Infant Baptism Rap Battle: Charles Spurgeon vs. Jonathan Edwards

In exploring the meaning and practice of baptism, the focus is drawn to the clear teaching of Scripture regarding who should receive this sign of the new covenant. The old covenant, marked by circumcision and lineage, has been fulfilled and transformed in Christ. Now, the sign of belonging to God’s people is not inherited by birth, but received through new birth—faith in Jesus. Romans 6 points to baptism as a symbol of being buried and raised with Christ, a public display of faith that cannot be made on behalf of another, especially not an infant who cannot yet believe or confess.

The pattern in the New Testament is consistent: faith precedes baptism. Acts 2 records Peter’s call to “repent and be baptized,” making repentance and faith prerequisites for the sign. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 further illustrates this, as the eunuch confesses Christ before entering the water. Baptism is not a shadow of the law, nor a mere continuation of circumcision, but a declaration of union with Christ, a reality only those who know Him can claim.

Jeremiah 31’s promise of a new covenant is that all its members will know the Lord personally. This means the sign of the covenant—baptism—belongs to those who have come to faith, not to those who have not yet believed. The distinction between law and gospel must remain clear; the gospel calls for a response of faith, and baptism follows as a sign of that response. Colossians 2 draws a connection between circumcision and baptism, but makes clear that the reality is found in Christ, not in the sign itself. Ultimately, it is God who saves, not the outward act, but the act is a testimony to the saving work already done in the heart.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The new covenant sign is not inherited by physical descent but received through spiritual rebirth. Baptism marks those who have experienced new life in Christ, not those who simply belong to a believing family. This shift from lineage to faith underscores the personal nature of salvation in the new covenant. [00:15]
• 2. Faith always precedes baptism in the New Testament pattern. The call is to repent and believe, and then to be baptized as a public declaration of that faith. This order guards the integrity of the sign and ensures it points to a genuine inward reality. [00:33]
• 3. Baptism is a sign of union with Christ, not a shadow of the law or a mere ritual. It proclaims the gospel by picturing the believer’s death to sin and resurrection to new life, a reality that cannot be claimed apart from personal faith. [00:51]
• 4. The promise of the new covenant is that all its members will know the Lord. This means baptism is reserved for those who have come to know Him, not for those who cannot yet confess His name. The church must not blur the distinction between law and gospel, but uphold the clarity of the new covenant promise. [01:05]
• 5. While baptism is a powerful sign, it is not the means of salvation—God alone saves. The act of baptism testifies to what God has already accomplished in the heart, moving from the shadow of circumcision to the light of Christ’s finished work. The sign points to the Savior, not to itself. [02:45]
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:15] - The New Covenant Sign: Faith, Not Lineage
• [00:33] - Faith Before Baptism: The Biblical Pattern
• [00:51] - Union with Christ, Not Law
• [01:05] - The Clarity of the New Covenant
• [01:20] - Repentance and Baptism in Acts
• [01:35] - The Example of Philip and the Eunuch
• [01:50] - Shadows and Substance: Law vs. Gospel
• [02:05] - Jeremiah 31 and Knowing the Lord
• [02:20] - Colossians 2: Circumcision and Baptism
• [02:35] - Signs Don’t Save, God Does
• [02:45] - The Testimony of Baptism

Bible Reading

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV) —
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

- Acts 2:37-38 (ESV)

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

- Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Observation Questions

1. According to Romans 6, what does baptism symbolize about our relationship with Jesus?
2. In Acts 2, what two things does Peter say must happen before someone is baptized?
3. What is the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31, and how does it relate to knowing God personally?
4. The sermon says, “Faith precedes the water, that's how the truth applies.” What examples from the New Testament were given to support this? [00:33]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why is it important that baptism follows faith and repentance, rather than coming before them? How does this order protect the meaning of baptism? [00:33]
2. The sermon draws a distinction between the old covenant sign (circumcision) and the new covenant sign (baptism). What is the main difference, and why does it matter for us today? [00:15]
3. Jeremiah 31 says that all members of the new covenant will “know the Lord.” How does this shape who should receive baptism? [00:51]
4. The sermon says, “Signs don't save, God does.” What does this mean for how we view baptism and other outward signs of faith? [02:45]

Application Questions

1. If baptism is a public declaration of faith, how would you explain your own baptism story to someone who is curious about Christianity? If you haven’t been baptized, what questions or hesitations do you have? [00:15]
2. The sermon challenges the idea of baptizing infants who cannot yet believe. How does this challenge or affirm your own background or family traditions? How do you process this teaching? [00:15]
3. Think about the order of “repent, believe, and be baptized.” Have you ever seen this order reversed or misunderstood in your own experience or in the church? What impact did that have? [00:33]
4. The sermon says baptism is a sign of union with Christ, not just a ritual. In what ways can you keep your baptism meaningful and not just a memory or a box checked? [00:51]
5. Jeremiah 31 promises that all in the new covenant will know the Lord. How can you encourage others in your small group or family to pursue a personal relationship with God, not just a family tradition? [01:05]
6. Since “signs don’t save, God does,” is there any way you’ve been tempted to trust in outward actions or rituals instead of Christ himself? How can you shift your focus back to Jesus this week? [02:45]
7. If someone in your life is considering baptism, how could you walk alongside them to help them understand what it means and why it matters? [02:45]