Matthew 3:11

indeed baptize you with water unto repentance.

His baptism was only. water baptism. He could go no farther. The King could send the Holy Spirit, and give another and. mightier baptism, in addition to the outward baptism.

Mightier than I.

In that he can perform all that. only promise; he can establish the kingdom which. only announce; he can give the reality of that baptism which my water-rite only symbolizes; he will give the spiritual baptism, which is wrought by the Holy Ghost.

Whose shoes. am not worthy to bear.

The duty of. slave, or one greatly inferior in rank. In the Orient sandals are generally removed on entering. house, and left in charge of. servant, who brings them again when needed.

He shall baptize with the Holy Spirit.

In order to know what is meant we must refer to the fulfilment. On the day of Pentecost occurred such. baptism, the first so recognized in the New Testament. Then the spirits of the apostles were overwhelmed by the Divine Spirit so that they spoke as he gave them utterance. It was Christ who "shed forth" the baptism of that occasion.

And with fire.

The term fire is used in verse 10, and there means. destroying agency; it is used again in verse 12 in the same sense; it is used in verse 11, also, the intervening verse, and must be used in exactly the same sense as in the other two verses. It cannot mean. curse in verses 10 and 12, and. blessing in verse 11, without. word of explanation. It is strange, therefore, that all commentators should not agree that the baptism of fire is. baptism of trial and suffering. There were two classes before John. Some would repent and be baptized finally in the Holy Spirit; there were others who would remain impenitent, and be baptized in the awful trials that would come upon Israel. The next verse explains this. John says in it there is the wheat and the chaff; one shall be gathered into the garner and the other burned.