December 10, 2001 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) -

INFANT BAPTISM

Infant baptism is the sprinkling or immersion of infants for the purpose of imparting to them spiritual blessing of some sort. Though the exact purpose of it differs from group to group, almost always it implies that the child thereby receives salvation in some sense. Infant baptism is practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, the various groups representing Eastern Orthodoxy, as well as by most of the denominations which withdrew from Rome during the Protestant Reformation, including Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. ... The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are 'reborn of water and the Spirit.' God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism ... Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte 'a new creature,' an adopted son of God, who has become a 'partaker of the divine nature,' member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. ... From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant" (The New Catholic Catechism, 1994, # 1263,1257,1265,1267).

EASTERN ORTHODOX: "We confess one baptism for the remission of sins" Constantinopolitan [or Nicene] Creed, 381). "Our sacraments, however, not only contain grace, but also confer it on those who receive them worthily ... Through baptism we are spiritually reborn" (Council of Florence, 1438-45). "When one asserts his faith in the Son of God, the Son of the Ever Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, he accepts first of all the words of faith into his heart, confesses them orally, sincerely repents for his former sins and washes them away in the sacrament of Baptism. Then God the Word enters the baptized one, as though into the womb of the Blessed Virgin and remains in him like a seed" (The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, Russian Orthodox Church, Issue No. 4, 1980). "Sacraments ... are not simply symbols of divine grace, but sure agents and means of its transmission. ... [through baptism one] becomes a member of the church of Christ, being liberated from the controlling power of sin, and being reborn in the new creation in Christ" (International Eastern Orthodox-Old Catholic Theological Dialogue Commission, 1985).

LUTHERAN: "Baptism effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare. ... It is not the water that produces these effects, but the Word of God connected with the water, and our faith which relies on the Word of God connected with the water" (Luther's Small Catechism, 1529, IV). "It is taught among us that Baptism is necessary and that grace is offered through it. Children, too, should be baptized, for in Baptism they are committed to God and become acceptable to him. On this account the Anabaptists who teach that infant Baptism is not right are rejected" (The Augsburg Confession, 1530, IX). "Being by nature sinners, infants as well as adults, need to be baptized. Every child that is baptized is begotten anew of water and of the Spirit, is placed in covenant relation with God, and is made a child of God and an heir of his heavenly kingdom" (Baptism formula used by Lutheran pastors in baptizing infants, The New Analytical Bible and Dictionary of the Bible, Chicago: John A. Dickson Publishing Co., 1973).

The August 2001 issue of The Berean Call contains the following warning from a reader of that publication: "Enclosed is my 'Memento and Certificate of Baptism' and my daughter's 'Certificate of Holy Baptism,' both as babies into the Lutheran Church. As you can see, my certificate was printed by the Missouri Synod's Concordia Publishing House and reads, 'In Baptism full salvation has been given unto you; God has become your Father, and you have become His child.' My daughter's reads, 'You are a child of God because God has made you His child through this act. All of God's promises belong to you as you live under Him in His Kingdom.' You must know that Luther's Catechism, used in every Lutheran Synod, declares concerning the 'Sacrament of Baptism,' that 'it works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.' It also states regarding the 'Sacrament of the Altar' [the Lord's Supper], 'namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words.'"

ANGLICAN: "Baptism is a sign of Regeneration or New-Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed.... The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ" (The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, XXV, XXVII).

METHODIST: "Sacraments are ... signs of grace ... by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him. ... Baptism ... is also a sign of regeneration, or the new birth. The baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church" (The Articles of Religion, 1784, XVI, XVII).

REFORMED: "We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that young infants, born of faithful parents, are to be baptized. ... We therefore are not Anabaptists, neither do we agree with them in any point that is theirs" (The Second Helvetic Confession, 1566, chapter XX).

PRESBYTERIAN: "Baptism ... is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins ... Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience to Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized. ... by the right use of this ordinance the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time" (The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1646, XXVIII).

The Error of Infant Baptism

1. Infant baptism is not taught in the New Testament. "For some, infant baptism is a doctrine by implication. It is implied that in five households in the N.T. that were visited by salvation, there must surely have been young children. These were the households of Cornelius in Acts 10, Lydia in Acts 16, the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, Crispus in Acts 18, and Stephanas in 1 Cor. 1:16" (The Church of God: A Symposium).

The Case of Cornelius. "It is stated in v. 24 of Acts 10, that those gathered with him in the house were his kinsmen and near friends. He sends word that they are 'all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee [Peter] of God.' In v. 44 the Holy Spirit fell upon all them which heard the Word. We know from other Scriptures that, in the N.T., the Holy Spirit acts thus only upon those who have believed. Those gathered were capable of hearing the commands of God with a view to believing and obeying" (Ibid.). It is specifically stated in Acts 11:17 that those who were saved and baptized with Cornelius were those "who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ." Obviously these were not tiny infants.

Lydia and Her Household (Acts 16:14-15). Nothing is said about infants in this passage, and it is highly unlikely that this busy merchant woman would have had tiny babies. There is no evidence here whatsoever for the practice of infant baptism.

The Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:30-34). This passage clearly says that Paul spoke the Word of God to the entire household (v. 32) and that the entire household believed (vv. 32-33). This could not be said of infants.

The household of Crispus (Acts 18:8). Those who were saved and baptized in this family were all believers, for we are told, "Crispus ... believed on the Lord with all his house..." We are not told how old the members of Crispus family were, but we are told that each one of them believed on the Lord. Obviously they were not infants.

The household of Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:16). Again nothing is actually said about infants being present or baptized. In 1 Cor. 16:15 we are told that this household addicted themselves to the ministry. This could not be said of infants.

"No one has the right to interject what is omitted from Scripture just to bolster subjectively a supposed doctrine and ignore the clear teaching of many other portions of the Word of God" (Ibid.).

2. Infant baptism is contrary to the New Testament teaching about baptism. Infant baptism uses the wrong modesprinkling rather than immersion. Infant baptism uses the wrong subjectinfants unable to believe and be born again. Infant baptism has the wrong purposeto impart salvation or spiritual blessings.

3. Infant baptism either states or implies that salvation or spiritual blessing can be imparted through ritual, or through the faith of another. Contrast Ps. 49:7-8. The Bible says all blessings of salvation are received through personal faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 15:8-11; 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Tim. 3:15). We receive eternal life by personal faith (Jn. 3:16). We become children of God by personal faith (Jn. 1:12). We receive justification and peace with God through personal faith (Ro. 5:1). We receive the Holy Spirit by personal faith (Eph. 1:12-14).

4. Infant baptism implies that the church can impart salvation and blessing to whomsoever it pleases, regardless of the individual's will or faith. Contrast Acts 8:36-37.

5. Infant baptism results in false security. Multitudes of people baptized as infants grow up thinking they are ready for Heaven even though they have never been born again through personal faith in Christ. They are trusting in their infant baptism and in their church membership. Such are deceived by the teaching of their own churches. "This false sacramental gospel kept my parents from ever telling me that I was a sinner and needed a Savior. They thought that I had received eternal life in baptism. I am positive that there are millions of Lutherans believing the same thing my parents did and which I was taught and believed for many years. I was saved at age 45 when I finally heard the true gospel and believed it. We believe that millions of souls are at stake because of this false teaching" (The Berean Call, August 2001).

6. Infant baptism results in churches being peopled by unregenerate members. In some churches the infant becomes a member immediately at the time of the baptismal ceremony. In others, the infant is not yet considered a full member, but is admitted as a member in later years without having to show evidence of regeneration. Either way, infant baptism results in those churches being filled with members who are not truly saved. This, of course, destroys the church, and is a chief cause for the spiritual deadness of most Protestant denominations.

7. Infant baptism causes the officiating minister to declare falsehoods. He declares a falsehood when he says, "I baptize you," because he is not baptizing but sprinkling. He declares a falsehood when he says, "This child is regenerated and grafted into the body of Christ's church" (Anglican Book of Common Prayer). Infants are neither born again nor true church members. He declares a falsehood by saying, "It has pleased God to regenerate this infant with His Holy Spirit; to receive him for His own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into His holy church." None of these things can be true for an infant and none of these things are imparted by baptism (Hiscox, Practices for Baptist Churches).

8. There is no partial salvation taught in scripture. Infant baptism either truly saves, or it does not save at all. Yet most denominations practicing infant baptism believe it results in partial salvation for the infant and that it must later add works such as the catechism, mass, and confession to be fully saved. The following Bible passages show that when a person is saved, he is fully, eternally saved. The same passages reveal that this salvation is not through an infant baptism, but a personal, repentant faith in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Tit. 3:5-7; Eph. 1:3-7; Rom. 5:1-2; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Jn. 5:12-13).

WHAT ARE WE TO DO FOR OUR CHILDREN?

1. Christians can rejoice that their children are sanctified by the parents' relationship with Christ (1 Cor. 7:14). Though we might not know everything this involves, we do know that (a) the passage is not speaking of sanctification by a baptismal ritual. Nothing is said here or in any other N.T. passage regarding the necessity of baptizing infants before they can partake of this family sanctification. (b) Children are eternally safe if they die in early childhood. The case of the death of David's son illustrates this. After the child's death, David said he would one day go to be with him (2 Sam. 12:22-23). This shows David's assurance that the baby was safe with God. If this were true for the children of O.T. saints, surely it is true for the N.T. believer. (c) At a certain point in the child's life he becomes personally responsible before God for his relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible does not say at what age or point this occurs, but Jesus encouraged children to come to Him (Lk. 18:16), and Timothy was taught the Scriptures as a child with the goal that he come to salvation (2 Tim. 3:15).

2. The parents must dedicate themselves to train the child in the way of Christ. It is not really the dedication of infants that is essential; it is the dedication of parents. Parents are wasting their time if they go through a public ceremony of dedicating their child to God, but fail thereafter to discipline and instruct him in the right way. Let us do both! Let us offer our newborn children to God and plead His best blessing upon their lives, and let us carefully train them for His holy service.

Click here to read about the Doctrine of Baptism Part 1