In Favour Of Infant Baptism

Baptism is the sacramental rite by which God regenerates those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and indwells them by the Holy Spirit, thus, making them His children and members of Christ’s body - the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.

As a sacrament, baptism consists of two parts: outward visible sign and the inward spiritual grace. The outward visible sign is our act of washing (immersion,) or pouring water over the head (affussion), or sprinkling in water. The inward spiritual grace is signified by our act of repentance, the forgiveness of God.

From the outset, Baptism was the universal means of entering into the Christian community. The New Testament contains no specific authority for its administration to infants, but by a tradition, at least as old as the 3rd Century, and virtually universal until the Reformation, children born to Christian parents have been baptised in infancy.

In the 16th Century, the practice of infant baptism (‘paedo baptism’) was rejected by the Anabaptists and since the early 17th Century also, by the Baptists, and later by some new generational churches. Their argument is that one enters the church of his own freewill, when he has his sins forgiven, and receives the grace of God to begin the Christian life. How can this be said of a helpless infant?

Though infant baptism is not mentioned directly in the New Testament, it is perhaps implied in Matthew 19:14. There, Christ is recorded as having blessed Children in His arms and therefore they are capable also, of receiving some spiritual benefits.

Paul speaks of Baptism as a spiritual counterpart of circumcision - the Jewish rite whereby infants are admitted to the benefits of the covenant and membership of religious community (cf. Col. 2:11ff.). Thus in this regard, it could be said, that where the entire household were baptised, as mentioned in Acts 10; 16:14-33; 18:8; 24:43; 1 Cor. 1:16, children could have been baptised along with the adults, as were the children of Proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism). Paul also says concerning the Israelites’ coming out of Egypt in 1 Cor.10:2 that " they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

Again children are described in the New Testament as being holy (1 Cor 7:14), and in the Lord (Eph. 6:1-4); expressions which the apostles would not have used to describe unbaptised people (i.e. Gal. 3:27)

In post-Apostolic times, this evidence becomes more definite. Justin Martyr speaks of Christians then, of sixty or seventy years of age who had ‘from childhood been made disciples’ (cf. Matt.28:19). Polycarp at his martyrdom ca. A.D. 156 claimed to have been Christ’s servant for 86 years. C.A. Coxe in his book “The Ante-Nicene Fathers”, published in 1956 also noted that Irenaeus spoke of Christ as ‘giving salvation to people of every age’ who are ‘regenerated’ through Him, and expressly included infants and little ones.

However, there is no doubt that the practice of infant baptism has been abused. This is because the godparents who promised on behalf of the infants at their baptism are neglecting their duties and responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the godparents along with the parents to assist their godchildren to learn to always reject and ‘renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God’s holy word, and obediently keep His commandments’; and bring them for Confirmation (the rite whereby the candidates confirm the baptismal promises made on their behalf, and is confirmed by the Bishop in the prayerful laying-on of hands for strengthening in the Christian life) at the appropriate age.

Proper understanding of this fact makes the difference. Moreover, if you have the opportunity to be one, play your role very well as one who will be accountable unto God. For every responsibility there is accountability. Leave whoever does not play his/her  role to God. Whether one is baptised as an infant or as an adult does not matter to God. Baptism itself is a sign. What matters to God is that those baptised should live their lives virtuously and christianly in this polluted world, getting themselves ready for rapture.