about
Christ's own baptism of the Holy Spirit and his command to preach among
all nations;[11] why does he not tell us about this command to baptize
these nations with water? Is it not plainly because there was no such
command?

According to foot-note in our revised version,[12] and other
authorities, the two oldest known copies of Mark's record omit the
twelve last verses, and another ancient manuscript, lately found, also
omits them and states that they were by Aristion the elder. As the
authenticity of the account of the commission in Mark's record is
questioned, we omit comment, altho' we see nothing to conflict with the
other six versions.

According to Matthew Christ commanded his disciples to go, teach all
nations, baptizing them (not _in_ the name, but) _into_ the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.[13]

No water is mentioned. He commanded them to baptize into the Divinity,
not in water.

This harmonizes all the evangelists with both Peter and Paul.

If we reject this view and assume that in Matthew[14] water baptism is
intended to be understood, then we are compelled to believe that this
interpretation of Matthew, with its formula for baptism, was conceived
after the apostles' time; was unknown to them, and is a human conception
and not a correct rendering of the teachings of Jesus. Because with
water introduced, it stands alone and is out of harmony with the whole
of Christ's teachings upon other occasions, and because it conflicts
with all our other six versions of the commission; and because (as we
read), the apostles and first Christians never did baptize with the
formula prescribed in Matthew, which is conclusive evidence that to
their understandings Christ never commanded them to do so. And again,
because the apostles and first Christians did continue to baptize with
water, sometimes without formula but mostly in the name of Jesus Lord or
Christ. This they would not have done in defiance of Christ's command to
baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Upon these and
many other grounds we claim that Christ never did command his disciples
to baptize with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
nor in any way whatever.[15]

According to Peter's account of the commission, Christ commanded his
apostles to preach to the people. He mentions no command to baptize.[16]

Peter did preach to the people and the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it
had fallen upon others