John the
Baptizer predicted that the one who is to come will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16), and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples is symbolized as tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4).
Part of a crowd, a parade really, crossing the river and clambering up the far bank, each participant in turn accompanied by the wild
baptizer, John.
How did this beginning form John the
Baptizer into the prophet he would become?
Indeed, at the heart of Pentecostal spirituality lies the idea of the "Full Gospel," the template of Jesus Christ in his five-fold role as Saviour, Sanctifier,
Baptizer with the Spirit, Healer, and soon-coming King.
According to the church's website, the four symbols, which represent the four-fold ministries of Jesus, are explained as follows: 'the Saviour; the
Baptizer with the Holy Spirit; the Healer, and the Soon-Coming King.
Instead of focusing on the One whom the
Baptizer announces to come after him, the One who fills us in baptism with the Holy Spirit, we may be too concerned about the problems of daily life.
Baptizer John will don his persona, avail of east bank Bedouin skill or trade in clothing himself in camel, eat gleaned "product" (the honey may well be puddles of aphid defecation known in Israelite lore as manna, collected in Bedouin environmental ken today as man, a carbohydrate substance readily baked up into honey cakes), divine history and conjure message from the ghosts of the ground whence Abel cried and Rachel wept (Tabor, 9/2/12; Eisenberg, 15-6; Perkinson, 2013, 34, 173, 206n5).
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has been handed out the Order of St King Boris the
Baptizer, the highest order awarded by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the government press service has said.The award is usually given to politicians and orthodox church leaders who are considered to have significant contribution to the development of the church.Late Patriarch Maxim received the order in 1979, so did Russian Patriarchs Pimen (1974), Alexiy II (1998) and incumbent Kiril (2012).
In the Fourth Gospel, John the
Baptizer's disciples choose to follow Jesus not because of Jesus' direct invitation but because of John's proclamation in 1:36: "See, the Lamb of God!" and the disciples' own dogged curiosity.
John was not called the
Baptizer for nothing a[euro]" baptizing was his work and mission.
Cracked me up every time I thought about it--a full-immersion
baptizer by the name of Ernest Waters.
But a deeper repentance would, as John the
Baptizer said, "bring forth fruits worthy" of the word repentance.