The Meaning of Baptism

John the Baptist baptized the people with water, but he said that the one who was to come after him would baptize with fire. What is the meaning of this, for in the material world, these two elements are contrary the one to the other, and then, if Christians take the water literally, they ought also to take the fire literally. The meaning is this: as everything in the material world has its beginning of life in water, so water is a type of the beginning of the spiritual life -- the new birth, which also John preached when he exhorted people to repent, and so their hearts were changed from material desires to a living faith in God. When the soul has begun this new life, then the fire of the love of God will purify them into a higher condition. (Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as recorded by the second party of American Baha'is to visit Akka, Palestine: Edward and Lua Getsinger, Arthur and Elizabeth Dodge and William and Anna Hoar; ‘Prayers, Tablets, Instructions and Miscellany’, Chicago: Adair Press, 1900. p. 52 )

The spread of the divine “light” -- comparison between Christ and Baha'u'llah

See how the light of Christ's shining star took three hundred years to shed its rays on the world, whereas the light of Baha’u’llah has permeated all regions in less than half a century. His cause has been spread in every country and the mention of Baha’u’llah made in every tongue. In nearly every country there is an assembly of friends from Teheran to Paris, to San Francisco, to Japan. This is a different age and light is spreading with great rapidity. (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a talk given in Paris in 1913, ‘Abdu’l-Baha on Divine Philosophy’ compiled by Isabel Fraser Chamberlain, 1918, The Tudor Press, Boston, Mass., approved by Baha'i committee on publications)