Idiom – Baptism by Fire

Baptism by Fire – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

A difficult introduction to a new job or activity.

Origin:

The phrase baptism by fire is rooted in the Bible’s Matthew 3:11. The following passage is from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

The phrase was originally synonymous with a personal ordeal that someone went through. In Biblical and Christian references, a baptism by fire is also used to describe the martyrdom of an individual. As time progressed, the phrase was used to describe a soldier’s first time at war, with the battle representing the soldier’s baptism. In most cases, baptism by fire is still used as a wartime reference.

Examples:

1. The first year as an analyst is a baptism by fire for any aspiring investment banker.
2. As a soldier, your first field operation is a baptism by fire, where you will find out if you can handle life-or-death situations. 
3. My probation period was my baptism by fire when I was put on the front desk to handle hordes of angry clients.