We read in 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:" The disciples or Apostles who all knew Jesus personally recognized the name of the father. Jesus is the name of the father. "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." (John 5:43) So they baptized "In the name of the father" which was Jesus. And everybody there knew that Jesus was the name of the son. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) Lastly, what was the name of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit? "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." (John 14:26) God sent the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus.
That is why whenever someone believed in the name and power of Jesus, they then baptized that person in the name. First, before showing all the New Testament baptisms, that were all done in the name of Jesus exclusively, let us look at the importance of the name "Jesus." The name JESUS means "JEHOVAH SALVATION" from Fausset's Bible Encyclopedia, Page 359. The word Jesus should be translated: YHWH saves, (is) salvation. From Jesus (Name) in Wikipedia. We read the following facts about Jesus name.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 So no other name or title saves.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28;18) Jesus and His name alone have all power. Anything else is powerless.
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17) Though people try to get around this very fact, Jesus name is to be used for all things, to include our baptism.
So now we let the Scriptures speak for themselves. No testimony or validation concerning anything can be valid with out two or three witnesses according to the word of God. Nobody except Satan uses a one Scripture doctrine. Read Matthew 4:1-11 to see how the devil manipulated a Scripture out of context to Jesus.
"At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death." (Deuteronomy 17:6)
"This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (2 Corinthians 13:1)
"But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." (Matthew 18:16)
Baptism Scriptures
"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 2:38) Peter said that everyone should be baptized in the name of Jesus, for the forgiveness of their sins. Though some say this is meant only for the Jews, later verses will prove that every type of person whether Jew, Samaritan or Gentile (all non-Jews) were all required by God to get baptized in the singular name of Jesus, if they believed in Him. Matthew was there with the rest of the Apostles, and helped baptize the Jews and agreed to the formula method. (Acts 2:41-42)
"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" (Acts 8:12-16) So the Samaritans (half-Jews) received the word of God and became baptized in the name of Jesus.
"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." (Acts 10:36) Peter commanded all the gentiles to get baptized in the name of the lOrd Jesus. How do we get that? If you read the whole chapter of Acts 10, then go to verse 36 you will find this fact. "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)"
Consider that the Apostle Paul wrote these words. "But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)" So Paul wrote that Peter was the Apostle to the Jew, and He to the gentile. What did peter say of Paul? Did he agree to the words of Paul? Yes. "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16) Here Peter warns of one Scripture wrestling out of context verse people. Now unto all other baptismal Scriptures.
"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us." Lydia heard the word of God, believed it and got baptized. (Acts 16:15).
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." (Acts 16:30-34) Paul told the jailer the Gospel truth. Who when he believed it he got baptized.
"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." (Acts 18:8) Crispus believed and got baptized into the name of Jesus Christ.
"Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:4-5) Some of John's former disciples now got re-baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. John baptized unto Christ, saying unto the people that they should believe in him (Jesus the Christ). His baptism was not wrong for the period, but outdated as all believers were told to be baptized into Jesus Christ after the Resurrection, the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-17; Luke 24:45-47) and the church age began.
"And now why tarriest (wait) thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16) Paul himself got baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. That's why he baptized others, as previously noted, in the name above all name (Philippians 2:8-10).
The rest of what I will present will not be actual baptisms, but what Paul wrote baptized believers in the name of Jesus concerning the topic of baptism. I do this in order to help your understanding of what the early church taught and believed on that subject.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:10-18) Paul wrote that though he baptized others in the name of Jesus, like many preachers today, he was called mainly to preach and not simply baptize people. But he wanted no divisions in the baptismal formula of the name of Jesus.
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11) Baptism is defined as a submersion, overwhelming in a liquid or washing. Here it mentions Jesus name in connection to it.
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 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." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Again, as members of the body of Jesus Christ, we have His name in the body of believers.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." (Romans 6:3-5) Baptism was clearly done in the name of Jesus as referenced here by Paul.
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28) We become children of faith by believing and becoming baptized into the name of the the Lord Jesus Christ.
In closing, I have not exhausted the Scriptural references to the name of Jesus or the need of becoming baptized in His name. However, this is more than enough proof for any sincere believer to have to show why they are baptized only in His saving name. May the peace of God which passes all understanding be yours in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
