Tertullian, On Baptism 10

I have said as much as my limited ability allows about everything that constitutes the religion of Baptism; now I will move on, as best I can, to its remaining aspects, touching on a few minor questions. Baptism, announced by John, already faced a question posed by the Lord himself to the Pharisees: was that Baptism heavenly or earthly? They could not give a consistent answer, because they did not understand, because they did not believe. For our part, we can only gauge it with as much understanding as we have faith; we judge that Baptism was indeed divine, but by command, not by power. We read that John was sent by the Lord to that office, yet his condition remained human (John 3:31). He displayed nothing heavenly; rather, he served heavenly things, appointed to administer repentance, which lies within human power. Finally, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, who refused to believe, also refused to undergo repentance. If repentance is human, then the Baptism attached to it must share that same condition; otherwise, it would have conferred both the Holy Spirit and the remission of sins, had it been heavenly. But it forgives no sin and grants no Spirit—God alone does that. Even the Lord himself declared that the Spirit would not descend unless he first ascended to the Father. What the Lord was not yet bestowing, a servant could certainly not supply. We see this confirmed afterward in the Acts of the Apostles: those who had received John's Baptism had not received the Holy Spirit; they had not even heard of him. Therefore, it was not heavenly, because it did not exhibit heavenly gifts. The very thing that was heavenly in John—the spirit of prophecy—failed completely after the full transfer of the Spirit to the Lord, so much so that John, who had predicted the Coming One and identified him, later sent to ask whether he himself was the one. Thus, the Baptism of repentance was administered as a candidate for the remission and sanctification in Christ that would follow. When he preached a Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, he announced a remission still future. Repentance precedes; remission follows. That is what it means to prepare the way: the one who prepares does not himself complete the work, but arranges for another to complete it. John himself confesses that his gifts are not heavenly, but Christ's, saying: "He who is from the earth speaks from the earth; he who comes from above is above all" (John 3:31). He baptized only in repentance; the One coming soon would baptize in Spirit and fire. Clearly, true and steadfast faith in the water brings baptism for salvation; counterfeit and weak faith brings baptism in fire for judgment (Acts 19:1-6).