I have a question re: Baptism....

[4square]

:wave: Hi - I would like to ask a question...

Why do Churches of the baptist tradition reject the validity of infant baptisms???

Is it -

1. infants are not immersed

2. Jesus was not baptised as an infant

3. they believe baptism must follow a conversion experience

Thanks in advance for your thoughts :thumbsup:

[trinityisunity]

:wave: Hi - I would like to ask a question...

Why do Churches of the baptist tradition reject the validity of infant baptisms???

Is it -

1. infants are not immersed

2. Jesus was not baptised as an infant

3. they believe baptism must follow a conversion experience

Thanks in advance for your thoughts :thumbsup:
To my understanding you must be a believer to be baptised in a Baptist church. Therefore an infant obviously not having the understanding of the Christian faith can not validly be baptised.

Hope this helps, maybe others can add to this.

[arunma]

:wave: Hi - I would like to ask a question...

Why do Churches of the baptist tradition reject the validity of infant baptisms???

Is it -

1. infants are not immersed

2. Jesus was not baptised as an infant

3. they believe baptism must follow a conversion experience

Thanks in advance for your thoughts :thumbsup:

Mostly number 3. Our reason for baptizing adults has little (if anything) to do with the fact that Jesus was baptized as an adult. As for full immersion, we do this practice because the Greek definition of baptism is full immersion. That said, it should be noted that in the Didache, instructions are given on baptism. Here it says that immersion should be done if possible; if not, then the baptism should be done by pouring or sprinkling. So if a person were baptized in one of these two ways as an adult, I think that it would be a valid baptism.

Of course, we believe that baptism has value only if it is done by faith. Therefore, it is not good to be legalistic about the mechanical procedure we use when baptizing someone.

[4square]

Thanks so much - so I will go with the 3rd reason, thanks again.

[Tappanga]

:wave: Hi - I would like to ask a question...

Why do Churches of the baptist tradition reject the validity of infant baptisms???

Is it -

1. infants are not immersed

2. Jesus was not baptised as an infant

3. they believe baptism must follow a conversion experience

Thanks in advance for your thoughts :thumbsup:

#3. Baptism must follow profession of faith.


EDIT: I think I worded that wrong. Baptism isn't required after salvation, but it can't be before salvation, either.

[mesue]

Thanks so much - so I will go with the 3rd reason, thanks again.

Jesus getting baptized has a lot to do with Biblical Baptism.

Biblical baptism pictures the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Adult baptism is the public testimony of a saved person’s identification with Jesus Christ through the death, burial and resurrection, which is how s/he was saved.
Matthew 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Matthew :3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
The only requirements for baptism are the requirements found in Romans 10:9-10
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
A heart belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confession that He is Lord and Savior.
As seen in Matthew 3:16 and Acts 8:39 the Biblical method of baptism is complete immersion. No one in the Bible was ever sprinkled, because no one can be buried by sprinkling dirt on them.
Baptism is not essential for salvation. Man is saved by grace through faith without works, including baptism. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this very clear.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Baptism is essential for service and spiritual growth. Matthew 28:19-20 proves this is essential. Baptism is an integral part of the great commission and precedes teaching.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Before anyone can be taught to follow Jesus Christ, they must be willing to submit to the first act of obedience. If a person refuses to obey the Lord in the first point, s/he will not obey in future points.
(Taken from my discipleship training book on Baptism © FBBC Rochester, NY 1990)

[ZiSunka]

Unless a person has saving faith in Christ, baptism is just a short bath with no soap.

What makes a person clean is grace through faith in Christ and his atoning death on the cross. All the water in the world won't wash a person clean unless they have faith.

No infant can have that kind of faith, they can't even understand sin and what they need to be saved from, so why baptize them? It's pointless!

[TheUltimateWarrior]

Because Infant Baptism is a practice started by the RCC in the 4 and 5 hundreds and the Bible gives examples of believers being baptized after repentance, not after birth.

[daveleau]

The issue is simple. The condition of the believer is more important than the act conducted on them. Meaning: one must profess faith in Jesus. Anything else is just an application of water. All instances of baptism in the Scriptures are preceded by a confession of Faith in Christ. Infants cannot do this. Infant baptism arose from the idea that baptism has some salvific aspect by cleansing their sins. Christ does this, but not through Baptism, but with grace through faith. God is not described in a way that would indicate that those who cannot choose before they die (mentally handicapped or children before maturity to choose is reached) would be condemned to hell.

The reason people must be baptized, even if they had water applied when they were a child, is because of Scripture's example that it must follow the profession of faith. If one is not baptized in adulthood, they are not going to be condemned, as baptism is not required for salvation. But, this is disobedience of the first thing Christians are told to do in service of God, which is not a good place to start.

Infant baptism and sacramentalism are defended by those who say it was practiced in the early church, but these were not conducted until late second and third centuries, more than 100 years after Christ. This is evident in not only Scripture, but also in the Didache, which is an orthodox (little 'O') description of early church practices. The early church only practiced two ordinances: the Lord's Supper (Love Feast) and Baptism. Neither has, nor was thought to have, any salvific properties. The church changed fairly significantly on this stance between AD 100 and AD 325.

I hope this helps you understand our beliefs!

In Him,
Dave

[DeaconDean]

The issue is simple. The condition of the believer is more important than the act conducted on them. Meaning: one must profess faith in Jesus. Anything else is just an application of water. All instances of baptism in the Scriptures are preceded by a confession of Faith in Christ. Infants cannot do this. Infant baptism arose from the idea that baptism has some salvific aspect by cleansing one of their sins. Christ does this, but not through Baptism, but with grace through faith. God is not described in a way that would indicate that those who cannot choose before they die (mentally handicapped or children before maturity to choose is reached) would be condemned to hell.

The reason people must be baptized, even if they had water applied when they were a child, is because of Scripture's example that it must follow the profession of faith. If one is not baptized in adulthood, they are not going to be condemned, as baptism is not required for salvation. But, this is disobedience of the first thing Christians are told to do in service of God, which is not a good place to start.

Infant baptism and sacramentalism are defended by those who say it was practiced in the early church, but these were not conducted until late second and third centuries, more than 100 years after Christ. This is evident in not only Scripture, but also in the Didache, which is an orthodox (little 'O') description of early church practices. The early church only practiced two ordinances: the Lord's Supper (Love Feast) and Baptism. Neither has, nor was thought to have, any salvific properties. The church changed fairly significantly on this stance between AD 100 and AD 325.

I hope this helps you understand our beliefs!

In Him,
Dave

Words of wisdom! I can't think of anything else that needs adding to this.

Thanks Dave!

[JPPT1974]

Unless a person has saving faith in Christ, baptism is just a short bath with no soap.

What makes a person clean is grace through faith in Christ and his atoning death on the cross. All the water in the world won't wash a person clean unless they have faith.

No infant can have that kind of faith, they can't even understand sin and what they need to be saved from, so why baptize them? It's pointless!

You are dead right no Lambslove
Very right about that as we are cleansed
With and through Jesus Christ
To arise from the "grave" into new life in Him!