Obeying the Great Commission - Jesus Is the Name

Matthew 28:19, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:15-16-17, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Luke 24:47-48, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

In Matt 28:19, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” However, this verse of Scripture does not teach that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate persons. Rather, it teaches that the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost identify one name and therefore one being. The verse expressly says “in the name,” not “in the names.”

The term “Father” uses to emphasize God’s roles as Creator, Father of spirits, Father of the born-again believers, and Father of humanity of Jesus Christ. The term “Son” uses to mean the man Jesus Christ and further to mean God as He manifested Himself in the flesh for the purpose of our salvation. The term “Holy Ghost” uses to emphasize God’s active power in the world and among people, particularly His work in regeneration.

JEHOVAH or JAHWEH was the revealed name of God in the Old Testament, but JESUS is the revealed name of God in the New Testament. However, the name JESUS includes JEHOVAH since JESUS means JEHOVAH-SAVIOR.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all describe the one God, so the phrase in Matthew 28:19 simply describes the one name of the one God. The Old Testament promised that there would come a time when Jehovah would have one name and that this one name would be made known:

Zechariah 14:9, And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD and his name one.

Isaiah 52:6, Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

We know that the one name of Matthew 28:19 is Jesus, for Jesus is the name of the Father (John 5:43; Hebrews 1:4):

John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Jesus is the name of the Son (Matthew 1:21):

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Jesus is the name of the Holy Ghost (John 14:26):

John 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 New Testament church understood this to be so, for they baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; I Corinthians 1:13):

Acts 2:38 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 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Matthew himself endorsed this interpretation by standing with Peter and the other apostles during the sermon in which Peter commanded the people to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:14-38).

Some claim that the references in Acts do not really mean that the name of Jesus was orally uttered as part of the baptismal formula. However, this appears to be an attempt to twist the language to comply with an erroneous doctrine and practice. Acts 22:16 says, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” The Amplified Bible says, “Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His name wash away your sins.”

The interlinear Greek-English New Testament says, “Invoking the name.” Therefore this verse of Scripture indicates the name Jesus was orally invoked at Baptism. James says, “Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?” The Greek phrasing indicates that the name was invoked over the Christians at a specific time. Thus, TAB says, “Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in Baptism]? (brackets in original).

For an example of what “in the name of Jesus” means, we need only look at the story of the lame man’s healing in Acts 3. Jesus said to pray for the sick in His name (Mark 16:17-18), and Peter said the lame man was healing by the name of Jesus (Acts 4:10) “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” How did this happen? Peter actually uttered the words “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 3:6). The name Jesus invoked in faith produced the result. The name signifies power or authority, but this signification does not detract from the fact that Peter orally invoked in the name of Jesus in effecting the healing.

If the many scriptural passages in Acts that refer to water baptism in the name of Jesus do not describe a baptismal formula, then it is equally true that Matthew 28:19 does not indicate a formula. This interpretation would leave the church without any baptismal formula to distinguish Christian baptism from Jewish proselyte baptism and heathen baptism. But the Lord did not leave us without a baptismal formula; the church correctly carried out the instructions Jesus gave in Matthew 28:19 when the apostles used the name of Jesus in water baptism.

Many encyclopedias and church historians agree that the original baptismal formula in early church history was “in the name of Jesus.” For example, Lutheran Professor Otto Heick said, “At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” This was not a slip of the pen, for he later affirmed his view: “At first baptism was in the name of Christ.”

This interpretation of the one name in Matthew 28:19 as Jesus finds further support in the complete description of events of which this verse is a part. In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing in the name. . .” In other words, Jesus said, “I have all power, so baptize in my name.” It would twist the logic of passage to read it to mean, “I have all power, so baptize in the names of three different persons.”

In the other accounts of the great commission, the name of Jesus figures prominently (Mark 16:17; Luke 24:47). Matthew’s “the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” Mark’s “in my name” and Luke’s “in his name,” all refer to the name of Jesus.

We should remember that water baptism is administered because of our past life of sin; it is for the “remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) “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.” Since the name of Jesus is the saving name (Acts 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,” it is logical that the name be used in baptism.

Jesus Himself linked remission of sins to His name: “Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Matthew 28:19 does not teach three persons in one God, but rather it gives three titles of God, all of which properly apply to Jesus Christ. These titles sum up different roles of God or modes of His revelation; by the singular reference to “name,” the verse focuses upon the one name of God revealed in the New Testament. That name is Jesus.

Further light on this interpretation that the name of God is Jesus comes from a comparison of Revelation 14:1 “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.” With Revelation 22:3-4 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

There is one name for the Father, God, and the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus, so Jesus is the name of God and the Father.

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

APOSTOLIC MENISTERS FELLOWSHIP PHILIPPINES
Apostolic Pentecostal Church