690. Now, the baptism of John represented a cleansing of the outer self, but the baptism that is practiced among Christians today represents a cleansing of the inner self, that is, our undergoing regeneration. This is why we read that John baptized with water but the Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire; for this reason the baptism of John is called "a baptism of repentance" (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:4 and following; Luke 3:3, 16; John 1:25-26, 33; Acts of the Apostles 1:22; 10:37; ; ; ]).

The Jews who were baptized were purely external people; without faith in Christ, external people cannot become internal people. Those who were baptized with the baptism of John became internal people when they accepted faith in Christ and were baptized in the name of Jesus, as we see in Acts of the Apostles 19:3-6.

'Word,' as in Isaiah 9:8, signifies the doctrine of internal and external worship. 'Word,' as in Psalms 119:6-17, stands for doctrine in general.

'The Word,' as in Psalms 147:18, signifies divine good united with divine truth.

The whole Word is nothing but the doctrine of love towards the Lord, and love towards our neighbor, as in Matthew 22.

(सन्दर्भ: Arcana Coelestia 1288)