John answered, saying unto them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable."I think a lot of what leads people to weird doctrines about Baptism being required for Salvation or for being truly part of The Bride is people forgetting that Water Baptism isn't the only Baptism. The Church has long viewed the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as being what happened at Pentecost in Acts 2, when The Holy Spirit descended and gave everyone Tongs of Fire. Therefore it's illogical to turn around and think the use of the word Baptized in that chapter can refer to water Baptism.
None of the verses that can be twisted to make it sound like maybe Baptism is necessary for Salvation can be proven to refer to Water Baptism, including Mark 16.
The post Pentecost Church kept practicing a Water Baptism like John's as a symbolic act, but that was never the true Baptism.
In Romans 6 Paul teaches that we are made Dead to Sin at Baptism because in Baptism we are in Jesus Death. That this teaching can only be about the Baptism of Fire will become apparent from the full testimony of Scripture.
The word Baptism comes from a Greek word that means "to wash" or to immerse. So the idea of Baptizing with Fire does seem weird. You wash or immerse in a body of water like a river or a pool or a lake....lake.... If you cast someone into a Lake you are immersing or washing them in that lake... hmmmm.
The first time "Unquenchable Fire" is referenced in the New Testament it's John elaborating on the Baptism of The Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17.
Revelation 14:10 describes the Lake of Fire as being in God's presence. The fire and brimstone that burns the damned emanates from God's presence in Isaiah 30:27-33 and II Thessalonians 1:8-9. God Himself is called a consuming fire in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29. Deuteronomy 32:22-24 and Ezekiel 20:47 also defined the fire of judgment as coming from God. In Malachi 3 Yahuah says he will purify the sons of Levi with fire and purge them as gold and silver. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 also refers to people being Saved even though their works were devoured by the fire. Isaiah 30:33 says the Breath of God is like Brimstone/Sulfur, and the Hebrew word for "Breath" there is also a word for "Spirit". And I think verses using the mysterious word Resheph are also relevant to this theme.
In Mark 9:49-50 Jesus says that Everyone will be salted with fire.
In Peter's first epistle in chapter 3 he compares the Flood of Noah to Baptism. And then in chapter 3 of his second Epistle he compares the Flood of Noah to the coming consuming of the Earth by fire.
The most common view of the Second Death held by proponents of Universal Salvation is to call it the Death of Death, which works when you just quote Revelation 20:14 and back it up with 1 Corinthians 15:26 & 54-55, but that is neither the first or last usage of the term Second Death. Revelation 21:8 defines it as being cast into the Lake of fire, and 2:11 and 20:6 are clear it's something at least some of the not risen till after the Millennium will experience.
The Second Death is becoming Dead to Sin and the Law as Paul teaches in Romans 6-7, it's the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It will be more pleasant to experience it now rather then later, but in neither case will it destroy the Image of God or be an indefinite punishment, God's punishments are for correction according to Hanukah 1:12 and Proverbs 3:11.
I've expressed this view on the Second Death once already but this is more in-depth. I'm not sure to what extend this might require me to refine my view on The Second Resurrection.
When you choose to take a bath or a shower it can be a very pleasant and satisfying experience. But when a child doesn't want to take a bath and chooses to stay dirty and the parent has to force them into it, that tends to be unpleasant for all parties involved, but it's something the parent does out of love for their child.
The two verses where John The Baptist refers to the Baptism of Fire are also adjacent to discussion of separating the Wheat from The Chaff. Chaff you need to understand is not a separate plant., it's the part of the Wheat that is not eatable. The Chaff represents Sin not Sinners.
Revelation 14:10 describes the Lake of Fire as being in God's presence. The fire and brimstone that burns the damned emanates from God's presence in Isaiah 30:27-33 and II Thessalonians 1:8-9. God Himself is called a consuming fire in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29. Deuteronomy 32:22-24 and Ezekiel 20:47 also defined the fire of judgment as coming from God. In Malachi 3 Yahuah says he will purify the sons of Levi with fire and purge them as gold and silver. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 also refers to people being Saved even though their works were devoured by the fire. Isaiah 30:33 says the Breath of God is like Brimstone/Sulfur, and the Hebrew word for "Breath" there is also a word for "Spirit". And I think verses using the mysterious word Resheph are also relevant to this theme.
In Mark 9:49-50 Jesus says that Everyone will be salted with fire.
In Peter's first epistle in chapter 3 he compares the Flood of Noah to Baptism. And then in chapter 3 of his second Epistle he compares the Flood of Noah to the coming consuming of the Earth by fire.
The most common view of the Second Death held by proponents of Universal Salvation is to call it the Death of Death, which works when you just quote Revelation 20:14 and back it up with 1 Corinthians 15:26 & 54-55, but that is neither the first or last usage of the term Second Death. Revelation 21:8 defines it as being cast into the Lake of fire, and 2:11 and 20:6 are clear it's something at least some of the not risen till after the Millennium will experience.
The Second Death is becoming Dead to Sin and the Law as Paul teaches in Romans 6-7, it's the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It will be more pleasant to experience it now rather then later, but in neither case will it destroy the Image of God or be an indefinite punishment, God's punishments are for correction according to Hanukah 1:12 and Proverbs 3:11.
I've expressed this view on the Second Death once already but this is more in-depth. I'm not sure to what extend this might require me to refine my view on The Second Resurrection.
When you choose to take a bath or a shower it can be a very pleasant and satisfying experience. But when a child doesn't want to take a bath and chooses to stay dirty and the parent has to force them into it, that tends to be unpleasant for all parties involved, but it's something the parent does out of love for their child.
The two verses where John The Baptist refers to the Baptism of Fire are also adjacent to discussion of separating the Wheat from The Chaff. Chaff you need to understand is not a separate plant., it's the part of the Wheat that is not eatable. The Chaff represents Sin not Sinners.
1 Corinthians 15:26 clearly says the Last Enemy destroyed is Death. Therefore in Revelation 20 nothing that happens after Death and Hades are cast into the Lake of Fire can be defined as enemies being destroyed.
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