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Chapter 3: Census of the Levites
Chapters 1-2 recorded the numbers of the fighting men in the tribes of Israel (with the exception of the tribe of Levi) as 603,550 warriors. During the conquest of Canaan, a count of the troops is often given before a battle (i.e., Josh 8:3, 10) and during the period of the monarchy, censuses were taken of the population and of the fighting age men for the purpose of military conscription (2 Sam 24:1-9; 2 Chr 14:7).
The count of 603,500 men above twenty years from all the tribes except Levi, taken in the second month of the second year after leaving Egypt, is identical with that of an earlier census taken during the later part of the first year at Mt. Sinai to determine the poll tax for the Sanctuary to be paid by men age twenty and over (Ex 38:26). After the Israelites' numbers are reduced by battles and a severe plague, another census will be taken in the fortieth year after leaving Egypt that records a total of 601,730 men of fighting age (Num 26:51), a loss of 1,820 men over past thirty-nine year period. These numbers are in accord with the earlier count of 600,000 adult males who left Egypt in Exodus 12:37 and the same number of "foot soldiers" Moses mentions in Numbers 11:21, which is likely a rounded number. Chapter 3 continues the tribal census begun in Chapter one and records a separate census of the Levites who are one month old and older.
The focus of this chapter is the duty of the chief priests to guard (samar) their priestly duty and the duty of the Levities in guarding (samar) the Sanctuary. The chapter is divided into three sections:
- Verses 1-3 take the reader back to the summit of Mt. Sinai (vs. 1) where Moses was commanded to ordain Aaron and his sons as priests of Yahweh's Sanctuary (vs. 2-3), a command that was given on Moses' first ascent of Mt. Sinai prior to the sin of the Golden Calf.
- The action in verses 4-13 takes place at the base of the mountain in the wilderness of Sinai where we are reminded of the sin of Aaron's two eldest sons that cost them their lives (vs. 4) and where the clans of the tribe of Levi are given to Aaron as the keepers and guards of the Sanctuary and its Tabernacle (vs. 5-10) in place of the dispossessed first-born sons of Israel (vs. 11-13).
- Verses 14-51 take also take place at the camp at the base of the mountain where the clans of the Levites are numbered, assigned their camping quadrants around the Sanctuary and their responsibilities for taking care of the Sanctuary.
Numbers 3:1-4: The Chief Priests of the Tribe of Levi
In the Hebrew text this short section is an account of Aaron's genealogy, introduced with two formula sayings. The formula phrase in verse 1 is the same phrase that divides the book of Genesis into several family histories (i.e., Gen 5:1; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12; 36:1, 9; etc.). The second formula phrase found in verses 2- 3 is also common to the Old Testament , especially the Pentateuch.
Question: The inspired writer has previously identified the physical location of the events "in the wilderness of Sinai" (Num 1:1, 19). But Numbers 3:1 reminds us of the command God gave Moses concerning Aaron and his sons that took place "on Mt. Sinai". What was that command? See Ex 28:1-29:37.
Answer: It recalls the divine command Moses received that named Aaron and his four sons as Yahweh's chief priests to serve His Sanctuary and the description of their liturgical vestments and their ordination ceremony.
Question: What happened to Aaron's two eldest sons? See Lev 10:1-3.
Answer: Aaron's two eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, were ordained priests who were struck down by Yahweh with holy fire because they offered the fire for burning the sacred incense of in the liturgical service with "unauthorized fire".
Numbers 3:5-13: The Duties of the Levites
The Levites are 'qualified' in a ceremony (described in chap. 8) that will subordinate them as assistants to Aaron and his sons".
Numbers 3:9 You will present the Levites to Aaron and his sons as men dedicated; they will be given to him by the Israelites. The Levites belong to God (Num 8:16) who commands Moses to separate them out from the other tribes of the Israelites and to give them to the chief priests. All the chief priests were Levites from the clan of Kohath, but not all the Levites or even all Kohathites were chief priests. The chief priests were limited to the Aaron, his sons, and their descendants. The anointed high priest was to be selected from among the chief priests descended from Aaron, Israel's first the High Priest.
Question: Do Aaron and his sons also have a priestly duty in guarding the Sanctuary? See verse 10.
Answer: Yes. The genealogy of Aarons' descendants will determine eligibility for the ordained priesthood and the office of the high priest. Only Aaron's descendants are permitted to offer sacrifice at the altar, to forgive sins and to minister within the Tabernacle. They must guard their priestly prerogatives.
Question: How did the Levites come to replace the first born sons as "dedicated men" to serve as God's lesser ministers? See Ex 13:2, 11-13; 22:20-30; 32:25-29; 34:19-20; Num 3:40-51; 8:16; 18:1-7, 15-19.
Answer: From the time of the Passover redemption of the first-born sons and male beasts, every first-born male belonged to God. The first-born sons of Israel were intended to serve in God's Sanctuary. The first-born of the ritually "clean" beasts (cattle, goats and sheep) were to be given to the priests for the various types of ritual sacrifice, while all the first-born of the "unclean" animals were to be redeemed through the payment of a "clean" animal. However, the first-born sons were dispossessed of their status as servants of God in the incident of the Golden Calf when they did not rally to Moses' cry for help. When the Levites rallied to Moses and put down the revolt, God rewarded them by giving the Levites the position of the first-born sons as God's dedicated men and the lesser ministers of His Sanctuary.
Question: The tribe of Levi enjoyed a special status among the tribes of Israel, but there were also limits to their service and to their standing among the other tribes. What were those limits? See Lev 1:5-17; Num 4:18:20-24.
Answer: They could not perform the priestly rituals specifically assigned to the chief priests nor were they to possess a portion of the ancestral lands in the Promised Land of Canaan.
Numbers 3:14-39: The Census of the Levites as God's dedicated men, their Encampment around the Sanctuary and their Responsibilities in caring for the Sanctuary
Moses was commanded to take a census of the descendants of Levi, the third son of Jacob/Israel by his wife Leah (Gen 30:33-34). The tribe of Levi was divided into three clans who were the descendants of Levi's three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Each clan of the Levites was further divided into sub-clans and families. The genealogies of the Levite clans will determine a man's eligibility to serve as men dedicated to Yahweh as His lesser ministers of the Sanctuary. One's identity as an Israelite was determined by the mother. A man born from a Levite father and a Gentile mother was not eligible for service as a Levitical minister. Each clan had specific responsibilities in caring for the Sanctuary.
The Gershonites :
Question: There were 7,500 Gershonites above the age of one month who camped on the west side of the Sanctuary. What were the responsibilities of the adult males?
Answer: They were responsible for all the Sanctuary's textile coverings.
The Kohathites:
Uzziel is mentioned in Leviticus 10:4 as Aaron and Moses' uncle and the father of Mishael and Elzaphan, the kinsmen who removed the dead bodies of Aaron's two eldest sons Nadab and Abihu from the Sanctuary after they were struck dead for their deliberate alteration of the liturgy of the afternoon service. The Elizaphan of Numbers 3:30, who is the leader of the Kohathites, is probably the same man as the Elzaphan of Leviticus 10:4. It is reasonable that the clan leader and his brother would be given the responsibility of seeing to the burial of leading members of their clan.
Question: There were 8,300 Kohathites who camped on the south side of the Sanctuary. According to the list in verse 31, what did their duties to the Sanctuary include? Also see Num 4:4-15.
Answer: They were responsible for carrying the sacred furniture and the sacred vessels that the priests had packed (The Ark, Table of the Bread of the Presence, The Menorah, The Incense Altar, The Sacrificial Alter, The Liturgical Vessels, the curtain the covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies) Moses, Aaron and his surviving two sons were members of the clan of the Kohathites.
The Meraites:
Question: There were 6,200 Meraites who camped on the north side of the Sanctuary. What were their responsibilities to the Sanctuary?
Answer: They were responsible for the entire framework of the Sanctuary including the crossbars, poles, sockets, poles, fittings, pegs and cords.
The Covenant Mediator and Chief Priests:
The Levite census begins at the age of one month because the first-born must be one month old to be eligible for redemption. See handout #3 for Lesson 1 for the encampment of the Levites and the other tribes around the Sanctuary.
Numbers 3:40-43: The Census of Israelite First-born sons
Question: What was the number of the firstborn of all the tribes except Levi that the one month or older? What do you notice about the numbers of the first-born sons of the twelve tribes who were one month or older?
Answer: There were 22,275 males above one month old in the twelve tribes not counting Levi but counting Ephraim and Manasseh as separate tribes. The numbers of first-born sons of all the tribes with the exception of the Levites is also surprisingly low.
Numbers 3:44-51: Dedication of the Levites to Yahweh and the Ransom of the First-born sons
What can account for the low numbers for both the total number of Levites older than one month and the first-born sons of all the other tribes? Does this low number suggest that it was the first-born adult sons of the tribes who led the revolt against Moses in the sin of the Golden Calf and that great numbers of them were killed by the Levites? This would certainly account for the severity of God's judgment against the first-born sons and the loss of status as God's dedicated men in favor of the Levites.
Chapter Three: The Retelling of the Conquest of the Transjordan Continues with Israel's Victory over the Amorite Kingdom of Og of Bashan
In chapter three, Moses continues to recount Israel's prior history that brought them to their final encampment before beginning the conquest of Canaan. This section of Moses' first homily concerns the conquest of the Transjordan (the lands on the east side of the Jordan River).
The summary of the Transjordan conquest began in Deuteronomy 2:26-37 with the defeat of the Kingdom of the Amorite king Sihon of Heshbon and is a repeat of the events that took place in Numbers 21:21-35. King Sihon refused Israel's request to travel through his land despite the fact that he had evidence of the Israelite's peaceful intentions when they passed through southern Edom and through Moab. In response to the king's lack of mercy, God hardened the king's heart so that he would continue to resist Israel. The resulting battle and Israel's victory was God's first act of delivering the land into the hands of His people (Dt 2:30-31).
God's hardening of King Sihon's heart is remarkably reminiscent of God's first act of delivering the Israelites from Egyptian bondage when He hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex 7:3). It is a historical connection that is significant. It was Moses' intention to help each new generation of covenant people who read about these events in the book of Deuteronomy to see beyond the historical events recorded in the other books of the Pentateuch and to recognize that everything that happened has been according to God's plan to give Israel her promised inheritance and to move forward God's ultimate plan for man's salvation.
After the Israelite victory over the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, the Israelite army moved north toward the Amorite kingdom of Og, ruler of Bashan. Bashan was a region in the territory of modern Syria south of Damascus that was known for the fertility of its land (Is 2:13; Mic 7:14). The territory of Bashan extended from the Yarmuk River to the Hermon mountains on the north and from the Golan Heights on the west to the Leja and Hauran (Jebel Druze) mountains on the east.
Deuteronomy 3:1-11 Historical Prologue Continued: The Conquest of the Amorite Kingdom of King Og
In this section of the Historical Prologue, Moses repeats events from Numbers 21:33-36. He does not mention the Amorite kingdom of Sihon's former victory over the king of Moab and the territory they conquered (Num 21:26), nor does he include the Amorite victory song over Moab (Num 21:27-30).
Question: Although Og ruled over Amorite territory, he was not an Amorite. From what people was King Og descended? See Dt 3:10 and Josh 13:12.
Answer: He was a descendant of the legendary Rephaim, an impressively large people.
According to the book of Joshua, Og ruled from the city of Ashtaroth (Josh 9:10; 12:4; 13:12, 31). The city was the ancient home of the Rephaim and was located about twenty miles east of the Sea of Galilee. Ashtaroth was strategically located along the ancient trade route called "The King's Highway (see Num:21:22; Dt 2:27). The battle between the Israelites and the army of Og took place at Edrei (Num 21:33; Dt 3:1). Archaeologists believe they have identified the ruins of Edrei south of Ashtaroth near the modern Jordanian border about thirty miles east of the Jordan River by an eastern tributary of the Yarmuk River. Like Ashtaroth, the city of Edrei is mentioned in Ugaritic (Syria) and Egyptian inscriptions of the Late Bronze Age. Salecah and Edrei (Dt 3:10) were on the southern boundary of Bashan with Salecah toward the east (Josh 13:11) and Edrei on the west.
Question: What was the extent of the Transjordan conquests?
Answer: The Israelites conquered lands that extended from the Arnon river gorge that was the border between Moab and Sihon's Amorite kingdom to the northern limit of Og's Amorite kingdom of Bashan at Mount Hermon.
Mount Hermon is part of the anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its highest peak reaches over 9,000 feet. It became a natural physical barrier that identified the border between ancient nations and, as verse 9 states, was given different names by the kingdoms near it.
Question: According to Genesis 14:5-6 where were the Rephidim and the other giant peoples mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:20-21 living? Also see Dt 3:13.
Answer: The giant peoples identified as Rephidim were living in the Bashan, with the center of their culture at Ashtaroth, while the Zuzim were living at Ham and the Emim on the Plain of Kiriathaim.
In his homily, Moses includes one significant addition in verse 3 when recounting the defeat of King Og. This statement is absent from the earlier account in the book of Numbers but supports what Moses related about the defeat of Sihon at the battle of Jahaz in Deuteronomy 2:33 when he told the new generation of Israel: And Yahweh our God handed him over to us ....
Question: Who does Moses say is responsible for Israel's victory over the Amorite kingdom of Og, and why is this a significant message for the new generation? See Dt 3:3.
Answer: Moses gave the credit for the victory to Yahweh. This statement is significant because it emphasizes the theme of God's protection of His people. When the Israelites were obedient to Yahweh's commands, He gave them victory over their enemies, like their victories over the region's most powerful and highly trained Amorite armies of Sihon and Og. The message to the new generation is this: if they remain faithful and obedient, Yahweh will continue to give them victories over their enemies.
Deuteronomy 3:12-17The Historical Prologue Continued: The Partitioning of the Conquered Transjordan Kingdoms Sihon and Og
After summarizing the extent of the conquered territory, Moses recounted the allotment of the conquered lands of the Transjordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (the two clans of Jair and Machir). This event is described in greater detail in Numbers chapter 32. The tribes of Reuben and Gad had petitioned Moses to let them keep the conquered lands of the Transjordan instead of claiming an inheritance in Canaan. After negotiating the terms of the request, God gave Moses permission to grant their petition, providing they kept their obligations to their brother Israelites to be the advance troops for the invasion and conquest of Canaan (Num 32:1-27).
Pisgah is the mountain, or mountain chain, that is the southeastern boundary of the Arabah. Mount Nebo, where Moses will die, is part of the Pisgah range (Num 21:20; 23:14; Dt 3:27; 4:49; 34:1). Pisgah overlooks the northeast corner of the Dead Sea and the southeastern end of the Jordan River Valley (see Num 34:11-12). Chinnereth is an ancient name for the region of the Sea Galilee.
Deuteronomy 3:18-22Historical Prologue Continued: The Agreement with the Tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the two clans of Manasseh for Possession of the Transjordan Lands
Question: How many times has the command that the Israelites must not be afraid been repeated thus far?
Answer: Five times in 1:17, 21, 29; 3:2, and 22.
To be obedient, to trust God and to not be afraid is one of the central themes of the book of Deuteronomy. It is a message that is reverent to every generation of believers.
Question: In his homily, what warning did Moses give the tribes who wanted to settle in the Transjordan?
Answer: The vanguard forces could not return to their families settled in the Transjordan until all the tribes had secured the land God promised them.
In Joshua 22:1-8, Joshua dismissed the Transjordan tribes, thanking them for keeping their promise, blessing them and sending them to their homes on the far side of the Jordan. However, the first action they took upon returning to the east side of the river was to build an altar to Yahweh at a Canaanite shrine site (Josh 22:9-10). According to the law of the covenant, there could be only one place of worship and sacrifice for Yahweh and that was the altar of sacrifice in Yahweh's Sanctuary that was built and consecrated at Mt. Sinai (Ex 40) and which was located in Shiloh after the conquest. Their action was seen as a breech of the Sinai Covenant and the other tribes prepared to go to war against the Transjordan tribes (Josh 22:11-12, 16). The Transjordan tribes defended themselves by saying that the altar was not to be used for sacrifice and worship, but only as a reminder of their covenant with Yahweh (Josh 22:26-29). The high priest Phinehas accepted their explanation, but it was a dangerous precedent that was to lead to future apostasy.
Question: Why did God allow the two and a half tribes to settle in the Transjordan? These were not lands specifically included in the promise to Abraham, although some scholars argue that this part of the Transjordan was intended to be part of the Promised Land.
Answer: In order to advance God's plan to bring forth the promised Redeemer Messiah from the Israelites, as a people they must be settled on the east side of the Jordan River in the land God promised the Patriarchs. God will richly bless those tribes who are obedient to His plan for man's salvation. However, God always gives man the free-will choice to cooperate and be blessed through obedience to His plan or to reject His blessings and to follow their own plan.
Deuteronomy 3:23-29 Historical Prologue Continued: Moses Tells of His Final Appeal to Yahweh to Allow Him to Enter the Promised Land
In this passage, we are again reminded in the literal Hebrew text of the "good" God planned for His people in giving them the "good land" of Canaan. For a second time, Moses reminded the people that because of them he will not be permitted to enter the Promised Land (Dt 1:37). This part of the historical review provides the new information that Moses pleaded with God to set aside His judgment and provides a glimpse into Moses' intimate relationship with Yahweh. The prayer of Moses comes first (verses 24-25) and is followed by God's response to Moses' petition (verses 26-28).
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Geographical Sites mentioned in Deuteronomy chapters 1-4
Ar (Dt 2:9, 19, 29): An important city and region in Moab (east side of the Jordan River).
Argob (Dt 3:4, 13-14): A region in Bashan in northern Transjordan with sixty fortified cities that were conquered by the Manassehite clan of Jair.
Arnon (Dt 2:24; 3:8, 12, 16): A river gorge that flows into the midpoint of the Dead Sea on the east of the Rift Valley. It marked the northern boundary of Moab and the southern boundary of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon.
Aroer (Dt 2:36): A fortress guarding the King's Highway, the trade route that crossed the Wadi Arnon nearby (Jer 48:19); also the nearby town in the Arnon valley. The river Arnon marked Moab's northern boundary with the Amorites (Dt 2:36).
Ashtaroth and Edrei (Dt 1:4; 3:1, 10): Probably Tel Ashterah, a site along the King's Highway, about 20 miles east of the Sea of Galilee in modern Syria. Edrei has been identified as Deraa, a town south of Ashtaroth near the Jordanian border with Syria. Both cities are mentioned in Ugaritic and Egyptian documents of the Late Bronze Age. King Og of Bashan reigned in both Ashtaroth and Edrei according to Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31.
Bashan (Dt 1:4; 3:1-29): The Amorite kingdom of Og; it was fertile region extending from east of the Sea of Galilee and north of the Yarmuk River to the range of the Hermon mountains and from the Golan Heights on the west to Leja and Hauran, the Druze mountains, on the east. In ancient times it had been the homeland of the Rephaim (Dt 3:13).
Beth-Peor (Dt 3:29; 4:46): In Hebrew "house" or "place" of Peor. A town near the site of the religious shrine of Baal-Peor on the east side of the Jordan River. This town had once belonged to Moab but was conquered by King Sihon of the Amorites (Num 23:28). After they defeated the Amorites, the Israelites camped nearby in the valley not far from the river (Josh 13:20). It was at Baal-Peor that the women of Moab and Midian seduced the Israelite men into the sins of sexual prevision and idolatry by participating in the cultic ceremonies of the fertility god Baal (25:1ff).
Bezer (Dt 4:43): A town "in the wilderness in the Tableland" of Moab, probably indicating the eastern region of the Plains of Moab and mentioned in the Mesha stela.
Chinnereth/Kinneret (Dt 3:17): Chinnereth is an ancient name for the region of the Sea Galilee (Num 34:11; Dt 3:17; Josh 13:27; 19:35), and it was known during the Roman occupation of the Holy Land as the Sea of Tiberias (Josh 12:3; 13:27; Jn 6:1, 23; 21:1).
Di-zahab (Dt 1:1): Probably located on the western shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Edom/Edom-Seir (Dt 1:2; 2:8): Edom was the southernmost of the Transjordan kingdoms. Edomite territory stretched south and east of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The location of Edom on the main trade route of the King's Highway made it both economically and strategically important (Num 20:17). The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the eldest son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and the twin brother of Jacob.
Elath/Ezion-geber (Dt 2:8): A town on the north coast of the Gulf of Aqaba (1 Kng 9:26). It may be the same place as Ezion-geber, a port city on the northern shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. The site was used as an encampment by the Israelites (Num 33:35; Dt 2:8).
Geshur (Dt 3:14): A small kingdom in Transjordan, east of the Sea of Galilee and north of Bashan.
Golan in Bashan (Dt 4:43): This site has not been positively identified but scholars assume it was located somewhere in the vicinity of the Golan Heights.
Havvoth-jair (Dt 3:14): In Hebrew the "villages of Jair." A group of towns or settlements in northern Transjordan conquered and occupied by the clan Jair of the tribe of Manasseh.
Hazeroth (Dt 1:1): The second campsite of the Israelites after leaving Mt. Sinai (Num 11:35; 33:17).
Heshbon (Dt 1:4; 2:26): Capital of the Amorite King Sihon, located east of the Jordan.
Horeb (Dt 1:2; 4:10): The most frequent name for Mt. Sinai and the surrounding region in Deuteronomy.
Jabbok/Yabbok River (Dt 2:37; 3:16): Eastern tributary of the Jordan River and the border between the Amorites and the Ammonites. Later it formed the boarder between Gad and the Manassehite clans. It was the site where Jacob wrestled with the angel of God (Gen 32:22).
Jahaz (Dt 2:32): A city on the east side of the Jordan that marked the boundary between Amorite territory and the Ammonite frontier. At Jahaz the Israelites defeated the Amorite king, Sihon and took possession of his lands.
Kadesh/Kadesh-Barnea (Dt 1:2, 19, 46): An oasis in the northern Sinai that was the gateway to the Negeb and the rest of Canaan. Kadesh is mentioned in the story of Abraham, was the intended jumping off point for Israel's invasion of Canaan in Numbers, and was the place where Miriam died (Gen 14:7; 16:14; 20:1; Num 13:26; 20:1).
Kedemoth (Dt 2:26): A city in what had formerly been Moabite territory that was conquered by the Amorites and the wilderness east of Moab (Josh 13:18).
Paran (Dt 1:1): A wilderness region in the northern Sinai and southern Negeb.
Pisgah (Dt 3:27; 4:49): Pisgah is the mountain, or mountain chain, that is the southeastern boundary of the Arabah. Mount Nebo, where Moses will die, is part of the Pisgah range (Num 21:20; 23:14; Dt 3:27; 4:49; 34:1). Pisgah overlooks the northeast corner of the Dead Sea and the southeastern end of the Jordan River Valley (see Num 34:11-12).
Ramoth/Ramoth-Gilead (Dt 4:43): A fortress city on the east side of the Jordan in the northern territory of Gilead that was given to the tribe of Gad.
Salecah/Salcah (Dt 3:10): Identified with a site on the southwestern edge of Mt. Hauran in the fertile Bashan region (modern Syria) of the Transjordan.
Wadi Zered (Dt 2:13): The wadi and valley was the southern boundary of Moab and the boundary between Moab and Edom. Crossing the Wadi-Zered ended Israel's forty years in the wilderness as well as the transition from the old to the new generation of Israelite warriors and was the beginning of the conquest of the
CHALLENGE: “Christians shouldn’t baptize using the Trinitarian formula. The Bible speaks of baptizing in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38, 8:12, 16, 10:48, 19:5).”
DEFENSE: These verses refer to the type of baptism, not the words used in the rite.
Jesus indicated the words to be used in baptism, saying: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Referring to Christian baptism by these words would be very clunky, so there was a need for a shorter way to refer to it. In part, this was because there were multiple baptisms in the New Testament period. Chief among these were ceremonial washings performed by non-Christian Jews (Lev. 14:8, 15:5–27, 16:4, 24–28, 17:15–16, 22:6; Num. 19:7–8, 19; Deut. 23:11), the baptism of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:13–14, 21:25; Acts 1:22, 10:37, etc.), and the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; John 4:1–2; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3–4, etc.).
In addition, there were baptisms practiced by heretical sects and even pagans. Consequently, there needed to be a way to refer to the Christian rite in just a few words. Since it was associated with Jesus, Luke refers to it as baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38, 8:12, 10:48) and “ in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16, 19:5).
But the Trinitarian formula was used in these cases, as shown when Paul baptizes some men in Ephesus. They had been evangelized by Apollos, who initially knew only John’s baptism (Acts 18:24–25). After Apollos departed (19:1), Paul met them and asked an important question: “ ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said, ‘No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They said, ‘Into John’s baptism’ ” (19:2–3).
The fact that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit immediately caused Paul to question what baptism they had received. If it were Christian baptism, it would have used the Trinitarian formula and thus referred to the Holy Spirit. The only way they could have failed to hear of the Holy Spirit was if they had not received Christian baptism—and this proved true: They had received John’s. Paul then gave them Christian baptism.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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