I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Parallel translations
- WEB I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
- BSB I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
- NKJV I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
- NASB I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
- NLT I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you 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
John contrasts his water baptism with the Messiah's baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus brings an inward, transforming work that John could only point toward.
Overview
Water baptism signified repentance, but only the Messiah can pour out the Spirit, fulfilling promises like Joel 2 and Ezekiel 36. This Spirit-baptism, realized at Pentecost and in every believer, brings new birth and cleansing from within. The verse highlights Jesus' superiority and His unique authority to give the very Spirit of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Acts 1:5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
- 1 Cor 12:13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
- Acts 19:4–6Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
- Acts 10:45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Acts 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
- Joel 2:28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
- Acts 11:15–16And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
- Ezek 36:25–27Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
- Prov 1:23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
- Isa 32:15Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
- Matt 3:11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
- Acts 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
- Isa 44:3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
- Titus 3:5–6Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 1:8 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.