Baptism in the name of Jesus
doctrine that baptism is to be performed “in the name of Jesus Christ”, rather than the trinitarian formula
The Jesus' name doctrine or the Oneness doctrine upholds that baptism is to be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," rather than using the Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great Commission among other precepts such as instances in the Old Testament.
Those who ascribe to the Oneness doctrine believe that "Jesus" is the name of God revealed in the New Testament and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three manifestations or titles of the one God.
History
Early Christianity
The first baptisms in early Christianity are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2 records the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, preaching to the crowds to "repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins" (Acts 2:38). Other detailed records of baptisms in Acts show the first apostles baptizing in the name of Jesus. The Apostle Paul also refers to baptism into Christ Jesus.
According to Oneness theologian David K. Bernard, the Trinitarian formula from Matthew 28:19 became popularized over time. The Didache, a church manual dating to the first century on the other hand, instructs baptism to be done "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," according to the Great Commission, though eucharistic instruction states "but let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name." This, according to Oneness Pentecostals, could be a reference to early century "Jesus name" baptism against the Trinitarian formula often interpreted as according to the authority of Jesus by mainstream Christians.
Contemporary Christianity
Charles Parham, one of the central figures in the development and early spread of American Pentecostalism, is recorded to have baptised new believers in Jesus name during the Azusa Street Revival, however, he also repudiated the Oneness doctrine. The controversy occurred when R.E. McAlister, who received a "new revelation," preached just prior to a baptismal service to be conducted at the World-Wide Apostolic Faith Camp Meeting held in Arroyo Seco, California.
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