Formula for baptism

[Riley259]

Jesus told his apostles to baptize using the Trinitarian rite (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but in several places in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and others baptize new converts in the name of the Lord or in the name of Jesus Christ. Why didn’t they initially use the formula that the Lord gave them?

 

[Aquinas326]

Jesus told his apostles to baptize using the Trinitarian rite (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but in several places in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and others baptize new converts in the name of the Lord or in the name of Jesus Christ. Why didn’t they initially use the formula that the Lord gave them?

They did use the formula Jesus perscribed. Baptizeing “In the name of Jesus Christ” is kind of like telling someone to stop, “in the name of the law”. You’re invoking the authority of Jesus (in the case of the former) or the law (in the case the latter). This terminology also differentiated it from other baptisms that were around at that time. (I have to give Credit to Tim Staples for the “In the name of the Law” anology, which I have butchered badly)

 

[NHInsider]

We do not actually “see” the baptisms or read their transcripts, so the Scripture reports are not evidence of the formula used in the rituals.

Everything the Church does with God’s Authority, it does “in the Name of the Lord Jesus.” That was the way Jesus expressed it in His charge to the Apostles, and the way they expressed their actions (see John 14 for Jesus’ words and Peter’s healing of the cripple in Acts 3.)

 

[David_Zampino]

Jesus told his apostles to baptize using the Trinitarian rite (in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but in several places in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and others baptize new converts in the name of the Lord or in the name of Jesus Christ. Why didn’t they initially use the formula that the Lord gave them?

The Apostles did. St. Matthew provides the formula, while the accounts found in the Acts of the Apostles are descriptive, not formulaic.

I once got into a protracted battle of academic papers with a Oneness Pentecostal on this very issue.