Fragments on Luke · §3 · John of Damascus

Why Christ is said to baptize with fire

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John of Damascus is explaining why Scripture says Christ baptizes with fire, after having just said the Spirit is God and God is a consuming fire.

This is why Christ is said to baptize with fire: because he poured out the grace of Christ on his holy disciples in the form of fiery tongues, or because of the punishing character of the fire to come.

Greek

∆ιὰ τοῦτο πυρὶ λέγεται βαπτίζειν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐπειδὴ ἐν εἴδει πυρίνων

γλωττῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους αὐτοῦ μαθητὰς τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριν ἐξέχεεν, ἢ διὰ τὸ τοῦ

μέλλοντος πυρὸς κολαστικόν.

About this text

A brief note by John of Damascus on why Christ is said to baptize with fire: the tongues of fire on the apostles, or the punishing fire to come.

This brief exegetical note is attributed to John of Damascus.

The note argues that the Spirit descends upon the apostles, that the Spirit is God, and that God is a consuming fire. Christ is said to baptize with fire because he poured out the grace of Christ on the holy disciples in the form of fiery tongues, or because of the punishing fire to come.

The final baptism is not saving but destructive of evil, and it punishes endlessly.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 94-96; Fragmenta in Lucam (Greek)

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