In order to understand the truth about Baptism, one must first understand the headship. There are two major teachings on the Godhead. Both of them are wrong. The trinity doctrine says that God is manifested in three equal beings; of the same nature and substance.
But Jesus said God is a Spirit. The Word says that God is not a man. Jesus said after his resurrection, that he is still flesh and bone. He told the disciples, Feel me and handle me and see that a spirit hath NOT flesh and bone as you see me have. So, even after the resurrection, Jesus still said that he was not a spirit.
So, don’t you see that this says Jesus and God are not of the same substance? One is a human, and the other one is a spirit. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus. That is right now in heaven; Jesus is still a man and God is still a spirit. So, this proves the trinity doctrine is a lie.
Jesus said my Father is greater than I. This disproves both teachings. (for the sake of shortening this message, I am only telling Scriptures; not quoting . You all know them; we have been over this so many times.) But, I will give a few important ones.
1Cor. 11: 3---But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is GOD.
Now, you may wonder why I am going to this in a message on Baptism: but this is absolutely necessary to understand the truth of Baptism.
Now, do you understand what being the head of someone means? It is the authority or leader; the one responsible for the spiritual well being of one. Also, the top man in a country is its head.
The head of the church is Christ. But Christ has a head. God is the head of Jesus. Now, all this is applied the same way. Unless you see that God is the head over Jesus; how can you see that Jesus is the head over man and man over woman? It is the same thing. So, if you deny that God is over Jesus; then you must also deny that Jesus is over us. Those of you who say Jesus is the same as God; you are denying that God is his head. For then you would have to say that man is Jesus; for the very same words say God is the head of Christ which say Jesus is the head of man.
As we are to obey our head, Jesus said he did always the things which pleased his head, God.
In Matt.28:19---When Jesus told the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, he was showing that what he said and did, he did under the authority of the Father and the Holy Ghost. Jesus said I came in my Father’s name. Now, the Jesus only people took this and went wild with it. They say this means that Jesus is the name of the Father. But this is not what it is saying. When one says they do a thing in the name of someone or an organization, it simply means you are doing this by the other person’s authority.
So, when Jesus said I came in my Father’s name, he was saying what the rest of the Word says; that the Father SENT the Son. Jesus said I do only what I see my Father do; I say only what I hear my Father say. See, this was his authority.
Now, re-read the Word in 1Cor. The only one who is said to be directly under the authority of the Father is Jesus. So, this means that Jesus is the ONLY one who has the authority to invoke the name of the Father. He is the only one who has a right to call the Father into action. This is why it says we can only come to the Father through Jesus; we can not go directly to the Father ourselves; we must go through Jesus.
So, by the same token, man can not use the authority of the Father in Baptism. We are directly under the authority of Jesus. We need go no further: indeed, we can not go any further; to try to do so is to reject the headship of Jesus and try to go over him; over his authority to get to the Father.
So when the disciples baptized, they only said in the name of Jesus. For if they had tried to use the name of the Father for their authority to baptize with, they would have been wrong; for they would not have been submitting themselves to the authority of Jesus.
There is no place in all the Scripture where any one was baptized saying the words, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. For, the apostles knew that Jesus was their head. They did not try to over ride this authority.
Acts 2:38---Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you (this still applies to 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.
Now, here is why so many do not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: they refuse to obey baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
v41---Then they that GLADLY received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
So, see, those people GLADLY accepted this word as the way of salvation: they obeyed this: 3,000 people.
Acts 8:16---For as yet he (the Holy Ghost) was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
This is the next time it is mentioned as to how N.T. Christians were baptized: in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they received the Holy Ghost; according to the promise.
Acts 10:44-48---- After the Gentiles to whom Peter had gone and preached, received the Holy Ghost, for they heard them speak with tongues...v47---Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
See, they knew these had received the same experience they received , for they heard them speak with tongues.
v48--And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Now, here is one of the N.T. commandments. This is the one people need to be concerned about obeying. This is the one connected with receiving salvation.
Acts 19:1-7---Here Paul met some believers who had been baptized by John the Baptist; he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they had believed. They said they did not know about the Holy Ghost. Paul asked them how they were baptized then.
v4- Paul told them they needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus.
v5---When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
v6--And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
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.
Now, these are the only Scriptures which show exactly how the apostles baptized people. And it says to do every thing you do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Baptism is both in word and deed; so it must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.
To try to use the name of the Father is to try to over ride the authority of Jesus. God will not accept this. No one except Jesus has the power to invoke the name of the Father. No earthly man has this authority: so no one has the right to baptize you in the name of the Father. When we submit to the authority of Jesus, we are thereby under the indirect authority of the Father: we can not be directly under the Father: Jesus is the mediator between us and the Father.
There is not even one place in the Word where any one baptized saying in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. They always said in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is the only correct way. This is the only way God will remit your sins. This is the only way which will bring you the promised Holy Ghost; for this is the condition which you must meet in order to be in position to receive the Holy Ghost. There is no other way given in the Word of God. To do it any other way, is to reject God’s provided way; his commandment; and accept some man’s way, which is in defiance of God’s chosen way.
Lord Jesus, I pray that every one who reads this message will see the truth of this and submit themselves to your authority and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and receive the Holy Ghost. May they also see that this way is not because you are the Father; but that you are under the authority of your head, God.
Thank you Lord Jesus for revealing this great secret to me.
Jo