Website owner:  James Miller

John the Baptist preached a fire-and-brimstone message



   The Bible tells us that God sent John the Baptist to prepare 
   the way for Jesus.  Jesus fully endorsed the preaching of John 
   the Baptist and was baptised by him.  What kind of message did 
   John the Baptist preach?  It was a fire-and-brimstone message;
   a message warning of hellfire and damnation for the wicked. Let 
   us quote:

   In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness 
   of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at 
   hand!"

   For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, 
   saying:

   "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare 
   the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight."

   Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather 
   belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 
   Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan 
   went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, 
   confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees 
   and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Brood of 
   vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 
   Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to 
   say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I say 
   to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from 
   these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the 
   trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is 
   cut down and thrown into the fire.     Matt 3:1-10

   So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He 
   answered and said to them, He who has two tunics, let him give 
   to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise. 
   Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, 
   "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no 
   more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers 
   asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, 
   "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content 
   with your wages."

   Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in 
   their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John 
   answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but 
   One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not 
   worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and 
   fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly 
   clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His 
   barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

   And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.    
   Luke 3:10-18 

   Fire-and-brimstone preaching is not much in fashion today.  
   That is probably because most preachers today don't really 
   believe in a hell and the fire of eternal punishment.  But John 
   the Baptist taught it.  And so did Jesus.  Jesus taught the 
   same message of repentance for the remission of sins as did 
   John the Baptist.


   Aug 2011




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