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In Acts 2:38, the Apostle Peter, with the support of the other apostles, commanded his Jewish audience to "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ." Scripture records that the Samaritans, the Gentiles, and the disciples of John at Ephesus were also baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:16; 10:4-8; 19:5).

The Oneness Pentecostal movement understands these passages as descriptive of the baptismal formula. That is, we should actually invoke or utter the name of Jesus when baptizing a person. In response, some trinitarians argue that the phrase only means to baptize with Christ's authority and has no reference to the actual formula.

A study of the original Greek text sheds considerable light upon this contention and assists in a clearer view of the significance of the name of Jesus in baptism.

The Exercise of Power and Authority At the outset, we acknowledge that God's name represents His power and authority. Indeed, this explains the significance and importance of using Jesus' name in baptism. Baptism is part of salvation; it is for remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). Jesus is the only saving name and the name in which sins are forgiven and remitted (Acts 4:12; 10:43; I John 2:12). To baptize in Jesus' name is to baptize with His power and authority. But this does not imply that the name of Jesus should not be used. To the contrary, the proper way to act with God's authority and exercise His power is to invoke His name. This is analogous to legal transactions then and now. A person has the power and authority to direct his bank to pay money from his account to whomever he designates. Yet the bank requires his signed name before it will honor his instruction. For someone to exercise the power of attorney for another, he must first present an appropriate document signed by the person he represents.

When David approached Goliath in the power and authority of God, He proclaimed, "I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts" (1 Samuel 17:4-5). In the KJV, LORD, in all capitals, stands for Jehovah (Yahweh) in the original text, so David actually invoked the name of Jehovah. 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.

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.

If this language were not a formula, it is strange that it appears so many times as if it were a formula without any explanation to the contrary. Moreover, if this language does not describe a formula, then neither can a person appeal to Matthew 28:19 to find a formula. The Greek phrase translated as "in the name of" in Matthew 28:19 is identical to the phrase in Acts 8:16 and 19:5. If Acts tells us to exercise Christ's authority without a formula, then Matthew 28:19 says to exercise the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost without a formula. If this interpretation were correct, we would be left without any baptismal formula, which would be highly unlikely in light of the importance of baptism, the need to distinguish Christian baptism from other types of baptism, the common sense reading of the passages in question, and the historical evidence from the earliest times that Christians always used a baptismal formula. in addition to the baptismal accounts in Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19, the epistles allude to the baptismal formula in the name of Jesus (Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 6:11; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12). Properly understood, even Matthew 28: 19 describes the name of Jesus. Moreover, Acts 15:17, Acts 22:16, and James 2:7 indicate that the name of Jesus was orally invoked at baptism.

These last three verses use the Greek verb epikaleo, which is composed of the preposition epi and the verb kaleo. Kaleo simply means to call. Epi has a variety of uses, but its most basic and literal meaning is "on, in, above, answering the question 'where?'

Thus, epikaleo means to invoke, call, call on, or call upon. Acts 15:17 describes the Gentiles whom God has chosen as those "upon whom my name is called." The verb is epikaleo in perfect passive form. The passive voice means the action was done to the people spoken about. The Greek perfect tense means the action took place in the past but has present and continuing effects. Acts l5:l7 also uses the preposition epi separately.

This double use of epi stresses the idea of invocation on or upon. God's name was called over or invoked upon the Gentile converts, and as a result they still bear His name. Marshall's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament gives the literal translation: "on whom has been invoked the name of me." A number of other translations emphasize the specific act of invocation, some focusing on the past event and others upon the present result: "upon whom my name has been invoked" (Amplified and Berkeley); "upon whom my name is called" (Phillips); "who bear my name" (NJV).

James 2:7 also uses the verb epikaleo followed by the preposition epi: "Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" Again, a specific act of invocation is indicated: "called on you" (Interlinear); "which was invoked over you" (RSV); "which hath been invoked upon you" (Rotherham). Here, the form of the verb is aorist passive participle. The aorist tense denotes simple past action, while the aorist participle means the action occurred prior to the time of the main verb, which is present tense. Acts 15:17 and James 2:7, then, point to a specific time in the past when God's name was invoked over each believer. When did this occur? And what name was used?

The New Testament records only one event in which the divine name is orally invoked over each Christian-at the act of water baptism. And the only name that appears in connection with water baptism is the name of Jesus Christ. This conclusion is so clear that the translators of The Amplified Bible, although they were of the trinitarian persuasion, felt compelled to translate James 2:7 with an explanation in brackets: "Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called (the name of Christ invoked in baptism)?"

Some interpret Acts 15:17 and James 2:7 as symbolic only, referring to God's ownership of the saint and the saint's dedication to God. Vine says the verb in these two verses means "to be called by a person's name; hence it is used of being declared to be dedicated to a person." This reveals the significance of invoking the name but does not obviate the actual invocation. As Bauer et al. explain both verses, "Someone's name is called over someone to designate the latter as the property of the former."

Acts 22:16 confirms that an actual invocation of the name of Jesus occurs at the conversion experience, namely, at water baptism: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." The verb epikaleo appears here as well, indicating a specific invocation: "invoking the name of him" (Interlinear); "while invoking his name (Jerusalem Bible); "with invocation of his name (NEB); "by calling upon His name" (Amplified); "and invoke his name" (TCNT); "as you call on his name" (Phillips); "by calling on His name" (Williams). According to Vine, in Acts 22:16 the verb means to call upon for oneself," while another form of the same verb in Acts 2:21 means "to call upon by way of adoration, making use of the name of the Lord:' Of these two verses Bauer et al. say the verb is used "of calling on a divinity."

Using the name of Jesus Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:4-8, and 19:5 all teach baptism in the name of Jesus. Some trinitarians reject the idea that these four verses speak of a formula, basing their argument on the slight variations in the wording.

For example, Acts 2:38 says 'Jesus Christ,' while Acts 8:16 and 19:5 say "Lord Jesus." But their reasoning is faulty and reveals a biased opinion. What is significant is that in the Greek all four verses include the name Jesus. (In the King James Version, Acts 10:4-8 says "in the name of the Lord:' The name of the Lord is Jesus, for the earliest confession of the Christian church was, 'Jesus is Lord" (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11).

Moreover, the evidence is overwhelming that in the original Greek text Acts 10:4-8 actually states, "in the name of Jesus Christ" and all translations since the KJV use the name of Jesus.) Since the titles vary in the four passages but the name of Jesus is used consistently, the implication is that it is not the title that is so important but the vital element to make baptism valid is the name of Jesus.

In conclusion, the New Testament teaches that water baptism should be performed in the name of Jesus, perhaps adding the title of Lord or Christ or both. As a study of the Greek text confirms, this means we should invoke the name of Jesus orally upon the candidate at baptism. In this way, the believer relies upon the power and authority of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and dedicates himself to Jesus Christ as his Lord. (

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