Bible Talk > Sound doctrine

Infant baptism

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Hal:
Infant baptism is taught by both Catholics and Protestants denominations yet I can find not one case of infant baptism in the Bible.

How does your church handle infant baptism? How is this doctrine justified through the Scriptures?


Thanks Hal

John 8:32:
Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

How does an infant repent of sin?  They do not even know what sin is.  Furthermore...

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Becoming a Christian involves counting the cost and being willing to forsake all to follow Him.  Can an infant make such decisions?  Can a twelve year old?

Baptism is for adults and is a personal decision that your parents cannot make for you.

Hal:

--- Quote from: John 8:32 on June 11, 2013, 05:18:08 am ---Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.


--- End quote ---

Good choice of verses.

I like to use :

--- Quote ---Acts 8:36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
--- End quote ---

The trouble is that to be honest vs 37 was not in the original text.

We recall that Christ was not baptized as an infant, He was circumcised as an infant and baptized as an adult.

JB Horn:

--- Quote from: Hal on June 11, 2013, 08:36:48 am ---Good choice of verses.

I like to use :
The trouble is that to be honest vs 37 was not in the original text.

We recall that Christ was not baptized as an infant, He was circumcised as an infant and baptized as an adult.

--- End quote ---

Good for the KJ only crowd anyway  8)

Dandi:
Some church leaders have claimed that infants should be baptized to cleanse them from inherited sin and to protect them from being damned if they die.  However, it is noteworthy that the apostle John indicated that it is actually the blood of Jesus that cleanses people from sin (1 John 1:7).  People must exercise faith in Jesus to benefit from his sacrificial death (John 3:16).  Since baptism itself does not cleanse a person from sin and infants cannot exercise faith in Jesus' sacrifice, the scriptures do not show it to be proper to baptize infants.

Also, the scriptures show that infants who are raised by at least one faithful, Christian parent have the merit of that parent extended to them until they are mature enough to reason on their own and make a personal decision whether or not to become baptized Christians (1 Corinthians 7:14).  Not that the infant would be viewed by God as a dedicated servant, though.  The merit comes from the fact that they would be trained by the faithful, Christian parent, and that training could lead them to make a voluntary dedication to God when they are mature enough to understand.  Here again, this would not be in scriptural support of infant baptism.

Another interesting point is that I recall reading an article about how some adults who wanted to become baptized Catholics in France had to complete prebaptism classes.  One person who apparently coordinated such prebaptism classes said that preparation for adult baptism could take up to three years, and that just believing  in God was not enough, but they had to learn to live acceptably.  Strange, then, that it would be deemed necessary to put adults though a more strenuous process based on understanding and exercising faith before qualifying for baptism, yet infants who have no understanding or faith are also baptized as Catholics.

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