ViaCrucis
Confessional Lutheran
- Oct 2, 2011
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I believe mostly according to this, with the exception of Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - rather, every instance of water Baptism in Acts is done in the name of Jesus, who actually IS the embodiment of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hence, the NAME of, which is singular, not plural. (Father & Son being titles, Holy Spirit being Holy Spirit)
"The Catholic Encyclopedia, for example, states that "The baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by the Catholic Church in the second century."
This is bad Trinitarian theology and amounts to a confession of Modalism. The singular name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is, well, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are not titles, but Persons. The Father is not a title, He is the Father of the Son. The Son is not a title, He is the Son of the Father. The Holy Spirit is not a title, He is the Divine and Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son.
The Catholic Encyclopedia entry is incorrect. The Didache bears witness to the first century use of the Trinitarian formula in Holy Baptism. "In the name of Jesus" or "In the name of the Lord Jesus" isn't formulaic; it is about authority. Christian Baptism rather than some other baptism (e.g. John's baptism). Christian Baptism is by the authority of Christ who commanded His Church to baptize. We don't have, in the Acts of the Apostles, a detailed description of how to perform baptism, only descriptions of people being baptized. The Baptism is by Christ's name--His authority; texts like the Didache and all other early Christian works when talking about how to actually perform the baptismal rite consistently speak of the Triune formula.
From The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689,
"Chapter 28
Of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
1 Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his church a to the end of the world. (a Mat 28:19-20; 1Co 11:26)
2 These holy appointments are to be administered by those only who are qualified and thereunto called, according b to the commission of Christ.
(b Mat 28:19; 1Co 4:1)
Chapter 29
Of Baptism
1 Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. (a Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12; Gal 3:27; b Mar 1:4; Act 22:16; c Rom 6:4)
2 Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance. (d Mar 16:16; Act 8:36-37; 2:41; 8:12; 18:8)
3 The outward element to be used in this ordinance eis water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ( e Mat 28:19-20; Act 8:38)
4 Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance. ( Mat 3:16; Joh 3:23)
Chapter 30
Of the Lord’s Supper
1 The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed, to be observed in his churches, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance, and shewing forth the sacrifice of himself in his death, confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits thereof, their spiritual nourishment, and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe to him; band to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other.
(a 1Co 11:23-26; b 1Co 10:16-17,21)
2 In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to his Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the quick or dead, but only a memorial of that cone offering up of himself by himself upon the cross, once for all; and a spiritual oblation of all d possible praise unto God for the same. So that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious to Christ’s own sacrifice the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect. (c Heb 9:25-26,28; d 1Co 11:24; Mat 26:26-27)
3 The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed his ministers to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use, and to take and break the bread; to take the cup, eand, they communicating also themselves, to give both to the communicants. (e 1Co 11:23-26, etc.)
4 The denial of the cup to the people, worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and reserving them for any pretended religious use, fare all contrary to the nature of this ordinance, and to the institution of Christ. (f Mat 26:26-28; 15:9; Exo 20:4-5)
5 The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to the use ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified, as that truly, although in terms used figuratively, they are sometimes called by the names of the things they represent, to wit, the g body and blood of Christ, albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly and only h bread and wine, as they were before. (g 1Co 11:27; h 1Co 11:26,28)
6 That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood, commonly called transubstantiation, by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason, overthroweth the nature of the ordinance, and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.
(iAct 3:21; Luk 24:6,39; k 1Co 11:24-25)
7 Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, land all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
(l 1Co 10:16; 11:23-26)
8 All ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table, and cannot, without great sin against him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, nor be admitted thereunto; yea, whosoever shall receive unworthily, are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.
(m 2Co 6:14-15; n 1Co 11:29; Mat 7:6)
[This shows the simple details about the Baptismal formula]:
By the way, I DO believe in the Trinity, or the three in One of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - of whom each has specific attributes, yet all are God. 1 John 5:7 KJV
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one"
(Which will not appear in many modern corrupted translations)
The testimony of the Holy and Christian Church from the time of the Apostles until today is that Baptism is the precious and holy sacrament by which we, ordinarily, receive new birth, as written in Holy Scripture, c.f. John 3:3-5 and Titus 3:5.
-CryptoLutheran
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