Baptism in the name of Jesus

Matthew 28:19,20 (KJV) is the foundation for this idea: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This seems to be a teaching to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (a.k.a. the Baptismal Formula). The disciples are to teach the converts to do all that Jesus had commanded them and He would be with them always, even to the end of the world–how could anyone get confused with such a plain command? True, we do not want to build a whole doctrine on only one text. If it is so plain a command, we should see this followed out in the other gospels, and the many examples of baptisms in other places in the Bible. So first let us compare the four gospels.

Hmmm? It seems that baptizing in the name of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is “Biblical” at least in the sense that it is in there in this translation. On the other hand, it also seems that it is important to preach the gospel in His Name to all however, the other three gospels leave out The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in connection with baptism–but this is not yet proof however that we should not follow the example of Matthew 28:19.

When we compare Scripture with Scripture, the weight of evidence does not support the baptismal “formula” of Matthew 28:19. This leaves us in a position where we must ask what is Biblical and likely separate from those who love simplicity. What do we do with Matthew 28:19, Father Son, and Holy Ghost? What does history have to say?

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: “The New Testament knows only baptism in the name of Jesus… which still occurs even in the second and third centuries.” , (1957 edition) Vol. 1 p. 435

“Jesus, however, cannot have given his disciples this Trinitarian order of baptism after his resurrection; for the New Testament knows only baptism in the name of Jesus (Acts ii, 38; vii,16; xix,5; Gal. iii, 27; Rome. vi, 3;1 Cor. i,13-15), which still occurs even in the second and third centuries, while the Trinitarian formula occurs only in Matt. Xxviii, 19 and then only again Didache vii, 1 and Justin, Apol., I, 61. It is unthinkable that the Apostolic Church thus disobeyed the express command of the Lord, which it otherwise considered the highest authority. Occurrences like those of Acts xix, 1-7 aught to have shown that the prescribed formula of baptism could not have been shortened to “the name of the Lord Jesus,” if the character of baptism was to be retained as commanded. Judging from 1 Cor. I, 14-17, Paul did not know Matt.xxviii,19; otherwise he could not have written that Christ had sent him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” (1914 edition), Vol. 1, Article: Baptism

Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: “The evidence… suggests that baptism in the early Christianity was administered, not in the threefold name, but ‘in the name of Jesus.’” (1962, Vol. 1 p. 351)

I find this next quote from the Catholics Encyclopedia particularly revealing: “Catholics acknowledge that baptism in Jesus’ name was changed by the Catholic Church.” Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.2, page 377

What I personally have found troubling is when I look for examples of disciples using the baptismal formula as in Matthew 28:19 there are no examples: All the examples regarding baptism show a different formula: – repent, and be baptized in the name of Yeshua, for the remission of sins.

For two years I struggled and wrestled with much prayer over Matthew 28:19. I tried to make sense of why I was seeing such a direct contradiction between Matthew 28:19 and the rest of the Bible so I just set this contradiction aside and told YHWH, “I don’t get it!” I was uncomfortable with basing a whole doctrine on one text, especially when there are many more verses to the contrary. Yet I was also unwilling to throw out the one verse. (Matthew 28:19)

Then, one Sabbath we were visiting with new friends and they had a different Bible, the Hebrew Roots Bible translation, which is based on the older Hebrew manuscript rather than the later Greek translations. So I asked our friend to read Matthew 28:19 in her Bible. And wouldn’t you know it, the conflicting verse was reconciled to all the other verses regarding baptism. The whole problem or contradiction centers around punctuation. In English, the whole meaning of the text is changed by the added punctuation. The Hebrew/English version reads as following:

“18 And coming up Yahshua talked with them, saying, All authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Me. 19 Then having gone, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, 20 and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20, HRB)

There is no comma, or colon after the words ”Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost,” depending on which version you read from. This changes the whole meaning. Rendered this way, we are to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son. Then the Spirit, (the Spirit of Yeshua) will teach those newly baptized all things. What things? – The things that Yeshua has commanded us. Who will be with us always? Yeshua himself will be with us through his own Spirit. Does this fit with the rest of the Bible?

1 John 2:20-27 (KJV): 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. [(no mention of the Holy Spirit here)] 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

This is similar to what Matthew 28:20 says, “…lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

John 14:15-21 (KJV): 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [These are the same words as Matthew 28:20 “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”, speaking of himself – Jesus] 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [Jesus was with them at that time, and would be with them in the future. This is what the next verse says.] 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. [Jesus will manifest himself to us, by living in us by His own Spirit.]

John 14:23-31 (KJV): 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [Here we see the Father and the Son coming into the believer who keeps Jesus’ words, and they, the Father and Son will “come into him, and make Our (the Father and Son’s) abode with him (the believer)”]. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. [Whose peace do we receive? – Jesus’ peace is what we receive, and Jesus gives it.] 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. [Who comes again unto us? – Jesus does.] If ye loved  me [Jesus], ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; [Does Jesus ever say “I love the Spirit?” – no, but rather “I love the Father”] and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

So then, back to the question of the baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19.  There are plenty of texts that contradict the Matthew 28:19 formula, and since Matthew 28:19 is the only text that states this, it seems to me that one should not be too dogmatic about saying this is the only way in which to baptize. This position of baptizing in the “name of The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” becomes even more shaky, when we consider the fact that the text could read very differently depending on the punctuation markings. We also recognize that these markings were added to the text much later in time, and we also consider that the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts do not have any punctuation markings at all.

These are some of the discoveries I have come to realize as I have been looking at what I believe, and examining it closely under the finely tuned microscope of the Scriptures. It is easy to continue believing what I have always thought to be Biblical but when I test the foundation of each belief against the Scriptures sometimes I have to give up things I thought to be true and replace them with what the Bible really says. After being corrected in this way so many times I am OK with this; after all, if the Bible does not change us and grow us in our understanding of YHWH’s plans and warnings for our life then what is the point of claiming to follow YHWH’s teachings? By the grace of YHWH I seek to know Him, and to enter into His truth as revealed through His Living Word, Yahshua, and His written Word the Bible. On these two things I choose to stand.