John is preaching to a mixed multitude composed of those who would
accept his teaching and baptism, and of those who would accept neither.
Many the former would become disciples of Jesus and receive the baptism
of the Holy Spirit to qualify them to take up the work of the Master and
carry it on until the church would be established and the gospel fully
revealed to men. The baptism of the Spirit, a purely supernatural thing,
was necessary to qualify them for this work. Others would "reject for
themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him." These should
at last "have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone." That such a division was meant by John becomes evident if we
examine the context carefully. In the above parallel columns the reader
will observe that Matthew and Luke use the expression "in the Holy
Spirit and in fire." They both use two illustrations to show what is
meant by "in fire." One of the illustrations immediately precedes and
the other immediately follows the expression "in the Holy Spirit and in
fire," seemingly for the specific purpose of guarding against a failure
to understand the expression "in fire." The illustration that precedes
in both instances is: "Therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." The illustration that
follows in each instance is: "He will burn up the chaff in unquenchable
fire." With these forcible illustrations to guard the passage, can any
one fail to understand what is meant by the baptism in fire? The reader
will also observe that neither Mark nor John refers to the baptism in
fire, and neither uses any illustration to explain it, because no
illustration is necessary. Where the baptism of fire is used there was
always something destroyed by fire. This interpretation harmonizes with
the universal use of the word "fire" in the New Testament. (1) _In not a
single instance is it used to denote a spiritual blessing conferred upon