Facts about Water Baptism in Jesus Name

1. JUST THE FACTS
PLEASE
ABOUT WATER BAPTISM
BY GEORGE DUKE

2. As a former Police Officer I had to attend court many times with people that I had
arrested. Most of them would attempt to go into long dialogues that had nothing
to do with the subject. It did not take long for the Judge to stop them!
"Just the facts please, nothing but the facts, “is a statement that one makes when
he wants to get to the bottom of a matter. Too often we have to sort through
much clutter to get to the “plain truth" when the matter comes to Bible salvation,
the truth must be our goal, and the facts take authority over tradition and
superstition. Please consider the following fact about water Baptism.

3. The facts confirm that the early
Apostles and Christians
understood plainly the doctrine of
water baptism relative to the name
of "Jesus"!

4. 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 shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the
upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received
the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost.3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said,
Unto John's baptism. 4 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.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6. FACTS CONFIRM THAT WATER BAPTISM
WAS DONE IN THE NAME OF JESUS
BRITANNICA ENCYCLOPEDIA volume 3, page 82 -
“Everywhere in the oldest sources it states that
baptism took place in the name of Jesus Christ.”

7. CANNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION, page 53 -
“The early church always baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus."

8. HASTINGS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION, volume 2, page 377 - “Christian
baptism was administered using the words,”In the name of Jesus."
HASTINGS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION, volume 2, page 377 on Acts 2:38
— “name was an ancient synonym for ’person.' Payment: was always made in
the name of some person referring to ownership. Therefore, one being baptized
in Jesus ' name, became his personal property. 'Ye are Christ's.”

9. SHAFF-HERZOG ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGIOUS
KNOWLEDGE, volume. I, page 435 -1966 editions -"The
New Testament knows only baptism in the name of
Jesus..."

10. CATHOLIC ENCYLOPEDIA . Vol 2 page 263
-Here the authors acknowledge that the
baptismal formula was changed by their
church.

11. HASTINGS DICTIONARY OF BIBLE, page 88 - "It must be acknowledged that
the three fold ‘name’ of Saint Matthew 28:19 does not appear to have been
used by the primitive church, but rather in the ‘name’ Jesus, Jesus Christ, or
Lord Jesus.”
The early church knew the name of the Son was Jesus. (Matthew 1:21) They
knew that the Son came in the Father’s name (John 5:43). They also knew that
the Holy Ghost was the Spirit of Christ and would come in Jesus ' name
(John 14:26).

12. FAUSSETS BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA, page 359 - The
name Jesus. Means” Jehovah Salvation. "

13. CONCLUSION
JESUS ONLY NAME TO BAPTIZE IN
• The references I have given are in agreement with the command Apostle
Peter gave on the Day of Pentecost. When asked, "...what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “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 continued, "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” (Acts 2:39).
It is apparent by historical facts that people in the early church did obey the
command relative to water baptism as Apostle Peter gave it. Furthermore,
the authenticity of water baptism today in the name of ”Jesus Christ,” cannot
be denied! “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).
Apostle Paul said, “And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus...” (Colossians 3:17).
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved...” (Saint Mark
16:16).
The Biblical and- historical facts set forth in this article are worthy of the
reader’s prayerful consideration. Regardless of one’s loyalty to tradition, we
all stand before God on the solitary merit of our obedience to His Word.