surprising that the same ideas are found in the context of
Christian conversion and baptism: the Spirit is poured out upon the believer
(Acts 2.33; 10.45).
Against this background it is natural to understand the Spirit in a 'liquid'
sense in the saying of John the Baptist. Thus J.D.G. Dunn, combining the
ideas of fire and the Spirit, says that the baptism in Spirit-and-fire 'was the
fiery TTveupa in which all must be immersed, as it were, and which like a
smelting furnace would burn up all impurity'.^24 It is also possible that the
reference is to a baptism with the Spirit for those who repent and a baptism
with fire for those who do not.^25 Both fire and the Spirit are capable of being
conceived in liquid terms, and therefore both can be used in parallel with
water in regard to baptism.
One important corollary may be noted at this point. There has been con-
siderable debate regarding the originality of the 'Q' form of John's saying
with its reference to baptism with the Spirit and with fire. Some commen-
tators, holding that John is unlikely to have prophesied the coming of the
Spirit, have argued that the phrase has undergone Christian interpretation
or expansion. One view is that the original saying spoke simply of baptism
with fire;^26 another is that the saying originally spoke of baptism with
wind and fire, in view of the way in which the succeeding verse takes up
the imagery of winnowing the harvest and burning the chaff.^27
holds that an instrumental dative would have been expected if the thought of watering
plants was intended; he compares Isa. 29.10, but this is not relevant since the thought
here is of forcing people to drink a sedative. That the agricultural usage was familiar to
Paul at the time of writing is guaranteed by 1 Cor. 3.6. It is accepted by A.C. Thiselton,
The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (NIGTC;
Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2000), pp. 997-1001.
- Dunn, Baptism, p. 13.
- Delling, 'BATTTIZMA', p. 107. Recent commentators, however, tend to find
one baptism rather than two. The Old Testament and Jewish background indicates that
close associations could be made between the Spirit, fire and judgment. See the full
discussion in D.L. Bock, Luke 1.1-9.50 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994), pp.
321-24. - J. Wellhausen, Das Evangelium Matthaei (Berlin: Georg Reimer, 1904), p. 6;
T.W. Manson, The Sayings of Jesus (London: SCM Press, 1949), pp. 40-41; J.M.
Creed, The Gospel according to StLuke (London: Macmillan, 1930), p. 54; Fleming-
ton, Baptism, pp. 18-20. - C.K. Barrett, The Holy Spirit and the Gospel Tradition (London: SPCK, 1947),
p. 126; V. Taylor, The Gospel according to St Mark(London: Macmillan, 1951), p. 157;
Schweizer, TDNT, VI, p. 399. Further references for both interpretations in H. Schiir-
mann, Lukasevangelium, p. 175 1.96 and n. 97; Dunn, Baptism, p. 8 n. 1 and n. 2.