The term
baptism with fire originated from the words of
John the Baptist in
Matthew 3:11 (and the parallel passage in Luke 3:16): 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 comments that as "fire make[s] all it seizes like itself... so does the Spirit make the soul holy like itself." The concept of baptism by 'fire and the Holy Spirit' lies behind the
Consolamentum rite of the
Cathars or Albigenses.
Methodism (inclusive of the holiness movement) In
Methodism (inclusive of the
holiness movement), baptism by fire is synonymous with the
second work of grace:
entire sanctification, which is also known as
Baptism with the Holy Spirit. John Fletcher quoted
George Whitefield who answered the reason that the second blessing was given after the
Ascension of Jesus: "Because till then He was Himself on the earth, and had not taken on Him the kingly office, not pleaded the merits of His death before His heavenly Father, by which he purchased that invaluable blessing for us." To this end, "Fletcher taught that the day of Pentecost was the opening of the dispensation of the Spirit, and he insisted that believers now are called upon to receive the same baptismal fire." However, whereas John Fletcher (the systematic theologian of Methodism) regarded the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire as being the second work of grace, Benjamin Hardin Irwin distinguished between baptism with the Holy Ghost and baptism with fire, holding that the latter was a third work of grace. The Constitution and General Rules of the Fire Baptized Holiness Association, with respect to the third work of grace (baptism of fire) taught:
Pentecostalism In
Pentecostalism, baptism by fire is synonymous with
Spirit baptism, which is accompanied by
glossolalia (speaking in tongues). In
Holiness Pentecostalism, baptism with the Holy Spirit evidenced by
speaking in tongues is the
third work of grace, following the first work of grace (the
New Birth) and the
second work of grace (
entire sanctification). The baptism of the Holy Ghost is taught by Holiness Pentecostals to empower the Christian believer for service to God. ==Military usage==