It is quite well known that the eleventh edition of The Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1910, includes an excellent article on baptism by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, M.A., D.Th. Conybeare was a Fellow of the British Academy. He was also Formerly Fellow of University College, Oxford as well as the author of The Ancient Armenian Texts of Aristotle.

The article runs to six pages, including a section titled “The Baptismal Formula,” wherein Coneybeare refers to the Teaching of the Apostles (i.e., the Didache) as follows: “The Teaching of the Apostles, indeed, prescribes baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but on the next page speaks of those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord — the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid.” This is not the only reference in the article to baptism in the name of Jesus. Coneybeare points out that in the apostolic age “the normal use … seems to have been ‘into Christ Jesus’ or ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,’ or ‘of Jesus Christ’ simply, or ‘of the Lord Jesus Christ.'”

A copy of this article has resided in my Baker’s Textual and Topical Filing System for years, but I had the occasion today to look at it again. I decided to copy the article and post it here for those who may not have a copy. I have highlighted sections relating to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ so you can find them quickly.