What The Bible Says About Infant Baptism And Sprinkling
(Text: No verse in the Bible mentions them.))
By: Barry L. Cameron
* The practice of INFANT BAPTISM comes from an old doctrine that babies were guilty of sin inherited from Adam. Therefore, they were christened or “Christianized” and given a “Christian” name.
* The Bible teaches that we become a Christian by receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior, by faith, and then, we obey Him in immersion or baptism as He commands us. Doing this is beyond the grasp of an infant who is innocent of all sin and needs no christening to make him a Christian.
(1) INFANT BAPTISM (There Is No Scriptural Evidence)
- Attempts have been made to justify INFANT BAPTISM based on the “household” baptisms of the New Testament.
1. Acts 10 – Cornelius’ household
2. Acts 16 – Lydia’s household
3. I Corinthians 1:16 – The household of Stephanas
* Those who hold this theology insist that households would have included young children.
* There is also some insistence that the Jewish rite of “circumcision” on the 8th day for Jewish males was the Old Testament equivalent for INFANT BAPTISM.
Here are few problems to consider:
1. Jewish girls couldn’t be circumcised.
2. Circumcision didn’t make you a Jew, it identified you as a Jew.
- It was an outward symbol.
3. The Council In Acts 15.
- The debate was over “circumcision.” Some of the Jews were insisting that the Gentiles had to be circumcised before they could be saved (Acts 15:10-11).
- The decision of the Council was an emphatic, “No.”
* Now, if “circumcision” clearly had nothing to do with salvation in the New Testament church, how could it be used to support the doctrine of INFANT BAPTISM? (Just a thought.)
* There is no Biblical precedent for INFANT BAPTISM.
- In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus told His disciples to TEACH or MAKE DISCIPLES, then to BAPTIZE them. (Infants can’t be taught in this capacity.)
- In Mark 16:15-16, it says you must be a “believer” and be baptized. (Obviously, a baby can’t exercise this kind of faith.)
- In Acts 2:37-38, Peter was preaching and the people were convicted of their sin and wanted to know how to be saved. Peter told them to REPENT and to be BAPTIZED. (The concepts of conviction of sin and repentance are far beyond the capacity of the mind of an infant.)
- In Acts 8:36-37, the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading from Isaiah and asked Philip to explain to him what he was reading. So, Philip told him about Jesus. Philip told him in verse 37, “if you believe with all your heart, you may.” The official answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Obviously, an infant is unable to make that kind of confession.)
* In each of the “household” baptisms that are referred to in the New Testament, the following conditions were present when those involved were baptized: they were hearers, believers, they were repentant, rejoiced and they served.
So, Who Is A Proper Candidate For Baptism?
1. Those who have heard the Gospel (Romans 10:17)
2. Those who have faith in Christ (Romans 10:17a; Ephesians 2:8)
3. Those who believe in Christ. Who He is and What He’s done (Mark 16:16)
4. Those who recognize their sin and repent of it (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38)
5. Those who recognize their need for a Savior (Romans 3:10; 5:8-11)
6. Those who confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10)
7. Those who respond to the Lord’s command to be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20)
* Obviously, infants couldn’t do any of the above.
TWO IMPORTANT FACTS TO CONSIDER:
1. Infant baptism is really the decision of the parents, not the infant.
- Out of a desire to do what’s best for a child, some parents feel they should do this.
- But is it even necessary?
* The only way INFANT BAPTISM would be necessary were if God condemned infants to Hell who had not been baptized.
- God doesn’t do that. You won’t find a single verse in the Bible to support that concept.
2. Can INFANT BAPTISM save the infant?
- If it can’t impart salvation, then what’s the purpose?
- Infant baptism would make water the Savior, instead of Jesus, since the infant can’t believe in Jesus or confess Him as Lord, etc.
(2) SPRINKLING (Is It Acceptable For Bible Baptism?)
- Does it pass the following tests:
(a) The Scriptural Test.
* The New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Greek word for baptism is: BAPTIZO meaning “to dip, plunge, or immerse.”
* The Greek word for pouring is CHEO.
* The Greek word for sprinkling is RANTIZO.
* In the original Greek manuscripts, the words CHEO and RANTIZO are NEVER used in connection with BAPTISM.
(b) The Common Sense Test.
* In our study of the accounts of baptism in the New Testament, common sense would tell us that immersion was how people were baptized.
* For example: John 3:23, says John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.
* Matthew 3:16 says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.”
* Mark 1:9-10 says, “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water . . .”
* Acts 8:38 says, “Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
(c) The Death, Burial & Resurrection Test.
* Paul always pictured baptism as a “burial” (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4-5)
* In Romans 6, it is clear that baptism symbolizes (or pictures) the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
* This symbol would be destroyed in sprinking or pouring water on someone.
* Sprinkling as an accepted mode of baptism was begun by the Roman Catholic Church and was originated by them as a law of the Roman Catholic Church. This is an historic fact and can be read in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, page 236, under the article: Baptism.
ILLUSTRATION: Imagine someone dying at your house. And someone asks you, “Can we bury our friend in your back yard?” Suppose you agree and they take their friend out to your back yard and sprinkle a little dirt on him or pour a little dirt on him and leave. Not even the local health department would accept that as a proper burial. (Just a thought.)
(3) DO I HAVE TO BE BAPTIZED TO BE SAVED?
- Does this sound like the kind of question a person who is really saved would ask?
- It’s like this question: “Do I have to wear a wedding ring to be married?”
* The wedding ring is the outward symbol that you are married. If you’re ashamed of the symbol, it’s a pretty good indicator the rest is a sham.
* Jesus commanded baptism (Matthew 28:18-20). Now answer your own question. If Jesus commanded it, what is my response if I am truly saved?
* While we are not saved by baptism (if water could save, INFANT BAPTISM would be sufficient. It doesn’t and it isn’t.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10, 13; I Corinthians 1:14-17) if we are saved we’ll be baptized (Acts 2:37-38; Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15, 31-34; 19:1-5; 22:16).
