Is Mat 28:19 Spurious?

Hello Mike,
This is kind of long, but I was wondering if you agree.
Thanks,
J____

Here is the main Scripture used by Trinitarians to try and make people believe that God is a trinity: “Going, then, disciple all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit …” (Mat 28:19).

Let’s practice a little of what Paul teaches in Tit 1:9.

Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

According to the Trinitarian belief, if you don’t believe in the Trinity you will not be saved and you belong to a CULT, and they ONLY baptized by the command or method given in Mat 28:19, which is in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. In the next couple of pages we will try to prove, by the scriptures, if the church is being faithful toChrist.

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. And Peter continues…

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

These first two scriptures tell us the name that is above every other name, and a pattern is developed within the scriptures. Paul then confirms it.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Two other names, other than the name of the Lord Jesus, are necessary to be saved according to the tradition of “the church,” but it is contrary to the scripture.

Is the phrase “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” used elsewhere in the scripture? Not once. The only other verse that contains the Father, Son and spirit in one verse is in Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

And of course this verse tells us who this spirit is.

Peter tells us that no scripture with one interpretation is a valid witness. (2Pe 1:20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Jesus even says: (Joh 5:31) If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

Even according to Jesus, one testimony is just not enough.

Did Jesus use the phrase “in my name” on other occasions? Yes, seventeen times. And the phrase “in the name of the Lord” is used 22 times in the New Testament.

How did the apostles obey today’s “Gold Rule” of the Trinity baptism?

Act 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 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Maybe Peter just forgot on this one occasion.

Act 8:12 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.

Philip somehow also had a memory lapse on this day.

Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Oops! Peter broke the rule again.

Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Peter did it again.

Act 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Oh no, not Paul, too. Maybe next time he’ll get it right.

Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Nope.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Paul again. And I thought he was something special.

1Co 12:13 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.

2Co 3:17-18 Now the Lord is that Spirit:

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Col 3:17 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.

What Paul really meant to say according to church tradition was: “whatever you do, do in the name of the Lord Jesus, except when you baptize, then you do this one thing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

From Barnes Commentary on the bible in reference to Mat 28:19: “The union of these three names in the form of baptism proves that the Son and Holy Spirit are equal with the Father. Nothing would be more absurd or blasphemous than to unite the name of a creature – a man or an angel – with the name of the ever- living God in this solemn rite. Can we believe that our Saviour would have given a direction so absurd as this? Yet, unless he himself is divine, and the Holy Spirit is divine, Jesus gave a direction substantially the same as this. The form of baptism, therefore, has been always regarded as an unbreakable argument for the doctrine of the Trinity, or that the Son and Holy Spirit are equal with the Father.”

What an admission!

Their instructions for executing this commission were ignored by ALL the apostles and are never fulfilled in the scriptures.

From Henry’s commentary on the bible in reference to Mat 28:19. “1. The duty of disciples, of all baptized Christians; they must observe all things whatsoever Christ has commanded, and, in order to that, must submit to the teaching of those whom he sends.”

In spite of this proclamation, the church fails to see that ALL the apostles ignored what Christ commanded in this verse, if true, which was to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I guess today’s church is just more faithful to the Lord’s commands.

One more witness. Luke’s account of the great commission.

Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

How about another witness from Mark:

Mar 16:15-17 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

The Apostles certainly followed the Jesus’ commands in Luk 24:47, and in Mar 16:15-17. But strangely enough they absolutely did not observe and teach what was commanded in Mat 28:19. Why?

Mat 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

“In the course of my reading I have been able to substantiate these doubts of the authenticity of the text of Mat 28:19 by adducing patristic [ L. pater: “father”] evidence against it, so weighty that in the future the most conservative of divines will shrink from resting on it any dogmatic fabric at all, while the more enlightened will discard it as completely as they have its fellow- text of the ‘Three Witnesses’.” – F. C. Conybeare in the Hibbert Journal

Does God deceive or cause men to believe a lie?

2Ch 18:20-22 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

What better way to deceive those who do not love the truth, than to send FALSE translations and have them call it truth.

Can a lie in the translation be weeded out? You be the judge.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, page 365– Baptism was changed from the name of Jesus to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in 2nd Century.
Canney Encyclopedia of Religion, page 53– The early church baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus until the second century.
Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion, Volume2– Christian baptism was administered using the words, “in the name of Jesus” page 377. Baptism was always in the name of Jesus until time of Justin Martyr, page 389.
Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2, page 263– Here the authors acknowledged that the baptismal formula was changed by their church.
Schaff- Herzog Religious Encyclopedia, Volume 1, page 435– The New Testament knows only the baptism in the name of Jesus.
Hastings Dictionary of Bible, page 88– It must be acknowledged that the three fold name of Mat 28:19 does not appear to have been used by the primitive church, but rather in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, or Lord Jesus.

Plain scripture explained away by those who contradict: 1Co 8:6 yet to us is one God, the Father, of whom are the all things, and we to Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are the all things, and we through Him;

Let me know what you think.

J____

I could not agree more!
Mike