Mario Shepard (Binitarian) on Matthew 28:19

 

Baptizing into the Name. The instruction to baptize newly made disciples is followed by the prepositional phrase “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The initial word used in the underlying language was the preposition “into” (Greek eis). Thus, the ESV provides in their translation notes the optional translation: “. . . baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” . . . 

In the New Testament, baptism into something conveys the notion of initiation into a particular form of instruction or a way of life (see Acts 19:3-5, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). The literal meaning of this expression ultimately conveys initiation into a form of instruction. In this passage, the rite of water baptism served as an act of entrance into kingdom discipleship.

This baptism is different than being baptized into the name of a Jewish rabbi, prophet, or instructional leader. For example, Paul described the Israelites as being “baptized into Moses” (same words) when they went through the Red Sea (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). The Israelites did not formally invoke Moses’ name while crossing the Red Sea. However, after their liberation from Egyptian slavery, they were symbolically initiated into the Mosaic instruction of the Torah.

We find further confirmation in Matthew chapter 10 when the Lord promised rewards for righteous deeds, one “into the name of” righteous people, or prophets, or disciples (Matthew 10:41, Greek text). In that case, the expression indicated the actions were being done following the name and nature of the righteous person (see Matthew 10:40-42, Greek text). As with Moses, receiving righteous people into the name of righteous people does not require the formal invocation of their names. The only requirement is that the action is done in accordance with their righteous name. Therefore, the Lord promised that anyone performing deeds in accordance with (into) the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous.

There are several other examples of baptism into someone’s name or someone’s instruction: baptized with water into repentance (Matthew 3:11), baptized into John’s baptism (Acts 19:3), baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5), not baptized into the name of Paul (1 Corinthians 1:13, 1:15), and baptized into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2).

These examples do not require the invocation of someone’s name by simply the initiation into the form of instruction associated with their name (i.e., following their reaching). Therefore, baptism into someone’s name requires at least being initiated through water into their form of instruction. That is discipleship.

Conversely, in Matthew’s Gospel, whenever a formal invocation of a name occurred, it relied on different Greek words and cases. For example, the Lord’s warning of many who will say to Him:

Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” (Matthew 7:22, italics mine)

The people used the Lord’s name for a religious action–formally invoking his name. However, it does not say that they performed their actions into His name. That would use different Greek words and grammatical forms. It would also carry a different meaning.

Therefore, in our analysis, we view the action of baptizing into the name as one of initiating someone into a form of instruction represented by the particular name.

. . . 

There are over 30 examples where Jesus used a Hebrew threefold parallel to make a single emphatic point. This was a very Jewish feature of His teaching and preaching. The following is a small sample of His threefold emphatic statements in Matthew’s Gospel:

Samples of the Lord’s Threefold Parallels in Matthew’s Gospel
#	Verse	Text-ESV	Emphasis
1	5:34-35	“But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, for by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”	Threefold emphasis on God’s possessions which people erroneously take oaths by
2	6:31-32	“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”	Threefold emphasis on the potential needs which make people anxious.
3	7:7-8	“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”	Threefold emphasis on the certainty of receiving from God when you approach Him with a request.
4	7:22	“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?”	Threefold emphasis on the miraculous works that were done in the name of the Lord Jesus.
5	23:34	“Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town . . . “	Threefold emphasis on the righteous messengers that Christ will send to Israel.

There are many more examples that could be listed (e.g., Matthew 6:25-26, 7:24-27, 10:34-36, 10:37-38, 23:20-22, 23:23, 23:24). (Mario Shepard, Why I Became a Biblical Binitarian [2021], 236-38, 242-43