The Doctrines That Divide
Doctrine is a vital part of the Christian faith, but certain doctrinal beliefs have divided the church for centuries. Well-known …
Buy this book >Q: My church has been placing a lot of emphasis on being baptized in Jesus’ name.
I was baptized over 20 years ago. I'm not certain, but I believe I was baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. They’re suggesting that we should be baptized again in Jesus’ name. I really feel they're becoming very legalistic. I also feel that being baptized is symbolic of your belief and faith. My daughter-in-law wants to become a member, and she has already been baptized. She was told she can't become a member until she is baptized in Jesus’ name. Does God even care about all this? I thought belief in Him was the most important. Please explain.
Asked by: Angela
A: Angela, I appreciate your concern. And we should beware of those who want to baptize people in the name of Jesus because sometimes these people deny the Trinity.
And because they deny the Trinity, they don’t want to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As far as they’re concerned, Jesus is the godhood, and the Father is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is Jesus, and there are no distinctions within the godhead.
Traditionally, it has always been believed that, indeed, God is a Trinity, but keep in mind that many people want to deny the Trinity. Also, be very careful because these groups are often very cultic, by that I mean they think that their baptism is the only one that is really valid. Furthermore, many of them believe that one must be baptized in order to be saved.
So, I would caution you about this church. I don’t know about it particularly, but if I were you, I’d check their doctrine very, very carefully, and I would also discuss this with your daughter-in-law in some detail. You might be going in the wrong direction.
Scripture references
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