Is my baptism correct? Matthew 28:19 vs Acts 2:38

The Book of Acts contains five examples of baptism in the name of Jesus, while no biblical account mentions any other name or formula in connection with an actual baptism. Below are six indisputable references in the NewTestament to baptism in the name of Jesus.


(1) After the first sermon of the New Testament church, Peter commanded baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” with the support of the rest of the apostles (Acts 2:14, 37-38). Those who accepted his message were baptized according to this commandment—that is, in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:41).


(2) After the Samaritans believed Philip’s preaching concerning “the name of Jesus Christ,” they were baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:12, 16).


(3) After Cornelius and his fellow Gentiles received the Holy Ghost, Peter “commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48). The most ancient Greek manuscripts contain the name “Jesus Christ” in this verse, as later translations indicate: “So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (NIV); “And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Messiah” (TAB).


(4) When Paul met certain disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus, he asked about their baptism. When he found out they had only received John’s baptism, he baptized them again, this time “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).


(5) Paul himself was baptized in the name of Jesus, for Ananias told him, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).


In addition to these five accounts in Acts, I Corinthians shows that the Gentile believers in Corinth were baptized in Jesus’ name. The church there was full of divisions, with various groups claiming to be followers of Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Christ. When Paul rebuked them for their divisions, he asked, “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (I Corinthians 1:13). The obvious answer to the last question is, “No, we were baptized in the name of Christ.” Since the Corinthians were baptized in (literally, “into”) the name of Christ, not Paul, they belonged to Christ, not Paul. Paul was saying this: Jesus died for the whole church and the whole church was baptized in His name, so the church should unite in following Him. If the Corinthians were not baptized in Jesus’ name, Paul’s argument makes no sense. From these six passages we can conclude that the apostolic church always baptized in Jesus’ name. All believers—Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles—received baptism in the name of Jesus.


The Bible describes salvation both as a new birth and as an adoption. Viewed either way, we must take on the legal name of our new family. This occurs at baptism since it is part of the new birth and part of our identification with Christ. A boy in the Old Testament officially received his name at circumcision (Luke 1:57-63; 2:21), and baptism is our spiritual circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12).

Certain priests in the Old Testament were barred from the priesthood because they were not registered under their father’s name and could not prove their genealogy (Ezra 2:61-62). However, we can claim our priesthood and our spiritual inheritance when we become “registered” in our Father’s name. Jesus came in the Father’s name, having received His name by inheritance (John 5:43; Hebrews 1:4), so Jesus is the name by which the Father has revealed Himself to us. The whole spiritual family of God has taken on the name of Jesus (Ephesians 3:14-15). Clearly, then, Jesus is the name we take at baptism. If we expect to become part of His family at baptism, we must take on His name.


Matthew 28:19

This verse records the words of Jesus just before His ascension: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” How do we reconcile this verse with all the later references to baptism in the name of Jesus, such as Acts 2:38? Some people say, “I would rather obey the words of Jesus than the words of Peter.” However, Peter heard Jesus speak Matthew 28:19, that Matthew heard Peter speak Acts 2:38, and that only ten days separated the two events. If Acts 2:38 contradicts Matthew 28:19, then the first spokesman of the church (Peter) was in doctrinal error, the other apostles (including Matthew) followed him in error, and we cannot trust anything the apostles preached or recorded. If that be the case, we might as well discard all the teachings of the New Testament.

Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 both describe the same baptismal formula. Both give a formula and preserve the harmony of Scripture.

Biblical truth must be established by more than one witness (II Corinthians 13:1). Matthew 28:19 is the only verse in the Bible to use the baptismal phrase “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” while many verses reiterate the baptismal phrase in Acts 2:38, “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Apparently, Matthew 28:19 is the more indirect passage that we should harmonize and interpret in light of the others.

Matthew was not the only one who recorded the last words of Jesus to His disciples. Both Mark and Luke recorded the Lord’s last instructions, albeit in different languages. Matthew and Mark explicitly mention baptism. Since baptism is closely associated with remission of sin (Acts 2:38), Luke indirectly refers to it as well. Significantly, all three accounts describe a name. In each case, including Matthew, the name is singular. Mark and Luke both unquestionably describe the name Jesus. Apparently, Matthew 28:19 also describes the name Jesus.

Matthew 28:19 describes only one name, for nameis singular and not plural. (If one thinks this distinction is not significant, he should read Galatians 3:16 where Paul placed utmost importance on the singular in Genesis 22:18.)

Matthew Henry recognized the significance of the singular here, for he wrote, “We are baptized not into the ‘names’ ‘but into the name, of the Father, Son, and Spirit, which plainly intimates that these are one, and their name one" ((Matthew Henry, Commentary (Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell, n.d.), V, 443))

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not proper names but descriptive titles. Even if they were proper names, this verse specifically describes only one name, not three. We must still ask what is the one proper name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


The Name of the Father is JESUS: John 5:43; John 17:6, 26; Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:12; Hebrews 1:4.

The Name of the Son is JESUS: Matthew 1:21.

The Name of the Holy Ghost is JESUS: John 14:26 The Spirit is given and revealed through the name Jesus.


The context of Matthew 28:19 gives further confirmation that the singular name of the verse is Jesus. In verse 18 Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Verse 19 continues, “Go ye therefore. . . .” Jesus did not mean, “I have all power; therefore, baptize in three different names (or in another name).” Rather, He was saying, “I have all power, so baptize in my name."

A Baptist scholar has said, “A whole group of exegetes and critics have recognized that the opening declaration of Matthew 28:18 demands a Christological statement to follow it: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me’ leads us to expect as a consequence, ‘Go and make disciples unto Meamong all the nations, baptizing them in Myname, teaching them to observe all Icommanded you.’” (Beasley-Murray, p. 83.)

Because of this, many scholars have even thought that there must have been an earlier Christological formula in verse 19 that was changed to a trinitarian one by early Christianity. (Beasley-Murray pp. 83-84)

In support, they note that the church historian Eusebius, who lived in the 300’s, often quoted verse 19 using the phrase “in my name.” (Beasley-Murray p.81) (He did this many times before the Council of Nicea but never afterwards.)



All biblical references to the baptismal formula, including Matthew 28:19, describe the name Jesus. To be biblical, a formula must include the name Jesus, not merely recite the Lord’s verbal instructions. “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” or “I baptize you in the name of the Lord” or “I baptize you in His name” are all insufficient, because none of them actually use the name Jesus Christ commanded us to use.

A correct formula would be, “I baptize you in the name of Jesus.” It is also appropriate to add titles such as Lord or Christ to distinguish the Lord Jesus Christ from any others who have borne the name Jesus."


"My dear beloved brother/sister upon the confession of your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the confidence that we have in the blessed word of God, I now baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the give of the Holy Ghost! Amen"