From the beginning of New Testament Christianity at the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2: 38-39) to our time, unbroken and uninterrupted; the church has baptized babies. Entire households (Jewish, proselytes and Gentiles) were baptized by Christ�s original 12 Apostles (I Corinthians 1: 16; Acts 11: 14, 16: 15, 33, 18: 8) and that practice has continued with each generation.
The Early Church
Polycarp (69-155), a disciple of the Apostle John, was baptized as an infant. This enabled him to say at his martyrdom. "Eighty and six years have I served the Lord Christ" (Martyrdom of Polycarp 9: 3). Justin Martyr (100 - 166) of the next generation states about the year 150, "Many, both men and women, who have been Christ�s disciples since childhood, remain pure at the age of sixty or seventy years" (Apology 1: 15). Further, in his Dialog with Trypho the Jew, Justin Martyr states that Baptism is the circumcision of the New Testament.
Irenaeus (130 - 200), some 35 years later in 185, writes in Against Heresies II 22: 4 that Jesus "came to save all through means of Himself - all. I say, who through him are born again to God - infants and children, boys and youth, and old men."
Church Councils and Apologists
Similar expressions are found in succeeding generations by Origen (185 - 254) and Cyprian (215 - 258) who reflect the consensus voiced at the Council of Carthage in 254. The 66 bishops said: "We ought not hinder any person from Baptism and the grace of God..... especially infants. . . those newly born." Preceding this council, Origen wrote in his (Commentary on Romans 5: 9: "For this also it was that the church had from the Apostles a tradition to give baptism even to infants. For they to whom the divine mysteries were committed knew that there is in all persons a natural pollution of sin which must be done away by water and the Spirit."
Elsewhere Origen wrote in his Homily on Luke 14: "Infants are to be baptized for the remission of sins. Cyprian�s reply to a country bishop, Fidus, who wrote him regarding the Baptism of infants, is even more explicit. Should we wait until the eighth day as did the Jews in circumcision? No, the child should be baptized as soon as it is born (To Fidus 1: 2).
To prevent misunderstanding by rural bishops, perhaps not as well-schooled as other or even new to the faith, the Sixteenth Council of Carthage in 418 unequivocally stated: "If any man says that newborn children need not be baptized . . . let him be anathema."
Augustine
Augustine (354 - 430), writing about this time in De Genesi Ad Literam, X: 39, declares, "The custom of our mother church in baptizing infants must not be . . . accounted needless, nor believed to be other than a tradition of the apostles."
He further states, "If you wish to be a Christian, do not believe, nor say, nor teach, that infants who die before baptism can obtain the remission of original sin." And again, "Whoever says that even infants are vivified in Christ when they depart this life without participation in His sacrament (Baptism), both opposes the Apostolic preaching and condemns the whole church which hastens to baptize infants, because it unhesitatingly believes that otherwise the), cannot possibly be vivified in Christ."
Specific directions, with detailed instructions, for the baptizing of infants were given by bishops to pastors and deacons during this era of Christian history. In the year 517, seven bishops met in Gerona, Catelina, and framed 10 rules of discipline for the church in Spain. The fifth rule states that ". . . in case infants ill . . . if they were offered, to baptize them, even though it were the day that then, were born . . . " such was to be done (The History of Baptism by Robert Robinson, [London: Thomas Knott, 1790], p.269.).
The foregoing pattern, practiced in both East and West, remained customary in Christianity through the Dark and Middle Ages until modem times. Generally, the infant was baptized during the first week of life, but in cases of illness this took place on the day of birth. An example of this already comes from about 260 in North Africa in an inscription from Hadrumetum (Inscriptiones Latinae Christianae Veteres II, 4429-A):
Arisus in pace natus bixit supra scriptas VIIII
This Latin inscription indicates that a child who died nine hours after its birth was baptized. Such practice of Baptism within the first days of life. or on the day of birth in an emergency, remained for both Protestants, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.
The Witness of the Catacombs
The witness of the literary texts of the early church fathers, councils and apologists for the practice of infant Baptism in the first Christian centuries receives valuable confirmation from the catacombs and cemeteries of the Middle East, Africa and southern Europe, Below are epitaphs from the 200�s of small children who had been baptized. it is interesting to note that there are no Christian epitaphs in existence earlier than 200. As soon as the era of Christian Inscriptions begins, we find evidence for infant Baptism.
In that century there are attributes and symbols in tombstones inscriptions of little children which allows us to clearly infer we are dealing with baptized children. The following is as early as 200 or shortly thereafter:
In the second last line is the phrase Dei Serv(u)s which means slave of God followed by the Chi Rho symbol for Christ. The last line is the Greek ichtheos familiar as the "fish symbol" - an anagram for Jesus Christ God�s Son Savior. These words and symbols mark the one-year, two months, and four-day-old child as a baptized Christian.
From the Lateran Museum, also from the 200�s, is a Greek inscription that gives information about the religious status of the parents. It reads, "I, Zosimus, a believer from believers, lie here having lived 2 years, 1 month, 25 days."
Also from this era are headstones for children who received emergency baptism with ages ranging from 11 months to 12 years. Since the patristic sources of the third century, as those earlier, give us to understand that the children of Christian parents were baptized in infancy, we must conclude that these emergency baptisms were administered to children of non-Christians. The inscriptions themselves confirm this conclusion. In the Roman catacomb of Priscilla is reference to a private emergency baptism that was administered to the one-and-three-quarter-year-old Apronianus and enabled him to die as a believer. The inscription reads:
Dedicated to the departed Florentius made this inscription for his worthy son Apronianus who lived one year and nine months and five days. As he was truly loved by his grandmother and she knew that his death was imminent, she asked the church that he might depart from, the world as a believer.
The fact that it was the grandmother who urged the baptism makes it very probable that the father of the child, Florentius, was a pagan. This is confirmed by the formula in the first line which is pagan and not found on any other Christian epitaphs. We have thus in this inscription evidence for a missionary baptism administered to a dying non-Christian infant.
Sole Opponent - A Heretic
In the 1,500 years from the time of Christ to the Protestant Reformation, the only bonafide opponent to infant Baptism was Tertullian (160 - 215), bishop of Carthage, Africa. His superficial objection was to the unfair ability laid on godparents when the children of pagans joined the church, However, his real opposition was more fundamental. It was his view that sinfulness begins at the "puberty, of the soul,,, that is "about the fourteenth year of life" and "it drives man out of the paradise of innocence" (De Anima 38:2). This rules out the belief in original sin.
Tertullian�s stance, together with other unorthodox views, led him to embrace Montanism in 207. Montanism denied the total corruption and sinfulness of human nature. With its emphasis upon the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, it was the precursor to the modern Charismatic Movement.
Except for Tertullian�s heretical views, marking his departure from mainstream Christianity, the only other opposition to infant Baptism came during a brief period in the middle of the fourth century. The issue was the fear of post-Baptismal sin. This heretical view also denied Baptism to adults until their death-bed. It was not in reality a denial of infant baptism in and of itself In fact, the heresy encouraged the Baptism of infants when death seemed imminent, as it also did for adults.
The Anabaptists
Not until the 1520s did the Christian Church experience opposition specifically to infant Baptism. Under the influence of Thomas Muenzer and other fanatics who opposed both civil and religious authority, original sin and human concupiscence was denied until the "age of accountability." Although there is no basis in Scripture for this position. a considerable number of Swiss, German and Dutch embraced the Anabaptist cause. So offensive was this position that Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Reformed alike voiced strong warning and renunciation. It was considered a shameless affront to what had been practiced in each generation since Christ�s command in the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18-20) to baptize all nations irrespective of age.
Regeneration for All Ages
Who would be so blind as to limit this expression of God�s grace and mercy to adolescents and adults and to exclude infants and children�s. If John the Baptizer could be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother�s womb (Luke 1: 15), and if Jesus could say (Matt. 18: 6), "Whoever offends one of these little ones (Gk."toddlers") who believe in Me, it were better that he were drowned in the depth of the sea," and if the Apostle Peter could say on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 39), "The promise is unto you and to, your children, "what mere mortal dare declare so gracious an invitation to be invalid for infants, or forbid the continuance of the Baptism of infants for coming generations?
If the entire families and households of the Philippian Jailer, Lydia, Cornelius, Crispus and Stephanas of the New Testament were incorporated into the household of faith through Baptism, surely that testimony is immutable and established for all time.
Yes, we baptize babies. Unmistakably Scriptural proof substantiates that doctrine. Christian history, unbroken and uninterrupted. reflects such practice in each generation. Conscientious Christians do not delay but hasten with their children to Baptism that they may received the gift of salvation and regeneration and gratefully embrace the Apostle�s affirmation extended to those of all age groups: "For as many of you as have been baptized have put on Christ" (Galatians 3: 27).
Dennis Kastens is pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bible References
Acts 2: 38-39
38 Peter replied, "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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
1 Corinthians 1: 16
(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)
Acts 11: 14
He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'
Acts 16: 15, 33
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Acts 18: 8
Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
Matthew 28: 18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Luke 1: 15
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
Matthew 18: 6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Galatians 3: 27
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Moreover, maybe you can answer these questions about age of accountability, and what makes more spiritual and scripture sense compared to what you have posted:
James replies:
I see NO age of accountability in Scripture. Don't you think that IF there WAS an age of accountability in order to be baptized that we would have instructions on this????
There is no age of accountability because God can and does save anyone He has chosen to save, and WHEN He chooses to save them. And that includes God saving infants even in the womb. We have scriptures that SAY this.
ET questions:
1. Peter and the apostles preached the GOSPEL. Can a baby or a child hear and receive, and understand the gospel? Romans chapter 10, can a baby or a child understand this?
James replies:
It is IMPOSSIBLE for ANYONE to "hear, receive, and understand the Gospel" NO MATTER HOW OLD THEY ARE,
UNLESS............God, by the Holy Spirit MAKES THEM COME ALIVE FIRST. And God can do this to anyone, even babes in the womb.
2. What sins have a baby or a child committed that he/she has need to be baptized for?
James replies:
Children sin from the womb, and also have the Sin of Adam and Eve imputed to them.
3. Can a baby or a child have faith and believe the gospel?
James replies:
Yes, and we have Scripture to back this up.
4. We who hear, have faith, believe, confess our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Can a baby or a child do these things?
James replies:
I was under the impression that you knew that all of fallen mankind is totally spiritually DEAD, and that it takes God to MAKE THEM COME ALIVE SPIRITUALLY.
No adult can do what you just ask, UNLESS God FIRST regenerates them. Jesus told Nicodemus this directly.
5. Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the apostles called us to REPENT OF OUR SINS, AND BE BAPTIZED. Can a baby or a child do these things? They have no sins? outside of being born in this world.
James replies:
You keep thinking of this as "babies" and so I must repeat, we are NOT talking about taking babies off the street;
The infants OF BELIEVERS. Why did God COMMAND that ALL the male INFANTS of the Jews to be circumcised??
I can ask all the same things you just did! Did those babies KNOW and UNDERSTAND why they were being circumcised?
Could the infants of the Jews proclaim faith in God???
Yet.........God commanded it, FOR THEIR CHILDREN. And the reason is, that the children of believers are INCLUDED in the covenant of God with His people.
Just like today!
6. Can a baby or a child make a commitment to Christ with their hold hearts, minds, and souls, and spirit to serve the Lord. I don't think so.
The passover meal, was replaced by the Lord's Supper.
Circumcision, was replaced by Baptism.
And YES, and infant CAN be born again, IF......God decides to do that!!!
God saves remember? We don't decide to save ourselves. God takes TOTALLY spiritually DEAD people and, GIVES THEM A NEW NATURE.
7. Can baby or a child understand the differnet in justification and sanctificationm. I realize many grown Christian adults don't understand justification and sanctification, so who can a child knew wht or why they have been called to be baptized by Jesus as a show of thier fiath.
James replies:
ask that same question and replace the word "baptized" with "Circumcised".
You are looking at Baptism as something that WE do, and baptism SYMBOLIZES what God has ALREADY DONE!!
I havent studied to much about this,but I beleive God does with his creation what he chooses.
sometimes he explains his reasons,and other times he chooses to keep things secret....maybe because we couldnt handle too much information in our limited existence.
I beleive in total depravity,and original sin so yes I think babies are born sinful.
If youve ever had kids you can tell by the way that they already want their own will satisfied.
Thats the problem with us humans,our will is very important to us...and it shouldnt be.
I think this leads to all sin......our will be done!
God asks that He be WORSHIPPED....so it seams that his will is more important than ours!
If a baby dies In child birth,I dont think any of us can know
where that baby goes........if hes elect,he goes to heaven,if hes not,well........then hes not!
if you want to sprinkle some water on him,it wont hurt him,LOL
Hmm...so God punishes babies and small children even when they didn't know what sin was, and even before they had a chance to "hear" about Jesus and the word?
Deut. 1:39 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Luke 18:15-17 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
I believe babies are born with a sinful nature/propensity...but I do not believe they are held accountable for their sin until they understand what it is. Let's say a little kid, not knowing any better, is drawing on a statue in a park with some chalk...and a policeman comes over and sets her on fire for eternity for defacing public property without giving her a chance to know she was doing wrong and repent. That's not very just or loving...and God is both of those. He shows mercy to horrible sinners, I think even the worst baby has a better chance of heaven than most of us. Can anyone here see Jesus condemning a baby to hell? Are we holding onto/attempting to justify "traditional beliefs" or God's character?
There is a difference b/w fact and theory. The fact is that the Bible doesn't tell us any other way to salvation except by through faith/grace. It is also true that ALL have sinned. The Bible states no exemption to this for babies/children. And it's true that unsaved persons are condembed to Hell. It's likely that a baby/very young child is unable to understand the basics of salvation. Assuming things beyond those facts is to propose theories... Doesn't mean the theories are bad or not worth discussing. But they ARE theories.
1st Samuel 3:19.."It is the LORD:Let Him do what seemeth Him good"
The Hebrew word for good here is:Tov #2896 SHC (pleasant,beautiful,excellent,lovely,delightful,
convenient,kind,correct).
This is the response of Eli after he was told by Samuel,that the Lord was going to be doing a thing in Israel,at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
The Lord would also judge Eli's house;1st Samuel 2.
2nd Samuel 24:1-14;David takes a census of the people,Daivds heart is convicted of doing wrong.
This is amazing;the LORD gives David a choice of 3 types of judgements.
Davids answer is great:I am in a strait:let 'us' fall now into the hand of the LORD;for His mercies are great:and let us not fall into the hands of man.
2nd Samuel 12 The entire chapter:Nathan confronts David about his sin(s),killing Uriah the Hittite,and taking Uriahs(Bathsheba) to be his own wife.
Because of this there are two judgements against David,one of which is the death of the son born to David by Bathsheba.
David fasts and prays beeeching the LORD for the life of the child.
The child dies and David is asked;why He eats after the child dies.
David responds in vs. 23:But now the child is dead,wherefore should i fast?can i bring him back again?
I shall go to him,but he shall not return to me.
I do not believe David is saying that the child is with the LORD.
Here I believe David is saying that one day,I myself will die and be with the child.
Revelation 20:11-15
We as Christian men and woman,we need to trust the Lord in this matter about children.
If we cannot trust Him with these young ones,how then will we be able to trust Him with ourselves.
Sometimes we make the Lord out to be just as we are,yet the Lord is not like his creation,His
creation is to be as He is.
As new creations in Christ;We are made in the image Yeshua.2nd Corinthians 5:17
Though we have the whole word of the Lord,yet our understand in all matters pertaining to this life,
and eternity is still limited.
One day will will know even as we are known,even then we will still be limited in everything that we are
and will know.
Even in our new glorified bodies we will be dependant upon the Lord for our existence.
The Lord;He only is Omnipotent,Omnipresent,and Omniscient,this is His glory,
and He will not share His glory with anyone.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,the substance of things not seen.Hebrews 11:1
The just shall live by his faith,Habakkuk 2:4..Romans 1:17..Galatians 3:11..Hebrews 10:38
Let us trust the Lord to being Who and what He really is,Omnipotent,Omnipresent,
Well...it's not really that I have a problem with babies going to hell. Some children may have their place in the second resurrection/the lake of fire/the second death...but their punishment will be according to their works(which won't be much, if anything). I do not believe in "burning in hell for eternity" or that "we bear responsibility for the sins of our fathers". I believe there is no extra punishment for sin without the knowledge of the law, and there is no eternal hell. So a sinful baby would not suffer much, if at all. They would just die. The wages for sin is death. Not eternal life on fire. I believe a unsaved sinner's punishment is eternal...but I believe it's just death, and then the second death in the lake of fire after the resurrection of the wicked. They will be punished according to their sins in hell/the lake of fire and then cease to exist as anything but ashes. That is perfectly just, fair, righteous, and eternal...and that's what God is.
Why would Jesus compare a child to the kingdom of God? And why are we baptized? And what does the word BAPTISM MEAN as it relates to the believers/
WE ALL are born with a sin nature because of Adam, BUT Adam and Eve were sinless in the graden UNTIL they disobeyed God, they were INNOCENT WITHOUT SINS! So is a baby and a small child/ children INNOCENT OF SINS..What part of this don't anyone spiritually understand?!
As it is written where there is NO law, there are no transgressions! Even God winked at our sins BEFORE He sent Jesus as His perfect plan to salvation! This is why the Old covenant was changed to the New Covenant!At lest this is what the books of Romans and the Hebrews has to say.
Spritiual personal OPINIONS, and church doctrines DON"Tcount as being the word of God becasue they are empty and void..., ONLY what we find to be spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and understanding based on God's Word according to scripture. Even Samuel was not baptized as a baby, and he was anointed as a priest in the womb.
Can't find even a slit comparision no where in the Bible of a chld being baptized. Therefore, if it ain't there for our example, If it don't fit, You must acquit the innocent babies and children of any need to be baptized, based upon our examples in the Bible, and the meaning of the word BAPTISM!:dancingp::peace:
BTW, James where in scripture does it teach that circumcision replaced baptism?
Jesus was both circumcised and baptized. So if circumcision replaced baptism, why was Jesus circumcised at the age of eight days old, and baptized at the age of 30 something?
Doesn't make spiritual sense to me nor does it sound like anything in the Bible, so where are you getting this information? Please point to scirpture stating this?
Even Paul circumcised Timothy and baptized him. Paul himself was baptized and circumcised... uhhhh...where are your scriptures?
