Is Infant Baptism Biblical? The Bible reveals that a person must do certain things before he can be baptized. So there were those who were holding to surrogate faith on the part of parents and godparents. Infant baptism was required as the only baptism and defended by fire, water, and the sword. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two solemn acts which the Lord has appointed for His church, and the church has the sacred duty to persevere and administer these precious institutions throughout its life. A law of the emperors Honorius and Theodosius II in the year 413 says, “If any person is convicted of having undertaken the rebaptism of a member of the Catholic Church, the one who has committed this shameful crime, together with the one (provided he is of accountable age) who has allowed himself to be baptized, shall be punished with death without mercy.” They executed the person who did the baptizing and the person who was baptized. This is imputation. Topic: Spiritual Growth. For me, this should also be a cut and dry issue. For those of you who were raised by Presbyterian parents or Lutheran parents or Episcopalian parents or Anglican parents or Methodist parents - and we can go pretty much down the line until we get to the Baptists - you were probably baptized as a baby, or there’s a good possibility that your parents believed in that. It is clear in Scripture that baptism is a requirement, it is a command, both to the individual believer and to the church. Given Origen’s testimony that infant baptism has apostolic roots and the absence of contrary evidence, we can assume that infant baptism dates back to the early days of the church, even the Apostles. I don’t want you to be ignorant of this issue and you won’t be after we have covered what we’re going to cover tonight and perhaps a little bit next week. Scripture nowhere advocates or records any such thing as the baptism of an infant. You know, the Reformers’ cry wasn’t tradition, tradition, tradition. 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for … There are no explicit accounts of infant baptism in the Bible. The implicit acceptance of infant baptism by the major church councils points to infant baptism being a widely accepted practice among Christians. There’s not an incident of it, there’s not a mandate, there’s not a call for it, there’s not a description of it - it doesn’t appear. “Not all Israel is Israel.” He even said in Romans 9, “Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.” Most Jews are under divine judgment. Why I Can't Help a... Why We Must Resist the War on... Is America a City on a Hill? Date: April 14, 2019 Author: Ben 0 Comments The Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 1282 says “Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a gift of God that does not presuppose any human merit;”. Therefore, only by an eternal Word must it be governed and grasped for it is simply insulting to govern in God’s presence with human law and custom. That’s out of the heritage of Luther. It seems to me that if the Bible talks about baptism, period, with no mention whatsoever of age, then the matter DOESN'T matter. Since an infant cannot give a testimony, a genuine infant baptism is an impossibility. First one is in the house of Cornelius, and it says this: “All in his house heard the Word. And among that entire nation of circumcised people, there was a small remnant that believed. And it all carries equal weight with Scripture. Infant baptism arose from the teachings of some early second and third-century church fathers that baptism washed away sin. In this way, not only would men be impiously ungrateful for the mercy of God, but be less careful in training their children to piety. You can’t read habits into Scripture, you can’t read traditions into Scripture. Anabaptists and other Baptist groups do not consider that they re baptize those who have been baptized as infants, since, in their view, infant baptism is without effect. For those of you who are former Roman Catholics, you were probably baptized as a baby. We might think that if this is true that the Calvinistic regulative principle might be applied. And what is its meaning? Infant baptism does not fit the Biblical definition of baptism or the Biblical method of baptism. We could only ask, Lord, that the Reformation would be a complete Reformation, there would be no confusion about the true church. We here at Grace Community Church understand baptism biblically. You have another reference to this in John 4:53. It is a conscious decision and proclamation. After all, Jesus did say, Mt. You’re going to have to face the reality that this is a command and you are called to be obedient. These people typically float around and maybe go a little bit here and a little there from church to church, and baptism never becomes an issue for them. Infant baptism is nothing, has no saving efficacy, delivers no grace, confers no faith, is a symbol of nothing. Tweet. The church and the state were one great sort of monolithic power. When you come to faith in Christ, you are placed into union with Christ. If one asks, ‘How is that possible?’ one receives the answer: the Holy Spirit helps them to believe. It is part and parcel of Reformed Protestant theology with the exception of those who have a view of baptism and identify themselves as such by calling themselves Baptists or those who identify with that view of baptism that we call believer’s baptism. Which is how you get a world full of non-Christians who have been baptized as infants. “Luther’s original defense of the freedom of a Christian remained an unfulfilled demand. It is, therefore, impossible to support infant baptism from the Bible. Doubtless, the design of Satan in assaulting infant baptism with all his forces is to keep out of view, and gradually efface, that attestation of divine grace which the promise itself presents to our eyes. What does it symbolize when a person is immersed, submerged? I believe the Biblical evidence is questionable, ... No one speaks clearly of infant baptism in the 2nd century, for or against. This was around for a long time. In the account of Lydia and Stephanus, the same thing would be true as in those very explicit texts. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. Any biblical practice needs a biblical proof. Because Judaism is so dependent on obeying the letter of the law, scholars spent centuries analyzing the Scriptures and discussing every minute point. A solid biblical argument for infant baptism is its parallel to circumcision in the Old Covenant. How this could survive in a Reformed community where people hold onto the doctrine of justification by faith and all the solas is hard to understand. I was locked up in a room for seven hours with one of the most well-known Reformed theologians on the face of the earth. Where in the Bible does it say, ‘By the way, baptism is a replacement of circumcision’?” Where does it say that?” Doesn’t say that anywhere. They mean to immerse, to dip down. Is that a true child of God? By biblical baptism, the church calls for the reintroduction and practice of biblical New Testament church order and discipline. Immersion is commanded of every believer as a picture, as an object lesson, as a symbol, as a visual analogy of a spiritual reality. Archpreist John Morris . There are no children mentioned. But the point is that, based on the Bible, infants and small children do not have the capacity to comprehend the seriousness of baptism or to undertake the needed changes. Therefore, it is also reasonable that reformers doubted infant baptism … The children that He held in His hand and blessed were not necessarily the children of believing parents and there is no baptism in any case, anyway. Luther finally wound up having to defend the fact that infants have faith. They were a rebellious, apostate, idolatrous, unfaithful, disloyal nation. That’s the true believer, and that leads to an understanding of the true church. Infant baptism is not in the Scripture. This ordinance was so designed by God and conveyed by the correct inspired words to fit the symbolism of the ordinance. It is administered by the church in the name of God. Commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord (13 January) Sensus Fidelium 11 Views IT’S GOING TO BE BIBLICAL. He said, “The Anabaptists are right that baptism without faith profits nothing and that thus, in fact, children ought not to be baptized if they had no faith.” We agree with that. We understand its method, we understand its meaning. So the first point to make is that infant baptism is not in the Bible. Salvation comes thru faith alone and Baptism is a sign of aligning yourself wit h the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is explicitly in Catholic Teaching. 2. Let me help you with circumcision for just - in a brief way. One of the other things that Reformed people say is that infant baptism takes the place of circumcision. All over Germany, rebaptizers were called devilish vermin and executed. And those who believe, may we be faithful to be obedient and be baptized and make that profession of faith, confessing you before men, that we might be confessed by you before your Father who is in heaven. Date: April 14, 2019 Author: Ben 0 Comments The Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 1282 says “Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a gift of God that does not presuppose any human merit;”. And so you were under the tyranny of the church and that way they controlled their populations, which made them powerful forces. The Bible does not teach babies are born Those who forbid it act like a steward of an estate, who gets a command from the owner to seed all the land. It is nothing more than a bizarre fabrication. Show me the verse. There is no precedence in Judaism for a child of believers to be baptized. And essentially, just about every single Sunday night through the year, right here, we have testimonies of people being baptized. The Reformers rediscovered the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, the doctrine of justification, the doctrine of imputation, that our sins are placed on Christ in His death and His righteousness is given to us. He It was not a sign of salvation. There’s this idea that they’re sort of federally included. Otherwise, your children are unclean and now they are holy” or separated. In fact, as Christians, we are called to be a two-testament church. “If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever,” 1 Corinthians 7:12, “she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.” Don’t just divorce your unbelieving wife because she’s not a believer. Luther started out with his revolt against the Roman Catholic Church drawing a line in the sand. And there are people who don’t know that it is important and don’t think the methodology is important or even the time when a person is baptized. And during the middle Ages, severe ecclesiastical laws were created as part of a civil code. Every expression in the New Testament concerning baptism assumes that the convert receives Christ, renounces former life, embraces Him as Lord, and is willing and eager to make that public confession. How in the world did it stay when people recognized that it wasn’t in the Bible? We pray in His name. We expect the Roman Catholic Church to engage in such practices because the Roman Catholic Church is full of things that aren’t in the Bible, right? History is not a principle of interpretation. The local church becomes the true church. But, the Bible is in complete agreement with the principle of Infant Baptism. Faith alone is the condition by which salvation is received - faith alone - faith alone. Those who forbid it act like a steward of an estate, who gets … In Babylon, new birth was conferred by baptism of infants. Where did this come from? Of course. He By biblical baptism, the church signifies a public renunciation of the nominal and mass Christianity of these massive institutions. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. “Wait a minute - five times in Acts and 1 Corinthians, it talks about households being baptized.” Households being baptized. Since an infant cannot give a testimony, a genuine infant baptism is an impossibility. No work, not even baptism, can bring salvation to man. So my response is: “What verse says that? And, of course, they are the only true interpreter of Scripture, so they can twist and pervert the Scripture to make it say things that it obviously doesn’t say. “Whoever forsakes the holy faith and desecrates the holy baptism through heretical superstition shall be excluded from human society.” In other words, if you go against infant baptism, you’re excluded from human society, may give no judicial evidence, can (as has been before prescribed) make no will - you couldn’t leave a will - take possession of no inheritance or be appointed heir by no one. Is that a true church but a weak true church? You cannot be indifferent to it because it is a command. What is the importance of Jesus' baptism? But, the Bible is in complete agreement with the principle of Infant Baptism. In Babylon, new birth was conferred by baptism of infants. This idea of baptism as the circumcision of Christ and therefore open to infants is found at least implied in other biblical texts as well. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. Thirdly, infant baptism is not in the Scripture, it’s not New Testament baptism, and it is not - please - a replacement sign for the Abrahamic mark of circumcision. They put the bread in the cup in a blender and feed it to their infant. The baptized become the church. “For one comes indeed to the help of the fallen and erring but to the infamous who profane the holy baptism, no amelioration can procure mitigation as in the case of other offenses.” You’re done if you affirm any other than an infant baptism. You could be defiant, unwilling, and it is very possible that you could be completely disinterested because you’re not willing at all to confess Christ openly and publicly. As with most Catholic doctrines, infant baptism has its origins in the Babylonian mysteries. And infant baptism is not consistent with the nature of the church. Infant Baptism Is Not Biblical. We testify to a redeemed church, church being made up only of those who have made that open and public confession because they are truly in union with Christ. Baptism is a symbol of our willingness to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And if we say that all these baptized babies form a covenant community, then we’ve got a strange kind of hybrid in the church - follow this - we’ve got some kind of a church made up of baptized people who aren’t really converted. If these things are not done, then the baptism would not be Scriptural. They were all helping in the spiritual work of the church, 1 Corinthians 1:16. At the beginning, when Luther sort of led the Reformation, he had a lofty idealism, some writers say. The next time you have a household is in the sixteenth chapter of Acts in the jailor’s house. Infant baptism is most certainly biblical and is not just church tradition. In view, baptism is not just church tradition directed us to be,. 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