Trinitarian formula

The Trinitarian formula is the phrase "in

the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit" (Koinē Greek: εἰς τὸ
ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ
Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, romanized: eis to
ónoma toû Patros kai toû Huioû kai toû
Hagíou Pneúmatos; Latin: in nomine Patris
et Filii et Spiritus Sancti), or words to that
form and effect, referring to the three
persons of the Christian Trinity. It is often
followed by an "amen".

0:06
Pronunciation of the trinitarian formula in Latin: "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, amen"

The "Shield of the Trinity" or "Scutum Fidei" diagram of traditional Western Christian symbolism

The Trinitarian formula is used in baptism

as well as in numerous prayers, rites,
liturgies, and sacraments. One of its most
common uses apart from baptism is when
Roman Catholics, Eastern and Oriental
Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans,
Methodists, and others make the sign of
the cross while reciting the formula.

Biblical origin
These words are quoted from a command
of the risen Jesus in the Great
Commission: "Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
[1] the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19 (htt
ps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se
arch=mat+28%3A19&version=NABRE) ).
The passage does appear to be quoted in
the Didache (7:1-3), and it is mostly
accepted as authentic due to its
supporting manuscript evidence.[2]
Nevertheless, some scholars have held the
view that the passage is an interpolation
on account of its absence from the first
few centuries of early Christian quotations,
in which case it would be part of an
apostolic or early Christian oral tradition
from which both the received texts of
Matthew and the Didache emerged.[3]
The
view of the passage as an interpolation
was in recent times defended by the Jesus
Seminar, a nontrinitarian movement active
in the 1990s. Critics of the Jesus Seminar
described this particular line of argument
as eisegesis based on a preconceived
conclusion.[4]

Use in baptism
According to the doctrines of Roman
Catholicism, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern
Orthodoxy, and most forms of
Protestantism, such as Lutheranism and
Anglicanism, a baptism is not valid unless
the Trinitarian formula is used in the
administration of that sacrament.
Consequently, they may not recognize
religious communities that baptize without
this formula – e.g., Unitarians,
Branhamists, Frankists, Jehovah's
Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals, all
of whom deny the Trinity – as Christian
religions. This is also the case with
baptisms within the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church).
Although LDS members baptize with the
same Trinitarian formula, they reject the
Nicene Trinitarian conception and regard
the three persons of the Trinity as being
distinct personages united not in
substance, but in dominion and purpose.[5]

Converts to Trinitarian denominations

from Mormonism and other nontrinitarian
denominations have to be baptized in the
name of the (Nicene) Trinity. Other faiths
(Frankists, Oneness Pentecostals, and
Branhamists in particular) use the formula
"In the name of Jesus Christ" (based on
Acts 2:38) for baptism, and in turn re-
baptize converts who were first baptized
under the Trinitarian formula, sometimes
claiming that such persons would not have
been previously aware that "Jesus is the
Lord".

Baptism according to the Trinitiarian

formula is seen as being a basis for
Christian ecumenism, the concept of
working towards the eventual unity of
Christians belonging to different Christian
denominations.[6][7]

See also
Christianity
portal

Sign of the cross

Validity and liceity (Catholic Church)

References
1. The Greek accusative, εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, is
rendered by a minority of English
translations as "into the name", c.f. "English
Standard Version (ESV) Footnote on
Matthew 28:19" (http://www.blueletterbible.
 org/Bible.cfm?b=Mat&c=28&t=ESV#s=957
019) . Retrieved 9 January 2014.

2. Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early

Church, 2013, 134-5

3. Sim, David C., and Boris Repschinski, eds.

Matthew and his Christian contemporaries.
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008, 124-5.

4. They apply the Seminar's presuppositional

test, "Beware of finding a Jesus entirely
congenial to you", especially to the Jesus
Seminar themselves, "who a priori have
determined the nature of the 'historical
Jesus' by adopting biased presuppositions,
thereby producing a 'Jesus' wholly
'congenial' to themselves" (The Jesus
Crisis: The Inroads of Historical Criticism
Into Evangelical, by Robert L. Thomas, F.
 David Farnell (https://books.google.com/bo
oks?id=QtE1orv4Xg0C&dq=%22beware+of+
finding+a+jesus+entirely+congenial+to+yo
u%22&pg=PA204) ).

5. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Godhead,

http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Godhead

6. Pizzey, Antonia (15 March 2019). Receptive

Ecumenism and the Renewal of the
Ecumenical Movement: The Path of
Ecclesial Conversion. Brill Academic
Publishers. p. 131. ISBN 978-90-04-39780-
4. "Baptism into Christ unites all Christians,
despite ther divisions. It is relationship with
Christ through baptism, which enables
relationship with other Christians.
According to Congar, "on the basis of the
baptism which incorporates us into Christ
and the Word which is our Christian norm,
[ecumenism's] aim is to carry out the will
and the prayer of Christ, which is that his
disciples should be united." The
Christological foundation of Spiritual
Ecumenism affirms that ecumenism is not
our idea or goal, but rather Christ's will and
prayer for us. Moreover, Christian unity
already exists to some exent among all
baptised Christians because of their
relationship with Christ. Only through Christ
is ecumenism possible. Kasper explains
that Spiritual Ecumenism's fundamental
Christological basis means that any
ecumenical spirituality "will also be a
sacramental spirituality." Baptism is
 "therefore a basic element of ecumenical
spirituality." "

7. "Becoming a Christian: The Ecumenical

Implications of Our Common Baptism" (http
s://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/doc
uments/commissions/faith-and-order/ii-wo
rship-and-baptism/becoming-a-christian-th
e-ecumenical-implications-of-our-common-
baptism) . World Council of Churches. 24
January 1997. Retrieved 13 September
2020.

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