Bear 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 in keeping with 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 is cut down and thrown into the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞. 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.” - Matt 3:8-12
John the Baptist was speaking to the Pharisees and the Sadducees who wanted to be baptized in water.
John's baptism was meant for repentance. It is to repent (return) to God and His Kingdom (Matt 3:2).
For John, true repentance must bear fruit. If a tree does not bear fruit, it is cut down and thrown into the fire. In Matthew 7, it is consistent. A tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
So, every 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 is cut down and thrown into the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞. - Matt 7:17-19
Since only a healthy (good) tree can bear good fruit. A tree that does not bear good fruit must be a bad (diseased) tree. It means the person does not have true repentance.
One who does not have true repentance (believing in the Kingdom) will be thrown into the fire. Jesus is the One who will baptize them with fire.
...for John 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, but you will be 𝐛𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 not many days from now.” - Acts 1:5
For the believers (truly repented; bearing fruit as proof), Jesus baptizes them with the Holy Spirit (only), as shown in Acts 1.
If Jesus were to baptize believers with Holy Spirit AND fire, the Bible would have said in Acts 1, because it is drawing the parallelism from Matthew 3.
Repeated words, repeated principles and repeated passages are how we stay in context when it comes to interpretation of the Word of God.
Jesus baptizes those who bear good fruit (truly repented) with the Holy Spirit. And He baptizes those who bear bad fruit (did not repent) with fire.
Do not let the charismatic "Fire! Fire! Fire!" confuse you with the need for a baptism of fire. You only need the Holy Spirit.
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