Popular Beliefs: Infant Baptism I. Introduction A. Let us spend some time looking at popular beliefs of our day 1. If we are going to be able to preach the Word to others, we must know what they may believe! 2. Even if a person is not religious, s/he may have a view of Christianity based on denominational doctrines 3. We must be prepared to make a defense of the truth (1 Peter 3:15) B. Let us spend some time today looking at the practice of infant baptism 1. When did it begin? 2. Why did it occur? 3. What reasons were later given for its necessity? 4. What does the Bible teach? II. Infant Baptism: Beginnings and Purpose A. It is universally admitted that infant baptism is a practice that did not explicitly originate until the second and third centuries CE 1. We will later look at some arguments made on the basis of inference from some New Testament passages 2. Overall, however, it is admitted that the New Testament does not teach this practice explicitly B. The practice seems to have begun in the late second century or after 1. Irenaeus (ca. 180 CE) is believed to mention infant baptism in Against Heresies, 2.24.4, yet the context only speaks of Christ having lived to sanctify persons in their present states 2. Yet, in Against Heresies 4.28.3, Irenaeus establishes that children have no sense of evil 3. Most second and early third century writers view children as innocent C. Infant baptism, then, only comes later D. Why? 1. There are a few reasons why this developed 2. Baptism was always seen as a parallel to Jewish circumcision, and it just happened that some made the association stronger by baptizing infants 3. A more cynical view would posit that it was a ploy to get children into the church early 4. The concept of original sin, however, did not factor in to the beginning of the practice: original sin developed as a later justification for infant baptism! III. Infant Baptism: Justification A. Having quickly looked at the origins of infant baptism, let us now see how it is justified B. The main Biblical justification comes from the idea of baptizing "households" 1. In Acts 10:23-24, 47-48, and especially in Acts 16:30-34, we see that the Gospel is preached to a "household" and "all" were baptized 2. The assumption is then made that a "household" would include children and since "all" were baptized, children would have been baptized also 3. This is given as the New Testament "proof" of infant baptism 4. However, especially in Acts 16, we see that the whole household "believes" before everyone is baptized! Can infants or small children really have that capacity? 5. We understand, then, that either these households did not include small children or that "all" refers to all those who were capable of making such a decision for Christ 6. In short, this is no proof for infant baptism in the least! C. A secondary justification is the parallel between baptism and circumcision 1. People saw the fact that circumcision is indeed in many ways a type of baptism, but extended the corollary too far 2. Yes, just as circumcision was the sign for the covenant between God and Abraham and God and Israel (cf. Genesis 17:10-11, Leviticus 12:3), baptism is the sign of the covenant between God and mankind through Christ (cf. Romans 6:3-7) 3. Yet we must remember that the type is the shadow, not the reality, and the physical, not the spiritual (Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 9:1-6) 4. Only the males were circumcised; yet men and women are to be baptized (cf. Genesis 17:10-11, Acts 16:15) 5. Likewise, the covenant between God and Israel was a physical covenant with a physical nation-- you were born physically into Israel; the covenant between God and mankind through Christ is a spiritual covenant, one you enter through spiritual rebirth (Genesis 17:10-11, John 3:5) 6. Since the parallel is imperfect, we cannot simply say that baptism must occur exactly as circumcision does: we must allow for the differences between the shadow and the reality, the physical and the spiritual, and then we realize how baptism is as the circumcision of the heart, done by those competent enough to believe (cf. Colossians 2:11-13)! D. The main doctrinal justification is the concept of original sin 1. In another lesson we will discuss the complexities of the argument regarding original sin 2. For our purposes here it will suffice to show that God considers children to be without sin and therefore without need of immersion in water for the remission of sin 3. Matthew 18:1-4 and Mark 9:35-37 illustrate this idea a. in both circumstances, children are presented as models for simplicity and humility b. how can it be that we must humble ourselves "as little children" to enter the Kingdom if little children are hellbound fiends? 4. It is manifest, then, that children, not having full moral capacity, are not considered to be in sin E. Many times emotions are the justification: "Better Safe Than Sorry" 1. Out of fear of infants needing baptism, many will submit their children to infant baptism "just in case" 2. Such is a motivation from fear, not from faith or love 3. Do we have trust in God that children are indeed innocent in His sight, as He has established? 4. If anything, one is putting their child in more danger-- the child is raised to believe that they have been baptized when instead they got wet soon after birth! 5. They may be led into condemnation for having never been immersed in water for the remission of their sins because they felt that their sprinkling as a ceremony was sufficient! 6. Here, "better safe than sorry" leads to more harm than good! F. Justifications for infant baptism, therefore, fall short IV. Consequence of Infant Baptism: Confirmation A. A consequence of infant baptism has been the practice of "confirmation" in many denominations B. Many denominations try to tie "confirmation" into the idea of "laying on of hands," but the two concepts are very different 1. Laying on of hands was practice to ordain someone for a given work (Acts 6:6), or the dispensing of the Spirit (Acts 8:17) 2. Confirmation is designed to demonstrate that one truly believes in Christianity and is not present in the Scriptures! C. Confirmation, essentially, is the practice that fills the gap left by "believer's baptism": the establishment that one really believes 1. Infant baptism does not involve the freewill choice of the infant! 2. Therefore, man needed to come up with some concept that would demonstrate that the person is "making good" on their baptism and truly believes in the Christ 3. Hence, confirmation! D. If one simply kept baptism as it was in the Scriptures, there would be no need for confirmation! V. The Truth About Infants and Baptism A. Having seen the difficulties with infant baptism, let us lay out the truth of the matter B. Children and sin 1. As we have seen, children are considered as innocents in the sight of God 2. This was confessed by early Christians and based on the example of Christ and His words in Matthew 18:1-4 and Mark 9:35-37 3. Ezekiel 18:20 makes it clear that the soul that sins shall die 4. Do children have the mental capacity to objectively know good from evil and choose the evil? Not while very small! 5. Therefore, small children are not counted as sinners, and since they have no sins that would need remittance, there is no need for them to be immersed! C. The "age of accountability" 1. There comes a point, however, for most persons, wherein they do have the moral capacity for knowing right from wrong and choose wrong 2. That point is generally called the "age of accountability" 3. While the term is not from the Scriptures, the idea certainly is 4. The Gospel calls upon men to believe in Christ (Acts 16:31), to repent of sin (Acts 2:38), and to be immersed in water for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21): all of these actions require the mental cognizance of sin, that Jesus' blood is the solution for sin, that He died on the cross for us, that we feel great sorrow for our sin and desire to walk in a new direction, and that we are immersed to be cleansed of those past wrongs 5. If one is capable of doing the above, he has reached the age of accountability 6. When is that moment? It is known only to God and the person! 7. Some may reach that age very early in life; some may later on; some, by virtue of mental retardation, may never reach that point D. Baptism, then, represents the point at which one is cleansed of sin and begins a right relationship with God 1. First and foremost, the conversion process is individual: the individual must hear, believe, confess, repent, and be immersed 2. These things cannot be done for the person-- they must do it themselves! 3. Therefore, it is patently absurd to think that a child, especially an infant, can do such things! 4. The proper plan of salvation negates any need for "confirmation," since one is confirming by one's own beliefs and actions that s/he seeks to be counted with the faithful (Romans 10:9-10)! 5. There is no need for infants and small children to go through this process, since they do not yet have the sin that requires the redemption! E. There is danger in infant baptism 1. How many billions of people have gone through their lives believing that they have been baptized according to the Bible when no such thing has occurred? 2. They have been sprinkled as an infant for a ceremony, and have not been immersed in water for the remission of their sins, as the Bible commands (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21) 3. Where does the Bible give security that sprinkling a child in a ceremony is a guarantee for remission of future sin? It does not exist! 4. The practice is not as harmless as it is made out to be-- it causes many a soul to think themselves in a position in which the Bible does not teach that they are! VI. Conclusion A. We have seen, then, the nature of infant baptism B. We have seen that infant baptism is a practice far later than the New Testament and has no sufficient Biblical evidence to warrant it C. We have seen that the justifications for infant baptism are wanting, based either in inference or in doctrines created for the purpose of justifying the practice, or by fear D. We have seen the truth of the matter, that infants and small children do not have the moral capacity to know right from wrong and choose wrong, therefore do not yet have sin, and therefore need no redemption from sin E. We have also seen, however, that most everyone reaches a point of accountability, wherein they know that they have chosen wrong and need the redemption that comes from Christ Jesus F. Invitation/songbook G. Perhaps you are in that state tonight-- needing redemption, knowing you have sinned H. You now have no excuse-- you have heard the Gospel. Obey today! I. Perhaps you are a Christian and need encouragement J. Whatever we can do to help you, please allow us to do so today-- come to the front as we stand and sing