690. The baptism performed by John represented the cleansing of the external man; but baptism as practised among Christians at the present time represents the cleansing of the internal man, which is his regeneration. That is why we read that John baptised with water, but the Lord baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire. So too John's baptism is called a baptism of repentance (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:4ff; Luke 3:3, 16; John 1:25-26, 33; Acts of the Apostles 1:22; 10:37; 18:25). The Jews who were baptised were nothing but external men, and the external man cannot become internal without faith in Christ. It may be seen in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts of the Apostles 19:3-6) that those who received John's baptism became internal men, when they accepted faith in Christ and were then baptised in the name of Jesus.