God's Church: Subjects of Baptism
Hold the Water-
This one will be dry
Our goal is to gather a proper understanding of the meaning and ramifications of baptism.
The Subjects of Baptism The question is: should believers only be baptized or should infants (of believing parents) also be baptized?
Arguments in favor of infant baptism include these: 1. The Circumcision Argument Colossians 2:11-13 NLT "When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. (12) For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. (13) You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins." Colossians 2:11-12 clearly links circumcision and baptism. Since infants were circumcised under the Old Covenant, they should be baptized under the New Covenant. The argument rests on the covenant theology concept of a single covenant of grace which involved an initiatory rite into that covenant, the rite being circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New. These rites indicate membership in the covenant, not necessarily personal faith (see James Buswell, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 19621, 2:262).
2. The Historical Argument From early times the church practiced infant baptism; therefore it is permissible that the early fathers did support infant baptism often relating it to circumcision, but the fact that the early church practiced or believed something does not in itself make it right. Some in the early church taught baptismal regeneration which is heretical.
3. The Household Argument Infants in Households were baptized in New Testament times. It would be likely that some infants at least were included in some of the households… Acts 16:13-15 NLT "On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. (14) One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. (15) She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we agreed."
Another Verse Acts 16:29-31 NLT "The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (31) They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." Some also cite the household promise of 1 Corinthians 7:14 as not only permitting but expecting the baptism of infants of a household where there is one believing parent."
The position against infant baptism. The position against infant baptism and thus for believers' baptism points out that the scriptural order is always believe and then be baptized (Matt. 3:2-6; 28:19; Acts 2:37-38; 16:14-15. 34) Take time and look these up. This position believes that baptism is the initiators' rite into a believing community, the church; therefore it should only be done to believers. By contrast, circumcision-initiated people (including infants) into a theocracy which did have unbelievers in it. And that the age of children is never mentioned in any passage that mentions household baptism. However, it is said that all who were baptized in those households believed. This, then, would exclude infants from being included in the baptisms. Okay, enough for now. This will clear up as we keep moving forward. Remember, you are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. No matter how or when you get baptized, it will not save you, only faith in Christ can. Love to all, Pastor Mike
(602) 510-5563 Next week- Re-baptism: The Time of Baptism and the Mode of Baptism.