SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:11
Yo a la verdad os bautizo en agua para arrepentimiento; mas el que viene tras de mí, ms poderoso es que yo; los zapatos del cual yo no soy digno de llevar. El os bautizar en Espíritu Santo y fuego.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:11
Verse 11. But he that cometh after me] Or, I coming after me, who is now on his way, and will shortly make his appearance. Jesus Christ began his ministry when he was thirty years of age, Luke iii. 23, which was the age appointed by the law, Num. iv. 3. John the Baptist was born about six months before Christ; and, as he began his public ministry when thirty years of age, then this coming after refers to six months after the commencement of John's public preaching, at which time Christ entered upon his. Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear] This saying is expressive of the most profound humility and reverence. To put on, take off, and carry the shoes of their masters, was, not only among the Jews, but also among the Greeks and Romans, the work of the vilest slaves. This is amply proved by Kypke, from Arrian, Plutarch, and the Babylonian Talmud.
With the Holy Ghost, and with fire] That the influences of the Spirit of God are here designed, needs but little proof. Christ's religion was to be a spiritual religion, and was to have its seat in the heart. Outward precepts, however well they might describe, could not produce inward spirituality.
This was the province of the Spirit of God, and of it alone; therefore he is represented here under the similitude of fire, because he was to illuminate and invigorate the soul, penetrate every part, and assimilate the whole to the image of the God of glory. See on John iii. 5.
With fire] kai puri. This is wanting in E. S. (two MSS. one of the ninth, the other of the tenth century) eight others, and many Evangelistaria, and in some versions and printed editions; but it is found in the parallel place, Luke iii. 16, and in the most authentic MSS. and versions.
It was probably the different interpretations given of it by the fathers that caused some transcribers to leave it out of their copies.
The baptism of fire has been differently understood among the primitive fathers. Some say, it means the tribulations, crosses, and afflictions, which believers in Christ are called to pass through. Hence the author of the Opus Imperfectum, on Matthew, says, that there are three sorts of baptism, 1. that of water; 2. that of the Holy Ghost; and, 3. that of tribulations and afflictions, represented under the notion of fire. He observes farther, that our blessed Lord went through these three baptisms: 1. That of water, he received from the hands of John. 2. That of the Holy Spirit he received from the Father. And, 3. That of fire, he had in his contest with Satan in the desert. St. Chrysostom says; it means the superabundant graces of the Spirit. Basil and Theophilus explain it of the fire of hell. Cyril, Jerome, and others, understand by it the descent of the Holy Spirit, on the day of pentecost.
Hilary says, it means a fire that the righteous must pass through in the day of judgment, to purify them from such defilements as necessarily cleaved to them here, and with which they could not be admitted into glory.
Ambrose says, this baptism shall be administered at the gate of paradise, by John Baptist; and he thinks that this is what is meant by the flaming sword, Gen. iii. 24.
Origen and Lactantius conceive it to be a river of fire, at the gate of heaven, something similar to the Phlegethon of the heathens; but they observe, that when the righteous come to pass over, the liquid flames shall divide, and give them a free passage: that Christ shall stand on the brink of it, and receive through the flames all those, and none but those, who have received in this world the baptism of water in his name: and that this baptism is for those who, having received the faith of Christ, have not, in every respect, lived conformably to it; for, though they laid the good foundation, yet they built hay, straw, and stubble upon it, and this work of theirs must be tried, and destroyed by this fire. This, they think, is St. Paul's meaning, 1 Cor. iii. 13-15. If any man build on this foundation (viz. Jesus Christ) gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is.-If any man's work be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as BY FIRE. From this fire, understood in this way, the fathers of the following ages, and the schoolmen, formed the famous and lucrative doctrine of PURGATORY. Some in the primitive Church thought that fire should be, in some way or other, joined to the water in baptism; and it is supposed that they administered it by causing the person to pass between two fires, or to leap through the flame; or by having a torch, or lighted candle, present. Thus have those called Doctors of the Church trifled. The exposition which I have given, I believe to be the only genuine one.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. I indeed baptize you with water , etc.] These words, at first view, look as if they were a continuation of Johns discourse with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and as though he had baptized them; whereas by comparing them with what the other Evangelists relate, (see Mark 1:5,8 Luke 3:10,15,16) they are spoken to the people, who, confessing their sins, had been baptized by him; to whom he gives an account of the ordinance of water baptism, of which he was the administrator, in what manner, and on what account he performed it: I indeed baptize you ; or, as Mark says, I have baptized you; I have authority from God so to do; my commission reaches thus far, and no farther; I can administer, and have administered the outward ordinance to you; but the inward grace and increase of it, together with the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, I cannot confer. I can, and do baptize, upon a profession of repentance, and I can threaten impenitent sinners with divine vengeance; but I cannot bestow the grace of repentance on any, nor punish for impenitence, either here or hereafter; these things are out of my power, and belong to another person hereafter named: all that I do, and pretend to do, is to baptize with water , or rather in water, as en udati should be rendered. Our version seems to be calculated in favour of pouring, or sprinkling water upon, or application of it to the person baptized, in opposition to immersion in it; whereas the preposition is not instrumental, but local, and denotes the place, the river Jordan, and the element of water there, in which John was baptizing: and this he did unto repentance , or at, or upon repentance: for so eiv may be rendered, as it is in ( Matthew 12:41) for the meaning is not that John baptized them, in order to bring them to repentance; since he required repentance and fruits meet for it, previous to baptism; but that he had baptized them upon the foot of their repentance; and so the learned Grotius observes, that the phrase may be very aptly explained thus: I baptize you upon the `profession of repentance which ye make. John gives a hint of the person whose forerunner he was, and of his superior excellency to him: he indeed first speaks of him as one behind him, not in nature or dignity, but in order of time as man; but he that comes after me. John was born before Jesus, and began his ministry before he did; he was his harbinger; Jesus was now coming after him to Jordan from Galilee, to be baptized by him, and then enter on his public ministry: but though he came after him in this sense, he was not beneath, but above him in character; which he freely declares, saying, is mightier than I ; not only as he is the mighty God, and so infinitely mightier than he; but in his office and ministry, which was exercised with greater power and authority, and attended with mighty works and miracles, and was followed with the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. Not to mention the mighty work of redemption performed by him; the resurrection of his own body from the dead; and his exaltation in human nature, above all power, might, and dominion. The Baptist was so sensible of the inequality between them, and of his unworthiness to be mentioned with him, that he seems at a loss almost to express his distance from him; and therefore signifies it by his being unfit to perform one of the most servile offices to him, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear ; or as the other Evangelists relate it, whose shoelatchet I am not worthy to unloose; which amounts to the same sense, since shoes are unloosed in order to be taken from, or carried before, or after a person; which to do was the work of servants among the Jews. In the Talmud it is asked, What is the manner of possessing of servants? or what is their service? He buckles his (masters) shoes; he unlooses his shoes, and carries them before him to the bath. Or, as is elsewhere said, he unlooses his shoes, or carries after him his vessels (whatever he wants) to the bath; he unclothes him, he washes him, he anoints him, he rubs him, he clothes him, he buckles his shoes, and lifts him up.
This was such a servile work, that it was thought too mean for a scholar or a disciple to do; for it is said, all services which a servant does for his master, a disciple does for his master, l[nm wl trthm Uwj , except unloosing his shoes.
The gloss on it says, he that sees it, will say, he is a Canaanitish servant: for only a Canaanitish, not an Hebrew servant f176 , might be employed in, or obliged to such work; for it was reckoned not only, mean and servile, but even base and reproachful. It is one of their canons; if thy brother is become poor, and is sold unto thee, thou shalt not make him do the work of a servant; that is, yagn l trwb[ , any reproachful work; such as to buckle his shoes, or unloose them, or carry his instruments (or necessaries) after him to the bath.
Now John thought himself unworthy; it was too great an honour for him to do that for Christ, which was thought too mean for a disciple to do for a wise man, and too scandalous for an Hebrew servant to do for his master, to whom he was sold; which shows the great humility of John, and the high opinion he had of Christ. It has been controverted whether Christ wore shoes or not; Jerom affirmed that he did not: but it seems from hence that he did; nor were the Jews used to walk barefoot, but on certain occasions.
The Baptist points at the peculiar work of this great person, in which he greatly exceeds anything done by him; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire ; referring, either to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, to be bestowed on the disciples on the day of Pentecost, of which the cloven tongues, like as of fire, which appeared unto them, and sat upon them, were the symbols; which was an instance of the great power and grace of Christ, and of his exaltation at the Fathers right hand. Or rather, this phrase is expressive of the awful judgments which should be inflicted by him on the Jewish nation; when he by his Spirit should reprove them for the sin of rejecting him; and when he should appear as a refiners fire, and as fullers soap; when the day of the Lord should burn as an oven; when he should purge the blood of Jerusalem, his own blood, and the blood of the Apostles and Prophets shed in it, from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning; the same with the Holy Ghost and fire here, or the fire of the Holy Ghost, or the holy Spirit of fire; and is the same with the wrath to come, and with what is threatened in the context: the unfruitful trees shall be cut down, and cast into the fire, and the chaff shall be burnt with unquenchable fire. And as this sense best agrees with the context, it may the rather be thought to be genuine; since John is speaking not to the disciples of Christ, who were not yet called, and who only on the day of Pentecost were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, in the other sense of this phrase; but to the people of the Jews, some of whom had been baptized by him; and others were asking him questions, others gazing upon him, and wondering what manner of person he was; and multitudes of them continued obdurate and impenitent under his ministry, whom he threatens severely in the context. Add to all this, that the phrase of dipping or baptizing in fire seems to be used in this sense by the Jewish writers. In the Talmud one puts the question, In what does he (God,) dip? You will say in water, as it is written, who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand? Another replies, lybj arwnb , he dips in fire; as it is written, for behold the Lord will come with fire. What is the meaning of arwnb atwlybj , baptism in fire? He answers, according to the mind of Rabbah, the root of dipping in the fire, is what is written; all that abideth not the fire, ye shall make go through the water. Dipping in the fire of the law, is a phrase used by the Jews f179 . The phrases of dipping, and washing in fire, are also used by Greek authors.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-12 - To make application to the souls of the hearers, is the life of preaching; so it was of John's preaching. The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matter of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of their legal ceremonies Others of them were detestable hypocrites, making their pretences to holiness a cloak for iniquity. The Sadducees ran into the opposit extreme, denying the existence of spirits, and a future state. The were the scornful infidels of that time and country. There is a wrat to come. It is the great concern of every one to flee from that wrath God, who delights not in our ruin, has warned us; he warns by the written word, by ministers, by conscience. And those are not worthy of the name of penitents, or their privileges, who say they are sorry for their sins, yet persist in them. It becomes penitents to be humble an low in their own eyes, to be thankful for the least mercy, patien under the greatest affliction, to be watchful against all appearance of sin, to abound in every duty, and to be charitable in judgin others. Here is a word of caution, not to trust in outward privileges There is a great deal which carnal hearts are apt to say withi themselves, to put aside the convincing, commanding power of the wor of God. Multitudes, by resting in the honours and mere advantages of their being members of an outward church, come short of heaven. Here in a word of terror to the careless and secure. Our corrupt hearts cannot be made to produce good fruit, unless the regenerating Spirit of Chris graft the good word of God upon them. And every tree, however high i gifts and honours, however green in outward professions an performances, if it bring not forth good fruit, the fruits meet for repentance, is hewn down and cast into the fire of God's wrath, the fittest place for barren trees: what else are they good for? If not fi for fruit, they are fit for fuel. John shows the design and intentio of Christ's appearing, which they were now speedily to expect. N outward forms can make us clean. No ordinances, by whomsoeve administered, or after whatever mode, can supply the want of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. The purifying and cleansin power of the Holy Spirit alone can produce that purity of heart, an those holy affections, which accompany salvation. It is Christ wh baptizes with the Holy Ghost. This he did in the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit sent upon the apostles, Ac 2:4. This he does in the grace and comforts of the Spirit, given to those that ask him, Lu 11:13; Jo 7:38, 39; see Ac 11:16. Observe here, the outward church is Christ' floor, Isa 21:10. True believers are as wheat, substantial, useful, an valuable; hypocrites are as chaff, light and empty, useless an worthless, carried about with every wind; these are mixed, good an bad, in the same outward communion. There is a day coming when the wheat and chaff shall be separated. The last judgment will be the distinguishing day, when saints and sinners shall be parted for ever In heaven the saints are brought together, and no longer scattered they are safe, and no longer exposed; separated from corrupt neighbour without, and corrupt affections within, and there is no chaff amon them. Hell is the unquenchable fire, which will certainly be the portion and punishment of hypocrites and unbelievers. Here life an death, good and evil, are set before us: according as we now are in the field, we shall be then in the floor.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 P-1NS μεν 3303 PRT βαπτιζω 907 5719 V-PAI-1S υμας 5209 P-2AP εν 1722 PREP υδατι 5204 N-DSN εις 1519 PREP μετανοιαν 3341 N-ASF ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ οπισω 3694 ADV μου 3450 P-1GS ερχομενος 2064 5740 V-PNP-NSM ισχυροτερος 2478 A-NSM-C μου 3450 P-1GS εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ου 3739 R-GSM ουκ 3756 PRT-N ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S ικανος 2425 A-NSM τα 3588 T-APN υποδηματα 5266 N-APN βαστασαι 941 5658 V-AAN αυτος 846 P-NSM υμας 5209 P-2AP βαπτισει 907 5692 V-FAI-3S εν 1722 PREP πνευματι 4151 N-DSN αγιω 40 A-DSN και 2532 CONJ πυρι 4442 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
11. To bear. Compare to unloose, Mark i. 7. John puts himself in the position of the meanest of servants. To bear the sandals of their masters, that is, to bring and take them away, as well as to fasten or to take them off, was, among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, the business of slaves of the lowest rank.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:11 {Mightier than I} (iscuroteros mou). Ablative after the comparative adjective. His baptism is water baptism, but the Coming One "will baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire."Life in the coming age is in the sphere of the Spirit. Spirit and fire are coupled with one preposition as a double baptism" (McNeile). Broadus takes "fire" in the sense of separation like the use of the fan. As the humblest of servants John felt unworthy to take off the sandals of the Coming One. About bastazw see on Mt 8:17.
