Some Christians insist that one has to be baptised in the Name of Jesus, and that being baptised in the Name of The Father, Son, Holy Spirit won't do. I myself, feel that either are allright.
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Baptism formula?
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New_Wineskin
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This is the type of thing that happens when a religious ritual is thought of as a means of salvation . People are not satisfied with convincing others into getting wet - they want an exact magic spell to go along with it .
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Here's a long winded response. 
Formulas are an example of religion. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Religion isn't what Christianity is really about, it is the relationship, God reaching down to us. For that reason, baptism shouldn't be a ritualistic thing, but a matter of obedience. We get baptised (a word, which in the original Greek meant a full immersion) to show our obedience to Christ and our love for God. It is symbolic of dying to our old self and being "reborn" in the spirit. Jesus commanded to go out baptising "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Therefore, that would be a good practice to follow.
Formulas are an example of religion. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. Religion isn't what Christianity is really about, it is the relationship, God reaching down to us. For that reason, baptism shouldn't be a ritualistic thing, but a matter of obedience. We get baptised (a word, which in the original Greek meant a full immersion) to show our obedience to Christ and our love for God. It is symbolic of dying to our old self and being "reborn" in the spirit. Jesus commanded to go out baptising "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Therefore, that would be a good practice to follow.
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JohnPeter
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New_Wineskin and JAS4Yeshua have it going on. They are completely right.
There is no ritual that can save you. You are saved only by faith in Christ - Ephesians 2 says this.
In times past, faith and it's SYMBOL - baptism so closely followed one another, that they were considered one and same as an event.
Truth is, we are fully saved through faith before we even reach the baptismal waters!
Baptism shows as a symbol what happens when someone believes in Jesus:
Just as we are laid "buried" down under the baptismal waters, so, too, Jeuss was buried, after he died on behalf of all sinners. When we are brought out, this symbolises the tnew resurrection life we too are called to live. Just as Jesus was resurrected the third day and brought back to life by the Spirit, so too we are being raised daily to a new life by the same Spirit.
This happens by the grace of God, who decides who He will call to salvation. We never act first as agents of our own salvation - we can say no magic words to effect God's power in our lives.
Bringing me to my second point of the afternoon:
Let me ask you a question. What does "in the name of..." actually mean? Does it mean mentioning someone's name, even the name of Christ?
Does it not rather mean "to act in the very likeness of the character of a person?" Yes, this is what it means. In times past, if you came "in the name of..." You came not as yourself, under your own power; but were as good as the person themselves.
When Christians come in the name of God in all three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they are representing God as ministers who hold the key(s) of life (and death).
When we baptise, God forbid we ONLY baptise! Christians need first to hold out the word of life. We are saved by the Word we hear. not by water. Baptism in water is declared as a "pledge of a good conscience" (1 Peter 3:21) And we are exhorted (encouraged) to seek spiritual baptism by John the Baptist. We are only saved by the power of Christ who imparts to us the rejuvenating power of the Holy Spirit.
" and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Water is nothing in itself. We are saved by the one who has the power to turn water into wine.
There is no ritual that can save you. You are saved only by faith in Christ - Ephesians 2 says this.
In times past, faith and it's SYMBOL - baptism so closely followed one another, that they were considered one and same as an event.
Truth is, we are fully saved through faith before we even reach the baptismal waters!
Baptism shows as a symbol what happens when someone believes in Jesus:
Just as we are laid "buried" down under the baptismal waters, so, too, Jeuss was buried, after he died on behalf of all sinners. When we are brought out, this symbolises the tnew resurrection life we too are called to live. Just as Jesus was resurrected the third day and brought back to life by the Spirit, so too we are being raised daily to a new life by the same Spirit.
This happens by the grace of God, who decides who He will call to salvation. We never act first as agents of our own salvation - we can say no magic words to effect God's power in our lives.
Bringing me to my second point of the afternoon:
Let me ask you a question. What does "in the name of..." actually mean? Does it mean mentioning someone's name, even the name of Christ?
Does it not rather mean "to act in the very likeness of the character of a person?" Yes, this is what it means. In times past, if you came "in the name of..." You came not as yourself, under your own power; but were as good as the person themselves.
When Christians come in the name of God in all three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they are representing God as ministers who hold the key(s) of life (and death).
When we baptise, God forbid we ONLY baptise! Christians need first to hold out the word of life. We are saved by the Word we hear. not by water. Baptism in water is declared as a "pledge of a good conscience" (1 Peter 3:21) And we are exhorted (encouraged) to seek spiritual baptism by John the Baptist. We are only saved by the power of Christ who imparts to us the rejuvenating power of the Holy Spirit.
" and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Water is nothing in itself. We are saved by the one who has the power to turn water into wine.
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