A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

A History of Christian Doctrine
176
John] had come. . . . Proclamation of the name of
Jesus in which all salvation is enclosed, and baptism
in His name, are thus the distinguishing mark of the
apostolic preaching and baptism which began on the
Day of Pentecost. . . .
What may not be presupposed, however, is that
from the very first a specific formula was used . . . and
even less still that it was always and everywhere the
same. If a formula of this kind was required, it is hard
to see why the simple “into Jesus Christ” of Gal. 3:27
and Rom. 6:3 did not contain all that was needed, or
why it would not have been enough to include the
term onoma [name] as in most of the relevant verses,
e.g., “into the name of Jesus Christ” or “of the Lord
Jesus Christ.” In the most solemn passage of all, however,
though with no change of meaning, this short
statement took the familiar Trinitarian form (Mt.
28:19) and this form . . . established itself in all parts
of Christendom as the ecclesiastically normal and
obligatory formula . . . It may be noted that what we
have here is a custom that should be observed for the
sake of ecumenical peace even though its exegetical,
dogmatic and theological necessity cannot be demonstrated.
. . . The only thing which is unconditionally
necessary from a theological standpoint is that baptism
should be a washing with water . . . and that
whatever is said . . . should characterise it unequivocally
as a movement into Jesus Christ, into the washing
of man accomplished in Him. . . .
The name of Jesus Christ, the place of salvation
and the origin of all the related action, is here the
object and goal of Christian action, which is referred