Matthew 28:19 is Not Nicene Trinitarian
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name [εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, eis to onoma] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost …” (Matt. 28:19, King James Version)
Trinitarian apologists will say na ang baptismal formula na ibinigay ni Jesucristo sa Matthew 28:19 ay isang proof na ang Diyos ay “three persons in one God” (Nicene Trinitarianism) dahil daw, sa Greek, ang “name” (ὄνομα, onoma) ay isang singular rather than plural; thus excluding ang idea na ang members ng Godhead ay three distinct beings, at ang idea na si Jesus ay eternally subordinate kay Heavenly Father.
What we read in the Scriptures does not reflect this idea concerning sa function ng isang “name.” Firstly, ang “name” (όνομα, Heb. שם shêm) ay hindi confined sa isang idea ng “personal name” o “proper name.” It is also used sa context ng authority, na kung saan, “in the name of” ay isang common na expression both in ancient and modern times, sa pag-exercise ng authority na ibinigay sa isang tao. Much of this ay maaring makita sa Old Testament, e.g speaking in the name of Jehovah (Deut. 18:20; cf. vv. 5-7), si David na nakipaglaban kay Goliath sa pangalan ni Jehovah (1Sam. 17:45), at si Elisha na nagsusumpa sa pangalan ni Jehovah. (1Kgs. 2:24)
“Name,” as a singular noun when used sa context ng “authority,” ay puwedeng ma-apply sa isang group of persons, gaya ng nakikita sa Matthew 28:19. E.g. mababasa natin sa 1 Chronicles 17:8:
“And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name [שם, shem] like the name of the great men that are in the earth.” (1Chr. 17:8, King James Version)
Ang singular noun na “name” being applied to more than one person can also be read sa Genesis 48:16:
“The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name [שם, shem] of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”” (Gen. 48:16, New King James Version)
Kung gagamitin natin ang logic ng NiceneTrinitarians, si Abraham at Isaac ba ay one is substance? One in being? Grammatically na singular ang Hebrew word for “name” dito, pero hindi nangangahulugan na sila ay one substance. Kapag ang Bible ay gumagamit ng singular name na involve ang more than one na individual, ang function ng “name” ay distributive, at ito ay mao-observe din natin sa ibang passages sa Bible (cf. 1 Sam. 17:13; Isa. 55:13; Jer. 13:11 Ezek. 22:5; Rev. 3:2). 2 Samuel 7:9 which reads “name of great men” (KJV), at sa Proverbs 10:7 which reads “name of the wicked.”
Furthermore, since ang Baptismal regeneration is also in view sa Matthew 28:19, the New Testament tells us that the Apostles baptized “…in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38; 8:12-16; 10:48) na kung saan dito ay inaargue din the same ng mga Modalist (Oneness) na sa name lang daw ni Jesus magbaptize at hindi ng sa name ng Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Sa 1 Corinthians, tinanong ni Paul kung ang Corinthian saints ba ay nabinyagan “in the name of Paul.” (1 Cor. 1:13) Of course it will be absurd na magbinyag sa pangalan ni Paul, dahil walang authority si Paul na magligtas maliban kay Jesucristo. (John 14:7; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13)
Si Jesus ay dumating sa pangalan ng kanyang Ama, i.e na may authority galing sa kanyang Ama, to act in behalf of him. (John 5:43) Ipinahayag ni Cristo ang pangalan ng kanyang Ama (John 17:1-26), at ang kanyang autoridad, ang kanyang pagkasaserdote ay hindi nagmumula sa kaninoman, maliban sa kanyang Ama (Matt. 28:18-20; John 3:35). Hindi nito pinapakita na sila ay one in substance or being; but instead, despite sila ay separate individuals, ang kanilang loving relationship within the Godhead ay iisa, and their work for the salvation of man ay iisa.
