Controversy Alert:
As some of you know I am not shy when it comes to Controversial issues. Especially when it comes to issues regarding theology or our worship to our God. Christians must care deeply about theology. If the true God is renewing our lives and calling us to worship Him "in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23), then such worship includes our thoughts, words, affections and actions. Do we want to worship the true God or in our effort a false deity we have constructed in our own image(idolatry).
Hopefully, at the least, it will inspire a good dialog that will lead each to truth with the ultimate purpose to glorify our God!
Here we go:
Controversial issue number one:
There is a lot of Fire talk these days
You’ve heard it in evangelical lingo…. “We pray for Fire”, “We call down Fire”, We want to be on fire... Should be ever be praying, singing, worshiping, " Fire come down from Heaven"?
Theologically, do we want fire to come from heaven?
In the link below author Lyndon Unger does an exhaustive biblical word study on the word "Fire".
Burning away misconceptions about holy fire
Points from the article/research:
1. The Spirit (who authored Scripture) never, ever, uses “fire” in a metaphorical sense describing passion/excitement/commitment/fervor etc. The only metaphorical usages related to emotions are of anger and wrath. That’s amazingly interesting, given the constant usage of the term in Charismatic circles. I have rarely heard a Charismatic/Continuationist use the idea of “holy fire” in reference to God’s wrath or anger. I know what you’re thinking though… I know that getting “fired up/being on fire” is an English expression of speech, but that leads to the second point.
2. The Spirit never, ever, uses “fire” in the context of cultivation of spiritual renewal/fervor/conviction. There’s never talk of “Holy Fire” in the scriptures, at least in the sense that the phrase is regularly used in charismatic circles. The phrase doesn’t even appear in the Scriptures at all.
Nowhere.
Write it down.
A Response: Baptism With Fire
I have been directed, in support of the concept or theology of the phrase “Holy Fire”, to the statements of John the baptizer in Matthew and Luke which mention the baptism with fire. Also keep in mind that "baptize” in the Greek is synonymous with “immerse" Just by reading the tough passages on baptism replacing the word baptize with immerse can really help clear up misconstructions.
So, what about these two passages in scripture that seem to indicate there is a baptism of Fire?
Well in context, those scriptures also refer to judgment. How can I make that claim? The immediate context of Matthew and Luke is judgment.
John the baptizer speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 3:
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
And Luke's account of the multitudes coming to see John the baptizer at work in Luke :
7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
In the passages in Matthew and Luke above, it is communicated that of the people that gathered to see John’s work in baptism, out would come two groups of people. One will be immersed in the Holy Spirit(saved) and one will be immersed in fire (judgment). John who is preparing the people to receive the Messiah is contrasting believers with unbelievers. John says that Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (believers) and fire (non- believers). It does NOT mean the Holy Spirit and fire or the Holy Spirit that is the fire. John explains what is meant as he continues, saying that Jesus will gather His wheat into the barn BUT burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire, (which Jesus later describes as a fire that is never quenched Mk.9:43-). This concept of Good and Bad or True and False is expounded in Jesus’ ministry: Matthew 7:18-20 and Matthew 3:10-11 - Good fruit and Bad Fruit
So the Bible does teach of a baptism of fire, only it is for unbelievers.
A Response: Tongues of Fire - What are the tongues of fire?
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
The Holy Spirit in previous manifestations was as fire. Moses in the burning bush, and the priests that ministered in the Holy of Holies; above the Ark of the covenant, the shekinah glory.
When Jesus died the curtain of the Holy Place was torn in two. This was a sign to the Jews that the Old Covenant was no longer the way God dwells with man. Tongues of fire was the visible sign of glory, it resembled fire in its luminosity. The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in the NEW Temple, the body of Christ.
1 Cor 3:16-17
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
The KJV renders "tongues of fire" as "cloven tongues like as of fire".
cloven diamerizo; to partition thoroughly (literally in distribution, figuratively in dissension):
KJV-- cloven, divide, part. In other words the glory of God was distributed, spread and seen among each person. This was a unique one time event never to be repeated in the apostles ministry or church history since.
The glory, being filled with the Spirit prompted them to speak in tongues (languages they did not learn Acts 2:4) The Holy Spirit came upon them and entered into the Apostles, and the Apostles spoke in tongues to their Jewish brethren. They were baptized in the Holy Spirit (immersed). And the Body of Christ officially began with their preaching to their brethren.
