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Should we baptized "in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit"
or "in the name of Jesus"?
The proper form of baptism is in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as Jesus designated in Matt. 28:19, "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The clear
command of Jesus is to baptize this way. But, if that is so, then
why do we see so many instances in the New Testament where people were
baptized "in Jesus' name"?
- Acts 2:38, "And Peter said to
them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
- Acts 10:48, "And he ordered
them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they
asked him to stay on for a few days."
- Acts 19:5, "And when they heard
this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
The reason
they were baptizing "in the name of Jesus" is not because it was a
formula, but because the phrase, "in the name of" means "in the
authority of. We can see proof of this in Acts 4:7-10,
"And when they had placed them
in the center, they began to inquire, 'By what power, or in what
name, have you done this?' 8 Then Peter, filled with the
Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, 9
if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how
this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of
you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the
dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.'"
The Jews asked
"by what power, or in what name, have you done this?" Peter
answers and says that it was in the name of Jesus, that they had healed.
In other words, "in the name of Jesus" means that it is by the power and
authority found in Christ. We can see this usage many places in
the New Testament.
- Acts 3:1 "But Peter said, “I
do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:
In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
- Acts 16:18, And she continued
doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned
and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ
to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment."
- 1 Cor. 5:4-5, "In the name of
our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in
spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to
deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that
his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
- 1 Cor. 6:11, And such were some
of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the
Spirit of our God."
-
Eph. 5:20, "always giving
thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to
God, even the Father."
- 2 Thess. 3:6, "Now we command
you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not
according to the tradition which you received from us."
As you can
see, "in the name of the Lord Jesus" and "in the name of Jesus" speaks
of "in the authority of Jesus." Therefore, when someone is
properly baptized, they are baptized in the name of Jesus; that is, by
the authority of Jesus. Therefore, when they are properly baptized
in the name of Jesus, they should say, "I baptize you in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," just as Jesus commanded us to do.
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