In today's Gospel for Trinity Sunday, Our Lord says:
"Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
[
Matthew 28:19]
In Latin: "Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes:
baptizentes eos in nominee Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."
Our Lord is using the verbiage, the tense, which commands the Apostles to baptize "them," "others" - to do the baptizing TO them, TO "the nations."
How can that mean the same, and have the same effect, as "desire baptism" or "desiring to receive baptism"? How can baptism of desire be the same as Our Lord here ordering the Apostles to themselves do the act of baptizing others?
And we know He meant with water as elsewhere He said so: "Unless a man be born again of WATER..."? ("Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." [
John 3:5])
This all seemed clear at the Gospel this morning.