For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Parallel translations
- WEB For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
- KJV For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
- NKJV for John truly baptized with water,but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
- NASB for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
- NLT John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus contrasts John's water baptism with the imminent baptism in the Holy Spirit. It points forward to Pentecost as the decisive outpouring of the Spirit.
Overview
John's baptism prepared the way, but the Spirit's baptism would bring the promised new-covenant reality. 'Not many days from now' anticipates Pentecost, fulfilled in chapter 2. This baptism in the Spirit equips the church for witness and unites believers to Christ's ongoing work.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Matt 3:11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- Acts 11:15–16As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.
- 1 Cor 12:13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
- Luke 3:16John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- Titus 3:5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:1–4When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
- Mark 1:8I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
- Acts 10:45All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
- Acts 2:16–21No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
- John 1:31I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
- Joel 2:28–32And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- Acts 19:4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
- Joel 3:18And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD to water the Valley of Acacias.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 1:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.