Saturday, April 21, 2012

Obama Lawyer Admits Forgery but disregards “image” as Indication of Obama’s Ineligibility Damage Control

By Dan Crosby of THE DAILY PEN
Editor: Penbrook Johannson
Thursday, April 12, 2012

NEW YORK, NY – After a Maricopa County law enforcement agency conducted a six-month forensic examination which determined that the image of Obama’s alleged 1961 Certificate of Live Birth posted to a government website in April, 2011 is a digital fabrication and that it did not originate from a genuine paper document, arguments from an Obama eligibility lawyer during a recent New Jersey ballot challenge hearing reveals the image was not only a fabrication, but that it was likely part of a contrived plot by counterfeiters to endow Obama with mere political support while simultaneously making the image intentionally appear absurd and, therefore, invalid as evidence toward proving Obama’s ineligibility in a court of law.

Taking an audacious and shocking angle against the constitutional eligibility mandate, Obama’s lawyer, Alexandra Hill, admitted that the image of Obama’s birth certificate was a forgery and made the absurd claim that, therefore, it cannot be used as evidence to confirm his lack of natural born citizenship status. Therefore, she argued, it is “irrelevant to his placement on the ballot”.
 

Hill went on to contort reasoning by implying that Obama needs only invoke his political popularity, not legal qualifications, in order to be a candidate.

At the hearing, attorney for the plaintiffs, Mario Apuzzo, correctly argued that Obama, under the Constitution, has to be a “natural born Citizen” and that he has not met his burden of showing that he is eligible to be on the New Jersey primary ballot by showing that he is indeed a “natural born Citizen.” He argued that Obama has shown no authenticate evidence to the New Jersey Secretary of State demonstrating who he is and that he was born in the United States. Apuzzo also argued that as a matter of law, Obama is not a “natural born Citizen” because he was born to a father who was not a U.S. citizen.

As Obama’s legal argument becomes more contorted, he is being forced to avoid an ever shrinking legal space, and an increasing weight, of his failure to meet constitutional eligibility requirements. 
Hill, of Genova, Burn & Giantomasi Attorneys in Newark, made a desperate motion to dismiss the ballot objection arguing that Obama’s lack of natural-born citizenship status was not relevant to being placed on the New Jersey presidential ballot because no law exists in New Jersey which says that a candidate’s appearance on the ballot must be supported by evidence of natural born citizenship status. Only the U.S. constitution restricts eligibility to hold the office of president to natural born citizens.



                                              


Judge Masin denied the motion to dismiss and the case proceeded to trial.
“Sadly, regardless of her moral deficiency, Hill is legally justified,” says TDP Editor, Penbrook Johannson, “Obama’s eligibility is a separate matter than the charges of forgery and fraud. Of course, we have evidence that he is not eligible. But, evidence of forgery by as yet unidentified counterfeiters working on behalf of Obama is not what legally excludes Obama from appearing on a ballot, by itself, until some authority is willing to consider this as evidence of forgery on its merit as an indication of actual ineligibility in a court of legal authority. Until some court of competent jurisdiction is willing to hear evidence of forgery and fraud, you can’t legally punish a political candidate for that crime which has not been proven that they committed. However, since Obama is not eligible because of a lack of authenticated evidence to the contrary, he could be held off the ballot for that reason.”

According to Johannson, there is an overwhelming level of moral certainty that Obama is a usurper, but until a court with jurisdiction considers this case, Obama’s status as a legitimate president is in limbo.

“He does not exist as a president except in the imagination of those who blindly support him. Whereas he is politically desired by a transient consensus, his legality is unresolved until a responsible court makes a determination. This is the essence of our crisis. Our nation exists in a state of non-authorized identity. Obama is just some guy calling himself a president and living in the White House without the confirmative authority to do so.”

Obama’s document forgery and fraudulent presidency have now forced him to flee to a “strange twilight zone” between political popularity and legal legitimacy where poorly counterfeited records are apparently allowed to be published by Obama using government media resources for political purposes, yet those same records are held by the courts as irrelevant for determining Obama’s legal eligibility status because they are, according to judges, “so poorly forged” they are obviously meant to be satirical and not to be taken seriously as evidence.

Shockingly, parting from widespread public ignorance, Hill actually acknowledged two of the three necessary components of determining natural born citizenship as being place of birth and citizenship status of both parents. However, she argued that, “No law in New Jersey obligated him (Obama) to produce any such evidence in order to get on the primary ballot.”

The third component of natural born eligibility is maintenance of natural born citizenship status from birth to election without interruption, involuntarily or voluntarily, due to expatriation, extradition, renouncement or foreign adoption.

“Obama is mocking our constitution,” says Johannson, “His position is that he never claimed the image was an indication of his natural born status, just that it was information about his birth. Whether it is forged or authentic is irrelevant to Obama because plausible deniability affords him the security in knowing that no legal authority is willing to hang him with it.”

Of course, Johannson adds that it makes Obama look like a willing accomplice and a liar, but, he says, “…show me a politician who cares about being seen as a liar by the public. If people who support him want to vote for a person like that, it reveals more about the reprobate character of Obama supporters than competency of any legal determination about his lack of constitutional eligibility. Degenerates will vote for a degenerate while patriots will exhaust all civil means to remove him…until those civil means are exhausted. Then things get ugly for government.”

“However, Hill is also essentially admitting that Obama is not a legitimate president and that Obama believes that his illegitimacy does not matter to his legal ability to hold the office. Obama holds to a political tenet, not a legal one with respect to his views on his eligibility. That’s what corrupt, criminal politicians do. When the law convicts them, they run to public favorability for shelter with the hope that their supporters will apply pressure to disregard law in their case.”

Obama is now arguing that because he is politically popular, as he points to as being indicated by his so-called ‘election’, despite accusations of eligibility fraud and election fraud, the constitutional eligibility mandate is not relevant, in his view. Until a courageous authority is willing to disagree and hold Obama to an equally weighted legal standard, civil remedies for the Obama problem are limited.

Johannson adds that Obama is making the same argument on behalf of Obamacare.
“If he had the gall to actually tell the Supreme Court that they have no authority to determine the unconstitutionality of his illegitimate policies, what makes anyone think he believes they have the authority to disqualify him due to his lack of constitutional eligibility? Obama believes he holds preeminent power over all branches of government because of his delusions of political grandeur.”

He correctly points to a lifetime pattern of behavior and testimony by Obama which indicates a complete lack of regard for the U.S. Constitution when it restricts Obama’s political agenda and lust for power.

“This is a guy who illegally defaced public property when he scribed his aspirations to be ‘king’ in a concrete sidewalk at the age of ten, for God’s sake. Now, his ‘majesty’ wants to put his illegal ‘graffiti’ into American law books. However, his problem is that he has to face the fact that he is an abject failure in his capacity to meet any standard required by the 250-year-old U.S. Constitution, in everything he tries to do. The Constitution owns him and he can’t stand it. He hates it. Therefore, instead of admitting his lack of constitutionality, he simply breaks the rules and proceeds to illegally scribe his fake authority on everything until someone is willing to physically stop him. Obama is not just an illegitimate politician, he is a rogue outlaw without regard for the divine providence of American law.”

Apuzzo submitted that New Jersey law requires Obama to show evidence that he is qualified for the office he wishes to occupy and that includes showing that he is a “natural born Citizen,” which includes presenting evidence of who he is, where he was born, and that he was born to two U.S. citizen parents. Apuzzo added that the Secretary of State has a constitutional obligation not to place any ineligible candidates on the election ballot.

The account of the trial can be read at:http://www.teapartytribune.com/2012/04/11/nj-ballot-access-challenge-hearing-update/
###

update:
click Obama Lawyers Want the Video of the NJ Obama Ballot Access Challenge Public Hearing Pulled and Suppressed

This from the American Thinker

AND THIS ATTEMPT TO IMPEACH OBAMA

H.CON.RES.107
Latest Title: Expressing the sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under Article II, section 4 of the Constitution.
Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/7/2012)      Cosponsors (5)
Latest Major Action: 3/7/2012 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

...so what is the president laughing all the time about?

Saturday, April 14, 2012

The Apostles' Doctrine Concerning...

Written by S. R. Hanby

The Bible

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity and containing a correct prophecy of the ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and the destiny of humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is taught in its pages.

 

God

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4 ). He is the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to humanity as the Father (Creator), in the Son (Savior), and as the Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit).

Father

God is a Spirit (John 4:24 ). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all things, and the Father of all humanity by creation.
He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no God (Isaiah 44:6 ).
There was no God formed before Him; neither shall there be after Him (Isaiah 43:10 ).

Son

Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3 ) and the very God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1 :23). Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16 ); the Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17 ); God with us (Matthew 1:23 ); God made flesh (John 1:1-14 ); God manifested in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16; He which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8 ); the mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6 ).

Jesus Himself testified of His identity as God when He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11 ) and "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30 ). It took shedding of blood for the remission of the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:22 ), but God the Father was a Spirit and had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood (Hebrews 10:5 ) and came to earth as a man in order to save us for in Isaiah 43:11 He said, "Beside me there is no Saviour." When He came in flesh the angels sang, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11 ).

Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit of God (the Creator), the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Holy Ghost comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of everyone who believes and obeys the gospel, as the Comforter, Sustainer, and Keeper (John 14:16-26 ; Romans 8:9-11 ).



Sin

Sin is the transgression of the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4 ). The guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity from Adam until now (Romans 3:23 ). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23 ; Revelation 20:14 ) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as set forth in the Word of God.

 

Salvation

Salvation consists of deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ. The New Testament experience of salvation consists of repentance from sin, water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, after which the Christian is to live a godly life (Acts 2:36-41 ).

 

Water Baptism

Water baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom of God (God’s church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is not merely a part of local church membership. (See John 3:5 ; Galatians 3:27 .)

Mode of Baptism

Water baptism is to be administered only by immersion. Paul said, "We are buried with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism (Romans 6:4 see Colossians 2:12 ), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark1:10), and Philip and the eunuch went down "into the water" and came up "out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39 ).

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection are applied to our lives when we experience New Testament salvation: "Repent [death to sin], and be baptized [burial] 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 [resurrection]." (See Acts 2:38 ; Romans 6:1-7 ; 8:2.)

Sprinkling, pouring, or infant baptism of any kind cannot be substantiated by the Word of God, but are only human traditions.

Formula for Water Baptism

The name in which baptism is administered is vitally important, and this name is Jesus.
Jesus’ last command to His disciples was, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19 ). We should notice that He said name (singular) not names’,. As previously explained, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names of separate persons, but titles of positions held by God. An angelic announcement revealed God’s saving name in the New Testament: "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew1:21).

The apostles understood that Jesus was the name to use at baptism, and from the day that the church of God was established (the Day of Pentecost) until the end of their ministry, they baptized all nations (Jews-Acts 2:38-41 ; Samaritans-Acts 8:16 Gentiles-Acts 19:5 ) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, Jesus is the only name given for our salvation. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ).

 

Baptism of the Holy Ghost

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5 ). This spiritual baptism is necessary to put someone into the kingdom of God (God’s church, the bride of Christ) and is evidenced by speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit of God give utterance.

It was prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28-29 ) and Isaiah (Isaiah 28:11 ), foretold by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11 ), purchased by the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His disciples (John 14:26 ; 15:26). The Holy Ghost was first poured out on the Day of Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts 2:1-4 ), then upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:17 ), and later upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46 ;19:6). "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39 ).

Tongues

Speaking in tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker, as the Spirit gives utterance. Tongues can be classified in two ways, according to function:
(1) speaking in other tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and 
(2) the gift of tongues as mentioned in I Corinthians.

1. Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the manifestation God has given as the definite, indisputable, supernatural witness or sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4 ; 10:46; 19:6).

It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the rest and the refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12 ), foretold by Jesus as a sign that would follow believers of the gospel (Mark 16:17 ), and experienced by Jews and Gentiles alike.

2. The gift of "divers kinds of tongues," mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 12:1-10 and concerning which he gave regulations in I Corinthians 14:1-40, is given both for self-edification (I Corinthians 14:4) and for the edification of the church (I Corinthians 14:27-28).

In church meetings the gift of tongues is used to give a public message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this gift can be misused in public, it needs proper regulation (I Corinthians 14:23-28). Not all believers exercise the gift of tongues, which is different in function from tongues given by God as the initial witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues" (I Corinthians 14:39) and "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (I Corinthians 14:18). Who dares to teach or preach to the contrary?

 

Holiness

After we are saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more (John 8:11 ).

We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12 ) and warned that without holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14 ).

We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1 ), cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4 ).
If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? (I Peter 4:18).
No one can live a holy life by his own power, but only through the Holy Spirit. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8 ).

 

Divine Healing

God has made Himself known through the ages by miraculous healings and has made special provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will come to Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5 ; Matthew 8:16-17 ; I Peter 2:24).

Jesus went everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew 4:23-24 ), and He commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8 ). He said concerning those who believe the gospel, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18 ). Mighty healings and miracles followed the disciples where ever the gospel was preached.

There is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us, our children, or our friends can he healed by the power of God.

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders (if the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up): and if he have committed sins they shall he forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (‘James 5:14-16 ).

 

Second Coming of Christ

Jesus Christ is coming back to earth in bodily form, just as He went away (Acts 1:11 ). He will catch away a holy people (His bride, His church) who have accepted redemption through His blood, by birth of water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when He comes.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever he with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

"One shall be taken and the other left" (Luke I 7:36). Will we be ready?

The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power of God; society and politics corrupted; and people’s hearts filled with pride, blasphemies, unholiness, love of evil, and love of pleasures (II Timothy 3:1-13). These things, together with multitudes running to and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4 ), the persecution of the Jews and their return to Palestine (Luke 21:24 ), and scores of other things are startling signs that Jesus’ coming is drawing near.
Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, storms, floods, distress of nations, perplexity, and people’s hearts failing them for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus’ coming is at hand (Matthew 24:6 ; Luke 21:25-28 ).

"Prepare to meet thy God" (Amos 4:12 ).

 

Resurrection

There will be a resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust.
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29 ).

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ....and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:12-13 ). (See also Daniel 12:2 ; I Corinthians 15:13-23.)

 

Judgment

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27 ). For this reason there will be a resurrection for everyone. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10).

The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows the secrets of everyone’s heart. "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. .

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34 , 41, 46).

The law-the Word of God
The judge- the righteous God
To be judged-our souls
What will the sentence be?
Life's opportunities past!
Reaping day at last!
Two verdicts pend:
Life or death!

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15 ).

The following references show plainly that speaking in tongues as the evidence of the Holy Ghost has been given by God to earnest, God-fearing people down through the years.

Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, vol.3, page 2369, "Tongues, Gift of": "A phenomenon of the Apostolic age, technically known as the ‘glossolalia.’ In later time analogies have been found for it in the ‘speaking in tongues’ of the Camisards, Prophets of the Cevennes, Early Quakers and Methodists, ‘Lasare’ in Sweden (1841-1843), converts in the Irish revival of 1859, and particularly in the Catholic Apostolic (Irv-ingite) Church."

Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, vol.2, page 1119, "Irving, Edward": "In 1830 the news was spread abroad of the strange speaking with tongues which occurred in widely separated parts of Scotland. In 1831 prophecy and tongues appeared in Irving’s church and Irving fell in with the movement, heartily convinced of its spiritual basis and divine authority."

Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, vol.1, page 422,’ ‘Catholic Apostolic Church": ‘Pious Presbyterian men and women believed that their organs of speech were used by the Holy Spirit for the utterance of His thoughts and attentions.’’

Encyclopedia Britannica, New Werner Edition, vol.4, page 749, "Camisards": "Speaking in tongues, accompanied by all kinds of miracles, was common among the Camisards and Cevennes of Southern France in the 18th century. Children, under the influence of supernatural power, spoke and prophesied in languages unknown to them."

Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, edited by James Hastings, vol.7, page 424: "In 1831 the gift of tongues and prophecy appeared, it was believed in answer to fervent prayer, among the members of Irving’s congregation."

Butler, Christian Denominations of the World, "Edward Irving (1792-1834)": "He proclaimed his conviction that the gifts of the Holy Ghost, such as tongues, healing, etc., were withheld only because of the want of faith, and ere long there were several persons in his church who claimed the gift of tongues."
Abingdon Bible Commentary, page ~ 190:" Scottish peasants spoke in tongues."

Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd edition, page 1056, "Gift of Tongues": "A phenomenon experienced by some of the Christians of New Testament times, the nature of which seems to have been a kind of ecstatic utterance usually unintelligible to the hearers and even to the speakers, therefore requiring interpretation; glossolalia. Similar phenomena have in modern times been experienced by some of the early Friends, Jansenists, Methodists, etc."

WHAT THEN?
By J. Whitfield Green (John 3:16 ; Malachi 4:1 )

When the great plants of our cities Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk And dismissed the last tired clerk;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar And paid the last dividend;
When the Judge of the earth says, "Close for the night," And asks for a balance-WHAT THEN?
When the choir has sung its last anthem, And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon, And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar, And the pews are all empty of men;
And each one stands facing his record, And the great Book is opened-WHAT THEN?
When the actors have played their last drama, And the mimic has made his last fun;
When the film has flashed its last picture, And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished And gone out in the darkness again;
When the trumpet of ages is sounded, And we stand up before Him-WHAT THEN?
When the bugle’s call sinks into silence, And the long marching columns stand still;
When the captain repeats his last orders, And they’ve captured the last fort and hill;
And the flag has been hauled from the masthead, And the wounded afield checked in;
And a world that rejected its Savior; Is asked for a reason-WHAT THEN?

But though we or an angel from heaven; preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galations 1:8).

Monday, April 9, 2012

The Baptismal Formula In Scripture And History

According to both the Bible and history, the New Testament church invoked the name of Jesus at water baptism. Its baptismal formula was "in the name of Jesus Christ" or "Lord Jesus," not "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

 The Scriptural Record

 Every time the Bible records the name or formula associated with an actual baptism in the New Testament church, it describes the name Jesus. All five such accounts occur in the Book of Acts, the history book of the early church. It records that the following people were baptized in Jesus' name.

The Jews, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized 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" (A cts 2:38).

The Samaritans. "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus' (Acts 8 :16).

 The Gentiles. "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts 10:48 ). (The earliest Greek manuscripts that we have say, "In the name of Jesus Christ," as do most versions today.)

 The disciples of John (rebaptized). "They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5 ).

The Apostles Paul. "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16 ).

Moreover, the Epistles contain a number of references or allusions to baptism in Jesus' name. See Romans 6:3-4 ; I Corinthians 1:13; 6:11; Galatians 3:27 ; Colossians 2:12 ; James 2:7 .

The only verse of Scripture that anyone could appeal to in support of a threefold baptismal formula is Matthew 28:19 , in which Jesus commanded baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The word name in this verse is singular, however, indicating that the phrase describes on supreme name by which the one God is revealed, not three names of three distinct persons.

 The apostles understood Christ's words as a description of His own name, for they fulfilled His command by baptizing in the name of Jesus. There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4 ), and He has one supreme name today (Zechariah 14:9 ). Jesus is the incarnation of all the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9 ). Jesus is the name of the Son (Matthew 1:21 ), Jesus is the name by which the Father is revealed to us (John 5:43 ; 10:30; 14:9-11), and Jesus is the name in which the Holy Spirit comes (John 14:16-18 , 26).

 Luke 24:47 is a parallel verse to Matthew 28:19 , and describes Jesus as saying that repentance and remission of sins-and baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38 )-would be preached "in his name." Jesus is the only saving name, the name in which we receive remission of sin s, the highest name made known to us, and the name which we are to say and do all things (Acts 4 : 12; 10:43; Philippians 2:9-11 ; Colossians 3:17 ).

Thus the one supreme, saving name of Matthew 28:19 is Jesus. We are to fulfill the command of that verse as the early church did, by invoking the name of Jesus at baptism.

 The Historical Record 

 Respected historical sources verify that the early Christian church did not use a threefold baptismal formula but invoked the name of Jesus in baptism well into the second and third centuries.

 Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (1951). II, 384, 389: "The formula used was "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" or some synonymous phrase; there is no evidence for the use of the triune name… The earliest form, represented in the Acts, was simple immersion… in water, the use of the name of the Lord, and the laying on of hands. To these were added, at various times and places which cannot be safely identified, (a) the triune name (Justin)…"

 Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (1962), I 351: "The evidence… suggests that baptism in early Christianity was administered, not in the threefold name, but 'in the name of Jesus Christ' or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus.'"

Otto Heick, A History of Christian Thought (1965), I, 53: "At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (1898). I, 241: "[One explanation is that] the original form of words was "into the name of Jesus Christ" or 'the Lord Jesus,' Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development."

Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church (1947), page 58: "The trinitarian baptismal formula,,, was displacing the older baptism in the name of Christ."

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (1957), I, 435: "The New Testament knows only baptism in the name of Jesus… which still occurs even in the second and third centuries."

Canney's Encyclopedia of Religions (1970), page 53: "Persons were baptized at first 'in the name of Jesus Christ' … or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus'… Afterwards, with the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, they were baptized 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.'"

Encyclopedia Biblica (1899), I, 473: "It is natural to conclude that baptism was administered in the earliest times 'in the name of Jesus Christ,' or in that 'of the Lord Jesus.' This view is confirmed by the fact that the earliest forms of the baptismal confession appear to have been single-not triple, as was the later creed."

Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. (1920), II 365: "The trinitarian formula and triune immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning… Baptism into the name of the Lord [was] the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid."

 Christians today should use the biblical baptismal formula as found in the New Testament. Everyone should be baptized by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

A UPCI tract

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