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Matthew 3 – What is the Baptism of Fire?
What is the Baptism of Fire (Matthew 3)?
A1 – JOHN’S BAPTISM FOR SINS: 5) At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan; 6) and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
B1 – WARNING – WRATH: 7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
C – HOPE – REPENTANCE: 
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;B1’ – WARNING – FIRE: 9) and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10) And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.
A1′ – JOHN’S BAPTISM FOR REPENTANCE: 11a) “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance,
• A,A’ – POSITIVE: Baptized and Baptize; Confessed their sins and Repentance
• B,B’ – NEGATIVE: “Offspring of Vipers” vs “Abraham as our Father” and “children for Abraham”; Wrath and Fire;
A2 – JOHN VS. JESUS: (11b) but He who is coming after me is mightier than I,
A2’ – JOHN VS. JESUS: (11b) and I am not fit to remove His sandals;
• A,A’ – This middle section serves as a verbal maneuver to switch from John to Jesus. John could only baptize in water; but Jesus could baptize in the Spirit. John could only warn about the coming fire; but Jesus baptize in wrathful fire.
A3 – TWO RESPONSES FROM JESUS: 11c) He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
B3 – METAPHOR – ONE FARMER: 12) His winnowing fork is in His hand,
B3’ – METAPHOR – ONE FARMER: and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor;
A3’ – TWO RESPONSES FROM JESUS: and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
• A,A’ – POSITIVE: Holy Spirit and Wheat into the Barn
• A,A’ – NEGATIVE: Fire and Burn up the Chaff with Unquenchable Fire”
Notice throughout all this, there are two groups who have come to John; and two who baptize. The two groups are those who accepted baptism, and those who are warned.
Who are the “you” of v.11? If we limit the “you” of v.11 to the “you” who is the preceding “you” (vv.7,9), then the “you” are the Pharisees. John gives the Pharisees two choices: Suffer judgment (vv.7,9-10) or bring forth fruit of repentance (v..
.However, there is contextual reason to reject the “you” (v.11) only referring to the Pharisees. That’s because John says, “I baptize YOU with water”; and yet he was not baptizing the Pharisees. Therefore, “you” is to be understood generically for those whom John baptizes, and not specifically to the ones directly addressed.
Objection – “And” or “Or”
However, since John does not say, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit OR fire”, then aren’t these the same action by Jesus? How can there be two different, opposing actions? Is this saying there are two baptisms, one of the Spirit and the other of fire?
Maybe in final effect (in other contexts), but that is not metaphor or illustration here. As the farmer performs one action – throwing the wheat and chaff up into the air – this produces two results: the barn for the wheat and the fire for the chaff. Which one represents the Pharisees who are not baptized?
Jesus performs one action – preaching the gospel – which produces two results: acceptance and rejection. What happens to those who accept? Receiving the Spirit. What happens to those who reject? Thrown into the fire. Two effects from one action.
Contextually, the “fire” is not the purifying effect of the preaching or word of God because of the metaphor John uses. Likewise, the “fire” is not the tongues of fire as seen in Acts 2, because there is nothing in the context suggesting that future event. Therefore, the most consistent position is the fire is punishment from Jesus.
Ultimately, this is an argument for the deity of Jesus. John can preach and warn; but only Jesus can save and condemn.
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