I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance: Ae o le sau o ia e mulimuli mai ia te aʻu o le sili atu nai lo aʻu, O ona seevae ou te le agavaa e tauave: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, ma le afi: whose fan is in his hand, ma o le a ia faamamaina atoatoa lana saito, ma faaputu ana saito i le falesaito; ae na te susunuina aputi i le afi e le matineia (Mata 3:11-12)
The baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire
O le a le uiga; Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, ma le afi? I le tele o ekalesia, it is taught, that when ua e salamo, you will first be baptized with water, pe 'a uma lena, you will be baptized with the Holy Ghost and then you will be baptized with fire.
It is taught that the baptism with the Holy Ghost is different than the baptism with fire. If you receive the baptism with fire, you are unstoppable and you shall be able to preach the gospel, Tuli ese temoni, faamalolo i e mamai, ma isi.
Ona o lenei aoaoga, many Christians are searching and longing for that fire baptism. Ae o le ā le tala a le Tusi Paia e uiga i le papatisoga i le afi?
I le Mataio mataupu 3, John did speak about the baptism with the Holy Ghost and the baptism with fire. You could interpret this as two baptisms that are meant for Christians.
Ae peitai, why was John talking about the Day of Judgment? Because John was talking about the chaff, o le a susunuina i le afi e le matineia. Why was John talking to the Pharisees and the Sadducees about the Day of Judgment, together with the baptism of fire?
The two baptisms
E moni lava o loo talanoa Ioane e uiga i papatisoga e lua: one with the Holy Ghost and one baptism with fire. But this baptism with fire, is not the baptism, that most believers think it is.
Nowhere in the Bible, is Jesus talking about a baptism with fire, in reference to the baptism with the Holy Ghost. He only talks about the baptism in water and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The baptism with the Holy Ghost was sufficient. Ae paga lea, we often underestimate the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Baptism with the Holy Ghost
Now let’s have a look at the Day of Pentecost, where the pure baptism of the Holy Spirit; the promise of God, took place:
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, ma na faʻatumuina uma le fale na latou nonofo ai. Ma na aliali mai ia i latou elid ni vasega pei o le afi, ma sa lata lava ia i latou uma. Ma na tutulu i latou i le Agaga Paia, ma amata ona talanoa ma isi gagana, A o tuuina atu e le agaga ia i latou (Galuega 2:2-4)
Cloven tongues like as of fire
We read that upon the believers appeared cloven tongues (gagana) pei o le afi, ma nofo i luga o i latou taitoatasi. Jesus His followers were baptized, with the Holy Ghost and the cloven tongues were a proof.
This is one of the baptisms: the baptism with the Holy Ghost, which Jesus promised His disciples. O le na'o baptism His disciples were waiting for. It is not written, na faatumuina i latou i le Agaga Paia, and they were filled with fire. Leai, o le tautala i isi gagana (tongues) was the proof, that they were Baptised with the Holy Spirit. Ina ua latou mauaina le Agaga Paia, they received power.
What does the word ‘baptism’ uiga?
The Greek word ‘baptisma‘ means baptism. This word is derived from the word ‘baptise’ ma lona uiga: e fa'afefeteina (o lona uiga ia ufiufi atoa i se vai), e fufui, e fufulu, e faatofu.
Baptism means a full immersion. O lea, when we go back to Matthew 3, we read that Jesus will fully immerse, or fully dip someone into the Holy Ghost and fully immerse, or fully dip someone into the fire.
On the day of Pentecost, the full immersion with the Holy Ghost took place, but the full immersion with fire has not happened yet, though the Bible talks about it in Revelation 20:
O le papatisoga i le afi
The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, o i ai le manu feai ma le perofeta pepelo,and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Ma sa ou vaai i se nofoa malo laugatasi tele, ma lē ti‘eti‘e ai, Mai ai le itu o le lalolagi ma le lagi e sosola ese; ‘ua leai fo‘i se mea ‘ua maua mo i latou.
Ma sa ou vaai i e ua oti, laiti ma sili, Tu i luma o le Atua; ma na tatalaina tusi: ma ua tatala le isi tusi, O le tusi lena o le ola: ma o tagata oti na faamasinoina mai i na mea sa tusia i tusi, e tusa ma a latou galuega. Ona tuu mai lea e le sami o e na oti sa i ai; Ma o le oti ma le leai o seoli na lafo i luga o tagata oti lea sa i ai: ma sa faamasinoina i latou uma e tusa ma a latou galuega. Ma o le oti ma le tuuaiga na lafoina i le vaituloto. O le lona lua o le oti lea. Ma o se tasi lava na le maua tusitusiga i le tusi o le ola na lafo i le pa lepaʻu (Revelations 20:10-15)
This is what John was talking about. John knew Jesus Christ, o le Alo o le Atua, Ma lona mana. He shared his knowledge with the Pharisees and Sadducees. He knew that Jesus could baptize with the Holy Spirit. But he also knew that Jesus had the power to judge and baptize with eternal fire.
Jesus came to this earth, not as a Judge yet, but as a Savior. He came to save mankind from eternal death and torture and to reconcile them back to God.
Pe avea ea Iesu ma ou Faaola po o le Faamasino?
The father of this world(faiga) o le taufaasesē, a liar and he tries to captivate as many people as possible. He hates man (because they are the crown of God’s creation), and he wants to take them with him into the pool of fire, which is the eternal destination of him and his followers.
But Jesus loves you so much, He gave His life for you. He is the Truth in life, and all He wants is the best for you. Let Jesus become your Savior, and reconcile you to God. Let Him restore the union with the Father, that the devil stole. Pau le Auala i le Tama o Iesu Keriso.
Let therefore Jesus become your Savior instead of your Judge.
If you don’t accept Him as your Savior, then He will automatically become your Judge. When He becomes your Judge, your final destination will not be heaven, but hell. And when your final destination will be hell, you will be baptized with fire.
Let’s make the right choice, now that you still have the ability to make a choice, and make Jesus your Savior and Lord. Ou te folafola atu ia te oe, it will be the best thing you can ever do in life.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
