Editing Oneness Pentecostalism (section)

==Soteriology==
In common with most [[Protestant]] denominations, Oneness Pentecostal [[soteriology]] maintains that all people are born with a sinful nature, sin at a young age, and remain lost without hope of [[salvation]] unless they embrace the Gospel that Jesus made complete [[Atonement in Christianity|atonement]] for the sins of all people, which is the sole means of human redemption; and that salvation comes solely by [[Divine grace|grace]] through [[Faith in Christianity|faith]] in Jesus.<ref name=fp123-4/><ref>{{cite book |chapter=Only through faith in Jesus Christ |first1=David |last1=Bernard |title=A Handbook of Basic Doctrines |publisher=Word Aflame Press |year=1988 |pages=31–2 }}</ref> Oneness doctrine also teaches that true faith results in obedience, and that salvation is not only to profess faith but to demonstrate it as well in action.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Salvation is through faith |first1=David |last1=Bernard |title=A Handbook of Basic Doctrines |publisher=Word Aflame Press |year=1988 |pages=31–5 }}</ref> Oneness churches teach the following as the foundation of Christian conversion:<ref name=fp123-4/>
* [[repentance]];
* [[water baptism]] in the name of Jesus Christ;<ref>[[Acts 2:38]]; [[Acts 10:48]]</ref>
* [[baptism in the Holy Spirit]] with the evidence of [[speaking in tongues]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:4|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Acts|10:46|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Acts|19:6|KJV}}</ref>

Oneness Pentecostals generally accept that these are the minimal requirements of conversion.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=9 August 2020 |title=The "Oneness" Heresy Exposed |url=https://thebereans.net/2020/08/09/the-oneness-heresy-exposed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119014839/https://thebereans.net/2020/08/09/the-oneness-heresy-exposed/ |archive-date=19 November 2020 |access-date=19 November 2020 |website=The Bereans Apologetics Research Ministry |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Grace and faith===
Oneness Pentecostals maintain that no good works or obedience to the law can save anyone apart from God's grace. Furthermore, salvation comes solely through faith in Jesus; there is no salvation through any name or work other than his ([[Acts 4:12]]). Oneness teaching rejects interpretations that hold that [[Predestination|salvation is given automatically to the elect]]; they believe that all humans are called to salvation, and "whosoever will, may come" ([[Revelation 22:17]]).<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last1=Slick |first1=Matt |date=8 December 2008 |title=What is Oneness Pentecostal theology? |url=https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal-theology |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119015348/https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal-theology |archive-date=19 November 2020 |access-date=19 November 2020 |website=Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry |language=en}}</ref><ref name="New Birth Grace and Faith">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |chapter=Grace and Faith |page=38}}</ref>

While salvation is indeed a gift in Oneness belief, it must be ''received''.<ref name="New Birth" /> This reception of salvation is generally considered conversion and is accepted in most evangelical Protestant churches. The first mandate is true faith in Jesus, demonstrated by obedience to God's commands and a determination to submit to his will in every aspect of life. Oneness adherents reject the notion that one may be saved through what they call ''mental faith'': mere belief in Jesus without life-changing repentance or obedience. Thus, they emphatically reject the idea that one is saved through praying the [[Sinner's prayer]], but rather the true saving faith and change of life declared in scripture. Oneness Pentecostals have no issue with the prayer itself but deny that it alone represents saving faith, believing the Bible accordingly mandates repentance, baptism by water and spirit with receipt of the Holy Spirit as a ''manifestation'' of the spirit part of the rebirth experience and the actual, godly faith obeyed and done by the early Church's believers. Thus, one who has truly been saved will gladly submit to the biblical conditions for conversion. According to these believers, Jesus and the apostles taught that the [[Born again (Christianity)|new birth]] experience includes repentance and baptism in both water and God's Spirit.<ref name="New Birth Exceptions">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |chapter=Are There Exceptions? |page=314}}</ref>

===Repentance===
Oneness Pentecostals maintain that salvation is not possible without repentance. While repentance is, in part, godly sorrow for sin, it is as much a complete change of heart and mind toward God and his word. This is why Oneness churches expect a complete reformation of life in those who have become Christians.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Hidden Cult of Oneness Pentecostalism|url=http://www.marketfaith.org/the-hidden-cult-of-oneness-pentecostalism/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119011745/http://www.marketfaith.org/the-hidden-cult-of-oneness-pentecostalism/|archive-date=19 November 2020|access-date=19 November 2020|website=www.marketfaith.org}}</ref>

===Water baptism===
Oneness Pentecostals believe that water baptism is an essential component of salvation, not merely a symbolic act.<ref name="New Birth Baptism">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |chapter=Water Baptism |pages=132–134}}</ref> They cite Acts 2:38, where Peter says to "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" as evidence that baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Huston |first1=David |title=Into Forgiveness of Sins |url=https://www.apostolic.edu/into-forgiveness-of-sins/ |website=Apostolic Information Service |access-date=25 February 2025 |date=11 July 2009 |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]]}}</ref> They also appeal to passages such as Mark 16:16 ("He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved") and John 3:5, where Jesus states, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," interpreting "born of water" as a direct reference to baptism.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Haywood |first1=G.T. |title=The Birth Of The Spirit In The Day Of The Apostles |url=https://www.apostolic.edu/the-birth-of-the-spirit-in-the-day-of-the-apostles/ |website=Apostolic Information Service |access-date=25 February 2025 |date=5 November 2009 |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]] |quote=To be born of “water and the Spirit,” and “believe and is baptized” (John 3:5 and Mark 16:16), are proven to be synonymous terms expressing the one and self-same thing, by reading, or comparing the words of Jesus in John 10:9 . All three of these expressions are spoken by the same Person. In the first’ mentioned scripture He says that if a man is not born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, while in the second, He says that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.}}</ref> Oneness Pentecostals reject the idea that baptism is a mere public declaration of faith, arguing that it plays an active role in salvation by uniting believers with Christ and applying his atoning blood.<ref name="Comparison">{{cite web |title=Comparing Beliefs: Baptists vs. Oneness Pentecostals |url=https://www.sermondownload.net/post/comparing-beliefs-baptists-vs-oneness-pentecostals |website=Ready Made Sermons |access-date=25 February 2025 |language=en |date=2 August 2024}}</ref> They cite Romans 6:3-4, which states that believers are "baptized into Christ" and "buried with him by baptism into death," as evidence that baptism is the moment when one is spiritually united with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Similarly, they reference 1 Peter 3:21, which states that "baptism doth also now save us," reinforcing their belief that baptism is not optional but an integral part of the salvation process.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Huston |first1=David |title=Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? |url=https://www.apostolic.edu/11271-2/ |website=Apostolic Information Service |access-date=25 February 2025 |date=11 July 2009 |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]]}}</ref> Oneness Pentecostals also insist that baptism must be preceded by faith and repentance, rejecting infant baptism and baptisms performed by compulsion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cooljc.org/AboutUs/StatementofFaith/tabid/70/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=Church of our Lord Jesus Christ Statement of Faith|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824233306/http://www.cooljc.org/AboutUs/StatementofFaith/tabid/70/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=24 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://aljc.org/doctrine-statement/|title=Doctrine Statement|work=ALJC|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=2 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302170309/http://aljc.org/doctrine-statement/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

This doctrinal emphasis on baptism as a salvific act is one of the key distinctions between Oneness Pentecostals and many other Protestant groups, which often view baptism as an outward testimony of an already completed salvation rather than an essential step in the process of being saved.<ref name="Comparison" /> 

====Baptismal mode====
{{Main|Immersion baptism}}

Oneness Pentecostal theology maintains the literal definition of baptism as being completely [[Immersion baptism|immersed]] in water. They believe that other modes have no biblical basis or are based upon inexact Old Testament rituals and that their mode is the only one described in the New Testament.<ref name="New Birth Baptism 2">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |chapter=Water Baptism |pages=128–129}}</ref> The Articles of Faith of the UPCI state that "the scriptural mode of baptism is immersion and is only for those who have fully repented."<ref>{{cite book|title=Manual, United Pentecostal Church International|chapter=Articles of Faith|page=33|date=2017|url=http://www.pentecostalsofdadeville.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017upcimanual.pdf|access-date=13 January 2022|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025737/http://www.pentecostalsofdadeville.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017upcimanual.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Baptismal formula====
{{Main|Baptism in the name of Jesus}}

Oneness adherents believe that for water baptism to be valid, one must be baptized "in the name of Jesus Christ",<ref name=":10">See "The Baptismal Formula: in the Name of Jesus" and "The One Name in Matthew 28:19, in David Bernard, A Handbook of Basic Doctrines, Word Aflame Press, 1988, pp. 43-45.</ref> rather than the Trinitarian baptismal formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=What the Early Church Believed: Trinitarian Baptism|url=https://www.catholic.com/tract/trinitarian-baptism|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929022050/https://www.catholic.com/tract/trinitarian-baptism|archive-date=29 September 2021|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Catholic Answers}}</ref> This is referred to as the "Jesus' name doctrine". "Jesus' name" is a description used to refer to Oneness Pentecostals and their baptismal beliefs.<ref name=fp123-4/>

Oneness Pentecostals mainly center their belief around the baptismal formula found in [[Acts 2:38]]: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Other passages cited include:<ref name="New Birth Formula">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |pages=156–157 |chapter=Baptismal Formula: In the Name of Jesus}}</ref>
* [[Acts 8:16]] – Samaritans were baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus."  
* [[Acts 10:48]] – Cornelius and his household were commanded to be baptized "in the name of the Lord."  
* [[Acts 19:5]] – Disciples of John the Baptist were re-baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus."  
* [[Acts 22:16]] – Paul was baptized "calling on the name of the Lord"

Oneness Pentecostals assert that these five mentions of baptism in the Book of Acts were performed in the name of Jesus and that no Trinitarian formula is ever referred to therein.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Schoolcraft|first1=Ron|date=11 July 2009|title=The Name in Matthew 28:19|url=https://www.apostolic.edu/the-name-in-matthew-2819/|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Apostolic Information Service |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]]}}</ref> In addition, {{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|1:13|9}} is taken by Oneness Pentecostals to indicate baptism in Jesus' name as well;<ref name="New Birth Formula" /><ref name="New Birth Singular">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |page=172 |chapter=Baptismal Formula: In the Name of Jesus}}</ref> Oneness author William Arnold III explains their reasoning: "If we follow Paul's train of thought, his obvious implication is 'No, Christ was the one crucified for you and so you were baptized in the name of Christ.' So the believers at Corinth as well as those in Rome were baptized in Jesus' name."<ref name="Arnold Baptism">{{cite web |last1=Arnold |first1=William |title=Baptism in Jesus' Name |url=https://www.onenesspentecostal.com/name.htm |website=Institute for Biblical Studies |access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref> 

Based on these New Testament accounts, Oneness proponents maintain that baptism in the name of Jesus Christ reflects the earliest apostolic tradition. They view the later emergence of the Trinitarian formula as a doctrinal innovation that diverged from the original practice. As additional support for their claim, Oneness Pentecostals also cite editions of [[Encyclopædia Britannica|Britannica]], the [[Catholic Encyclopedia]], [[Interpreter's Bible series|Interpreter's Bible]], and various other scholars and [[encyclopedia]]s to justify this claim.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Baptism in Jesus' Name|url=https://www.apostolicarchives.com/articles/article/8801925/180090.htm|access-date=7 November 2021|website=Apostolic Archives International Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Trapasso|first=Michael|date=8 October 2009|title=History Authenticates That the Early Church Baptized In The Name of Jesus: Part V|url=https://www.apostolic.edu/history-authenticates-that-the-early-church-baptized-in-the-name-of-jesus-part-v/|access-date=9 January 2022|website=Apostolic Information Service|language=en-US |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hartman |first1=Lars |title='Into the Name of Jesus': A Suggestion Concerning the Earliest Meaning of the Phrase |journal=New Testament Studies |date=July 1974 |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=432–440 |doi=10.1017/S002868850001225X |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/S002868850001225X |access-date=15 July 2025 |language=en |issn=1469-8145|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hartman |first1=Lars |title=Baptism "into the name of Jesus" and early Christology: Some tentative considerations |journal=Studia Theologica - Nordic Journal of Theology |date=1 January 1974 |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=21–48 |doi=10.1080/00393387408599940 |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00393387408599940 |access-date=15 July 2025 |issn=0039-338X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> For example, [[James Hastings]]' ''[[Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible|Dictionary of the Bible]]'' states that "The original form of words was 'into the name of Jesus Christ' or 'the Lord Jesus.' Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hastings |first1=James |last2=Selbie |first2=John A. |title=A Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 1: Dealing With Its Language, Literature, and Contents, Including the Biblical Theology |date=1889 |publisher=[[T&T Clark]] |pages=241 |url=https://archive.org/details/b24749163_0001_201710/page/240/mode/2up |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref> Likewise, in Maurice A. Canney's ''An Encyclopaedia of Religions'', it states that "Persons were baptized at first 'in the name of Jesus Christ' or 'in the name of the Lord Jesus'. Afterwards, with the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, they were baptized 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost'".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Canney |first1=Maurice A. |title=An encyclopaedia of religions |date=1921 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=London |page=53 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofr00cann/page/52/mode/2up |access-date=9 May 2025}}</ref> Norris explains that "there is a strong scholarly consensus that the earliest Christian baptism was practiced in Jesus' name."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Norris |first1=David |title=I AM: A Oneness Pentecostal Theology |date=4 September 2009 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |isbn=978-1565630000 |page=193}}</ref>

The ''[[Didache]]'', an early Christian manual of instruction generally dated by scholars to the late first or (less commonly) early second century AD,<ref>{{cite web |title=Didache |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Didache |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=20 November 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schachterle |first=Josh |date=2023-10-20 |title=The Didache: Author, Dates, and Why it's Not in the Bible |url=https://www.bartehrman.com/the-didache/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=Bart Ehrman Courses Online |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ehrman |first1=Bart |title=What Is the Didache & When Was the Didache Written |url=https://ehrmanblog.org/what-is-the-didache-when-was-the-didache-written/ |website=The Bart Ehrman Blog |access-date=20 November 2025 |date=1 May 2022}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> includes a reference to baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (''Didache'' 7:1).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Didache|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04779a.htm|access-date=7 November 2021|website=Catholic Encyclopedia|publisher=New Advent|quote=This (vii-x) begins with an instruction on baptism, which is to be conferred "in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" in living water, if it can be had — if not, in cold or even hot water.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Brickley|first=Ralph|date=24 October 2018|title=Schisms: Baptism in Jesus Name or…|url=https://dividetheword.blog/2018/10/24/schisms-baptism-in-jesus-name-or/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107222101/https://dividetheword.blog/2018/10/24/schisms-baptism-in-jesus-name-or/|archive-date=7 November 2021|access-date=7 November 2021|website=DivideTheWord.blog|language=en|quote=Now concerning baptism, baptize thus: Having first taught all these things, baptize ye into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. And if thou hast not living water, baptize into other water; and if thou canst not in cold, then in warm (water). But if thou hast neither, pour [water] thrice upon the head in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.}}</ref> This text is cited by some Trinitarian theologians as early support for the threefold baptismal formula.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=O'Loughlin|first=Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IfpqBgAAQBAJ|title=The Didache: A window on the earliest Christians|date=15 February 2011|publisher=SPCK|isbn=978-0-281-06493-9|language=en}}</ref> However, the document also describes individuals being "baptized into the name of the Lord" (''Didache'' 9:5), a construction that Oneness Pentecostals claim parallels references to baptism found in the book of Acts.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weisser |first1=Thomas |title=Was the Early Church Oneness or Trinitarian? |url=https://www.apostolic.edu/was-the-early-church-oneness-or-trinitarian/ |website=Apostolic Information Service |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]] |access-date=8 May 2025 |date=20 June 2009}}</ref> Oneness Pentecostal writers such as David K. Bernard interpret references to baptism "in the name of" as pointing exclusively to the name of Jesus, and they highlight the absence of any recorded apostolic use of a triune formula.<ref name="New Birth Didache">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |pages=257–281 |chapter=The Witness in Church History: Baptism}}</ref> Some Oneness writers have raised concerns about the ''Didache'''s reliability, noting that the only complete Greek manuscript, discovered in 1873, was dated to the 11th century (although an additional Latin manuscript was discovered in 1900).<ref>{{cite book | last1=Chapman |first1=Henry Palmer | date=1908 | chapter=Didache | title=[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] |edition=4 | quote="It was rediscovered in 1883 by Bryennios, Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Nicomedia, in the codex from which, in 1875, he had published the full text of the Epistles of St. Clement. The title in the MS. is Didache kyriou dia ton dodeka apostolon ethesin, but before this it gives the heading Didache ton dodeka apostolon. The old Latin translation of cc. i-v, found by Dr. J. Schlecht in 1900, has the longer title, omitting "twelve", and has a rubric De doctrin' Apostolorum."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Drysdale |first1=Ross |title=The Ante-Nicene Fathers |url=https://www.apostolic.edu/the-ante-nicene-fathers/ |website=Apostolic Information Service |publisher=[[Indiana Bible College]] |access-date=8 May 2025 |date=6 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ritchie|first=Steven|date=22 October 2016|title=The Didache – Can We Trust It?|url=https://www.apostolicchristianfaith.com//post/2016/10/22/the-didache-can-we-trust-it|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109044830/https://www.apostolicchristianfaith.com//post/2016/10/22/the-didache-can-we-trust-it|archive-date=9 January 2022|access-date=9 January 2022|website=Apostolic Christian Faith|language=en|quote=Falsely Called "The Teaching(s) of the Twelve Apostles." The only manuscript we have of the Didache (which means "Teaching") was discovered in 1873 in Constantinople (modern day Turkey). The manuscript is signed, "Leon, notary and sinner," and bears the date, A.D. 1056.}}</ref> Trinitarian scholar Willy Rordorf summarizes scholarly conversation surrounding the baptismal formula in the ''Didache'' by stating that ''Didache'' 7:1 was likely a later interpolation and that ''Didache'' 9:5 "preserved the most ancient baptismal formula. At the beginning of Christianity, one baptized 'in the name of Jesus.'"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rordorf |first1=Willy |title=The Didache in Modern Research |date=1 January 1996 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-33249-2 |pages=212–222 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004332492/BP000013.xml |access-date=7 May 2025 |language=en |chapter=Baptism According to the Didache}}</ref>

Mainstream Trinitarian Christians exegete "in the name of Jesus Christ" as by the "authority of Jesus," which denotes baptism in the name of the three persons of the Trinity.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Slick |first1=Matt |date=8 December 2008|title=Must baptism be "in Jesus' name"?|url=https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal/must-baptism-be-in-jesus-name-baptize/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109044313/https://carm.org/oneness-pentecostal/must-baptism-be-in-jesus-name-baptize/|archive-date=9 January 2022|access-date=9 January 2022|website=Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Don't We Baptize in the Name of Jesus? |url=https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/why-dont-we-baptize-in-the-name-of-jesus |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Catholic Answers}}</ref> In response, Oneness Pentecostals have claimed that the wording of Acts 22:16 requires an oral invocation of the name of Jesus during baptism (''calling'' on the name of the Lord). They also assert that the way one exercises the authority of Jesus is by using his name, pointing to the healing of the lame man at the Gate Beautiful in Acts 3 as an example of this.<ref>{{cite book |first1=David |last1=Bernard |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pentecostal/One-Top.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216034825/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pentecostal/One-Top.htm |pages=137–138 |archive-date=16 February 2008 |title=The Oneness of God |publisher=Word Aflame Press |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-912315-12-6|chapter=Father, Son, and Holy Ghost|quote=Acts 22:16 says, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." The Amplified Bible says, "Rise and be baptized, and by calling upon His name wash away your sins." The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament says, "Invoking the name." Therefore this verse of Scripture indicates the name Jesus was orally invoked at baptism. James 2:7 says, "Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" The Greek phrasing indicates that the name was invoked over the Christians at a specific time. Thus, TAB says, "Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]?" (brackets in original). For an example of what "in the name of Jesus" means, we need only look at the story of the lame man's healing in Acts 3. Jesus said to pray for the sick in His name (Mark 16:17-18), and Peter said the lame man was healed by the name of Jesus (Acts 4:10). How did this happen? Peter actually uttered the words "in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 3:6). The name Jesus invoked in faith produced the result. The name signifies power or authority, but this signification does not detract from the fact that Peter orally invoked the name of Jesus in effecting the healing.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Arnold III |first1=William |title=More On Baptism In Jesus' Name |url=https://www.onenesspentecostal.com/morebaptism.htm |website=Institute for Biblical Studies |access-date=12 January 2022 |quote=Jesus is the one who personally commissioned the disciples to go and baptize and they went "on behalf of him," or "in his name." He also sent them to heal people and work miracles. When Peter healed the man at the Gate Beautiful in Jesus' name, scripture tells us that he actually spoke the words "in the name of Jesus Christ" when he did it (Acts 3:6). Even when Trinitarian Christians pray for someone for healing they speak the words "in Jesus' name." They realize that they are doing it "on behalf of" or "in the name of" Christ. Why would baptism be any different? Jesus said that when we pray we are to ask the Father in him name (John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23, 26). And so when many Christians pray, they end their prayer with the actual words "in Jesus name."}}</ref>

====View of Matthew 28:19====
Oneness Pentecostals insist that there are no New Testament references to baptism by any other formula—save in [[Matthew 28:19]], which most hold to be another reference to baptism in the name of Jesus.<ref name=":16" /> Although Matthew 28:19 seems to mandate a Trinitarian formula for baptism, Oneness theology avows that since the word "name" in the verse is ''singular'', it must refer to Jesus, whose name they believe to be that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<ref name="New Birth Singular" /><ref>{{cite book |first1=David |last1=Bernard |title=The Oneness of God |publisher=Word Aflame Press |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-912315-12-6|chapter=Father, Son, and Holy Ghost |pages=136–137|quote=In this passage, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." However, this verse of Scripture does not teach that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate persons. Rather, it teaches that the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost identify one name and therefore one being. The verse expressly says "in the name," not "in the names." ... Jehovah or Yahweh was the revealed name of God in the Old Testament, but Jesus is the revealed name of God in the New Testament... Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all describe the one God, so the phrase in Matthew 28:19 simply describes the one name of the one God. The Old Testament promised that there would come a time when Jehovah would have one name and that this one name would be made known (Zechariah 14:9; Isaiah 52:6). We know that the one name of Matthew 28:19 is Jesus, for Jesus is the name of the Father (John 5:43; Hebrews 1:4), the Son (Matthew 1:21), and the Holy Ghost (John 14:26).}}</ref> Oneness believers insist that all Bible's texts on the subject must be in complete agreement with each other; thus, they say that either the apostles disobeyed the command they had been given in Matthew 28:19 or they correctly fulfilled it by using the name of Jesus.

A minority of Oneness Pentecostals argue that the text of Matthew 28:19 is not original, quoting various scholars and the early Church historian [[Eusebius]], who referred to this passage at least eighteen times in his works.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matthew 28:19 Corruption |url=http://www.teliacarriermap.com/tag/matthew_2819_corruption/index.html |access-date=13 April 2021 |website=The Apostolic Voice |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413043015/http://www.teliacarriermap.com/tag/matthew_2819_corruption/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical Evidence in favour of Matthew 28:19 and Response to Claims of Inauthenticity|url=https://www.asitreads.com/blog/2018/2/22/historical-evidence-in-favour-of-matthew-chapter-2819-and-response-to-claims-of-inauthenticity|access-date=13 April 2021|website=As It Reads|date=22 February 2018|last1=Valiant|first1=Brendan|language=en-US|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025754/https://www.asitreads.com/blog/2018/2/22/historical-evidence-in-favour-of-matthew-chapter-2819-and-response-to-claims-of-inauthenticity|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Willis |first1=Clinton D. |title=A Collection of Evidence Against the Traditional Wording of Matthew 28:19 |url=https://www.onenesspentecostal.com/matt2819-willis.htm |website=Institute for Biblical Studies |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref> Eusebius' text reads: "go and make disciples of all nations in my name, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Burgos|first1=Michael R. Jr.|title=Against Oneness Pentecostalism, 2nd Ed.|publisher=Winchester, CT: Church Militant Pub.|date=2016|pages=101–112}}</ref> However, most Oneness believers accept the full Matthew 28:19 as an authentic part of the original text and interpret it through a Christocentric lens.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kilmon |first1=Bobby |title=Is the longer reading of Matthew 28:19 a trinitarian Insertion? Should the text read "in my name" instead of "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"? |url=https://ibcperspectives.com/answer-forum-vol-31-no-10/ |website=IBC Perspectives |publisher=Indiana Bible College |access-date=18 October 2021 |date=14 October 2021 }}</ref>

===Baptism of the Holy Spirit===
Oneness Pentecostals believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a free gift commanded for all.<ref name="Bernard 1988 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost: Promise and Command">{{cite book |chapter=The Baptism of the Holy Ghost: Promise and Command |first1=David |last1=Bernard |title=A Handbook of Basic Doctrines |publisher=Word Aflame |year=1988 |pages=45–46}}</ref> They believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an essential component of salvation, asserting that receiving the Holy Spirit evidenced by [[speaking in tongues]] directly fulfills the New Testament mandate.<ref name="New Birth Tongues">{{cite book |last1=Bernard |first1=David K. |title=The New Birth |date=1998 |publisher=Word Aflame Press |location=Hazelwood, MO |isbn=1567222382 |chapter=Speaking in Tongues |pages=235–236}}</ref> This distinguishes their theology from classical Trinitarian Pentecostalism: while Oneness and Trinitarian Pentecostals emphasize the importance of Spirit baptism, they diverge on its role in salvation. Trinitarian Pentecostals, such as those in the Assemblies of God, teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience meant for empowerment, not necessarily required for salvation.<ref>{{cite web |title=FAQ: Baptism in the Holy Spirit |url=https://news.ag.org/en/article-repository/spiritual-life/2019/05/faq-baptism-in-the-holy-spirit#:~:text=Receiving%20eternal%20life%20does%20not,Christ%20when%20He%20was%20crucified. |website=AGNews |publisher=Assemblies of God |access-date=24 February 2025 |language=en |date=9 May 2019}}</ref> In contrast, Oneness Pentecostals maintain that one must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongues to be truly born again.<ref name="Bernard 1988 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost: Promise and Command" /> Oneness Pentecostals cite biblical passages such as John 3:5 ("Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God") and Romans 8:9 ("Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his") to support their belief that Spirit baptism is a requirement for salvation.<ref name="New Birth" />

Pentecostals—both Oneness and Trinitarian—maintain that the Holy Spirit experience denotes the genuine Christian Church and empowers the believer to accomplish God's will. Like most Pentecostals, Oneness believers maintain that the initial sign of the infilling Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues and that the New Testament mandates this as a minimal requirement. They equally recognize that speaking in tongues is a sign to unbelievers of the Holy Spirit's power and is to be actively sought after and utilized, especially in prayer. However, this initial manifestation of the Holy Spirit is seen as distinct from the gift of divers kinds of tongues mentioned in {{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|12:10|9}}, which is given to selected spirit-filled believers as the Holy Spirit desires. Oneness adherents assert that receiving the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues, is necessary for salvation.<ref name="Bernard 1988 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost: Promise and Command" />