Should we be baptized in Jesus’ name?

Answer

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter addressed the crowd, saying, “Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” «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). His directive regarding baptism was that it should be performed “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Previously, Jesus had instructed His disciples to baptize followers “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” «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). The difference in phrasing has prompted many to inquire, “What is the correct procedure? Should we baptize invoking the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; or should we baptize solely in the name of Jesus?”

One explanation highlights the concept that the Father, Son, and Spirit are a unified entity. Being baptized in the name of one Member of the Trinity is equivalent to being baptized in the name of all three. However, a more plausible explanation considers the intended audience for each instruction.

When Jesus issued the Great Commission, He was commissioning His disciples to go out into the entire world and make disciples “of all nations” «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). In the context of the pagan world, they would encounter individuals who had no knowledge of the One True God, people steeped in idolatry and who were “without hope and without God in the world.”

“«That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: », (Ephesians 2:12). In preaching the gospel to such people, the apostles would necessarily have to include teaching on what God is like, including His triune nature. (Notice with what basic information Paul begins his address to the Athenians in Acts 17.) Those who received the gospel and were baptized would be converting to an entirely different religious system and embracing a new understanding of who God is.

In contrast, Peter was speaking on the Day of Pentecost to faithful Jewish people who already had an understanding of God the Father and God’s Spirit. The part of the equation they were missing was Jesus, the Son of God— and without Jesus, they could not be saved «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). In presenting the gospel to the Jews, Peter commands them to be baptized in Jesus’ name; that is, to exercise faith in the One they had crucified. They had professed the Father and the Spirit, but they needed to profess the Son. Those who received the gospel that day devoted themselves to the lordship of Jesus. They no longer rejected Him but acknowledged Him as their Messiah and only Hope for salvation.

We should probably consider the standard formula for Christian baptism to be in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Peter’s emphasis on the name of Jesus is understandable, given that he was speaking to the very same Jews who had before rejected and denied Jesus as their Messiah.

The message of the gospel is still changing lives today. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ still receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit from the Father. Water baptism remains God’s ordained way of publicly professing our faith, aligning ourselves with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.