In whose name are we to be baptized—Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38), or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Neither Matthew 28:19 nor Acts 2:38 were intended to give a “formula” that needs to be used during baptism. Instead, they are each talking about the authority behind baptisms. In biblical times, a “name” was another way of referring to authority (for example, Acts 4:7, 10). Therefore, the point of both Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 is that baptism happens on the basis of divine authority.

In Matthew, all three Persons of the Godhead are listed as the authority while in Acts, only Jesus’ name is given. Because Jesus is co-equal with the Father and the Spirit, He has the same authority. This means that whether one baptizes “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” or “in the name of Jesus Christ,” both statements appeal to the same divine authority. In Acts 2:38, Peter was focused on the One through whom salvation came, namely Jesus, and this is why He only mentioned Him when referring to baptism. Baptism in either wording reflects the same truth: salvation is through Christ and under the authority of the triune God.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament does not talk about Christian baptism.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus taught that His disciples were to baptize others “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Yet in Acts 2:38, Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ …” Is there a contradiction, or why is there a difference?
• Neither passage is teaching a “formula” to say while baptizing. In biblical times, to do something in the name of someone else was to do it according to that other person’s authority. For example, before Peter healed a lame beggar who was asking for money, he said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6; cf. Acts 3:16). Peter was saying that the power to heal was not something he had authority to do, but that he could heal by Jesus’ authority (in His name).
• When the rulers arrested Peter and John, they asked the apostles, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:7). The authorities understood that some power/authority had to heal the man. Peter answered, “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well” (Acts 4:10).
• “The name of Jesus” refers to His authority and power. As fully God, Jesus’ authority is equal with the authority of the Father and Spirit. Therefore, in Acts 2:38, when Peter only mentioned Jesus’ name, he was appealing to the same divine authority as recorded in Matthew 28.
• Indeed, in the Matthew passage, before giving the triune statement, Jesus said that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). While Jesus is co-equal with the Father and the Spirit, for the purposes of building His church with the gospel, Jesus also has full authority. It was equally proper to use the triune names or Jesus’ name.
• Beyond the fact that there was no difference in authority, Peter’s use of “in the name of Jesus Christ” in Acts 2:38 makes contextual sense. His sermon before Acts 2:38, in part, explained who Jesus is. Jesus’ works were witnessed by many there at the sermon (Acts 2:22), He was put to death by those witnesses (Acts 2:23), raised again by the Father as prophesied in the Psalms (Acts 2:24–32), and was now in the position of authority next to the Father (Acts 2:33–35).
• As he wraps up the sermon, Peter tells the people, “let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). “When they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37). This is when Peter answers, in Acts 2:38, saying that they must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Rather than Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 being two contradictory baptism formulas, both passages say that baptism is done by divine authority. We are more familiar with Matthew’s version because the practice of the early church was to baptize in the name of all three Persons of the Godhead. However, they were not denying Peter’s simpler statement but were emphasizing the triune nature of God.

The Father sent Jesus (John 3:16–18) to die in the place of sinners (Romans 5:8). Fully God, fully man, and fully perfect, Jesus willingly gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice so all who trust in Him would be forgiven, saved, and made right with God. Jesus died, rose again, and now sits at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34). Being at the right hand means that He has been given authority as judge and will return one day to punish the world for its rebellion. The people Peter was speaking to understood this and cried out, “What shall we do?”

This is the same question that each of us should ask as well. Though we were not directly involved in the crucifixion, Jesus died for our sin too. When He died, the Father treated Jesus as if He had sinned, inflicting Him with the wrath deserved by sinful men and women (2 Corinthians 5:21). His death allows us to be saved. Right now, we live in a time where Jesus is awaiting His Father’s command to return and pour out His judgment on all who reject Him. Until then, that wrath is held back so we can repent and have life in Him. There is no other way of escape as “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). For those who have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, we are called to be baptized—to demonstrate our faith before God and others. Whether we are baptized in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the heart of the matter is the same: we are showing that we have surrendered to the One who died and rose again to save us. Jesus' name carries the full weight of God's authority, and being baptized is our public declaration that we belong to Him. This calls us to live each day as people who have turned from sin and now walk under His rule. If Jesus truly has all authority, then our response must not be casual—baptism is not just a ritual but a key act of obedience in a life of repentance, trust, and bold witness for the One who will one day return in judgment and glory.

UNDERSTAND

• Both Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 point to the same divine authority, not a formula for baptism.
• Baptism is done by God’s authority, whether expressed as “in the name of Jesus” or “in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
• Peter emphasized Jesus’ name in Acts 2:38 because his sermon focused on Jesus as the crucified and risen Savior.

REFLECT

• How does understanding the authority behind baptism—not just the words used—help you better understand the significance of baptism?
• How are you living under the authority of the One in whose name you were baptized?
• If baptism is a public declaration of surrender to Christ, how are you continuing to show that surrendered life in your daily actions?

ENGAGE

• How can we help one another avoid getting caught up in outward formulas while staying focused on the meaning and authority behind baptism?
• Why did the early church emphasize both the name of Jesus and the fullness of the triune God in their baptismal practices?
• What can we learn about Jesus’ authority from Acts 2 and Matthew 28, and how should that shape our witness and walk as a community of believers?