Answers to some common arguments critics use in an attempt to nullify the need for baptism in Jesus name according to Acts 2:38!. from Paogin Mangte's blog
Some protest the need for baptism in Jesus name and saying something like this, “ We are saved simply when we believe Jesus and call upon His name…”Calling on the name of the Lord”
Often times people will quote Romans 10:13 (“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”) not understanding what it means to “call on the name of the Lord” biblically. This verse in Romans 10:13 is actually a quote of Joel 2:32. This is the same exact verse the apostle Peter quoted in Acts chapter 2 at the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:21).
In Acts 2, we see that after Peter quotes them the verse in Joel they still ask Peter, (in Acts 2:37) “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter does not respond by telling them to say a prayer. Peter does not lead them in any prayer! NO!
Instead PETER tells them what they must do to be saved. Peter gives them the answer mankind needs so desperately to hear. Peter declared to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every 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. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day”. (Acts 2:38-41).
The Bible tells us what it means “to call on the name of the Lord”. To “call on the name of the Lord” is equated with repentance and baptism into Christ’s name ( Acts 2:17-38;22:16)..
“Calling on the name of the Lord” being equated with baptism is further reinforced in Acts 22:16 says, “And now what are you waiting for?Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'”
James says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
Some people still protest the need for baptism in Jesus name, and often they would always quote, John 3:16???For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life?
This is perhaps the most often quoted verse in the New Testament. It is often isolated and set apart from the rest of the dialogue in which it took place. Remember! To “believe in Jesus” means to believe the gospel message, and baptism is a part of that gospel message. It must also be remembered this verse is only one small part of a much larger conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus. Verse 16 (of chapter 3) deals with faith JESUS. Repentance is talked about in regards to the snake that was lifted up and then again in verses 19-21.
Verses 3 and 5 also deal with baptism. This shows the importance of looking at the overall picture and not focusing in on any single verse or passage.
Furthermore, the NIV is the only translation that uses the word “shall” in John 3:16. All other translations render this verse, “…whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The NIV erroneously takes a “maybe” and turns it into a “will be”.
According to James, faith alone, by itself, will not save us:
James 2:19-20--You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
Faith must have actions to back it up with.
What about Acts 16:30-31??? He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
This verse is often quoted but then the questioner stops short right in the middle of the story. People like to quote verses 30 and 31 but they don’t quote verses 32 and 33. Those very next two verses state that the Word of the Lord was preached to them and then they were immediately baptized. We know from James 2:19-20 that the jailer did not stop once he had a belief in Jesus. Indeed, there was more as verses 32-33 illustrate so clearly. See Acts 16:16-33 for more detail. It does no good to tell someone about baptism unless they are first told the message of Jesus Christ. The first step is to believe, then baptism will be effectual. Faith in Christ is what gives baptism its significance. Obviously, it does no good to tell someone to get baptized unless they have first heard the message of the cross and the story of Jesus.
Some people would still protest the need for baptism in Jesus name, and they will always quote Scripture references from the Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Remember first, Paul just finished explaining in Romans chapter 6, and in great detail, the role of baptism in Jesus name. This verse does not nullify that chapter. But it is of significance, however, to note the commentary on this verse in the NIV study Bible that states, --“Jesus is Lord”, the earliest confession of Christian faith, probably used at baptism.” The verbal confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ is made at baptism, and is what is seen in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Notice the eunuch asks to be baptized and Philip tells him “if you believe with all your heart, you may.” And then the Ethiopian eunuch confesses faith in Christ with his mouth, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” He is then baptized.
Read : Acts 8:26-40 (King James Version KJV).
Verse 26, And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
Verse 27, And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
Verse 28, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Verse 29, Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Verse 30, And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Verse 31, And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Verse 32, The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Verse 33, In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Verse 34, And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Verse 35, Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Verse 36, And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Verse 37 ,And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Verse 38, And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Verse 39, And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Verse 40, But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
REMEMBER!!!! Notice belief never stands alone, by itself. There is always some other action associated with it. Jesus started preaching by telling us to “repent and believe the Good News.” Jesus also said in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent we will all perish. So, Therefore Jesus said,
‘He that believeth and baptized shall be saved “ ( Mk 16:16).
Repent and believe.
Looking at it from another angle, notice also that baptism always has something else tied to it:
Believing (Acts 8:37; Mark 16:16)
Repentance (Acts 2:38) { Luke 13:3,5}
Confession of faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:36-37)
Which all leads to:
Being baptized in the name of JESUS CHRIST (in water) for the forgiveness of sins- and received the gift of the Holy Spirit-Acts 2:38!!!
This is where we get:
1.) Hear the Word
2.) Believe
3.) Repent of our sins
4.) Confess faith in Christ
5.) Be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit- Acts 2:38
It’s that simple?
I hope this helps!.
Should we actually invoke or utter the name of Jesus when baptizing a person?
Some Trinitarian churches- do always argue that the phrase only means to baptize with Christ's authority and has no reference to the actual formula. Therefore, baptism in the Trinity formula is also valid.
In response, some Trinitarians argue that the phrase only means to baptize with Christ's authority and has no reference to the actual formula.
Remember. Jesus gave the church power and authority to cast out devils in His name and to pray for the healing of the sick in His name (Mark 16:17-18; James 5:14). How did the New Testament church implement this? The Apostle Peter declared to the lame man, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). He told the multitude, "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong" (Acts 3:16). Peter actually invoked the name of Jesus and also exercised faith in Jesus.
He told the Jewish council that the man was healed "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (Acts 4:10), quoting the words he had used. When Paul cast a demon out of a young woman, he said, "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her" (Acts 16:18). He called the name of Jesus. When the sons of Sceva sought to cast out demons, they said, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth" (Acts 19:13). They knew that Paul cast out demons by using the name of Jesus, so they attempted to do the same. They were unsuccessful because they did not have faith in Jesus or a genuine relationship with Him.
Whenever the Early Church exercised the power and authority of Jesus to obtain a spiritual work, they always invoked the name of Jesus in faith. Baptism for the remission of sins is no exception. Invoking the name Theologians and church historians generally recognize that the Book of Acts gives the baptismal formula of the Early Church.
HISTORICAL REFERENCES- ( HISTORICAL BAPTISM):
• The Encyclopedia of Religion and ethics states, with respect to New Testament baptism, "The formula used was "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" or some synonymous phrase; there is no evidence for the use of the trine name:"
• The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible says, "The evidence of Acts 2:38; 10:4-8 (cf. 8:16; 19:5), supported by Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:3, suggests that baptism in early Christianity was administered, not in the three-fold name, but "in the name of Jesus Christ" or "in the name of the Lord Jesus:" This is the natural reading of the phrase, "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ;' and a person must use questionable and twisted methods of biblical interpretation to deny that the words mean what they appear to mean.
According to both the Bible and history, the New Testament church invoked the name of Jesus at water baptism. Its baptismal formula was "in the name of Jesus Christ" or "Lord Jesus;' not "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.' The Scriptural Record Every time the Bible records the name or formula associated with an actual baptism in the New Testament church, it was the name Jesus. All five such accounts occur in the Book of Acts, the history book of the Early Church. It records that the following people were baptized in Jesus' name.
• The Jews. "Then Peter said unto to 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).
• The Samaritans. "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16).
• The Gentiles. "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts 10:48). (The earliest Greek manuscripts say, "in the name of Jesus Christ," as do most versions today.)
• The disciples of John (rebaptized). "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5).
• The Apostle Paul. "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
• Moreover, the Epistles contain a number of references or allusions to baptism in Jesus' name. See Romans 6:3-4; I Corinthians 1:13; 6:11; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; James 2:17.
The only verse of Scripture that anyone could appeal to in support of a threefold baptismal formula is Matthew 28:19, in which Jesus commanded baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:' The word name in this verse is singular, however, indicating that the phrase describes one supreme name by which the one God is revealed, not three names of three persons.
The apostles understood Christ's words as a description of His own name, for they fulfilled His command by baptizing in the name of Jesus Gangte Christian ( Acts 2:38;8:16;10:48;19:5;Gal 3:27; Romans 6:3-5; Acts 22:16). There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), and He has one supreme name today (Zechariah 14:9). Jesus is the incarnation of all the fulness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9).
Jesus is the only saving name (Acts 4:12; Matt 1:21), the name in which we receive remission of sins, the highest name made known to us, and the name in which we are to say and do all things (Acts 4:12; 10:4-3; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 3:17). Thus the one supreme, saving name of Matthew 28:19 is Jesus. We are to fulfill the command of that verse as the Early Church did, by invoking the name of Jesus at baptism.
The Historical Record Respected historical sources verify that the early Christian church did not use a threefold baptismal formula but invoked the name of Jesus in baptism well into the second and third centuries.
• Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (1951), II, 384, 389: "The formula used was 'in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ' or some synonymous phrase; there is no evidence for the use of the trine name. . . . The earliest form, represented in the Acts, was simple immersion . . . in water, the use of the name of the Lord, and the laying on of hands. To these were added, at various times and places which cannot be safely identified, (a) the trine name (Justin), . . "
• Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (1962), I, 351: "The evidence ...suggests that baptism in early Christianity was administered, not in the threefold name, but 'in the name of Jesus Christ' or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus'."
• Otto Heick, A History of Christian Thought (1965), I, 87: "At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
• Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible (1898), I, 24-1: "(One could conclude that) the original form of words was 'into the name of Jesus Christ' or 'the Lord Jesus: Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development."
• Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church (1947), page 58: The trinitarian baptismal formula . . . was displacing the older baptism in the name of Christ."
• The New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia (1957), I, 435: "The New Testament knows only baptism in the name of Jesus . . . , which still occurs even in the second and third centuries."
• " Canney's Encyclopedia of Religions (1970), page 53: "Persons were baptized at first 'in the name of Jesus Christ' . . . or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus: . . . . Afterwards, with the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, they were baptized 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost'."
• Encyclopedia Bibilca (1899), I 4-73: "It is natural to conclude that baptism was administered in the earliest times 'in the name of Jesus Christ; or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus: . . . This view is confirmed by the fact that the earliest forms of the baptismal confession appear to have been single-not triple, as was the later creed."
• The Catholic Encyclopedia, II, 263: "The baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the Catholic Church in the second century."
Today as a Christian, we should use the biblical baptismal formula as found in the New Testament ( Acts 2:38;10;48;19:5; Gal 3:27; Acts 22;16; 8:16; Romans 6:3-5; Col 3:17).
Everyone should be baptized by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins- Acts 2:38-41!
Today we are commanded to obey the gospel of Christ and continue in the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:38-47; John 3:5;. Rom 10:10; Rev 2:10; Acts 2:42; 2 Jn 9).
Do this and live forever.
LIVE FOREVER-obey ACTS 2:38!
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