Tag: christianity

Categories
Bible Teaching

The Promise

Text: John 14:15-26, “(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.  (16)  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;  (17)  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  (18)  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.  (19)  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.  (20)  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.  (21)  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  (22)  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  (23)  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  (24)  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.  (25)  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.  (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.”

Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

            God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven and will accomplish its goal.  God generally offers two types of promise in the Bible:

  1. Unconditional – The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not depend on any future action on their part because they were unconditional and would come to pass regardless of anything that these men did or didn’t do:
    • Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
    • Isaiah 28:11-12, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
  2. Conditional – The Bible contains “if…then” statements.  These are requirements that you must meet to receive the promise.  They represent future acts that must be obeyed to receive the full promise:
    • 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
    • Acts 2:37-39, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Often the question is asked, “Why Tongues?”[1]

  1. God is not accountable to us for what He chooses to so.  He is Sovereign, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior…
  2. Tongues is an initial external sign that must be followed by the fruit of the Spirit.
    1. Gal. 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”
    1. John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
  3. It is the consistent pattern of evidence established by God as essential in the New Birth:
    1. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
  4. The tongue is the most unruly member of the body and when you receive the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues you are allowing God to control the most expressive part of your personality.  Man’s expression of emotion, intelligence, and communication is articulated through the tongue.

It’s just for the Apostles and Early Church:

            Irenaeus (died 202) ~ “In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.”[2]

            Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) ~ “sang in unknown words with such facility and winsomeness that her utterances were known as ‘concerts in the Spirit’.”[3]

            The Waldenses (c. 1217) ~ these followers of Peter Waldo believed in visions and prophecies.[4] Both healing and speaking in tongues were manifested among these heavily persecuted Christians.[5]

            Early Quakers ~ “We received often the pouring down of the Spirit upon us, and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[6]

            John Wesley ~ People in Wesley’s meetings would be filled with the Holy Ghost while he preached.[7]

                    Thomas Walsh (one of Wesley’s foremost preachers) made this entry in his diary; “This morning the Lord gave me a language that I knew not of, raising my soul to Him in a wonderful manner.”[8]

                    In England (1830) there was a revival under Edward Irving where gifts of the Spirit were manifested. One member of the congregations writes: “The moment I am visited with the Spirit, and carried out to God in a tongue which I know not… I am more conscious than ever of the presence of God. He and He alone is in my soul. I am filled with some form of the mind of God, be it joy or grief, desire, love, pity, compassion, or indignation; and I am made to utter it in words which are full of power over my spirit, but not being accessible to my understanding, my devotion is not interrupted by association of suggestions from the visible or intellectual world: I feel myself, as it were, shut in with God in His pavilion, and hidden close from the invasions of the world, the devil, and the flesh.”[9]

                    Charles G. Finney ~  “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[10]

                    D. L. Moody ~ “One the following Sunday night, when I got to the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. I found the meetings on fire. The young men were speaking in tongues and prophesying. What on earth did it all mean? Only that Moody had been addressing them that afternoon.”[11] At a meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. R.A. Torrey told of a service in London where Moody took the pulpit to preach and instead broke into another language. He tried again, with similar results. The third time, after prayer and praise, he was able to preach his message.[12]

                    Charles H. Spurgeon ~ a British preacher told how Spurgeon once asked his audience to forgive him that when he got especially happy in the Lord, “I break forth into a kind of gibberish which I do not myself understand.”[13]

How Do I Receive this Phenomenon of the Holy Ghost?[14]

  1. Prepare your heart by obeying Acts 2:38 (Repent).
  2. Understand that God wants you to receive His gift as much as you want it…just ask Him for the Holy Ghost: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)
  3. You must be hungry to receive His Spirit.
    1. Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
    1. James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
  4. Expect to receive: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
  5. Believe to receive: John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
  6. Relax!!

Promise of Christ’s Return:

            1 Corinthians 15:51-56, “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

[1] “Speaking In Tongues.” Various Authors. Retrieved 5-15-2005 from http://altupc.com/articles/tongues1.htm.

[2] Against Heresies, V,6,1, Ibid., vol 1, p. 531

[3] George H. Williams and Edith Waldvogel, “A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts,” in The Charismatic Movement, ed. by Michael P. Hamilton, p. 70

[4] R. Kissack, “Waldenses,” The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. by J.D. Douglas, revised edition, p. 1026

[5] Gordon F. Atter, The Third Force, p. 13

[6] Bresson, Studies in Ecstacy, pp. 48-52

[7] http://www.holyspiritinfo.net/ch_hist.htm

[8] Entry of March 8, 1750, quoted by Frodsham, With Signs following, p. 232

[9] A.L. Drummond, Edward Irving and His Circle, pp. 161-162

[10] Charles G. Finney, Autobiography, p. 20

[11] Boyd, Robert, The Lives and Labours of Moody and Sankey, p. 47

[12] Lennard Darbee, Tongues: The Dynamite of God, p. 24.

[13] Ibid. p.24

[14] Principles of Doctrine: Lesson 11. “Holy Spirit Baptism.” Parkersburg Bible College.

The Promise | 15 May 2005

Categories
Consider this...

Paul’s Revelation of God’s Love

It seems to me that Paul caught a glimpse of God’s love in the moment that he is first introduced to us in Acts 7 because here we are told that he watched the coats of the men who stoned Stephen and the implication is that he had to have heard that man of faith as “he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Much like Jesus before him, Stephen took a moment of horror and turned it into an eternal memorial of love and testimony. Stephen was so full of the Holy Ghost (Spirit of Christ) that he could only offer love in the face of hatred and violence. Perhaps this was the goad that Jesus referred to when He met Saul on the Road to Damascus. It’s possible that Saul was constantly reminded of that manifestation of God’s love and had to battle with his conscience over his part in that just man’s death.

​Paul’s first experience with God’s love was that a man could, under terrible circumstances, love everyone – even his tormentors.  This is only possible when one possesses that agape that Paul wrote of in 1 Corinthians 13.  Agape is defined as “brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence, and charity.”  It is the ability to hold affection for others regardless of how they treat you and it is certainly modeled best by Christ and those who possess His Spirit.

​Having been involved in the persecution of the early Church and then being forgiven and placed in a position of leadership and caretaking of those he formally threatened and slaughtered must have been a humbling and awesome experience in the life of Paul.  It is no wonder that he could write, “Who shall separate us from the love [agape] of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love [agape]of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Paul had experienced the unconditional love of God and he was never the same.

​I’m sure that Paul went through the gamut of emotions and questions, like, “how could He love me,” or “why does He love me so much,” or “what is so different about this man Stephen?”  Yet, God took this mass of boiling humanity and turned him into the Apostle to the Gentiles and along the way he not only experienced the love of God, but he practiced it as well.

Paul’s revelation of God’s love was that it could only be received by the Holy Ghost. It is no wonder that he exhorted the Ephesians to “walk in love” because he knew the awesome power of love. Stephen was full of God’s love because he was a man full of the Holy Ghost and it was that fullness that Paul encouraged when he admonished the Ephesians to be “filled with the Spirit.” This was Paul’s revelation and it remains true – especially in our day. We need more “Stephens”, who have a fullness of the Holy Ghost, and more “Pauls,” who recognize that fullness as the love of God.

*First written on May 28, 2004*

Categories
Bible Teaching

Living the Prophet’s Creed

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 6/22/2021, 7:00 PM

Text: Micah 6:1-8

(1)  Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

(2)  Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

(3)  O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

(4)  For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

(5)  O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

(6)  Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

(7)  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

(8)  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Creed[1]

  • A brief authoritative formula of religious belief
    • the Nicene Creed
  • A set of fundamental beliefs
    • also : a guiding principle
    • “Never settle for mediocrity” is his creed. -Jill Lieber
    • “God won’t bless what He can’t sanction.” –James Rowe

There are principles in God’s Word that when lived out, or violated, lead to a life blessing or cursing.

In this study, we will take a look at what the late Rev. James Lumpkin, Sr. called, “The Prophet’s Creed,” taking as a title this thought:

Living the Prophet’s Creed

A creed, a set of fundamental beliefs, a collection of guiding principles, are only as effective as your desire and determination to live them out.

It is a good practice for children to have memorized all the books of the Bible by the time they leave Sunday School and graduate to the Adult Bible Class.

In fact, many children are taught to memorize the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17):

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
  4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
  5. Honour thy father and thy mother
  6. Thou shalt not kill
  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
  8. Thou shalt not steal
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness
  10. Thou shalt not covet

And, there are two passage in the Bible that every saint in an Apostolic Oneness Pentecostal should have total recall on:

  • Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “(4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
  • 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.”

These Scriptures are creeds that serve to pass on to the next generation a set of Basic Bible Principles, that when lived out produce a godly and sanctified life.

Living the Prophet’s Creed consists of three principles that we all need to apply to our lives:

  1. To do justly
  2. To love mercy
  3. To walk humbly with thy God

In verse 2, of our text, the LORD has a controversy (dispute, quarrel), with Israel, and He is pleading with them:

“O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants [slaves]; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (verses 3-4).

In an attempt to call them back to a right relationship with Him, He reminded them of Egypt – the place from which God delivered them, and redeemed them.

He sent servants, you might even identify them as prophets:

  • Moses = Lawgiver, to deliver and instruct.
  • Aaron = The High Priest, to atone.
  • Miriam = Prophetess & Praiser, and to teach the women.

The Lord is pleading with His people to remember all that He did for them.

Reminding them the He turned Baalam’s curse into a blessing proving His faithfulness to Israel.

They were perhaps sincere in their desire to keep the commandments of the Law, but misguided seekers

The laws were there not to be followed in some type of burdensone manner, but to establish principles, which had been forgotten.

Sometimes a law can be made that is still kept but nobody remembers the purpose. <ham, Vevay>

When you live The Prophet’s Creed you will automatically live by the principles that the Law was formed to teach you.

The Prophet’s Creed:

To Do Justly

  1. Do right by God: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” Mark 12:29-30).
    • Love God
    • Heart = Are your affections solely on Jesus?
    • Soul = Would you give up your life for Jesus?
    • Mind = Will you lay aside what you think for what God’s Word tells you?
    • Strength = Will you give all the strength and effort of your life to His will?
  2. Do right by your neighbor: “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor…” (Mark 12:31).
    • Prefer your fellow
    • Never work to harm another
    • Treat people right
    • Love people
  3. Do right by yourself: “…as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31).
    • Do you like yourself?
    • Don’t deprive yourself of all that God has richly provided.
    • We live by the justness and truth of the Word of God and we are judged by it.

To Love Mercy

It is necessary that we not only live by the justice and judgment of the Law, but to also give to mercy what it requires – LOVE MERCY.

  • The Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  • 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “…our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
  • Psalms 85:10, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
  • Psalms 25:10, “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
  • The mercy you show is the mercy you’ll know.
  • God is not in the business of stopping people from receiving mercy: “The God of my mercy shall prevent me…” (Ps. 59:10).
    • Prevent = “project oneself, precede, go before.”
    • God’s mercy goes before us

To Walk Humbly with Thy God

1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

  • Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty
    • There is One God and you are not Him!
  • Beware, Humility Required:
    • Confess and forsake your sin
    • Submit to the ordinance of water baptism
    • Yield to the Holy Ghost.
  • Accept God’s Mercy
  • Walk in God’s Grace
  • Is the Lord Jesus Christ truly your God?
  • Walk humbly before others as well
    • God isn’t the only one who hates a proud, haughty or arrogant attitude.
  • Submission is the hallmark of humility.
    • James 4:5-12, “(5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?  (6)  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  (7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (8)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  (9)  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  (10)  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.  (11)  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.  (12)  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
    • Galatians 6:1-3, “(1) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  (2) Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  (3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Each of the three people Micah records as being sent to His people were at one point violators of The Prophet’s Creed, but once they learned the necessity of Living the Prophet’s Creed they became examples for us to follow:

Moses – The great lawgiver, did justly as he operated in his role as both deliverer and the giver of the Law

  • A murderer, disobeyed God in a moment of rage

Aaron – The High Priest, loved mercy and as a priest stood as a bridge between God and Man making atonement for sin.

  • An idolater, intimidated by those he was suppose to lead, excused his sin

Miriam – The prophetess of praise and instructor of women, learned humility.

  • Jealousy, envy, rebellion

It’s a question: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

I want everyone to come forward, and I’m going to give you some basic instructions:

  • Close your eyes
  • Lift your head up. Look up.
  • Raise both hands. Pray. Surrender. Worship.
  • Speak with your outside voice.
  • Commit to Living The Prophet’s Creed: to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.

[1] “Creed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creed. Accessed 22 Jun. 2021.

Categories
Bible Teaching

Shifting Sands: Stability in Changing Times

Apostolic Life Cathedral, 8/24/2021, 7:00 PM
Categories
Bible Preaching

More Than A Song

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 5/11/2021 | 7:00 PM
Categories
Bible Teaching

Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus -James Anderson

“Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus”
Guest Author: James Anderson

This topic is often discussed, but I have been conversing with someone with an opposing view and here are some of my notes.

I would not say that there was a codified baptismal formula in the primitive church. Myself and most Oneness teachers should indicate it was developed, in some sense. However, I do believe that scripture and history indicate to us that the name of Jesus was invoked or implied, in literary devices, by or over the baptized. I think most scholars realize this but disallow it by marginalizing it to, now, include the Matthean titles (28:19; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and thus giving a sense of credibility to the Trinitarian method. If we study history accurately we should understand that no biblical or primitive NT believer was baptized using the titles. Biblical and historical evidence explicitly indicates that the name “Jesus” was actually used in baptism and not a recitation of the actual instruction of Christ in the Matthean passage, instead actual obedience to His instruction, e.g. “baptizing them…in the name…” (c.f. Matthew 28:19, NKJV).

In connection with this it is interesting to note the Lukan Great Commission as well. Luke records: “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47, KJV) Both the Lukan and Matthean passages indicate that a single, known name was used in Christian baptism. As the below sources will show, this is the only form used by the Disciples and early believers.

The Anchor Bible Dictionary is a landmark work of scholarly thought. It clearly states:

“It is relatively certain that in the early Church one commonly referred to baptism as being done “into the name of the Lord Jesus”or “something similar.” (1)

The Bible knows of no Christian in the New Testament who had not been baptized, either by John or in the name of Jesus. Consequently, as modern New Testament believers we should feel compelled to follow that same Biblical method. Christian baptism was from the first administered “in the name of Jesus”. The trinitarian formula of merely repeating, not obeying or properly interpreting, Matthew 28:19 is not found in the scriptures. Anyone baptizing in titles or any other method that does not include the name of Jesus is without scriptural support, there is simply no text that demonstrates or gives license for such aberrations. Baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ and brings us into the Body of Christ, therefore it is logical to conclude that we should have the name of Jesus invoked over us in baptism.

The reason that we are baptized in Jesus’ name is that we are being baptized into Jesus. We are taking on his name, similar to the way a woman takes on her husband’s name at marriage. We are saying that we belong to Jesus and we are identifying with Him in His death and burial. Paul said, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13) Paul’s thinking here is to exalt the name of Jesus Christ. If we follow his logic it becomes obvious that he is telling the Corinthians that Christ was the one crucified for them and so they, too, were baptized in the name of Christ. The believers at Corinth as well as those in Rome were baptized in Jesus’ name.

We may contest that there was no EXACT formula for baptism in the New Testament, but such a statement is only partially true. As mentioned prior, in all occasions of baptism the name Jesus is used, in the name of the Lord or in the name of the Lord Jesus, etc. Whether “Christ” or “Lord” is used all the references refer directly to the only saving name—Jesus (Acts 4:12). How can we expect baptism to be efficacious for one if the name of Jesus is not invoked then? It seems then that anything else would be…unbiblical.

In Acts 22:16 we read, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16, KJV) There is other debates concerning this passage, but none as relevant as the one we are discussing now. The Greek word for “calling” here is epikaleomai. This word is defined “idiomatically, denoting that one person belongs to another whose name is attached to him…literally have someone’s name called on someone, i.e. belong to,”(2) Therefore, the name of Christ is important in every sense of salvation and not just in professing Him as Lord. This name should be “called on” as we are baptized into Christ; we arise with His name attached to us and are His people.

Epikaleomai is used to mean a literal invoking in several New Testament passages. In Acts 9 we see the story of Paul after being blinded on the road to Damascus, “And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name. (15) But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:14-16 NKJV

The early Christians were preaching and baptizing in the name of Jesus. They literally uttered the words, there was no non-verbal reflection upon the name—it was a literal calling on the name of Jesus. Paul (formerly Saul) was commissioned by the Priests to persecute those who were calling on the name of Jesus. After being blinded Paul is taken to Ananias. Ananias is told by the Lord that Paul is a “chosen vessel” to “bear” the name of Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul also was to suffer for this name. The name of Jesus is so intrinsically involved in the process of salvation and our subsequent lives, how can we, then, abandon this name at our baptism?

Some assume that the trinitarian formula for baptism, which invokes the titles—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–are indeed the biblical method. This may cause one to ask, “Was the trinitarian formula used in New Testament times?” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia answers this for us:

“No record of such use can be discovered in the Acts or the epistles of the apostles. The baptisms recorded in the New Testament after the Day of Pentecost are administered “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38), “into the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16), “into Christ” (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27).” (3)

James Hastings indicates:

“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.”(4)

Self-admittedly then trinitarians confess that the form of words used in an oral invocation in the rite of baptism was done by, the very least, using the name of Jesus, in some sense. Signifying that the Apostles as well as those following their death used the saving Name—Jesus.

Often the words, “in” or “into” are used with being baptized in or into the name of Jesus. Both terms are prepositions which are used to connect nouns or pronouns in an adjectival or adverbial sense. Example: the babe lying in a manger, the sun sets in the west. They denote being in or into something, such as baptized into or in the name of Jesus. When used in an adjectival or descriptive sense it is describing the method or the how of what is being said. How were the early Christians baptized? Answer: in the name of Jesus. Therefore, we enter into or in the power or person of Jesus by using His name.

In the New Testament, specifically in the historical book of Acts we see baptisms that involve an actual verbal invocation using wholly, partly, or by implications (Lord) the name of Jesus. Otto Heick a church historian wrote in his book, “A History of Christian Thought” (1,53), that “At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Today, as modern New Testament believers, it is imperative that we hold the teachings of scripture paramount, rather than relying too heavily upon extra-biblical sources or church councils, creeds, dogmas and catechisms. When we stand before God in the Day of Judgment, we will be accountable to His Word.

In Acts 4:12 Peter uses the word “must” which is the Greek preposition dei. In this passage it literally means “it is necessary.”(5) “Must” here is an emphatic word indicating compelling necessity and it is joined with “name” which is part of the “must.” Not only is there only one way to get salvation, e.g. through Jesus Christ, but there is only one saving name in baptism—Jesus Christ.

Many New Testament passages speak of healing done in Jesus’ name (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:9–10), signs and wonders through His name (4:30). Some preached in His name (8:12) or spoke boldly in His name (9:27–28). This being so, it seems that historical and theological bias exist in order to assert that baptism is not to be done by invoking the name of Jesus. Baptism in the name of Jesus was and still is the correct name to administer over one who is to be baptized or by the baptized. Historically and biblically, all competent accounts point us directly to Jesus name.

Here is a syllogism to conclude:

  1. Biblical and historical sources indicate that baptism was done by orally invoking, in some sense, the name “Jesus”. Further, the historical evidence confirms that extra-biblical change was made to include titles.
  2. The Bible also places soteriological emphasis on the name of Jesus that it “must” be a part of a believers experience.
  3. Therefore, it is logical to conclude, from evidence, that baptism in the name of “Jesus” is both valid and necessary.

NOTES:

1. Freedman, David Noel. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday, 1996, c1992.2. Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker’s Greek New Testament library (Page 164). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.
3. “Baptism” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft
4. “Baptism” IV (a.) A Dictionary of the Bible, Edited by James Hastings, M.A., D.D., Vol. 1, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
5. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament © 1990 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. All rights reserved

[Originally posted on 9 May 2007 at http://thepillarandgroundoftruth.blogspot.com/2007/05/water-baptism-in-name-of-jesus.html]

Categories
Bible Teaching

The Glory of Revelation

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 6/13/2021, 10:00 AM

Categories
Bible Teaching

The Road Home

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 5/16/2021, 10:00 AM
Categories
Bible Preaching

Receiving the Promise

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 1/9/2022, 10:00 AM
Categories
Bible Preaching

Obedience to God’s Word

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 9/26/2021, 10:00 AM