Why Were You Baptized? (Followup to Reason #3)

In my previous blog entitled "Why Were You Baptized? (Reason #3)," I showed that the practice of infant baptism identified more with practices under the obsolete 'old covenant' that God had made with the physical nation of Israel, than with the 'new covenant' that defines New Testament Christianity. Still, some people believe that the New Testament allows for the practice of infant baptism. Let me explain some of their reasoning and share some observations.

Even though there is no direct teaching regarding infant baptism and there are no specific examples, the Bible speaks of whole 'households' being baptized. Considering the definition of household, infants would have been included. For that reason, infant baptism is justified. 

Does that reasoning make sense? 
Let's begin with the meaning of household in the first century:

According to Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary the household  "included the immediate family and all who lived together in the same house. This included slaves, concubines, foreign residents and servants."

Clearly, this definition would include family members of all ages, even infants. In addition, there are examples in the New Testament of households being baptized:

• The household of Cornelius - Acts 10:24 ff.
• The household of Lydia - Acts 16:14-15
• The household of the Philippian jailer - Acts 16:31-33
• The household of Stephanas - 1 Corinthians 1:16

So, the thinking is that an infant in any of these households would have been baptized simply because of they were part of the household. Of course there is no evidence suggesting that any of these households did or did not have infants. For that reason, it is pure speculation to use these households as examples of infant baptism.

That leaves us with the definition only. So, is the definition of household enough to justify the baptism of infants?

Let's look a little further in scripture...
First, there is at least one example in New Testament in which infants and small children were excluded from the household. The text is in John 4 where we read that Jesus was in the town of Cana and was asked by a nobleman to heal his son who was near death. The man pleaded with Jesus to go with him to his home in Capernaum before his son died, but Jesus assured him that his son would live. Arriving home the next day, the father found his son in good health. Now, notice the response to the miraculous healing:

"...and he [the nobleman]  believed and his whole household."     --John 4:23

Common sense tells us that only those of the household who were capable of believing were the ones who actually believed. So, we naturally understand that infants, and even small children, were excluded.

This example shows that while the definition of household was all-inclusive, there were exceptions. Some circumstances might exclude certain members of the household.

Second, neither by instruction nor by example is Christian baptism found in Scripture apart from faith, repentance and discipleship. Let's consider three brief passages.

The Great Commission is found in the gospel accounts of Matthew and Mark and it naturally excludes infants and small children because it calls for a response of faith and discipleship:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."     --Matthew 28:18-19

Can an infant or toddler become a disciple (a learner and follower)? (Of course not.)

Clearly Jesus was not referring to anyone who could not make a conscious decision to devote his life to Him in discipleship. At the very least infants and toddlers are exceptions to Jesus' instruction.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."     --Mark 16:15-16

Can an infant or toddler believe or disbelieve the message being preached? (Of course not.)

Clearly Jesus was not instructing His apostles to go out preaching to infants. It simply does not make sense; infants do not have the mental capacity to believe (or to disbelieve) any more than an animals...and I do not believe the apostles went out preaching to animals even though they are technically a part of "all creation." 
(Note: I am not calling anyone's baby an animal; nor do I wish to offend your brilliant pet.)

Let's make another observation in light of Jesus' instruction:

• If 'I' believe and 'I' am baptized, that would make sense;
• If 'you' believe and 'you' are baptized, that would make sense; however, 
• If 'I' believe and 'you' are baptized, that would not make sense.

So, it is clear that the Apostles were not to preach to parents and then baptize their babies. I think it would be a real stretch of the imagination to come to any other conclusion.

Next, consider the reaction of the crowd of listeners when the gospel message was first preached by the Apostle Peter:

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 
Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."     --Acts 2:37-38

Some have speculated that infants were surely part of the large crowd that gathered to hear Peter and the Apostles. With that assumption, they then reason that infants were baptized that day. Yet, can infants be "pierced to the heart"? Can infants repent? (Of course not.)

The gospel message was understood by the people who heard and it brought about a response of deep sorrow in their hearts. They were asked to repent; repentance is quite literally 'a change of heart/mind.' It does not make sense to include infants in this kind of description of a human responses.

So, putting it all together...
By strict definition, household would include infants, yet where it makes sense infants could be excluded depending upon the circumstances. In addition, when the term household is used in the context of discipleship, faith and repentance, common sense tells us to exclude infants.

So, returning to the original question: Is the 'household' idea sufficient to justify the baptism of infants?
The answer is, "No."

Even if infants were members of the households that were baptized, they would have been excluded because of their inability to believe and make a conscious response to the gospel message.

Perhaps one final question should be considered: Is it wrong to baptize infants?

We must recognize that baptism and its benefits always follow faith, repentance and a call to discipleship. Since infants are incapable of faith, repentance and discipleship, then what would be the meaning and purpose of baptizing infants? 
(Will the 'ritual' of baptism do something for the infant?)

God has assigned meaning and purpose to baptism in clear statements found in Scripture. So, to use the same practice yet with a different meaning and/or a different purpose would be to add or substitute man's thinking for God's.

So, while it is not technically wrong to baptize infants, it is, at best, confusing. At worst, it is likely to give people confidence in the present and hope for the future not rooted in God's promises. That is an illusion that simply doesn't make sense.

Why Were You Baptized? (Reason #3)

There seems to be considerable confusion in our day regarding baptism. Many things have been taught about baptism that are simply not in the Bible. For that reason, it is safe to say that the confusion is the fault of man, not God. Here is another reason that some people have been baptized.

Reason #3:

My parents had me baptized when I was a baby.

On one occasion a young man told me that he had been baptized as a baby. Curious, I ask why. He told me that it was the way the parents’ in his church devoted their children to Christ.

I truly admire parents who wish to devote their children to Christ, and I appreciate that they wish to make their desire known. But why choose baptism to express their desire?

I have read other reasons for baptizing infants. Some of the reasoning sounds noble and some of the reasoning is confusing. I have found no parallel in the Bible. In fact, I have found something in Scripture quite contrary to this practice.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote about a ‘new covenant’ that would replace the existing covenant God had with the nation of Israel. In his words…

“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”     —Jeremiah 31:34

(You can read the entire text beginning in verse 31.)

The first covenant God made was with the physical nation of Israel. When an Israelite couple had a child, that child was automatically part of a covenant relationship with God. Of course, that child knew nothing of God and had to be taught. So, birth occurred before instruction.

However, Jeremiah’s prophecy was about a new covenant. Under the new covenant a person would already have knowledge of God, at least the basic knowledge of His forgiving character.

Jesus fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy ushering in the a covenant which assured forgiveness of sins through the blood (sacrifice) of Christ. The entire book of Hebrews examines the new covenant which resulted in Christianity. It is better than the old covenant and it made the old covenant obsolete. (Hebrews 8).

One stark difference between the two covenants is relevant to the question of infant baptism:

• Old Covenant: A child was physically born into a covenant relationship with God, then had to be taught about God. So, teaching about God followed physical birth.
• New Covenant: A person was taught about God and then entered into a covenant relationship through a spiritual birth. So, teaching about God preceded spiritual birth.

Which which covenant practice does infant baptism more closely resemble?
If you wish to be a part of the new covenant, it does not start as an infant, or even as a toddler.

Whatever reasons people offer for baptizing infants, Jeremiah said that in the new covenant, “they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” All examples of baptism in the New Testament involved adults who were first taught the gospel, then baptized.

If you were baptized only as an infant, it may have been for noble reasons, but it must not be confused with the ‘one baptism’ that the Apostle Paul wrote about in Ephesians 4. The new covenant is better; the old is obsolete. You must be born again!

(Look for a followup to Reason #3 later in the week.)

(Click here for Reason #2.)

Why Were You Baptized? (Reason #2)

Baptism is clearly taught in the New Testament, but baptismal practices differ among various denominations; so also the reasons for baptism. In this article I want to explore a second reason that some people have been baptized.

Reason #2:

I was baptized to join a local church.

In the Bible we read about churches in different cities. However, they were all a part of a global church community whose membership was comprised of all Christians in all places.

When the missionaries in the 1st Century traveled from city to city, they never talked/wrote about ‘placing membership’ or being baptized to be identified as a member of a church in a specific town/location. Such ideas are foreign to the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul traveled to many cities, but never identified himself only with the church in one city or another. He only identified himself with one body of believers:

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.     —Romans 12:4–5

Notice especially that Paul included himself with the body of believers in Rome by saying, “So we, who are many….” Yet, he was writing these words while in a different city. So, he considered all Christians to be a part of the body of Christ regardless of location.

Paul also wrote:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.     —Ephesians 4:4–6

So, while the members of the body of Christ may be dotted around the globe in various locations, all of these Christians are members of one body, namely, the body of Christ.

Also, did you notice that there is only “one baptism.” A baptism ritual associated with a local membership is different from the disciple-making baptism Jesus that instructed.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.     —Matthew 28:19

Now, what about the idea of ‘placing membership’ or ‘identifying with’ a congregation?

Again, the only ’membership’ that we can find in the Bible is membership in the body of Christ. Individual church groups that have membership rules in addition to the Scriptures are just making things up.

Of course, common sense tells us the importance of communication. It might be that phrases like placing membership or identifying with a congregation are simply ways of communicating a person’s intentions of being a regular part of a local church. It makes sense to let folks know that you are more than a visitor, that you are not just passing through town. So, by all means, communicate your intentions, but you do not need to be baptized (again) to become a member of a local church.

So, if you were baptized to ‘join a congregation,’ you should return to the Bible to see why Jesus instructed his apostles to baptize believers. Look at the examples in the Book of Acts.

You’ll find your answer.

(Reason #3, next week)

(Click here for Reason #1)

Why Were You Baptized? (Reason #1)

I was about six years old when I first asked my dad, a preacher, to baptize me. We were ‘down at the creek’ with several other family members and I had found a deep pool suitable for dunking. When I asked, Dad said something like, “You know, this doesn’t count.”

“I just want to see what it’s like,” I quipped.

With that, dad ‘baptized’ me. And he was right; it meant nothing and I went off splashing and playing like any other six-year-old.

Did you know that the reason a person is baptized is important?

Baptism is clearly taught in the New Testament, but baptismal practices differ among various denominations; so also the reasons for baptism.

My creek ‘baptism’ at age six had no purpose, at least no purpose related to Christianity. For that reason, it had no value other than to satisfy my personal curiosity, and that is all it did.

So, let me ask: “Why were you baptized?”

Over the years I have heard different reasons for baptism. I do not wish to offend anyone, but I do want to see how those different reasons hold up to biblical teaching and examples.

Reason #1: 

Jesus was baptized, and he is our example. 

It is true. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River just before he began preaching. But do you know why?

John had been baptizing, telling people to repent because the kingdom of God was coming. He protested when Jesus requested baptism. So, Jesus told him the purpose of His baptism:

Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.     —Matthew 3:15 

John the Baptist agreed to baptize Jesus and later said something more about his purpose for baptizing:

“I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”     —John 1:33–34

God had told John the Baptist that he would recognize the Messiah when the Holy Spirit visibly descended on Him. After John had baptized Jesus, he was then able to introduce Him to the world as the Messiah (Christ) and Son of God.

So, the Scriptures reveal two reasons for the baptism of Jesus:

• So that Jesus and John could together fulfill all righteousness.
• So that John would be able to identify the Messiah and introduce Him to the world.

There is no instruction in the New Testament for anyone else to be baptized in order to ‘fulfill all righteous’ or to be identified as the Son of God. Clearly, the baptism of Jesus was unique!

If you were baptized to merely follow the example of Jesus, that was noble, but what was the expected result or benefit? (Why not also fast for forty days, like Jesus did?) If you were baptized for a reason other than what Jesus and the apostles taught, it may have had no more benefit to you than a six-year-old’s playful creek baptism.

Go back to the Bible to find out why the early believers in Jesus were baptized. Your intent in being baptized makes all the difference...

(Reason #2, next week)

"I AM": His Glory, Our Quest

Look out your window; what do you see?

It is not about making a list. Rather, when you see God’s creation outside your window, what do you learn...about God?

The Apostle Paul said that mankind can learn some things about God just by observing creation.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…. —Romans 1:20

Just by observing the world around us a person can learn that: 

• God exists;
• God is powerful;
• God is eternal and divine. 

When you think about it, humans have used their powers of observation to learn about animals for centuries. By looking at a beaver’s dam, we can learn some things about beavers. The same could be said about birds and their nests, ants and their ant hills and even the 'animal' called man and the things he builds.

However, the simple observation of things that have been made can only go so far. Some things remain unknown unless revealed. By observing a building a person would have no knowledge of the architect’s name, family relationships, influence in the community, religious values, etc. And let’s not be silly thinking that an architect’s style is recognizable. That is true only if the architect is already known for his/her other work. (The work of an unknown artist or sculptor reveals only so much about its maker.)

The simple point is that God has revealed something about Himself through His creation. Yet, He has revealed something more about Himself through verbal revelation. He used words to identify Himself by name and by character.

The occasion was shortly after Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery. God had instructed Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land assuring him that an angel would accompany them. Moses pleaded with God to go with them Himself, and God agreed to do so. Then, almost as a child making an impossible request of a parent, Moses blurted out:

I pray You, show me Your glory!

Since God would not allow Moses to see his face, he told him to stand in an indentation in a large rock. He would then pass in front of Moses and declare His name.

For centuries to come psalmists, prophets and those of faith would repeat the things God revealed to Moses about Himself that day. One of the greatest revelations in all of Scripture…

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. —Exodus 34:6-8

Justice is a part of God’s character because He is pure and holy. Yet, He is never without love. Love is also a part of God's character, yet He is never without justice and purity and holiness. God is love and God is holy at all times. He does not ‘try’ to love or 'try' to be holy; these are His nature. Not one of the characteristics that God revealed competes with another as if God struggles against justice to show compassion; or that God struggles against forgiveness to be holy. He is at all times both loving and just; the God of love and the God who is holy.

Love and Holiness: His glory; our quest.

Like Moses, we would do well to bow low to the ground and worship...