The phrase baptism by fire or baptism of fire is a Christian theological concept originating from the words of

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

in Matthew 3:11. It also has related meanings in military history and popular culture.

Christianity

The term ''baptism with fire'' originated from the words of

in Matthew 3:11 (and the parallel passage in Luke 3:16).: Many Christian writers, such as

John Kitto John Kitto (4 December 1804 – 25 November 1854) was an English biblical scholar of Cornish descent. Biography Born in Plymouth, John Kitto was a sickly child, son of a Cornish stonemason. The drunkenness of his father and the poverty of his ...

, have noted that this could be taken as a

hendiadys Hendiadys (; a Latinized form of the Greek phrase (') 'one through two') is a figure of speech used for emphasis—"The substitution of a conjunction for a subordination". The basic idea is to use two words linked by the conjunction "and" instea ...

, the Spirit as fire, or as pointing out two distinct baptisms - one by the Spirit, one by fire. If two baptisms, then various meanings have been suggested for the second baptism, by fire - to purify each single individual who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, to cast out demons and to destroy the stronghold of the flesh by the Fire of God. Of this expression, J. H. Thayer commented: "to overwhelm with fire (those who do not repent), i.e., to subject them to the terrible penalties of hell". W. E. Vine noted regarding the "fire" of this passage: "of the fire of Divine judgment upon the rejectors of Christ, Matt. 3:11 (where a distinction is to be made between the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the fire of Divine retribution)". Arndt and Gingrich speak of the "fire of divine Judgment Mt. 3:11; Lk. 3:16". However, as J. W. McGarvey observed, the phrase "baptize you ... in the fire" also refers to the day of Pentecost, because there was a "baptism of fire" which appears as the tongue of fire on that day. Parted "tongues," which were mere "like as of fire ... sat upon" each of the apostles. Those brothers were "overwhelmed with the fire of The Holy Spirit" on that occasion. Similarly,

Matthew Henry Matthew Henry (18 October 166222 June 1714) was a Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist minister and author, who was born in Wales but spent much of his life in England. He is best known for the six-volume biblical commentary ''Exposition ...

comments that as "fire make all it seizes like itself... so does the Spirit make the soul holy like itself."

Methodism (inclusive of the holiness movement)

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

(inclusive of the

holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...

), baptism by fire is synonymous with the

second work of grace According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...

entire sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...

, which is also known as

Baptism with the Holy Spirit In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doc ...

. Jabulani Sibanda, a theologian in the

Wesleyan-Arminian Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...

tradition, says with regard to

Pentecostalism

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

, baptism by fire is synonymous with Spirit baptism, which is accompanied by

glossolalia Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

(speaking in tongues).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

, the term relates to

confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

and the phrase "baptism of fire" or "baptism by fire" appears several times in Latter-day Saint canonized scripture, including: ; ; ; and . The relation between the confirmation of the Holy Ghost and the baptism of fire is explained by

David A. Bednar David Allan Bednar (born June 15, 1952) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A former educator, Bednar was president of Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho) fro ...

, a church

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

: "the Holy Ghost is a sanctifier who cleanses and burns dross and evil out of human souls as though by fire".

Military usage

In the military usage, a baptism by fire refers to a soldier's first time in battle. The

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

, and writers such as

John Deedy John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, state that the term in a military sense entered the English language in 1822 as a translation of the French phrase ''baptême du feu''. From military usage the term has extended into many other areas in relation to an

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

into a new role.Tribune - Volume 71 - Page 31 2007 "ANYONE seeking a practical definition of the term "baptism of fire" should have been in Edinburgh last month, when Hannah McGill made her debut as artistic director of the city's International Film Festival. Edinburgh's film festival has been ..."

In popular culture

The phrase 'baptism of fire' has also entered into popular culture. An example is

Brothers in Arms (song) "Brothers in Arms" is a ballad by British rock band Dire Straits, the closing track on their fifth studio album of the same name, released on 18 October 1985. It was written in 1982, the year of Britain's involvement in the Falklands War. In 2 ...

by the

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and percuss ...

, which covers the British involvement in the

Falklands war The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

References

* * . * . * . * .

External links

Baptism
at etymonline.com (EtymologyOnLine)
Luke 3:16 (New International Version)
at BibleGateway.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Baptism By Fire English phrases Rites of passage Fire in religion