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:"
Problem:
Since the passage mentions the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this is taken to mean that the one God
exists in three divine Persons.
Solution:
1.This passage makes no
mention of the alleged co-eternity, co-equality or co-substance so hard pressed
by the trinitarian.
2.The baptismal formula given here by Jesus is
unique by naming the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.1 In the Acts of the Apostles
and Paul's letter's the corresponding formula is simply "baptized into (the name
of) the Lord Jesus." (Acts 2:28; 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). It can
be inferred then that the latter formula was a type of "shorthand" for the
fuller one in Matthew's account and that Jesus is the focus of "the Name" (Acts
4:12).
1.Jesus was given this name by God (Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:4)
and therefore it was not his inherently but something given to him by the
greater (John 14:28). The name was given to him after his crucifixion and
therefore he didn't possess it from the beginning. This is why in Revelation
3:12 he calls it his "new name."
2.Likewise, in the verse beforehand
Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew
28:18). The Father is the one who has given him this power (John 3:35; 17:2; 1
Corinthians 15:28) and he could have done nothing without it (John 5:30; 8:28).
3.Why then are the three mentioned here together? The simple
fact is that these three play an important role for a disciple.
1."But it is
God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put
his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." (2
Corinthians 1:21-22)
2."Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." (1 Peter
1:2)
It is God the Father who has used Jesus Christ and his Spirit to
work in the life of a believer. There is no equality here but God the Father as
being superior by his working through Christ and the Spirit.
Footnotes: 1.This is the only place that the Holy Spirit could possibly be said
to have a name
Ron Abel
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