Infant Baptism

Fundamentalists hold baptism is only a public sign after an adult conversion. The Church has always taught that baptism remits sin and saves, and that Christ's call to baptism includes children. Scripture's household baptisms, the parallel with circumcision, and early Christian practice all support baptizing infants.

What baptism does

Baptism remits sin, original sin in infants and also actual sin in older persons. Peter said, "Repent and be baptized... for the forgiveness of your sins," adding that the promise is "to you and to your children" (Acts 2:38-39). We are told to be baptized and wash away our sins (Acts 22:16), and baptism now saves us (1 Peter 3:21). These commands are not limited to adults.

Christ calls all

Groups like the Waldenses, Cathars and Anabaptists rejected infant baptism, but the Church has always applied Christ's law, that no one enters the kingdom without being born of water and Spirit (John 3:5), to infants. Jesus said to let the children come to him, for the kingdom belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). Some say this means only children able to walk, but Luke says they were bringing even infants (brephe, Luke 18:15), who could make no decision, yet Jesus said the kingdom belongs to such.

In place of circumcision

Paul calls baptism "the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11-12). Circumcision was usually given to infants. As children born into Jewish homes were circumcised in anticipation of the faith in which they would be raised, so children of Christian homes are baptized.

Only adults?

Recorded baptisms are of adults because Christianity was new. But the New Testament never shows a child of a Christian home baptized only after a "decision"; such children are assumed already baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3). Lydia was baptized with her household (Acts 16:15), the jailer with all his family (Acts 16:33), and Paul baptized the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:16). Households included children, very probably some below the age of reason; if infants were exceptions, Scripture would say so.

The early Church

Origen (244) wrote that by the Church's usage baptism is given even to infants. The Council of Carthage (253) rejected delaying it until the eighth day. Augustine (408) called the practice apostolic tradition. No early writer condemned it as an invention; the only question was when to baptize.

Faith and infants

Christ required instruction and faith of adult converts (Matthew 28:19-20), but his law of baptism (John 3:5) places no restriction on its subjects, and requirements impossible at their age do not apply to infants, as with circumcision. Fundamentalists themselves exempt infants from the requirement of faith unless they would condemn all infants. The Church continues the practice of the first Christians, heeding Christ: let the children come to me (Luke 18:16).