Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 10/30/2006

Question
What church/organization/denomination do you belong to?
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
So what is your take on the whole Oneness thing? I can see the Catholic Encyclopedia does say that the formula of baptism was changed from 'in jesus' name' to the trinitarian formula of matthew 28. Why is 'name' singular in this passage, was Jesus referring to His name. It appears that Acts does typically baptize in Jesus' name. What of 1 Peter 3:21? It is all confusing to me, I go to an Assemblies of God church and my friend is United Pentecostal.
-----Answer-----
Dan,

Sorry to take so long in my reply. Your questions are ones that have divided many churches through out the years. I will do my best to answer them. But first, I would like to ask you a question. You said that "I can see the Catholic Encyclopedia does say that the formula of baptism was changed..." I myself have never seen this documentation. I do not doubt you, but I could you send my a web site link, or the specific book and page you are referencing? This is something that I have heard others quote, but I have not seen it myself. Thank you!

Now to the questions at hand.
1. "So what is your take on the whole Oneness thing?"
My "take" on this subject is that those who are Trinitarian and those who are Oneness are closer to believing the same thing than either one would dare admit to, for fear of being labeled a "compromiser". Let me see if I can clarify for you my belief concerning the nature of God by quoting our churches doctrinal statement.

THE GODHEAD - We believe in the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, and immutable triune God; and in the unity of the Godhead where three personalities, equal in every divine perfection and attribute, execute distinct, harmonious offices, in the great work of redemption. This does not mean that there are three "people" called God, but rather a way of saying God eternally exists in three personally distinct ways. Scriptures declare that there is only one God, Who is eternally manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Scripture References: I John 5:7, 2 Cor. 13:14, John 1:1,2, Rev. 4:2-5 & 5:1-7

Dan, it is my experience that those who are Trinitarian will teach the plurality of the Godhead so strong, that they will avoid the fact that God is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And those in the Oneness camp will emphasize the unity of the Godhead so strong that many of themfall into the false teaching of modalizm (that God became the Father, then He became the Son, and then He became the Holy Spirit). Both are wrong! "Scriptures declare that there is only one God, Who is eternally manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

2. "...changed from 'in Jesus' name' to the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28. Why is 'name' singular in this passage, was Jesus referring to His name. It appears that Acts does typically baptize in Jesus' name."

As I wrote earlier, I have heard of but never read this, but I do have the Scriptures themselves to reference. Oneness Pentecostals argue that the New Testament talks about people being baptized "in the name of Jesus," but there are only four such passages (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and 19:5). Further, these passages do not use the same designation in each place (some say "Lord Jesus," other say "Jesus Christ"), indicating that they were not technical formulas used in the baptism but simply descriptions by Luke. These four descriptions are not to be considered as a substitute for or contradiction of the divine command of the Lord Jesus Christ to: "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19).
Rather, the phrase "baptized in the name of Jesus" is simply Luke’s way (he wrote the book of Acts) to distinguish Christian baptism from other baptisms of the period, such as John’s baptism (which Luke mentions in Acts 1:5, 22, 10:37, 11:16, 13:24, 18:25, 19:4), Jewish proselyte baptism, and the baptisms of pagan cults. It also indicates the person who is baptized (placed in by faith at the point od salvation) into the Body of Christ.
(Rom. 6:3).

3. "What of 1 Peter 3:21?"
Let's look at vs.21 in the light of vs. 20 first.

vs.20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

vs.21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Peter was talking about Noah's flood, and how he and his family were saved from it. How was he save from the flood? By obedience in building an ark. The water did not save them, but the ark did. Notice Peter used the words "The like figure..." In other words, we are saved in a like figure to Noah. Noah built the ark in obedience, and by faith. We receive Jesus Christ as or Lord and Savior the same way. By obedience to His will through faith.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  
10:10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  

Please let me know if this helps, or feel free to write back if you have any further questions.
Elder Greg Madden

Answer
Dan,

May the Blessings of Almighty God, the Power of Christ’s Cross, and the knowledge we have of eternal life in Him, be upon you and your family during this Resurrection Season! Remember, Jesus is not dead, He is alive!

In The Cross,

Elder Greg Madden