Baptism

Last night we had another baptism! Congratulations to Brian, who was baptized at the Link Church in the name of Jesus! Brian is 18 and a senior at Dover High School. Antonio, who was baptized right before the 1st of the year, and Brian are both currently attending a Bible study being taught by Ralph Dixon.

A few posts ago, I said I would talk about truth a bit. There are some truths about baptism I would like discuss in the next few posts.

The majority of churches perform their baptisms by saying "I now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"(or Holy Ghost). But more and more churches are beginning to practice the biblical way of baptism by saying "I now baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ." Some people may say: "Does it really matter what is said when you are baptized? ...Father, Son, Holy Ghost or Jesus? Does the name of Jesus have to be spoken when you are baptized?" Maybe this is something you've never heard of or thought of. But this goes along with the subject of truth that I said I would be discussing in the next few blogs.

It is very important that we believe and practice the truth. The bible tells us that if we continue to refuse the truth that God will eventually allow us to believe a lie... that he would even allow us to be deceived and that we would be lost for eternity (II Thessalonians 2: 10-12).

That is pretty serious. Truth matters!

When you have been raised to believe a certain way your whole life, it is hard sometimes to realize or admit that what you have been raised to believe or have always been taught could be wrong. But we must ask ourselves, is it worth being lost for eternity all because we rejected the truth because it didn't fit what we've always believed?

Nothing is worth being lost for eternity!
So let's examine this subject of the truth of baptism in Jesus' name.

Take a look at these scriptures that talk about the authority in the NAME of Jesus.

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.

Phil 2:9
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

So we see here in Acts and Philippians that there is authority in the name of Jesus.

Now let's read Matt 28:19
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.

If we are supposed to be baptized in the name of Jesus, then why did Jesus tell His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?
Let's examine it - This is the only scripture that exists in the bible that says to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Because Jesus Himself told His disciples to do it, it must be important, yet every example of a baptism that took place after Jesus had ascended into heaven was done "in the name of Jesus" (we will look at some of these examples later). So did Jesus' disciples disobey what He had told them to do by not saying "in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost?"

Let's pay attention to a particular word in Matt. 28:19. It says to baptize "in the name." Notice that it says the name, not the names. What does that mean? ONE name, not 2 or 3 different names. What is the one name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost?.......................

Tomorrow we will discuss more about Matt. 28:19 and the name of Jesus, and we will see through the scriptures how it connects with baptism.

Blessings to you today!