INFANT BAPTISM

By Charles N. Spence, Jr.

One of the biggest issues in religion today is the baptism of infants. Many people have struggled with the idea of having their child baptized. Nevertheless, the question that someone needs to put forth is, “Should infants be baptized and if so, by what authority. Before we look at this important issue, we need to note the standard to which we may make our appeal. The Bible, being the word of God, must have sole authority in this matter. There is no authority on earth better equipped to answer such intriguing questions.

First, we would need to know what baptism is and what its purpose as specified in Scripture is. In Acts 2:38 Peter states that baptism is for the remission of sins. Also in Acts 22:16 Ananias told Soul to be baptized, washing away his sins. Therefore, Scripture has related baptism to the cleansing of or remission of sins. Being that man's relationship with God was marred by the presence of sin in man’s life, God allowed His mercy to fall upon His creation extending to it grace by which they can be saved. One of the conditions of grace is baptism. Romans 6:3,4 define baptism as being a burial. In Acts 8:38,39 we see an example of one who was baptized. Both he and the one who baptized him went down into the water and came up out of the water. This definition would then exclude sprinkling or pouring as baptism, especially when no one could find such an example of these practices in Scripture.

Now, if baptism or immersion is for the remission of sin, then one would have to be a sinner to have a need for baptism. Sin or iniquity is described as lawlessness; not abiding in God's word. 1 John 3:4 states, "Sin is the transgression of the law." To transgress the law one must be able to do so or placed in a position to do so. The ability to do so comes with the knowledge of God's law. Since an infant has no knowledge of or responsibility toward the law, God therefore would not classify him as a sinner.

Some believe that the child is a sinner because the child has inherited the original sin of Adam. Those who believe this have the burden of proving, by God's word, that a child inherits original sin. The consequences of sin have passed to all men; the world has felt the effects of sin in the lives of mankind. Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." There is no original sin that anyone has to answer for, just their own.

There are those who try to draw a parallel with circumcision and baptism. They say that since a child had to be circumcised at the age of eight days to belong to God, then similarly, a child should be baptized as an infant. They cite as their proof text Colossians 2:11, 12. If they hold to the parallel, they have a problem. Although circumcision is a type of baptism, the conditions for circumcision are not the same for baptism, thus cannot figure to be perfect parallels. One major problem for these who hold this view is "How are women saved?" According to the law, any male child born or brought into the house of Israel had to be circumcised on the eighth day of his birth. If circumcision parallels with baptism, then whoever would baptize only the male child. In addition, if baptism is for the forgiveness of sin, then all women are still in their sins.

Just as the law defines who the subjects are for circumcision, (see Lev. 12:2,3), the gospel defines the subjects to be baptized. Mark 16:16 says, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." Acts 2:38 says, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin." Romans 10:13-14 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Based on the evidence of Scripture one can and should conclude that baptism of infants is an erroneous practice and outside of biblical authority. 1 John 9 states, "Whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ has not God, but he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son. In whose doctrine are you abiding?