An age limit for Baptism?

[Scottish Knight]

Do any of your churches have a minimum age for baptism candidates? The church I go to will only baptise someone over the age of 13 which personally I think is wrong. Surely the only requirement is that the person is fully aware of what they are doing and not their age, I've even heard of intelligent 3 year olds being baptised. Do you think there should be an age limit?

 

[DD2008]

Good question!

I wanna know too!

 

[JeffShott]

I think that, as long as they can explain why they want to be baptized, there should be no age limit. I was baptized at 7-years-old, which I don't feel was too young.

I know that the Mormons wait until 8-years-old, however. That is when the brain fully develops (well, at least that's their reason.)

 

[Vince53]

A pastor of a large Baptist church whom I know was baptized when he was four, and he says that he was saved at the time.

W.A.Criswell, the great Southern Baptist pastor, had an age limit, but I can't remember what it was. He explained at a preachers' conference that he could not give a book, chapter, and verse, but it was based on his own experience as a pastor.

 

[Hog Red]

does the church you attend forbid anyone under 13 to be saved? If their saved they should get baptized, period.

 

[dies-l]

My church doesn't seem to have a set age limit, but I am uncomfortable with kids younger than about 10-11 getting baptized. Developmentally, I don't think kids any younger than this can understand it properly, and even with older kids, it can be more a peer pressure thing than a faith thing. Ideally, I think 13 sounds about right. When I see kids baptized much younger than this, I am not convinced that there is much meaningful difference between infant baptism and "believer's baptism".

By the same token, I respect that this decision is best made between parents, the pastor, and the child. If they are all in agreement, who am I to say that they are wrong, especially where there is no hard and fast guidance in Scripture.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

My son was baptised at age 11.

 

[JeffShott]

Here's a question: those of you who think that young children should not get baptized, do you think I need to be re-baptized, as I was baptized at age 7?

 

[JCFantasy23]

Here's a question: those of you who think that young children should not get baptized, do you think I need to be re-baptized, as I was baptized at age 7?

From your previous post you seem to show it as a meaningful experience and remember it well and fondly. I don't see why you were need to be rebaptized.

 

[jthomas1600]

does the church you attend forbid anyone under 13 to be saved? If their saved they should get baptized, period.

That may be the best answer so far. My kids were all baptized between 6 and 8. With each one we wrestled with the decision, worrying that they might be too young. However, we had no reason to doubt that they had accepted Christ as their savior and had a relationship with Him. They were able to articulate what baptism meant and why it was something they wanted to do.

 

[YoDude]

I believe young children can and do have conversion experiences before the age of 13, and Baptism should follow.

I think the concern with the age limit is that some kids go down to the front, not because they want to know God, but rather they want to be a part of what is going on in the church (e.g. following what a friend or another family member is doing). In that case, a child from a semi-involved church family may believe his salvation is taken care of, only to realize later in life that they did not know what they were doing at the time and need to re-commit their lives often with a second baptism.

Typically there is little difference in the 'I got it right at age 9' and 'I went down too young, and re-dedicated later'; it's not like we know everything about the working of the spirit, if you are pre-destined, God will be calling you your whole life, and you will be on your spiritual 'journey' from a very young age anyway.

The main concern would be the exception: a young person goes down front at a very young age, does not understand what he is doing, strays as a teen or young adult, and never understood what becoming a christian means. The conversion experience (or submitting to the Lord) was never explained well, and they go through life thinking they are christian, but have no real relationship with God, or submissive heart. But, these individuals may not have faired any better by waiting until they were a little older, in fact they may have faired worse! But, perhaps, if the parents are involved, and help the youngster understand, it will all work out in God's time, and no magical age limit need be applied.

 

[JeffShott]

From your previous post you seem to show it as a meaningful experience and remember it well and fondly. I don't see why you were need to be rebaptized.

Okay, thank you for answering

 

[blessedmomof5]

I agree you sound Firm in your Faith, and you Know who your Lord and Savior Is!!!!!!!
Amen and Glory to You Oh LORD

Okay, thank you for answering

 

[Iraqi Girl]

(Colossians 2: 12) "Buried with him in baptism, in which you made also with faith in thework of God, who raised Him from the dead."
(Acts 8: 36 - 38) "And as they Sairan on the road, they came to water, said the eunuch: it is, the water, what would prevent the adoption? Said Phelps, if you believe with all your heart may be, he answered and said," I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Ordered to stand the vehicle Vensla both into the water and the eunuch Fmayor Phelps. "
(Mark 16: 16) "He who believes and baptized will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned."



Must be a human being is aware of the sin and Understand the true or wrong and knows the meaning of Almamovep and know salvation and life is not to the important thing may be the age of 15 more aware and Fahim and secure from the person aged 25 years and should not be Mamovep any person without the knowledge of all these things were



The water used in baptism, is a trademark of Virtual The work of the grace of procedure is our union with Christ in his death - and we bury in the water of baptism - and resurrection, and we receive forgiveness of sins and the anointed of the Holy Spirit, as the apostle Peter: "Repent and be baptized every one of you the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Vtqubloa gift of the Holy Spirit. " (Acts 2: 38).
The events of the Book of Acts, shows the importance of faith heart, before progressing to the baptism and the church are baptism of children, although they do not understand the basics of the true faith .

 

[3*8**]

I think that, as long as they can explain why they want to be baptized, there should be no age limit. I was baptized at 7-years-old, which I don't feel was too young.

I know that the Mormons wait until 8-years-old, however. That is when the brain fully develops (well, at least that's their reason.)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe:

"By revelation the Lord had designated eight years as the age at which children may be properly baptized into the Church.

Did Adam know why he was to sacrifice animals when God first commanded it?

Your point about the development of the brain is a good one and it does make sense that baptism is an informed choice.

 

[Dogperson]

At my church (a Freewill Baptist) anyone who has been saved can be baptized. We often have fairly young children being saved, especially during Bible School, and the pastor will baptize them if they want to. He counsels everyone beforehand so I'm sure he makes certain they really have accepted Jesus as Savior and understand the basics of baptism. The gospel is not complicated and young children are able to understand it, at least by school age.

 

[JeffShott]

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe: <enter LDS doctrinal quote here>

Oh, I research the LDS quite a lot and I was not aware of this passage. When my LDS friends told me they wait until 8-years-old, they said it was because of the brain development, not revelation.

Your point about the development of the brain is a good one and it does make sense that baptism is an informed choice.

Indeed.

 

[dies-l]

At my church (a Freewill Baptist) anyone who has been saved can be baptized. We often have fairly young children being saved, especially during Bible School, and the pastor will baptize them if they want to. He counsels everyone beforehand so I'm sure he makes certain they really have accepted Jesus as Savior and understand the basics of baptism. The gospel is not complicated and young children are able to understand it, at least by school age.

What bothers me a little bit is that at my church, whenever we have children (pre-youth group age) getting baptized, their testimony is that they want Jesus to be their "forever friend." I know that this is the way that our children's ministry simplifies the concept of "Lord and Savior". It bothers me for a couple of reasons: First, the fact that there is a need to simplify the concept is evidence to me that the children are not yet mature enough to understand it properly. Second, it is not an accurate simplification. I do not seek to live in submission to the will of my friends. However, to call someone Lord implies submission.

Personally, I disagree with the statement that "the gospel is not complicated and young children are able to understand it." Our response to the Gospel is about choosing to live in submission. I do not believe that one can sincerely choose to live in submission until one has reached a point of maturity to be able to choose independence. Most grade school age children do not have a sufficient grasp of independence, imho, to be able to choose to forgo it.

 

[Medievalarmy]

This is my view: When a child is like 5 years old, he or she is automatically a christian. Because they havent matured enough to when salvation is understandable.