By the way, do you notice John's differentiation there? It should settle this whole baptism issue.
John baptized Jews with water. Jews were very familiar with the practice of the Mikvah, the cleansing bath,water.
John washed Jews clean. He said the one that comes after him shall baptize with the holy ghost and with fire.
Jesus was God. We know through the OT passages and those in the new that God is a cleansing fire.
Hebrews 12:29For our God is a consuming fire.
And Jesus, who was also God, the word made flesh, is living water. Therefore, what John was describing as one who is coming is Jesus who will baptize with water and fire. Jesus was God, who is a consuming fire, and living water.
Further, we know Jesus did not Baptize anyone in water.
Yet, John said of Jesus' coming that he would baptize with water and fire.
And he did and does. As the water of life by which we shall never thirst. And as indwelling holy spirit fire, like unto what is recalled of the holy spirit lighting upon those gathered at Pentecost, Shavout. Acts 2.
Matthew 3: 11-12 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
If John the baptist is to be believed then what he said of the coming Jesus did not happen as John promised if we insist liquid water Baptism is compulsory to insure our Salvation given Jesus himself never baptized anyone.
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/The-Water-Of-Life
John 7:38-39
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 4:14
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Proverbs 18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Psalm 110:7
He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head.
Isaiah 12:3
Therefore you will joyously draw water
From the springs of salvation.
Genesis 3:22-24
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Revelation 22:1-2
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Ezekiel 47:9
It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
John 4:13
Jesus answered and said to her, “
Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7:39
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.