What words need to be spoken at my baptism and does it make a difference?
What words need to be spoken at my baptism? this is a most contentious subject and one that has caused arguments and divisions for years but for me, it’s quite simple.
On one hand, we have the belief that when you are baptised it should be done in the “name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. Which is quite understandable because it’s what Jesus said to His disciples.
On the other hand you have those that believe in baptism in “the name of Jesus”. The question is where did they get this notion from because that’s not what Jesus said, or is it?
This needs closer examination I think as it sounds like it could be a quite crucial part of the salvation plan of God.
In the Name of the Father
The statement made by Jesus was people should be baptised in the “name” singular, not names plural. That tells me that there is one name that is common to the three titles that He mentioned.
Now before you start going off on a tangent saying, “I knew it he’s one of them Jesus only freaks”. Let me just make it clear that I believe there’re three aspects to the one and only true God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
That being said, the one name that is common to all three titles is Jesus. Let’s just prove that using scripture before we move on.
The book of John starts by telling us that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It then goes on to say that everything was created by the Word. So the Word then was and is the creator, so He must be the Father right? The God that created the heavens and the earth, yeah?
Hold on let’s just remind ourselves of what Genesis say in the first verse?
Gen 1:1, In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
The Word is God And Jesus At the Same Time
Right so the Word then is the same God from Genesis, but if we look further down in John chapter one, verse fourteen what does it say?
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
So is this saying that God (the Word) became a human being like us? I think so. Well, what is the name of that Son, of course, it’s Jesus, so we could then say it would make sense to apply the name Jesus to the term “in the name of the Father”.
Other verses leave us with no doubt, like John 10:30 where Jesus says “me and my Father are one”. Jesus makes it plain that there is no distinction between Him and the Father.
On this evidence alone I’m prepared to declare that Jesus is not only the Son but He is also the Father!
In the Name of the Holy Ghost
But what about the Holy Ghost I hear you ask, yes indeed what about the Holy Ghost?
let’s get one thing clear from the outset, the Holy Spirit is not an “it”, the Holy Spirit is a He, a person and an equal part of the Godhead. This can be seen in many scriptures that refer to the Holy Spirit, for example, John 14:17.
Joh 14:17 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.
Here Jesus addresses His disciples and tells them that they are looking at the Holy Spirit who lives with them and is soon to be living in them, or what about John 14:26?
Joh 14:26 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.
“The father will send the Holy Spirit in my name”, I don’t know about you but for me, it couldn’t be much plainer. The last scripture I will draw your attention to is found in 1 John 5:7
1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
The Name Common to All Three
I rest my case they are all one. The name that is common to all three is most definitely Jesus. but if you talk to those that are convinced that three titles must be repeated at the point of baptism, they will tell you that Jesus said that we should do it that way in Matt 28:19 so that’s how they’re going to do it.
My problem with this school of thought is why is there no evidence of anyone doing it that way in the bible? I challenge anyone to show me a verse where this happened.
Not even the disciples whom Jesus spoke to did it that way, why was this? Were they just disobedient? Or was it that they just didn’t have the intellect that we have nowadays, is that what it is, are we cleverer than they were?
When I think about the thousands of people that the disciples alone baptised in the name of Jesus I struggled to believe that they got it wrong, in fact on the day of Pentecost just after the disciple experienced the magnificent infilling of the Holy Spirit as was promised to them by Jesus.
Peter Was Filled With The Holy Spirit
Peter, full of the Holy Ghost preached Jesus to a crowd of over 3000 people and when they were pricked in their hearts and believed they asked what do we have to do to be saved?
Now for all those that think after believing and having faith there’s nothing else that is needed, pay attention to what Peter says in Acts 2:38 to all these new believers.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised 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
Peter who was given the commission by Jesus to go into the world teaching and baptising, told them they needed to: (1) Repent, (2) Be Baptised for forgiveness of Sins and (3) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit(Acts 2:38).
Over 3000 people took Peter at his word and were baptised right there and then in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter didn’t think that it was enough for these 3000 people to just believe. The fact he and the other disciples must have spent hours baptising people in name of Jesus proves this.
Peter didn’t say “it’s ok I can see that you all believe so just say this prayer and you’re saved”. Neither did he say, “be baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.
Some will still say, “well I prefer to do what Jesus said not what Peter did”. I would say one last thing on the subject.
When Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit on that day, it was the Him who spoke through Peter. We have already ascertained that the Holy Spirit is Jesus, so by following what Peter said you are doing what Jesus requires you to do.
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. Luke 12:12
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. John 14:26
So I think you will agree that it must have been the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter.
There isn’t Salvation In Any Other Name
Also, think on this verse from Colossians;
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Paul thought it Necessary to baptise certain Disciples Again.
Paul went to Ephesus and saw certain disciples there and asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. They had not even heard of Him So Paul asked them how they had been baptised.
They had been baptised unto repentance so Paul re-baptised them in the name of Jesus. He then laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost.(Acts 19:1-6)
Hold on a minute! isn’t this the same guy that wrote the letter to the Romans? Why isn’t he telling them that it’s ok because it’s obvious that they already believe? They‘ve gone as far as to be baptised by John Don’t they just need to say the sinner’s prayer then?
Paul thought that baptism was necessary and what they were baptised into made a big difference. So what is it about the name of Jesus that made it so essential Paul and Peter?
The Lord is Salvation
The name Jesus means “The Lord is Salvation”. It was derived from the name for God in the Hebrew language “Yeshua”. Yeshua means Salvation in Hebrew and is the word that the name Yahweh came from.
The name Jesus is the English pronunciation of the Greek name “Yesous” or the Latin version “Iesus”. Whichever way you look at it the name Jesus means Salvation. The book of Acts in chapter four says it like this;
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Act 4:12
Luke quotes the words of Jesus as saying; “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47) There we go with the name thing again!
Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost referred to in Matthew 28:19, is baptism in Jesus name.
Written By
Pastor Donovan Benjamin