The Present Truth, vol. 11
October 24, 1895
“Preaching and Baptizing in His Name” The Present Truth 11, 43, pp. 677, 678.
“AND he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46, 47. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.1
Christ is the revelation, not of Himself, but of the Father. For “no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” And “the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.” John 14:24. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.2
Therefore when the word was spoken that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name,” it was the word of the Father. And the name in which this is to be preached is the Father’s Name,—is that name which is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.3
CHRIST BEARS THE FATHER’S NAME
HOWEVER, it would be in no wise different so far as this particular fact is concerned, if Christ had spoken this of Himself, and had commissioned to preach in His name, for His original name is precisely the same as the Father’s. He and the Father are one. And “He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than” any of the angels. Hebrews 1:4. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.4
The only name that any person can inherit is his father’s name. A person may have several names; but there is only one that he can inherit, and that is his father’s; all other names that he may have must be given to him. Now Christ had “by inheritance” a name. It could not possibly be any other than His Father’s name. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.5
Having this name by inheritance, He has it by nature. He has it by the very fact of His existence. As certainly as He exists, this name—the name of the Father—belongs to Him. And the Father’s name being His by nature, this name as certainly expresses His nature as it expresses the name of the Father. “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”—this is the Father’s name and nature; and this is the name and nature of the Son, because He has by inheritance—by nature—His Father’s name. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.6
Therefore to preach in His name is to preach in fulness of mercy, in grace, in long-suffering and abundance of goodness and truth, and in forgiveness of iniquity and transgression and sin; for this is His name. Only thus can repentance and remission of sins really be preached. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 677.7
FOR THE MAN WITH A GRIEVANCE
HOW can any one preach “in His name,” who is ready to think himself slighted and to feel hurt if there is not shown to him the favour that he thinks he ought to receive? “His name” is “gracious,” that is, extending favour, not fishing for favours, nor extending favour for favour. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.1
How can any one preach “in His name” who thinks Himself oppressed or treated unjustly by the Conference Committee, and is fretting and sulking under it? “His name” is long-suffering and at the same time kind and abundant in goodness and truth, even under actual and deliberate injuries and outrages. And to preach “in His name” is to be possessed of this spirit and to preach in this spirit, even though such things should really be put upon us instead of their being wholly imaginary. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.2
How can any one preach, or otherwise work, “in His name” who is holding grudges and ill feelings against others? His name is “merciful, ... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin;” and to preach, or do anything else, in His name is to do it in the fulness of the disposition and spirit to treat offenders better than they deserve, freely forgiving every kind of wrong. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.3
BURIED IN HIS NAME
WHEN His ministers are sent forth to preach “in His name,” they are also commanded to baptize in His name: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.” Acts 2:38. If the preaching has been done in His name, the baptizing can be done in His name. Otherwise not, for in that case the persons to be baptized will not know His name; and if they do not know His name, how can they be baptized—buried, overwhelmed, lost sight of—in His name; for this is what baptism in his name signifies. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.4
For a person to be baptized in His name, signifies much more than merely to have the phrase recited over him and then to be buried in the water. To be baptized in the name of the Lord, really signifies that just as the person is buried, overwhelmed, and lost sight of, in the water, so also is he buried, overwhelmed, and lost sight of, in the name, the character, the nature, of the Lord. It signifies that that person’s old, original nature and character are no more to be seen in the world; but in their stead the nature and character of the Lord. It signifies that he is no more to be manifest in the world; but that God, instead of himself, is to be manifest in him in the world. PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.5
This is what baptism “in His name” signifies, both in the Greek words and in the doctrine of the Scripture. But how shall the people be baptized in His name, if they do not know His name! And how shall they know His name, if they are not instructed in His name, and to make manifest His name to the people? O, let the preaching be all “in His name” indeed, that the people may be truly baptized “in His name,” that the promise may now be fulfilled, “My people shall know My name”! PTUK October 24, 1895, page 678.6
A. T. JONES.