A Discourse on Baptism in the Name of Jesus

A Discourse on Baptism in the Name of Jesus simply-a-christian.com

Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Baptismal Formulas... 3 Historical Context of Immersion... 4 On the Greek Word κύριος... 5 Did the Lord Jesus Christ Baptize Anyone?... 7 The Significance of the Phrase In the name of... 8 References...12

Unless otherwise noted, all proper names are written according to traditional English nomenclature for simplicity of understanding for all audiences. Introduction There is much debate concerning the meaning of baptism in the name of Jesus. One reason for the debate is the difference in baptismal formulas recorded in the New Testament in Matt. 28:19 and Acts 2:38. Some Christians only consider a baptism to be valid when the baptist states in the name of Jesus while performing the baptism. For example, Oneness Pentecostal David K. Bernard wrote, 1 The Oneness Pentecostal movement understands these passages as descriptive of the baptismal formula. That is, we should actually invoke or utter the name of Jesus when baptizing a person. Furthermore, he wrote, 2 In conclusion, the New Testament teaches that water baptism should be performed in the name of Jesus, typically adding the title of Lord or Christ or both to identify the Lord Jesus Christ specifically. As a study of the Greek text confirms, baptism in the name of Jesus means to invoke the name of Jesus orally upon the candidate. Other Christians go as far as rejecting the authenticity of Matt. 28:19 altogether. The purpose of this discourse is to analyze the significance of the various baptismal formulas in the New Testament. In Matt. 28:19, it is written, Baptismal Formulas 19 Therefore, go and make students of all the Gentiles, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ΙΘʹ πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα TR, 1550 τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος 1 In the Name of Jesus. Ch. 7, p. 37 2 Ibid. Ch. 7, p. 40 3

However, in Acts 2:38, it is written, 38 Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ΛΗʹ Πέτρος δὲ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτούς Μετανοήσατε καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ λήψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ TR, 1550 ἁγίου πνεύματος The baptismal formula in Matt. 28:19 contains the preposition εἰς followed by the accusative τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ( the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit ). The baptismal formula in Acts 2:38 contains the preposition ἐπί followed by the dative τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ( the name of Jesus Christ ). How does one explain the difference in prepositions as well as the difference in names used in the baptismal formulas? With respect to the prepositions, there appears to be no difference in meaning between εἰς and ἐπί in the baptismal formula. Regarding the baptismal formula of in the name of Jesus, Acts 2:38 refers to people being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ using the phrase ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (note the pronoun ἐπί). while both Acts 8:16 and 19:5 refer to people being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus using the phrase εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ (note the pronoun εἰς). Thus, ἐπί and εἰς are evidently synonymous in the context of baptism. Historical Context of Immersion Typically when an individual was immersed ( baptized ) for the purpose of entering servitude, he was immersed by the individual who would be his master. 3 The master would push the head of the slave 4 under the water as a demonstration of his mastery over the slave. After the individual rose from the water, he was then considered to be the master s slave. This practice, known in Hebrew as טבילה לעבדות (tevila leavdut), or immersion for the purpose of slavery, is likely the basis for the immersion practiced by the apostles in the New Testament. 3 Hebrew א ד ון or ;ב ע ל Greek κύριος 4 Hebrew ;ע ב ד Greek δοῦλος 4

In the Mishneh Torah, Moshe ben Maimon described the practice of immersing (baptizing) converts and slaves. 5 Just as we circumcise and immerse 6 the converts, likewise we circumcise and immerse the slaves who are acquired from the Gentiles for the purpose of servitude... Therefore, his master must overcome him in water, until he arises and he is under his servitude. כ ש ם ש מ ול ין ומ ט ב יל ין א ת ה ג ר ים, כ ך מ ול ין ומ ט ב יל ין א ת ה ע ב ד ים ה נ ל ק ח ים ע ב ד ות... ל פ יכ ך צ ר י ך ר ב ו ל ת ק פ ו ב מ י ם, ע ד ש י ע ל ה ו ה וא ת ח ת ש ע ב וד ו ל ש ם ה ג וי ים מ ן On the Greek Word κύριος The New Testament states that Christians are the slaves (δοῦλοι) of Jesus Christ, 7 and therefore, Jesus Christ is their master (κύριος). 8 While many English translations translate the Greek word κύριος as lord, the word essentially means master, as in the master of a slave. BDAG wrote, 9 b w. a personal obj.: opp. δοῦλος J 13:16; foll. by gen. of pers. (cp. Judg 19:11; Gen 24:36; TestSol 22:5; TestJob 7:9; TestGad 4:4; JosAs 4:14) Mt 10:24f; 18:31f; 24:48; Lk 12:36. ὁ κ. τοῦ δούλου Lk 12:46. Abs., though the sense is unmistakable (Diod S 8, 5, 3; ApcEsdr 3:14 p. 27, 27f Tdf.) 12:37, 42b; 14:23; J 15:15; cp. Ro 14:4a; Eph 6:9a; Col 4:1. Several masters of the same slave (Billerb. I 430. TestJos 14:2): δυσὶν κυρίοις δουλεύειν Mt 6:24; Ac 16:16, 19 (s. Souter under a above). κατὰ σάρκα designates more definitely the sphere in which the service-relation holds true οἱ κατὰ σάρκα κ. Eph 6:5; Col 3:22. As a form of address used by slaves κύριε Mt 13:27; 25:20, 22, 24; Lk 13:8; 14:22; 19:16, 18, 20, 25. Joseph Henry Thayer wrote, 10 5 Mishneh Torah, Sefer Kedusha, Hilkhot Issurei Biʾah, Chapter 13, Halakha 11. 6 The verb immerse is a synonym for baptize. Hebrew ב ל ;ט Greek βαπτίζω. 7 cp. Phil. 1:1 8 cp. John 13:14 9 p. 576 10 p. 365 5

b. κύριος is a title of honor, expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants salute their master, Mt. 13:27; 25:20, 22; Lk. 13:8; 14:22, etc.; the disciples salute Jesus their teacher and master, Mt. 8:25; 16:22; Lk. 9:54; 10:17, 40; 11:1; 22:33, 38; Jn. 11:12; 13:6, 9, 13; 21:15 17, 20 sq., etc., cf. 20:13; Lk. 24:34; his followers salute Jesus as the Messiah, whose authority they acknowledge (by its repetition showing their earnestness [cf. W. 65, 5 a.]), κύριε, κύριε, Mt. 7:21; and R G in Lk. 13:25; employed, too, by a son in addressing his father, Mt. 21:30; by citizens towards magistrates, Mt. 27:63; by any one who wishes to honor a man of distinction, Mt. 8:2, 6, 8; 15:27; Mk. 7:28; Lk. 5:12; 13:25; Jn. 4:11, 15, 19; 5:7; 12:21; 20:15; Acts 9:5; 16:30; 22:8. LSJ wrote, 11 B. Subst. κύριος, ὁ, lord, master, τοῖσι κ. δωμάτων A.Ch.658, cf. 689, S.Aj.734, etc.; ὁ κ. alone, head of a family, master of a house (cf. Sch.Ar.Eq.965), Antipho 2.4.7, Ar.Pl.6, Arist.Pol.1269 b 10, τοὺς κ. τῶν οἰκιῶν PTeb.5.147 (ii B.C.), owner or secure possessor, εἰ τριακονταετὴς παρέλθοι χρόνος καὶ ἡ κατοχὴ κυρίους τοὺς λαβόντας καταστήσειε Just.Nov.22.24; also, guardian of a woman, Is.6.32, PGrenf.2.15 i 13 (ii B.C.), etc.: generally, guardian, trustee, Is.2.10; D.43.15, 46.19, Men.Epit.89, etc., (in later Gr. freq. written κῦρις or κύρις w. late vowel shortening, e.g. Vit.Aesop.(G)30), SEG31.830 (iv/v A.D.). The Greek word Χριστιανός, which is translated into English as Christian, means one who belongs to Christ, i.e., a slave of Christ. This word is formed from a combination of the Greek word Χριστός, usually translated as Christ (literally meaning anointed ), and the Hellenized form of the Latin suffix -ianus, that being, -ανός. Elias Joseph Bickerman wrote, 12 11 p. 1013 12 p. 146 6

Since Jesus Christ is the master of Christians and Christians are his slaves, then the New Testament should mention Jesus Christ personally baptizing (immersing) people for the purpose of making them his slaves. Did the Lord Jesus Christ Baptize Anyone? We are first told that the Lord Jesus Christ was baptizing in Judea. In John 3:22, it is written, 22 After these things, Jesus came, and his disciples, into the land of Judea, and he stayed with them there, and he baptized. ΚΒʹ μετὰ ταῦτα ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν γῆν καὶ ἐκεῖ διέτριβεν μετ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐβάπτιζεν TR, 1550 The Greek word ἐβάπτιζεν has a 3rd person, singular number subject, as the pluralnumbered conjugation would have been ἐβάπτιζον. Thus, it appears that only the Lord Jesus Christ baptized in the company of his disciples. However, not to long after, the author states that the Lord Jesus Christ himself did not baptize. In John 4:1-3, it is written, 1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus makes and baptizes more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but rather, his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again into Galilee. Αʹ ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ Κύριος ὅτι ἤκουσαν οἱ φαρισαῖοι ὅτι Ἰησοῦς πλείονας μαθητὰς ποιεῖ καὶ βαπτίζει ἢ Ἰωάννης Βʹ καίτοιγε Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν ἀλλ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ Γʹ ἀφῆκεν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν TR, 1550 7

At first it seemed as though the Lord Jesus Christ baptized, but the author later clarifies that it was the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ who baptized. If this is so, why did the author initially write that the Lord Jesus Christ baptized? The answer is that the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ baptized in the name of Jesus. The Significance of the Phrase In the name of Some may believe that the phrase in the name of Jesus simply means that the disciples uttered a baptismal formula that mentioned the name Jesus while they baptized people. However, this doesn t capture the entire meaning of the phrase. When an individual did anything in the name of another individual, it means that this action was performed with the authority of the individual in whose name the action was said to be performed. There s an example of this in the Book of Esther. In Est. 3:12, the author writes that a group of scribes were instructed to write a letter by Haman. This letter was addressed to the governors and rulers of the provinces. The letter is said to be written.( ב ש ם ה מ ל ך א ח ש ו ר ש ( Ahasuerus in the name of King 12 Then the king s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king s signet ring. NASB We know for certain that King Ahasuerus did not write the letter himself; rather, his scribes did, being instructed by Haman. However, the king s scribes wrote the letter with the authority of the king himself. Thus, it was as though the king himself had written the letter. The phrase in the name of is also used elsewhere in the Tanakh. The Levites in the Temple both ministered to the people and blessed them in the name of Yahveh 13 - with His authority. Prophets of the true God spoke in the name of Yahveh 14 - with 13 Deu. 18:5, 21:5 14 Deu. 18:20 8

His authority. King David s servants spoke to Nabal in the name of David 15 - with his authority. Perhaps the most common phrase in the Talmud is the expression in the name of that is, Rabbi Chagga said in the name,אמר רבי חגא בשם רבי יוסי example, For.(בשם) of Rabbi Yose... 16 Such an expression means that one person was speaking with the authority of another person, usually the individual s teacher from whom he learned. Regarding the Hebrew noun ם,ש Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius wrote, 17 in the name ב ש ם י י 3:12; Est. in any one s name, i.e. authority, Ex. 5:23; ב ש ם פ of Jehovah, by his authority, Jer. 11:21; 26:9 Regarding the Greek noun ὄνομα, the equivalent of the Hebrew noun ם,ש Joseph Henry Thayer wrote, 18 to do a thing ἐν ὀνόματί τινος, i.e. by one s command and authority, acting on his behalf, promoting his cause, [cf. W. 390 (365); B. 147, 10] In the New Testament, the Sanhedrin commanded the apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to neither teach 19 nor speak 20 in the name of Jesus, that is, with his authority. The apostles weren t incessantly saying in the name of Jesus to those they taught. Rather, they were teaching people the word of God with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, their master and teacher. When the Lord Jesus Christ was teaching in the Temple, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, With what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority? 21 The apostles exorcised demons in the name of Jesus 22 - with his authority. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ exorcised demons with his own authority. 23 This authority to teach, speak, exorcise demons, and to perform other acts was given to the apostles and disciples by the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Finally, the apostles 15 1 Sam. 25:9 16 Babylonian Talmud, Seder Nezikin, Tractate Bava Batra, Ch. 2, Folio 19b, Gemara 17 p. 832 (DCCCXXXII) 18 p. 447 19 Acts 4:18 20 Acts 5:40 21 Mat. 21:23 22 Acts 16:18 23 Mark 1:27 24 Luke 9:1-2 9

commanded others in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 25 - with his authority, not their own. All these scripture suggest that the person acting in the name of another did so with the other person s authority. Likewise, although the Lord Jesus Christ did not personally baptize anyone, his disciples baptized in his name - with his authority, and so all those whom the disciples baptized were as if baptized by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Of course, when his disciples baptized in his name, i.e., with his authority, it may have been their practice to declare they were baptizing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to those who were baptized. For example, as the Lord s disciples baptized people, they may have declared to the person being baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would this have been necessary? Had the disciples baptized in their own name, that is, with their own authority, without informing the person being baptized that the baptism was being performed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, it would have been as though the person being baptized was becoming the slave of the disciple baptizing, e.g., Peter, Thomas, John, etc. Recall that the Jews baptized converts and slaves, the latter for the purpose of becoming a slave s master. This is why the apostle Paul rhetorically asked those in Corinthe whether they were baptized in the name of Paul (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Παύλου). 26 This would have had the effect of making those baptized Paul s slaves! The apostle Paul did indeed baptize several, 27 not in his own name, but in the name of Jesus, thus making those baptized by him slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ, not his own slaves. Finally, and most importantly, this indicates that in the name of Jesus and in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equivalent baptismal formulas, for the Son obviously shares the same authority as the Father and the Holy Spirit (as noted in Matt. 28:19). Hence, Christians are both the slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ, 28 as well as the slaves of God the Father. 29 Therefore, there is no 25 2 The. 3:6 26 1 Cor. 1:13 27 1 Cor. 1:14, 1:16 28 cp. Phil. 1:1 29 cp. Rom. 6:22 10

difference in baptizing in the name of Jesus and baptizing in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 11

References Babylonian Talmud ( בבלי.(תלמוד Ed. Mechon-Mamre. Jerusalem: Mechon-Mamre, 2002. Bernard, David K. In the Name of Jesus. 1986. Reprint. Hazelwood: Word Aflame, 2010. Bickerman, Elias Joseph. Studies in Jewish and Christian History. Leiden: Brill, 1976. Gesenius, Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm. Gesenius s Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures. Trans. Tregelles, Samuel Prideaux. London: Bagster, 1860. Moshe ben Maimon.(רמב"ם) Mishneh Torah ( תורה.(משנה Ed. Mechon-Mamre. Jerusalem: Mechon-Mamre, 2002. 12