Homilies on Luke — Homily 24 (Luke 3:16)
Latin source: Origen's Greek homilies on Luke, surviving only in Jerome's Latin translation (c. 391), from the reading text of M. Rauer (ed.), Origenes Werke IX (GCS 35, Leipzig, 1930). This English translation is released into the public domain.Concerning what is written: "I indeed baptize you with water", up to the place where he says: "he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire".
The people received John, who was lesser than Christ, supposing and pondering "whether perhaps he himself were the Christ"; but him who came as "greater" than John they did not receive. Do you wish to know the reason? Learn it: John's baptism was visible, Christ's baptism was invisible. "For I", he says, "baptize you with water; but he who comes after me is greater than I, and he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire". When does Jesus baptize "with the Holy Spirit", and again, when does he baptize "with fire"? Does he baptize both "with the Spirit and with fire" at one and the same time, or at a distinct and different time? "But you", he says, "shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence". The apostles were baptized "with the Holy Spirit" after his ascension into the heavens; but that they were baptized "with fire", Scripture does not record. But just as John, beside the river Jordan, awaited those coming to the baptism, and drove others away, saying: "brood of vipers" and the rest, while those who confessed their vices and sins he received, so the Lord Jesus Christ will stand in the river of fire beside the "flaming sword", so that whoever, after the departure from this life, desires to pass over to paradise and has need of cleansing, he may baptize with that stream and send across to the things longed for; but him who does not have the sign of the earlier baptisms he will not baptize with the fiery washing. For it is fitting that one first be baptized "with water and the Spirit", so that, when he comes to the fiery river, he may show that he has kept both the washings of water and of the Spirit, and then may deserve to receive also the baptism of fire in Christ Jesus: to whom is glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.