Understanding Baptism: The Case Against Infant Baptism

 

Summary

In today's discussion, we delved into the critical topic of baptism, particularly focusing on the practice of infant baptism and its alignment with biblical teachings. The climate of our times often discourages disagreement, labeling it as divisive, yet it is essential to engage in these discussions to uphold the integrity of our faith. Baptism, as a command of Scripture, is a significant ordinance that has been overshadowed by modern disinterest, largely due to the influence of psychology and pragmatism in the church. This has resulted in a large population of unbaptized professing Christians, which is concerning given the clear biblical mandate to baptize and be baptized.

The New Testament provides no evidence for infant baptism, and it is not mentioned or commanded in Scripture. Historical records suggest that the practice did not emerge until the second or third century, and even then, it was not universally accepted. The argument that infant baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant sign is not supported by Scripture. Circumcision was a sign of ethnic identity and not personal faith, and the New Covenant, as described in Jeremiah, is distinct in that all who are part of it know God savingly.

Baptism in the New Testament is consistently presented as an act of faith, a public declaration of one's union with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is a symbol of the believer's salvation, not a rite that can be performed on an unknowing infant. The practice of infant baptism confuses the nature of the church, blurring the line between the visible local church and the invisible universal church, which is composed solely of believers. This confusion undermines the doctrine of a regenerate church and perpetuates a misconception of salvation.

Furthermore, infant baptism is inconsistent with Reformational soteriology, which emphasizes justification by grace through faith alone. Baptizing infants, who cannot express faith or repentance, introduces confusion into the understanding of salvation. It is crucial to preserve the clarity of the gospel and the purity of the church by deferring baptism until the individual can make a personal profession of faith.

Key Takeaways:

- Baptism is a significant biblical ordinance that has been neglected in modern times, leading to a large population of unbaptized professing Christians. This neglect reflects a broader disinterest in church authority and theology. [04:09]

- The New Testament does not mention or command infant baptism, and historical evidence suggests it was not practiced until centuries after the Apostolic age. This absence in Scripture challenges the validity of infant baptism as a biblical practice. [09:31]

- The argument that infant baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant sign is not supported by Scripture. Circumcision was a sign of ethnic identity, not personal faith, and the New Covenant is distinct in that all who are part of it know God savingly. [35:47]

- Infant baptism confuses the nature of the church, blurring the line between the visible local church and the invisible universal church, which is composed solely of believers. This confusion undermines the doctrine of a regenerate church. [46:21]

- Infant baptism is inconsistent with Reformational soteriology, which emphasizes justification by grace through faith alone. Baptizing infants, who cannot express faith or repentance, introduces confusion into the understanding of salvation. [51:20]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Introduction and Context
- [01:01] - The Importance of Baptism
- [02:17] - Personal Testimony on Baptism
- [03:39] - Modern Disinterest in Baptism
- [04:43] - Biblical Command for Baptism
- [05:37] - Categories of Non-Baptized Christians
- [06:27] - The Critical Nature of Baptism
- [07:27] - The Incomplete Reformation
- [08:24] - Five Reasons Against Infant Baptism
- [09:31] - Absence of Infant Baptism in Scripture
- [10:56] - Defense of Infant Baptism
- [12:11] - Hermeneutics and Tradition
- [13:46] - The Leap of Tradition
- [14:43] - Misinterpretation of Scripture
- [16:26] - Childlikeness in the Kingdom
- [19:28] - Household Baptisms in Acts
- [23:07] - The Promise to Generations
- [24:18] - Marriage and Sanctification
- [28:09] - The Influence of Godliness
- [29:25] - New Testament Baptism
- [35:07] - Circumcision and Baptism
- [42:16] - The New Covenant
- [45:52] - Nature of the Church
- [50:53] - Reformational Soteriology
- [55:24] - Conclusion

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Baptism and Its Significance

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
2. Acts 2:38 - "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.'"
3. Romans 6:3-4 - "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."

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what are some reasons given for the modern disinterest in baptism among professing Christians? [03:39]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the historical emergence of infant baptism and its absence in the New Testament? [09:31]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between baptism and the New Covenant as outlined in Jeremiah? [42:40]
4. What are the five categories mentioned in the sermon that describe people who claim to be Christians but have not been baptized? [05:37]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the significance of baptism as a public declaration of faith and its role in the believer's life? [32:03]
2. In what ways does the sermon argue that infant baptism is inconsistent with Reformational soteriology, and what implications does this have for understanding salvation? [51:20]
3. How does the sermon differentiate between the visible local church and the invisible universal church, and what role does baptism play in this distinction? [46:21]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the connection between circumcision and baptism, and how does this impact the understanding of covenant signs? [35:47]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own baptism experience or your current thoughts on baptism. How does this sermon challenge or affirm your understanding of its significance? [32:03]
2. The sermon highlights a modern disinterest in baptism. How can you personally or as a group encourage a renewed focus on this ordinance within your church community? [03:39]
3. Consider the argument that infant baptism introduces confusion into the understanding of salvation. How can you engage in conversations with others who hold different views on this topic in a respectful and constructive manner? [51:20]
4. The sermon emphasizes the importance of a regenerate church. How can you contribute to fostering a community that clearly reflects the identity of a redeemed church? [46:21]
5. How does the sermon’s discussion on the New Covenant and baptism influence your view of church membership and participation? [42:40]
6. If you have not been baptized, what steps can you take to explore this commandment further and make an informed decision about your own baptism? [04:43]
7. How can you support others in your church who may be struggling with the decision to be baptized, ensuring they understand its significance and biblical foundation? [05:37]

Devotional

Day 1: The Neglect of Baptism in Modern Times
Baptism is a significant biblical ordinance that has been neglected in modern times, leading to a large population of unbaptized professing Christians. This neglect reflects a broader disinterest in church authority and theology. In today's world, where individualism and personal preference often take precedence, the command of baptism can be overlooked or dismissed. This is concerning because baptism is not merely a tradition but a command from Scripture, symbolizing a believer's identification with Christ's death and resurrection. The modern disinterest in baptism can be attributed to the influence of psychology and pragmatism within the church, which often prioritize personal experience over biblical mandates. It is crucial for believers to recognize the importance of baptism as an act of obedience and a public declaration of faith. [04:09]

Colossians 2:11-12 (ESV): "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Reflection: Consider your own baptism or the decision to be baptized. How does understanding baptism as a command of Scripture influence your view of its importance in your faith journey?


Day 2: The Absence of Infant Baptism in Scripture
The New Testament does not mention or command infant baptism, and historical evidence suggests it was not practiced until centuries after the Apostolic age. This absence in Scripture challenges the validity of infant baptism as a biblical practice. The practice of infant baptism emerged in the second or third century and was not universally accepted even then. The argument that infant baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant sign is not supported by Scripture, as circumcision was a sign of ethnic identity, not personal faith. The New Covenant, as described in Jeremiah, is distinct in that all who are part of it know God savingly. Therefore, baptism should be reserved for those who can make a personal profession of faith, aligning with the New Testament's presentation of baptism as an act of faith. [09:31]

Acts 8:36-38 (ESV): "And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, 'See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?' And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him."

Reflection: Reflect on the significance of making a personal profession of faith before baptism. How does this understanding impact your view of baptism and its role in your spiritual life?


Day 3: The Distinction Between Circumcision and Baptism
The argument that infant baptism replaces circumcision as a covenant sign is not supported by Scripture. Circumcision was a sign of ethnic identity, not personal faith, and the New Covenant is distinct in that all who are part of it know God savingly. In the New Testament, baptism is consistently presented as an act of faith, a public declaration of one's union with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is a symbol of the believer's salvation, not a rite that can be performed on an unknowing infant. Understanding this distinction helps clarify the nature of the New Covenant and the role of baptism as a personal commitment to follow Christ. [35:47]

Hebrews 8:10-11 (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 laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."

Reflection: How does understanding the New Covenant as a personal relationship with God influence your view of baptism and its significance in your life?


Day 4: The Nature of the Church and Baptism
Infant baptism confuses the nature of the church, blurring the line between the visible local church and the invisible universal church, which is composed solely of believers. This confusion undermines the doctrine of a regenerate church. The visible church includes all who profess faith in Christ, while the invisible church consists of those who are truly regenerate. Baptism, as a public declaration of faith, should be reserved for those who have made a personal commitment to Christ, aligning with the biblical model of a regenerate church. By maintaining this distinction, the church can preserve the purity of its membership and uphold the integrity of its witness to the world. [46:21]

1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Reflection: In what ways can you contribute to the purity and integrity of your local church community? How does your understanding of baptism influence this contribution?


Day 5: Baptism and Reformational Soteriology
Infant baptism is inconsistent with Reformational soteriology, which emphasizes justification by grace through faith alone. Baptizing infants, who cannot express faith or repentance, introduces confusion into the understanding of salvation. The Reformers emphasized that salvation is by grace through faith, and baptism is a sign of this faith. By deferring baptism until an individual can make a personal profession of faith, the church can preserve the clarity of the gospel and the purity of its message. This approach aligns with the biblical teaching that faith is a personal response to God's grace, and baptism is an outward expression of this inward reality. [51:20]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: How does the understanding of salvation by grace through faith alone shape your view of baptism? What steps can you take to ensure that your faith is a personal and genuine response to God's grace?

Quotes


The domination, I think, of the church in recent years by psychology and in more recent years by pragmatism has produced, I think, a significant disinterest in baptism. Media ministries which so powerfully define and control evangelical consumerism are void of those ordinances. And that's one of the reasons why we've introduced baptism into our radio format because I don't want to be a part of that kind of disinterest. [00:03:34]

It is safe to say, I think also, that there is presently probably the largest unbaptized population of professing Christians in the history of the church. And for most of them, it isn't really something they're too concerned about. This reality, failing to take baptism seriously, is also I think likely symptomatic of the independence and unfaithfulness of professing Christians who function autonomously like consumers rather than under church theology and authority. [00:04:03]

And at the same time, few things could be more unmistakable than the fact that the command of Scripture is to baptize and be baptized. On that, we will agree. Jesus said, "Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them." And on the day of Pentecost, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized." And we remember that Jesus engaged in a baptism personally, then the Apostles followed, involving themselves in baptism, and of course, you know the rest throughout the book of Acts and the New Testament. [00:04:36]

In spite of this command, in spite of this mandate, in spite of New Testament clarity, there is still widespread non-compliance. And at the same time, a rather strange paradox in that you have a very large population of baptized unregenerate people. So, if there's anything that needs some clarity, I think it's this. I would venture to say that a person who claims to be a Christian and has a disregard for baptism, has not been baptized, would have to fall into one of several categories. [00:05:11]

Number one, infant baptism is not in Scripture. Against this fact, there is no clear evidence. Scripture nowhere advocates, commands, or records a single infant baptism. It is therefore impossible to directly prove or support this rite from the Bible. Schleiermacher wrote, and I quote, "All traces of infant baptism which one has asserted to be found in the New Testament must first be inserted there," end quote. [00:08:18]

And a host, I think, of German and front-rank theologues and scholars, including those of the Church of England, have united basically to affirm not only the absence of infant baptism from the New Testament but from Apostolic and post-Apostolic times. It first arose and arguably, I suppose, in the second and third centuries, the conclusion, for example, reached by the Lutheran professor Kurt Aland who has written on this after intensive study of infant baptism is that there is no definite proof of practice until after the third century. [00:09:21]

Infant baptism is not consistent with the nature of the church. What happens with infant baptism is you now have confusion as to the identity of the church. Confusion stems from the failure to distinguish between the visible local church, including unbelievers, and the invisible universal church which is only believers. In fact, it is true that paedobaptism strikes a serious blow against the doctrine of a regenerate church. [00:45:52]

Further confusion lies in the failure to differentiate clearly between what it means to be a little member of the covenant as a baby and what it means to be a true child of God. It is my conviction that the Scripture teaches the true church is made up of only believers. That's unlike Israel. You can't make a parallel, it's unlike Israel. The rest of people apart from believers, whether baptized or not baptized, whether confirmed or not confirmed, do not belong to the redeemed church. [00:46:21]

Infant baptism is not consistent with Reformational soteriology. Now, that ought to rancor a few folks, but I'm just doing my part here on my side now. Infant baptism is not consistent with Reformational soteriology. I have through the years, I'm being a little personal, I have through the years tried to help fundamental evangelical Bible-believing Christians understand the gospel. Isn't that a sad thing? But that's what I've tried to do. [00:51:20]

I have—If there's any one single subject I have worked more diligently on than any other, it is the clarity of the gospel. And when you spend years and years and years of your life coming to a crystal-clear understanding of justification by grace through faith alone and what it means to affirm the lordship of Christ and all that is bound up in salvation, that becomes a very precious reality to you. [00:51:47]

And I don't want to be anecdotal and I don't want to make a point personally, but I can only tell you from my understanding and the broad picture of salvation, I cannot for the life of me find anything that infant baptism contributes to that but confusion because there is no faith in the child, there is no comprehension of the gospel, there is no repentance in the child. What then is this and what do you have? [00:52:28]

The confusion in Christendom would be greatly lessened. The church would be instantly purged. Christ would be honored if there weren't millions of people outside salvation running around with a false security and bearing an untrue symbol of an unreal condition. I really feel that we Reformed folks need to finish the Reformation here and I see this as a way to do that. [00:54:29]

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Transcript
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