05.08. INFANT BAPTISM

INFANT BAPTISM

Roman Catholics, Methodists, and Presbyterians, and others practice what they call "infant baptism," and some of them claim the Scriptures authorize the practice. The practice of "infant baptism" grew out of two misconceptions: First, the teaching that infants are born guilty of "original sin," that the sin of Adam attaches to all his posterity. By some it is called "hereditary total depravity," by which is meant the infant inherits a corrupt nature from Adam and must needs be pardoned or it will be lost. Second, the view was entertained by some that baptism in water was the only means of cleansing the infant from the "original sin," or "depravity;" by some called "Adamic sin." The following quotations are to the point in this connection:

"As to the ground of it: If infants are guilty of original sin, then they are proper subjects of baptism, seeing, in the ordinary way, they cannot be saved, unless this is washed away by baptism. It has been already proved, that this original stain cleaves to every child of man; and that thereby they are children of wrath, and liable to eternal damnation. It is true, the Second Adam found a remedy for the disease which came upon all by the offence of the first. But the benefits of this is to be received through the means which he hath appointed; through baptism in particular, which is the ordinary means he hath appointed for that purpose; and to which he hath tied us, though he may not have tied himself. Indeed, where it cannot be had, the case is different; but extraordinary cases do not void the standing rule. This therefore is our first ground. Infants need to be washed from original sin; therefore they are proper subjects of baptism." — Wesley’s Works Miscellaneous. (Vol. 2, P. 16)."It is certain our church supposes that all who are baptized in their infancy are at the same time born again, and it is allowed that the whole office of the baptism of infants proceeds upon this supposition."— Wesley’s Sermons. Vol. 1, p. 405.

"Gregory Naziaren felt this, and qualified the doctrine accordingly. In the famous oration where he recommended the baptism of little ones at three years of age, and urged the necessity of it to babes in case of the danger of death. He took care to expressly declare what, in his opinion, infants would suffer by dying unbaptized. Three positions give his precise meaning. Adults who wilfully neglect to be baptized will be condemned. Infants dying unbaptized will neither be glorified nor punished: not punished for it was not their fault; not glorified; for they were not sealed or initiated. When this doctrine came into the hands of the barbarous Africans, they had no scruples to affirm both in their writings, and their canons, that infants dying unbaptized in the name of the trinity, were inevitably punished with the torments of everlasting fire.

(3). This doctrine was the parent of the baptism of aboratives: and this doctrine in all its stages was called apostolic tradition."—Robinson’s History of Baptism, PP.

306, 307).

Infants are not born with the "stain" of sin, "original" sin, nor are they totally depraved. (See Sound Doctrine, Volume 4, PP 97-102). Sin is lawlessness—the transgression of the law. Infants have not transgressed the law. Infants have no sin, hence they need no forgiveness. Having no guilt they are not under condemnation. Not having "gone astray" they are not lost. Were they guilty of sin, would water alone save them? They do not believe—they have no faith; they have transgressed no law; they are not lawless; they have not repent­ed. Were they guilty, if they have a corrupt nature will a few drops of water change their nature, cleanse them from sin—cleanse them from "original sin" something unknown in the word of God. Infants guilty of a sin they did not commit? If infants are guilty of sin, they cannot be cleansed till they repent, but infants do not repent, hence their hearts are not right, and cannot be saved. If infants are born guilty of "original sin" they will remain so till they repent. What benefits can come to the impenitent person? Those who make claim that they baptize infants, (sprinkle a few drops of water on the infant), put too much stress on water. They ascribe to water too much power.

Some ripe scholars associated with those who claim to baptize infants, and who would like to find some Scriptural authority for infant baptism, are frank in saying:

"Among the persons that are recorded as baptized by the apostles, there is no express mention of an infant."

Wall’s History of Baptism, Preface, P. 29.

"There is no trace of infant baptism in the New Testament." (Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, Article, Baptism. P. 200.) The sole authority one has for administering baptism in the Christian Dispensation is the Great Commission, which reads:

"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). The command is to "make disciples," and baptize "them",—the ones who have been made disciples. The command is not to baptize men, and women, as such; the command is to baptize "disciples." Unless infants are "disciples" they are not included in the command to be baptized. The word disciple is from the Greek word "matheeteo," and is defined to mean: "To make a disciple, to teach, to instruct" (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon). To what extent must one be a "disciple" before he can be baptized? The Great Commission as recorded by Mark reads:

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16). In this record it is specifically stated that the "believer" is the one to be baptized. Infants are not in that class, hence are not subjects of the baptism Christ authorized. The New Testament declares baptism to be one of the conditions of salvation, (Mark 16:15-16), a condition of the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Unless infants are lost, and need to be saved; unless they are guilty of having sinned, and need to be pardoned, there can be no ground on which baptism can be administered to them by the authority of the Lord. That baptism preceded by faith and repentance is a condition of salvation is clearly stated: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:15-16); "repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins" (Acts 2:38). Infants cannot come within the limits of either of the statements. THE EXECUTION OF THE GREAT COMMISSION The execution of the Great Commission began on the first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ. (See Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1, PP. 97-106). An examination of the record of the preaching of the apostles and disciples will be a correct interpretation of what the Great Commission meant as revealed by the Holy Spirit. three thousand baptized on Pentecost. In the first sermon preached in obedience to the command of Christ, as recorded in the Great Commission, people were -convinced that they were sinners. Having been cut to their hearts, they cried out: "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter made answer: "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins." "They then that received his word were bap­tized." (Acts 2:38-41). There were no infants in the number who "cried out;" there were no infants in the number who "received the word;" there were no infants in the number who were commanded to "repent" and "be baptized;" "unto the remission of your sins." Sin is "law­lessness" (1 John 3:4), and infants could not have been included in the number commanded to "be baptized" "unto the remission of sins." There were no infants baptized on that occasion; and that was the beginning of the execution of the Great Commission, and the beginning of the church of Christ in Jerusalem, the "mother church" in the Christian Dispensation. conversions in samaria; who was baptized? After the church was scattered from Jerusalem, (all except the apostles), Philip, one of the deacons, (Acts 6:1-15), went to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto the people, and "when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:1-12). Not an infant in that number—"men and women" were baptized. simon the sorcerer baptized. "And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip" (Acts 8:1-13). Simon, a mature man. No infants! For a full discussion of Simon see Sound Doctrine, Vol. 2, PP.120, 121). THE TREASURER OF QUEEN CANDACE OF ETHIOPIA BAPTIZED. The treasurer was returning to his home, and while riding down the highway in his chariot he was reading the Scriptures. Philip was directed to join himself to the chariot. Having done so, he began at the same Scripture and preached unto the treasurer Jesus. When they came to a certain water the treasurer inquired: "What doth hinder me to be baptized?" The chariot was stopped, and the two men went "down into the water" and the treasurer was baptized, following which they came "up out of the water." The treasurer was a man. No infants in this baptism. (Acts 8:27-40).

Saul of tarsus baptized. Saul was a bitter persecutor of the church; he was a man of great influence and power when he was baptized. Not an infant!

Cornelius and His baptized. Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army. He was directed to send for Peter, who could tell him "words, whereby thou shalt be saved, and thy house." When Peter reached the house of Cornelius and began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them" (Acts 11:14-15), and they spake with tongues. Accompanying Peter from Joppa were "six brethren," and Peter inquired: "Can any man forbid the water that these should not be baptized." They were commanded to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Not an infant in the group baptized. Infants do not obey commands! (For a discussion of Cornelius see PP 105, this book. lydia and her household. (Acts 16:13-15). Lydia’s home was Thyatira, but at the time of her baptism she was near Philippi, where she and a company of women had met for prayers. Paul preached to these women and "heed" was given to the preaching, and when Lydia "was baptized, and her household" she invited Paul and Silas to visit in her house. By some it has been contended that there were infants in the "household" of Lydia. Such a view is based on pure assumption. It is not so much stated in the narrative that Lydia was married! The Great Commission was that "believers" were to be baptized. That there were no infants in the household of Lydia is revealed by the fact that Paul and Silas entered into her house, "and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted (Margin: exhorted) them," they departed. There were no "infants" in the household of Lydia, for the "brethren" there were "exhorted" or "comforted" by Paul and Silas. They were not out "comforting," or "exhorting" infants! the jailer and His household baptized. (Acts 16:19-34). The preaching of Paul and Silas in Philippi caused quite an uproar, and against them untrue charges were lodged. They were arrested, beaten unmercifully, and the charge given the jailer to keep them safely. He thrust them in the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks. Late in the night Paul and Silas were singing when an earthquake rocked the old prison, the doors were thrown open, and the apostles liberated from the stocks. The jailer seeing the doors of the prison open concluded the prisoners had escaped and was in the act of committing suicide, when Paul seeing him cried to him saying: "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." Calling for a light the jailer sprang in, and brought them out, and said: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house, And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God." There were no infants in that number, for all believed and rejoiced. the Corinthians baptized. "And many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized." (Acts 18:8). Those baptized were "believers." No infants! chispus baptized. "And Crispus the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house." (Acts 18:7). He was also baptized. (1 Corinthians 1:14). No infants here, for Crispus and "all his house" were believers. the ephesians baptized. (Acts 19:1-41). On visiting Ephesus the first time, Paul found twelve men, "disciples," who had been baptized "into John’s baptism." Paul taught them the words of the Lord more perfectly, and "they were baptized in the name of the Lord." No infants in the number, they were "disciples." In all the New Testament there is not found one record of the apostles, or any of the other disciples baptizing an infant!

THERE ARE NO INFANTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH the church at Jerusalem. "And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word" (Acts 8:1-4). They did what?

"Went about preaching the word."No infants in that number.

There arose a question in the church at Antioch concerning keeping the law of Moses, and circumcision; and the matter was presented to the church in Jerusalem, as well as to the apostles. (Acts 15:1-41). After discussing the matter it is said: "It seems good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabasand they wrote thus by them. The apostles and the elders, brethren unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch" (Acts 15:1-41). Clearly there was not an infant in the church in Jerusalem, nor in Antioch. not one! the church at corinth. In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul says, "The members should have the same care one for another" (1 Corinthians 12:25). Not an infant in that church, of course not, TELL IT TO THE CHURCH.

"If thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican." (Matthew 18:15-17).

RED SEA BAPTISM

Some have contended that when the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, their infants were baptized. Such is not true, for those baptized "ate and drank of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1-4), and infants were not of the number. If infants were baptized because they were with their parents when they passed through the sea; it would follow that the cattle and their cooking vessels were also baptized, for they were along with them. If it were admitted that the infants were baptized, it would be no authority for baptizing infants today, for the Great Commission authorizes the baptism of "believers" only.

QUESTIONS FOR PEDO-BAPTIST

• Is infant baptism authorized by being mentioned in the word of God? Where?

• Name an apostle of Christ who baptized an infant.

• What passage in the Bible do you think authorized the baptism of infants.

• Those who baptize infants contend that the church of the New Testament is a continuation of the church of the Old Testament. For a discussion of this subject, see Sound Doctrine, Vol. 3, PP.. 16-36).

QUESTIONS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS