I bring you this article to shine a light with God's Word so let us get started with something already discussed in my Catholicism Exposed article, but since it is the easiest doctrine to disprove I thought we would start here.
Are we to baptize as infants or adults?
There is no Biblical reference for a baby ever being baptized in the Bible. In the Bible, only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized - as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him. Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-4. Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience after faith in Christ. It is a proclamation of faith in Christ, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial, and resurrection.
A baby cannot place his or her faith in Christ, an infant cannot make a free will conscious decision to obey Christ. An infant cannot understand what water baptism symbolizes. The Bible does not record any infants being baptized. Infant baptism is sprinkling water over the babies head, this method of infant baptism fails to agree with the Bible.
Baptism is being immersed backwards in water and being brought back up out of the water which is symbolism for Christ's death, going down into the grave and rising again. How does pouring or sprinkling illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? It doesn't, but it is highly unsafe to immerse a baby in water, thus why baptism is for adults when someone reaches the age of accountability.
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, etc. believe in infant baptism for multiple reasons. First, that infant baptism is the New Testament equivalent to infant circumcision in the Old Testament. We'll discuss this point in depth later on in this article.
Second, it is to baptize a child into the Christian faith (whatever church the child's parents belong). Of course, every parent never wants to see their child depart from the faith so infant baptism has become a tradition in bringing the grace of God upon the child and into the Christian community.
Third, going back to God's grace upon the child, to which I have an in-depth study on Sin Nature here. Those of who believe in infant baptism believe in Original Sin in the more extreme sense. I look at the Catholic Church when discussing this doctrine as the RCC has the largest congregation of these denominations and my husband was baptized as a baby into the Catholic Church.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 1, Article 1...
"1250 Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called.50 The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.51
1251 Christian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.52
1252 The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole "households" received baptism, infants may also have been baptized.53
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60"
Is water baptism a salvation issue? 1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60"
As we just read, according to the Catholic Church, it is. What matters is what The Bibles says, not what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says. So what about infants who die before being baptized? Well, The RCC has no official doctrinal statement of where non-baptized babies go when they die. Many Catholic theologians believe the doctrinal theory of, "Limbo of Infants - Imbus Infantium" that teaches that un-baptized infants go to neither Heaven nor Hell because they were not cleansed of Original Sin nor did they commit personal sin deserving of Hell. Again, this is a theory and no where stated in The Catechism. What The Catechism does say is just this...
"1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism."
Water Baptism does not save a person. It does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling - if you have not first trusted in Christ for salvation, water baptism is meaningless because the individual has not done what water baptism represents: Dying to sin. Water baptism is the symbolism that we will forsake our sins and be obedient to God, born again, a new creature.
John 3:1-7 ~ "1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
John 3:1-7 ~ "1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
Romans 6:1-8 ~ "1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:"
2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Galatians 3:27 ~
Colossians 2:12 ~
Was the thief on the cross baptized? I don't like using this argument for those of the lukewarm, "It's by faith alone" crowd who use this same point out, but what is failed to mention is that the thief couldn't get off the cross to do God-ordained works or be baptized, he had a "deathbed" repentance that no one should strive for as it's very dangerous to gamble with your eternal destination like that. Nonetheless, he repented with all of his heart and humbled himself.
Matthew 27:41-44 ~ "41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth."
Luke 23:39-43 ~ "39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
God cares about sin more than symbolism.
Mark 1:4
Mark 16:16
Acts 22:16
1 Corinthians 6:11
1 Corinthians 1:14-17
1 Peter 3:21
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 7:14
Are we filled with the Holy Ghost after water baptism?2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Galatians 3:27 ~
Colossians 2:12 ~
Was the thief on the cross baptized? I don't like using this argument for those of the lukewarm, "It's by faith alone" crowd who use this same point out, but what is failed to mention is that the thief couldn't get off the cross to do God-ordained works or be baptized, he had a "deathbed" repentance that no one should strive for as it's very dangerous to gamble with your eternal destination like that. Nonetheless, he repented with all of his heart and humbled himself.
Matthew 27:41-44 ~ "41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth."
Luke 23:39-43 ~ "39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
God cares about sin more than symbolism.
Mark 1:4
Mark 16:16
Acts 22:16
1 Corinthians 6:11
1 Corinthians 1:14-17
1 Peter 3:21
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 7:14
K
What does Baptism signify?
K
Why is Baptism only in the New Testament?
Noah, Red Sea, Circumcission
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