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SUBJECT:
Matthew 28:19 and the Trinity
QUESTION:
Please explain Matthew 28:19 and specifically to the
subjects of “Holy Spirit” and “Trinity”
ANSWER:
First the verse:
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost:
In What Name?
Many have been confused by
Matthew 28:19 where Jesus talked about baptizing in His name
and in the Father's name. Some are also confused by the
mention of the "Holy Ghost."
Since this scripture is
often used during the baptism ceremony, it would be
worthwhile for the reader to understand two points.
First, the King James Bible
uses words that have different meanings today than they had
over 350 years ago. The translators in 1611 used the word
"ghost" for the Greek word pneuma. God does not have a ghost
(there is no such thing as a
ghost as portrayed in fictional movies on the supernatural),
but God does have a Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a
personage in the God Family. The God Family is presently
composed of the Father and the Son - it is not a trinity.
The word "trinity" is
nowhere mentioned in the Bible, and the only scripture which
implies it is a deliberate insertion by copyists after the
invention of printing. The spurious verse is found in 1 John
5:7, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are
one." Not one word of that passage is found in the Codex
Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, or Alexandrinus, nor in any
manuscripts until after the time of the comparatively modern
invention of printing. For full information on this vital
subject, ask for a re-print article on the subject of "The
Trinity."
Remember! Christ prayed to
the Father. Even the Roman Catholic Church recognized the
Father as the supreme member of the Godhead; the One to whom
Christ returned; the One to whom Christ credited all His
works!
Yet, when the angel
announced the conception of Christ, he said, ". . . for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Sprit." (Matthew
1:20). Mary was told, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee,
and the POWER OF THE HIGHEST shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God!" (Luke 1:35).
Obviously, not one of the
vaunted churches of this world claims the "Holy Ghost" is
the FATHER of Jesus Christ, yet the Bible says again and
again that the agency used by God in bringing about this
stupendous miracle was the Holy Spirit! Write for the
"trinity" article for a complete, irrefutable Bible study on
this important issue.
Back to our discussion.
Remember, the first point was that the word "Ghost" is an
error. It should be rendered "Spirit."
Second, the word "in" in
this scripture was translated from the Greek word eis. A
better translation would he "into."
A more accurate rendering of
Matthew 28:19 would be, "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Baptism puts us into the
divine God Family. At baptism we become begotten sons of God
and earn the right to call Him "Father."
Notice from this scripture
that we are baptized into Jesus Christ, not into any church
denomination. Oftentimes ministers of this world's churches
will baptize a person only if the new person is willing to
be baptized into that minister's church denomination. This
is wrong! Any person who wishes to receive salvation should
refuse such a requirement. He should only be baptized into
the name of the Father and of the Son. Loyalty to any man or
group of men should also be refused because it is not a
requirement for baptism.
A proper procedure for
baptism should follow this form very closely: Before the
actual baptism, the repentant person should be asked if he
has repented of his sins and accepted Jesus Christ as
personal Lord and Saviour. Then, the person doing the
immersing should say, "And now, (the
persons' full name) as a result of your
repentance of your sins; the transgression of God's holy
law, I now baptize you into the name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, 'in the name of' meaning 'by the
authority of' Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins."
The repentant person is then totally immersed in water.
Some church denominations
believe baptism should he performed only in running water
such as a river or stream. But there is no scriptural basis
for this. A baptism may he performed in a swimming pool, a
lake, the ocean, or any body of water which is large enough
to accommodate complete immersion.
See our Feature page on the subject of the Trinity located
at the
EA site:
http://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/Trinity_false_doctrine.shtml
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