Infant Baptism

[RhetorTheo]

Where in the Bible does it say infant baptism is wrong or invalid? Should all be baptized? Did the apostles baptize entire households or just the adults?

 

[ZiSunka]

Just believers who understand what is happening to them should be baptized. Since it is an outward expression of faith in Christ and a demonstration of obedience to his commands, there is no point in baptizing a baby. Babies can't understand, let alone choose, faith or obedience to Christ.

Infant baptism is something that comforts parents who worry that their child will die and go to limbo, the place were all unbaptized yet innocent people go when they die.

 

[jcright]

Where in the Bible does it say infant baptism is wrong?

I find that an interesting question. I hope you mean wrong for the parents. Persoanlly, I would say, as far as the baby goes, that it is not necessary. In my opinion, nothing will happen to the baby if they are or are not baptized...in other words, there is no punishment for the baby.

I think it would be incorrect for the parent's to baptize their babies because the physical baptism, as opposed to the spirit being baptized, was done in repentence. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have yet to see a verse that says that babies were baptized (physically or spiritually)...and I doubt I would because they cannot confess their sin and make their wishes known that they want to follow Jesus. Therefore, the parent's would have a misconception as to why and when someone should be baptized. The spiritual baptism is not something we control and I think it's done after we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and repent of our sins.

Matt 3:6, Mark 1:4-8, Acts 2:38...and other verses that pertain to physical baptism. There are verses that talk about the Holy Spirit baptizing us, but, as I mentioned before, that is not the same thing as a physical baptism.

That's just my opinion based on the verses that I've read

 

[GreenEyedLady]

Where in the Bible does it say infant baptism is wrong or invalid? Should all be baptized? Did the apostles baptize entire households or just the adults?

There is no evidence any where in scripture that infants were ever baptized.
Even in Acts
Acts 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

It does not say infants, just household which could mean dervents, brothers, sisters etc. Many have taken this verse to support infant baptism. I don't think it flies at all. If God wanted us to baptize our infant children, he would have made in clear in His word. He made it clear about infant circumsision, certainly the Lord would have made it clear to baptize our infants if that was nessacary.
It was never an apolistic ordinance nor does infant baptism have any grounds scriptually.

GEL

 

[TomUK]

To be honest, i believe those verses in acts do make it quite clear that infant baptism is scriptually grounded. However, as with many things in the church, if the bible doesn't provide sufficient information then just look towards the early church fathers. The teaching of the early church is clear.

 

[SumTinWong]

Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

We do not know if there were any infants here, but we don't know that there were not any either.

 

[ZiSunka]

You know, I'll be this is the fourth or fifth time a catholic has asked this question in this forum this year.

This question between Catholics and nonCatholics about whether or not to baptize babies will never be settled. It has been discussed here ad nauseum. If you really want to know what B/A belief is on the subject, do some research. The asking and re-asking of the same question by the same denomination does nothing to foster understanding between us, it just looks like you're all trying to egg us into a fight.

 

[SumTinWong]

Perhaps they are getting us to try and look at what the early church thought of this subject and any other so that we can be better informed. It is possible anyway.

 

[ZiSunka]

Perhaps they are getting us to try and look at what the early church thought of this subject and any other so that we can be better informed. It is possible anyway.

I think it could be possible, but these threads always degenerate into a fight when we list scriptures about baptism then they say we misinterpret them then we say we don't and they post stuff from their catechism that says we do and it just gets really tiresome really fast.

Here's the absolute last answer on the subject:
The Bible doesn't say that any infants were baptized, and but it does say that we are saved by personal faith in Christ and that baptism is an expression of that kind faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His teachings, and infants can't have that kind of faith or obedience, therefore, we do not baptized infants. The END.

It doesn't really matter at all to me what early Catholics thought on the subject, because I am not Catholic nor bound to any of it's teachings.

 

[jcright]

To be honest, i believe those verses in acts do make it quite clear that infant baptism is scriptually grounded. However, as with many things in the church, if the bible doesn't provide sufficient information then just look towards the early church fathers. The teaching of the early church is clear.

Sorry, but lack of evidence is not evidence. As I stated before, there is no mention in the bible of babies being baptized. There are, however, passages that state physical baptism was done by those who repented...something a baby cannot do. This is just my opinion, but I think the scriptures would be in conflict if we assumed that babies were baptized...after all, what would we do with the passages that directly state repentence?

 

[mesue]

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[SumTinWong]

It doesn't really matter at all to me what early Catholics thought on the subject, because I am not Catholic nor bound to any of it's teachings.

I am on your side in this, as I feel that many of the fights here turn into posts! Wait a minute, reverse that It seems to me that we can answer the questions and let it go. We don't have to fight, and we don't have to treat everyone that comes in here as the enemy. Some are not. I will admit though that there are some who seem to be trying to evanglize the saved, but that is another issue for another day

 

[ZiSunka]

I am on your side in this, as I feel that many of the fights here turn into posts! Wait a minute, reverse that It seems to me that we can answer the questions and let it go. We don't have to fight, and we don't have to treat everyone that comes in here as the enemy. Some are not. I will admit though that there are some who seem to be trying to evanglize the saved, but that is another issue for another day

I know, but when they ask the same question over and over and over, especially when they are not supposed to be starting threads in here at all, I want to give the answer and get it over with as soon as possible. Let's just give the answer once then ask the mod to shut the thread down so they can't egg us into yet another fight.

 

[Miss Shelby]

Where in the Bible does it say infant baptism is wrong or invalid? Should all be baptized? Did the apostles baptize entire households or just the adults?

Rhetero.. what are you doing man? I have been there done that it's not a good idea to come in here and try to force feed doctrines that Baptists don't adhere to... and how is it fellowship? Stay out of here.

Michelle

 

[RED that's ME]

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This thread is now closed since OP question has been answered suffiently per Baptist's beliefs.

MOD HAT OFF