That's not my position. I'd say almost everything fall into one of the below categories:
(1) The scripture explicitly teaches that it is true/false or right/wrong
(2) The scripture indirectly teaches that it is true/false or right/wrong
(3) The scripture does not say whether it is true/false or right/wrong
I would consider (3) and anything that goes against (1) and (2) as unbiblical and cannot be treated as a dogma.
In the case of the belief that baptism would produce faith in unbelievers, I'd say it falls under (2): the scripture indirectly states that it is false. Why? Please read further to my responses below.
So you are saying people can only believe in Jesus Christ until after they are baptized, not before? But every instances we find in the Bible are believe then baptized, not one instance that unbeliever got baptized and became believer.
No, I'm saying that one can only believe in Jesus Christ once they have been given faith. And faith comes to us from outside of ourselves as a gift, given through Means, in Lutheran parlance, "Word and Sacrament". The preaching of the Word delivers faith, but so does Holy Baptism. Since we believe that the Sacraments are God's Word connected with a material element, in the case of Baptism that's water, in the case of the Holy Eucharist that's bread and wine. That God operates through His Sacraments to achieve the purposes for which He gave them. The reason for Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to be buried with Christ, clothed with Christ, and indeed our very salvation--all these things are
explicitly taught in Scripture. As such Baptism delivers faith because it is, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:26, a washing of water with the word,
τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι. Baptism, as the connection of water and word together, accomplishes what it promises, and herein God's word is delivered connected as it is to the water of Baptism.
Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Those who accepted his message were baptized (Acts 2:41)
but once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptized. Even Simon himself believed and, after being baptized, became devoted to Philip (Acts 8:12-13)
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized (Acts 18:8)
None of these verses say baptism would create faith, or would make an unbeliever believe.
And yet in each case Baptism comes as the means of bringing people into Christ, into the Church, into the household of faith. When Peter said "repent and be baptized" he was speaking to unbelievers; the Samaritans likewise believed and were baptized, and with Crispus, and with the Cornelius, and with every other case mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.
Preaching and baptizing happen in unison as the Church's call and commission, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them..."
But Colossians 2:12 does not say baptism would create faith for unbelievers:
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12 NABRE)
But what it does say is what Baptism is and does, "You were buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead" that's the meaning and significance of Holy Baptism.
Baptism only has effect when someone has faith; otherwise, it would just be another ritual washing that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience, and such regulation concerning the flesh was only imposed until the new covenant:
In this way the holy Spirit shows that the way into the sanctuary had not yet been revealed while the outer tabernacle still had its place. This is a symbol of the present time, in which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience but only in matters of food and drink and various ritual washings: regulations concerning the flesh, imposed until the time of the new order. (Hebrews 9:8-10)
Baptism
isn't just another ritual washing, as St. Peter himself says, "not to the cleansing of dirt from the body, but of the pledge of a new conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21).
It boils down to this:
Either Baptism is what Scripture says it is, and does what Scripture says it does, which the Church has always believed and confessed; in which case to deprive our children from the waters of Baptism is no different than to deprive our children of Christ and His Gospel.
If someone doesn't believe Baptism accomplishes anything at all, but is merely a ritual washing that is only a symbol of faith, then it doesn't matter anyway. It doesn't matter whether we baptize our children, it doesn't matter if we don't baptize anyone ever--if Baptism does not itself accomplish anything at all and is just getting wet.
Thus if we are correct, and Baptism is new birth in Christ from God, affecting forgiveness, making us new creations, and bringing us into union with the death and resurrection of Jesus (etc) it would be foolish and unfaithful to deprive our children from coming to Jesus. And if we are wrong, then nothing has happened at all and it doesn't matter anyway.
Me? If I ever have kids I plan on having them baptized. Because I want my children to know Jesus.
-CryptoLutheran
