Charles H. Talbert, «Indicative and Imperative in Matthean Soteriology», Vol. 82 (2001) 515-538
It is usually thought that Matthew emphasizes the imperative at the expense of the indicative, demand over gift. Identifying Matthew’s indicative is difficult because in chapters 5–25, insofar as disciples are concerned, the narrative is told in terms of ‘omnipotence behind the scenes’. In Matt 5–25 four techniques appropriate to such a method of narration speak of the divine indicative in relation to the imperative. They are (1) I am with you/in your midst, (2) invoking the divine name, (3) it has been revealed to you/you have been given to know, and (4) being with Jesus. They show Matthew’s soteriology is by grace from start to finish.
through his name); Mark 9,39 (where mighty works are in his name); Acts 3,6 (where the lame man is told to walk ‘in the name of Jesus’; cf. Acts 9,34 — where the language is ‘Jesus Christ heals you’, walk, indicating the interchangeability of name and person); Acts 4,7 (‘by what name or power do you do this?’); Rom 10,13 (where those who ‘call on the name of the Lord [Christ] will be saved’).
In the NT one meets the phrase ‘to be baptized in the name of’. Three different prepositions are used in such phrases for ‘in’: for example, Acts 2,38 (e)pi/); Acts 10,48 (e)n); and Acts 8,16; 19,5; 1 Cor 1,13, 15; Matt 28,19 (ei)j). Although Heitmüller thought there was a difference between e)n and e)pi/ on the one hand and ei)j on the other41, the three prepositions do not seem to offer significantly different meanings (cf., e.g., Justin Mart., Apol. 61.3, who uses e)p' o)no/matoj with his trinitarian formula whereas Matt uses ei)j)42. Generally speaking, ‘in the name of’ conveys the meaning ‘under the authority of’, or ‘with the invocation of’. Given its background/roots, however, it can also carry the connotations of ‘in the presence of’ (‘name’ and ‘presence’ are concepts that are interchangeable; cf. Ps 89,24; 1 Cor 6,11) and/or ‘in the power of’ (‘name’ and ‘power’ are parallel concepts; cf. Ps 54,1; Acts 4,7)43. Since name and person are interchangeable (cf. Acts 3,6 with 9,34), moreover, there does not seem to be any significant difference between being baptized in/into the name of Christ and being baptized into Christ.
Matt 28,19-20 indicates that evangelization involves new disciples’ being baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. At least three inferences may be drawn. In the first place, certainly implied is that such a one is in a relation of belonging to/being under the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This bonding is reflected in Matt 10,40 ‘(whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me’); in Matt 18,5 (‘whoever receives one such child in my name receives me’); and in Matt 25,31-46 (‘as you did it to the least of these [followers of