The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in [into] the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19 NASB
Jesus
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in [on] the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 NASB
For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in [into] the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 8:16 NASB
And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:48 NASB
When they heard this, they were baptized in [into] the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 19:5 NASB
Questions
Are there several baptism formulas in Christianity? And if so which is the right one?
Official term
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus gave the mandate for baptism in water. The expression of this mandate became without a doubt the official term accompanying the act of baptism in water: In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Common language
The other quotes from the book of Acts give free terms in common language referring to the act of baptism in all sorts of circumstances but not as the official term when the baptism was actually applied. So we have to do with:
Acts 2:38, in [on] the name of Jesus Christ; common language to outsiders.
Acts 8:16, in [into] the name of the Lord Jesus; common language of Luke to the readers of Acts (outsiders and insiders).
Acts 10:48, in the name of the Lord; common language of Paul, encouragement to his hearers to be baptized.
Acts 19:5 in [into] the name of the Lord Jesus; common language used by Luke to the readers of Acts (see Acts 8:16, the same expression).
Does God necessarily speak in doctrinal language?
These are all free variants not of a baptism formula, but free variants within common language as expressions to refer to the act of baptism. In common language this could be summarized as the baptism in Jesus or in the Name of Jesus or in the name of the Lord Jesus. And everybody knew what was meant in all these cases: the start of a new life with the Lord Jesus. Except modern critics don’t always understand this and nor do some Christians, who can be totally perplexed by the idea that the apostles used to speak effectively in ordinary language and not always in doctrinal language .
No Bible Contradictions