“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:38
What Jesus commanded
Before He ascended, Jesus told His disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).
Notice the word name. It is singular. Jesus did not say “in the names.” Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not names. They are titles, the way a man can be a father, a son and a husband and still carry one name. The command was to baptize in the one Name that belongs to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
How the apostles obeyed it
The apostles heard that command from the Lord’s own lips, and the Book of Acts shows exactly how they carried it out. Every recorded baptism in the early church was in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ:
- Acts 2:38. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter commanded the Jews to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Acts 8:16. The Samaritans “were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- Acts 10:48. Peter commanded the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house “to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
- Acts 19:5. Disciples at Ephesus who had been baptized unto John’s baptism were baptized again “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
The last example matters. Those men had already been baptized by immersion, unto repentance, under a true prophet of God. Paul still had them baptized again in the Name of the Lord Jesus. That shows how seriously the early church took the Name.
Why the Name
The Father’s Name is Jesus. Jesus said, “I am come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43). The angel told Joseph to call the Son’s name JESUS (Matthew 1:21). And the Holy Ghost is sent in His Name (John 14:26). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
Baptism using the titles “Father, Son and Holy Ghost” in place of the Name came into the church after the days of the apostles. We baptize the way the apostles did.
How we baptize
- By immersion. Baptism is a burial with Christ (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), so the believer is put fully under the water.
- After repentance and faith. Baptism is “the answer of a good conscience toward God” (1 Peter 3:21). It is for those old enough to repent and believe.
- In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you would like to be baptized, please speak with the pastor or use the contact page.