Baptism in the name of Jesus

The Jesus' name doctrine or the Oneness doctrine upholds that baptism is to be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ,"^[1] rather than using the Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."^[2][3] It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great Commission among other precepts such as instances in the Old Testament.^[4][5][6][7]

Those who ascribe to the Oneness doctrine believe that "Jesus" is the name of God revealed in the New Testament and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three manifestations or titles of the one God.

History

Early Christianity

The first baptisms in early Christianity are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2 records the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, preaching to the crowds to "repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins" (Acts 2:38). Other detailed records of baptisms in Acts show the first apostles baptizing in the name of Jesus.^{[8][9][10][11]} The Apostle Paul also refers to baptism into Christ Jesus.^[12]

According to Oneness theologian David K. Bernard, the Trinitarian formula from Matthew 28:19 became popularized over time.^[13] The Didache, a church manual dating to the first century on the other hand,^[14] instructs baptism to be done "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," according to the Great Commission, though eucharistic instruction states "but let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name." This, according to Oneness Pentecostals, could be a reference to early century "Jesus name" baptism against the Trinitarian formula often interpreted as according to the authority of Jesus.^[15][5] Contrasting, Roman Catholic scholarship supports the "authority" argument.^[16]

Modern Christianity

Charles Parham, one of the central figures in the development and early spread of American Pentecostalism, is recorded to have baptised new believers in Jesus name during the Azusa Street Revival.^[17] The controversy occurred when R.E. McAlister preached just prior to a baptismal service to be conducted at the World-Wide Apostolic Faith Camp Meeting held in Arroyo Seco, California. He preached that pastors should stop baptising in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and only baptize in Jesus’ name because that was what the early Church did; this became known as "The New Issue". In 1914, a year after McAlister gave his sermon over baptism, Frank Ewart and Glenn Cook rebaptised each other in the name of Jesus. This led a number of adherents to a reexamination of the doctrine of the Trinity, birthing the Oneness Pentecostal movement.

Theology

Most adherents of the Jesus' name doctrine assert that baptism in the name of Jesus is the proper method, and most (but not all) feel that baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is invalid because Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names but titles.^[18] Alternatively, the name of the Son is Jesus, so it is argued the actual name Jesus should be used; Jesus is the name of the Son, and arguably also the name of the Father and Holy Ghost.

There are a number of nontrinitarian scholars who claim that the development of baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is a post-Apostolic Age interpolation and corruption and that the "Trinitarian" clause in Matthew 28:19 was added in the 2nd/3rd century.^[19][20] They cite as evidence that no record exists in the New Testament of someone being baptised with the Trinitarian formula, using literal interpretation. While this view supports those who baptise in Jesus' name, this point is not heavily contested. Those who assume the authenticity of Matthew 28:19, explain the command is correctly fulfilled by baptising "in the name of Jesus Christ."

Views

The views of mainstream Christianity to Jesus' name baptism is varied. The Roman Catholic Church states that only Trinitarian baptisms are valid.^[21] While it does consider other baptismal formulae to be acceptable, since they were accepted by theologians of the past, the key requirement is that the baptism must have been performed by a church which (or, a person who) believes in the Trinity. Pope Nicholas I wrote to the Bulgarians that a person is not to be rebaptised who has already been baptised "in the name of the Holy Trinity or in the name of Christ only".^[22]

Martin Luther in his Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church describes disagreements over the wording of the baptism as "pedantry," arguing that baptism "truly saves in whatever way it is administered, if only it is administered not in the name of man, but in the name of the Lord." On baptisms specifically in the name of Jesus, Luther notes, "it is certain the apostles used this formula in baptizing, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles," citing Acts 2:38; 10:48; and 19:5.^[23] Among other Trinitarian or mainstream Christians (specifically Protestants), The Baptist Standard Confession of 1660 declares baptisms in the name of "Jesus Christ" to be valid (both statements by Luther and Baptists predating Oneness Pentecostal theological underpinnings as Trinitarians, by their understanding on Jesus' authority in contrast with Oneness theology).^[24]

Notable adherents

• All Oneness Pentecostals, who adhere to a nontrinitarian view of the Godhead, baptise using the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of a confessing believer's sins.^[25]

See also

• Baptism
• Oneness Christology
• Nontrinitarianism
• Oneness Pentecostalism
• United Pentecostal Church International
• Swedenborgianism

References

1. "Baptism in Jesus' Name". www.onenesspentecostal.com. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
2. "BBC - Religions - Christianity: The Trinity". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
3. "What the Early Church Believed: God in Three Persons". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
4. "Statement of Faith". CFM Global. from the original on 2020-05-29. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
5. "Must baptism be "in Jesus' name"?". Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry. 2008-12-08. from the original on 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2022-01-09. Let's take a look at what is going on in the verses. The phrase, "in the name of the Lord," is not a reference to a baptismal formula but a reference to authority. It is similar to hearing someone say, "Stop in the name of the Law!" We understand that the "name of the Law" means by the authority of the Law. It is the same with baptism "in Jesus' name." To baptize in Jesus' name is to baptize in the authority of Jesus.
6. Damato, Catherine. "The Trinity in the Old Testament". jewsforjesus.org. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
7. Roberts, Alastair (2020-03-09). "Where Is the Trinity in the Old Testament?". Desiring God. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
8. Acts 8:16
9. Acts 10:48
10. Acts 19:5
11. Acts 22:16
12. Romans 6:3
13. Bernard, David (30 September 2000). "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost". The Oneness of God (PDF). Word Aflame Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-912315-12-6. Retrieved 1 November 2021. Many encyclopedias and church historians agree that the original baptismal formula in early church history was "in the name of Jesus."
14. O'Loughlin, Thomas (2011-02-15). The Didache: A window on the earliest Christians. SPCK. ISBN 978-0-281-06493-9.
15. Bernard, David (30 September 2000). "Oneness Believers in Church History". The Oneness of God (PDF). Word Aflame Press. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-912315-12-6. Retrieved 1 November 2021. ...an early writing called the Didache says communion should be administered only to those who are baptized in the name of the Lord, but it also mentions baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
16. "Why Don't We Baptize in the Name of Jesus?". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
17. Johnston, Robin (2010). Howard A. Goss - A Pentecostal Life. Word Aflame Press. ISBN 978-0757740299.
18. Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund (2007). The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New York: Lexington Books. pp. 123–124. ISBN 978-0-7391-2102-3.
19. "The Singular "Name" of Matthew 28:19 is Not Theologically Significant". www.onenesspentecostal.com. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
20. Ritchie, Steven (2016-10-22). "The DIDACHE – Can We Trust It?". Apostolic Christian Faith. from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2022-01-09.
21. "A New Response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Validity of Baptism". www.vatican.va. from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2022. Baptism conferred in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit conforms to the command of the Lord found at the end of Matthew's Gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19). The Church has no right to change what Christ himself has instituted. Therefore, any Baptism is invalid when it does not contain the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity, with the distinct expression of the three Persons with their respective names.
22. "Catholic Encyclopedia - see section on "form"". New Advent. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
23. Erik H. Herrmann (1 August 2016). Paul W. Robinson (ed.). The Annotated Luther, Volume 3: Church and Sacraments. Fortress Press. p. 66. ISBN 1451465092.
24. Sam Hughey. "The Baptist Standard Confession of 1660". The Reformed Reader. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
25. . Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2013-01-09.

External links

• Baptism in Jesus' Name