Apr 1983 - Q & A

A reader has asked us to explain why the form of words given for the baptism of disciples in Matt. 28:19 was not apparently used in practice by the apostles.

Mr. J. Drain of Derby, U.K., has kindly provided the following comments.

When the Lord Jesus was charging His disciples concerning responsibilities which He was committing to them He said, "All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Clearly the Lord was not thinking about something that would have total fulfilment on the day of Pentecost. He was referring to something that would have age-long application and importance. It was to have not only age-long but also world-wide application. All nations were to be in the scope of this purpose.

In a previous issue of this magazine there was quoted the comment of Mr. W. E Vine, "The phrase in Matt. 28:19, 'baptizing them into the Name' ... would indicate that the baptized person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose Name he was baptized" (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). This helps us to understand something of what is implied by the Lord's commandment. Baptism indicated relationships and obligations to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

In The Acts we have a historical account of the putting into effect of what the servants of the Lord had been instructed to do. There are several references to disciples being baptized in obedience to those instructions, but there is no record of the actual words used at the time of the physical immersion. The commandment given was crystal clear and we have no

hesitation in accepting that the faithful apostles and their fellow-workers did what they were told to do. Nor have we any hesitation in accepting that the mandatory words of the Lord should direct us in this closing part of the dispensation, and so we baptize "into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

However, we do find in The Acts certain expressions which gives shades of significance in the implications of baptism.

On the day of Pentecost the hearts of many were touched by the message of the Spirit through Peter. Convinced and convicted by what he said they demanded, "Brethren, what shall we do?" The reply was immediate and plain, "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins " According to Dr Marshall's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament the preposition "in" here is in the Greek language the preposition epi. The same preposition is found in Acts 3:16, "And by faith in His Name hath His Name made this man strong...." The word "by" is the translation of the word epi In the margin of the Revised Version for "by" there is the alternative "on the ground of". Those Jews and proselytes who responded to Peter's exhortation were in effect acknowledging that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah, that they had slain Him and that God had raised Him from the dead. To be baptized on the ground of all this was indeed a convincing proof of repentance. The basis on which rested their obedience in baptism was the name of Jesus Christ whom Israel rejected and whom God made both Lord and Christ. It should, I think, be noted that what Peter urged was addressed to the convicted hearers. He was not giving instructions about the words which should be used by those who would do the baptizing.

From the day of Pentecost the work of God in Jerusalem made great progress and many disciples were added to the church of God. Then came violent persecution and the disciples were scattered. A gifted leader named Philip was led to go to the city of Samaria and there he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. We are informed that the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans but the latter had some knowledge of the true God and, according to the words of the woman at Sychar's well, they had expectation of the coming Messiah. Philip's message would reveal that the Messiah had come, and would indicate what had happened. As Philip preached Jesus to those people he would make it clear that the rejected Messiah had been made both Lord and Christ, and now occupied the place of preeminence on the throne of God. In Him the purposes of God centred and in Him sovereign authority was vested. As by divine revelation the light of truth shone into the hearts of the Samaritans they yielded themselves to such authority and they were baptized "into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16). The word "into" here is the same as that in Matt. 28:19 (eis). The

Samaritans not only acknowledged the exaltation that God had given to the unwanted Christ but also pledged their subjection and obedience to the Lord's authority. As the children of Israel, delivered from the bondage and control of Pharaoh, were baptized unto (eis, Revised Version margin, Gr. into) Moses, unto his divinely-given authority and leadership (1 Cor. 10:2) so the Samaritan disciples were baptized into (eis, unto) the Lord Jesus.

Later the time came for the purpose of God to extend to the Gentile nations and Peter was sent by the Lord to the city of Caesarea to the home of a Centurion named Cornelius. While Peter was preaching to him and his household it became evident that the Spirit had convicted those who listened and that they had believed on Jesus Christ. Peter discerned that they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. He then raised the matter of water baptism and he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. What right had Peter to command these Gentile believers to be baptized? The right was inherent in the command of the Lord (Matt. 28:18-20). To do anything in the name of another person means to act by and with that person's authority. This is precisely what Peter did. The preposition "in" (en) is different from the two already noticed. It is worthy of emphasis that Cornelius and his household were baptized in water after they had received the Holy Spirit and therefore after they had in the Spirit been baptized into the Church, the Body of Christ. We observe also that the experience of Cornelius underlines the mandatory character of the Lord's commission to His disciples. There was no hint of optional response.

In Romans 6 Paul deals with the solemn matter of the attitude of disciples to sin in their lives. There is the danger of indulgence, and the apostle raises the question, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" He then demonstrates the glaring inconsistency of such an attitude on the part of one who has been baptized into (eis) Christ Jesus. One aspect of the teaching of baptism is that the baptized believer is in the act acknowledging in a physical and visible way the important spiritual reality that he is identified with Christ Jesus in death, burial and resurrection. It was Christ Jesus that died and rose again, and in a likeness the disciple is baptized into His death, is buried and raised again. Christ Jesus died unto sin and in triumphant resurrection He lives unto God. In his baptism the disciple in effect confesses that he has died unto sin and as he emerges from the watery emblem of a grave he pledges to walk in newness of life, to live unto God. He has been baptized into Christ Jesus.

We submit, therefore, that the formula of the Lord's commandment carries His authority. We baptize disciples into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and accept that expressions such as we have examined in this article relate to specific aspects of what baptism involves.

unknown | Apr 1983
Question And Answer