INFANT BAPTISM

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INFANT BAPTISM
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The fate of infants who die without baptism must
be briefly considered here. The Catholic teaching
is uncompromising on this point, that all who
depart this life without baptism, be it of water,
or blood, or desire, are perpetually excluded
from the vision of God. This teaching is
grounded, as we have seen, on Scripture and
tradition, and the decrees of the Church.
(Baptism, XI. UNBAPTIZED INFANTS, The Catholic
Encyclopedia, ttp//- www.newadvent.org/cathen/022
58b.htm)
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Thus we do also in infant baptism. We bring the
child in the conviction and hope that it
believes, and we pray that God may grant it
faith but we do not baptize it upon that, but
solely upon the command of God. (Infant Baptism
by Dr. Martin Luther, http//- www.apuritansmind.c
om/Baptism/-LutherMartinCatechismInfantBaptism.htm
)
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
The effect of this sacrament (baptism, sw) is
the remission of all sin, original and actual
likewise of all punishment which is due for sin.
As a consequence, no satisfaction for past sins
is enjoined upon those who are baptized and if
they die before they commit any sin, they attain
immediately to the kingdom of heaven and the
vision of God. (Baptism, I. AUTHORITATIVE
STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE, The Catholic
Encyclopedia, http//www.newadvent.org/cathen/0225
8b.htm
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
Baptism is held to be necessary both necessi-
tate medii (necessary means of salvation, sw) and
præcepti (necessary as commanded, sw). This
doctrine is grounded on the words of Christ. In
John, iii, He declares Unless a man be born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not
enter into the kingdom of God. Christ makes no
exception to this law and it is therefore general
in its application, embracing both adults and in-
fants. (Baptism, IX. NECESSITY OF BAPTISM,
The Catholic Encyclopedia, http//www.newad-
vent. org/cathen/02258b.htm)
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
"Baptism has been instituted that it should lead
us to the blessings (of this death) and through
such death to eternal life. There- fore it is
necessary that we should be baptized into Jesus
Christ and His death." (Martin Luther,
Commentary On Romans, p.101, my emph, sw). Mark
1615-16 Acts 238 2216 1 Pet. 320-21
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence
One of the reasons that Catholics get criticized
is because Catholics baptize infants. One often
hears it said, There is not one text in the
Bible that says that infants should be
baptized!. True, there is not one text that
explicitly says that infants should be baptized.
On the other hand, there is not one text that
says explicitly not to baptize infants. (THE
BIBLE, AND INFANT BAPTISM WHY DO CATHOLICS
BAPTIZE INFANTS? by Matt1618, Matt's Catholic
Apologetics Page, http//matt1618-
.freeyellow.com/, my emph, sw)
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"Luther desired to maintain in the Church all
that was not expressly contrary to the Scrip-
tures, and Zwingli (a Swiss reformer) to abol-
ish all that could not be proved by them. The
German reformer wished to remain united to the
Church of the preceding ages, and was content to
purify it of all that was opposed to the Word of
God. The Zurich reformer passed over these ages,
returned to the apostolic times, and, carrying
out an entire transforma- tion of the Church,
endeavored to restore it to its primitive
condition. Zwingli's reformation was therefore
the more complete" (History Of The Reformation
Of The Sixteenth Century, J.H.M. d'Aubigne, pp.
401-402).
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
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In addition, there are five references in the
New Testament to the Baptism of entire
households. Peter baptized the household of
Cornelius (Acts 11 14). In Philippi, Paul
baptized the household of Lydia and the household
of the jailer (Acts 16 15, 33). He also baptized
the household of Crispus, the ruler of the
synagogue in Corinth. In his first epistle to the
Corinthians, he speaks of baptizing the household
of Stephanas (116). The Greek word for household
is oikon and refers to all the inhabitants of the
house including slaves, servants, infants and
children. Can anyone seriously suggest that
within the households of Cornelius, Lydia, the
Jailer, Crispus and Stepha- nas there were no
children or infants present? (Don Matzat, ibid.)
Acts 101-2, 34,35, 44 1613-16 1630-34
188 1 Cor. 1615 Lk. 2447 Acts 1730
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
IV. Original Sin
12
The fate of infants who die without baptism must
be briefly considered here. The Catholic teaching
is uncompromising on this point, that all who
depart this life without baptism, be it of water,
or blood, or desire, are perpetually excluded
from the vision of God. This teaching is
grounded, as we have seen, on Scripture and
tradition, and the decrees of the Church.
Moreover, that those who die in original sin,
without ever having contracted any actual sin,
are deprived of the happiness of heaven is stated
explicitly in the Confession of Faith of the
Eastern Emperor Michael Palæologus, which had
been pro- posed to him by Pope Clement IV in
1267, and which he accepted in the presence of
Gregory X at the Second Council of Lyons in
1274. (writer goes on to cite more sources,
Baptism, XI. UNBAPTIZED INFANTS, The Catholic
Encyclopedia)
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For I confess and know how to prove from the
Scriptures that all men are descended from one
man, Adam, and by their birth received and
inherited from him the fall, guilt and sin, of
which the same Adam, by the malice of the devil,
was guilty in Paradise, and thus together with
him are all born in sin ( Martin Luther, 1528
Confession of Faith, from web site of Our
Redeemer Lutheran Church, 407 South Hayes,
Emmett, Idaho 83617 http//www.scholia.net/Sunday-
20Bulletins20C/0320Advent20320C.doc, my
emph, sw)
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Why do babies need to be baptized? The Bible
teach- es quite clearly that with Adams sin, all
the human race was infected with sin.Through
Adams sin, sin touches even the soul of the
infant. Psalm 515 Surely I was sinful at
birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived
me. David shows that when one comes into the
world one has sin on the soul As the New
Testament also confirms, we are born unrighteous,
through Adams sin. Romans 512 Therefore as
sin came into the world through one man and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men
because all men sinned. Paul. applies Adam's
sin to all of mankind. This is original sin.
(Matt1618, ibid.) Ezek. 1820
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
IV. Original Sin
V. Jesus said for the Little Children to Come to
Him
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In Mark 1014 our Lord Jesus said, Let the
little children come to me, and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as
these. The Greek word for children in this text
is paidia, which means babes in arms. What means
other than Baptism has God provided whereby
little children can be brought to Jesus? Baptism
is the only way we know of. If you want to obey
the command of the Lord Jesus concerning your
little children, have them baptized! (Don
Matzat, op. cit.)
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
IV. Original Sin
V. Jesus said for the Little Children to Come to
Him
VI. The Old Covenant Includes Children
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In the Old Covenant, the principle of including
babies in the covenant is established. God tells
Abraham in his covenant (Genesis 179-14). In
the Old Covenant, Abraham, the man of faith, is
called to choose circumcision as an adult. Also,
however, men of faith are called to exercise
faith for their children. Babies 8 days old would
have to be circumcised. That is how babies came
into the covenant. The babies made no choice in
the matter. God even says that those who are
uncircumcised have broken my covenant. Babies who
have not been circumcised are thus guilty,
according to Gods own words. Children come into
the Covenant established by God through the
family. We thus see
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the necessity of those who love their children
who want them in the covenant, circumcising their
children We thus see that God puts his
children into the Old Covenant through the faith
of their parents and grace. Are we to assume that
even though in the Old Covenant that children
are included in it by their parents faith for
them and obedience for them by having them
circumcised, that the children are not to be
brought into the new covenant? Hardly!!! After
all, the grace of the New Covenant far exceeds
that of the Old Covenant. Baptism replaces
circumcision in the New Covenant. (Matt1618, op.
cit.)
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ELCA Lutherans believe that Baptism is the
Churchs entry rite.  Baptism brings us into the
Church, Christs living body on earth.  As the
First Century church baptized whole families,
including infants, so do Lutherans.  In fact,
usually ELCA Lutherans bring their infants to the
baptismal font within the first months even
weeks of a childs life. The fact that
circumcision (which occurred on an infants
eighth day) was replaced by Baptism in
Jewish-Christian circles may indicate that infant
baptism was assumed from the first (Baptism by
Martin Marty). (The Church and infant
baptism, Web site of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, http//www.elca.org/questions/R
esults.asp- ?recid29) Heb. 88-12 Mk. 1615-16
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
IV. Original Sin
V. Jesus said for the Little Children to Come to
Him
VI. The Old Covenant Includes Children
VII. Is Baptism Sprinkling or Pouring? Jno. 323
Rom. 63-4 Acts 836-39
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"On this account . . . I could wish that such as
are to be baptized should be completely immersed
into the water, according to the meaning of the
word, and to the significance of the
ordinancebecause it would be beautiful to have a
full and perfect sign of so perfect a thing as
also, without doubt, it was instituted by
Christ." ( Luther's Works, 1551 edition, Vol. 2,
p.76, via Baptism, A Reply to a Lutheran
Catechism, by Fred G. Zaspel, 1988,
http//www.biblicalstudies.- com/bstudy/ecclesiolo
gy/baptist.htm).
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INFANT BAPTISM
I. Misapplying Truth
II. A Fundamental Fallacy Finding Authority in
Gods Silence, Heb. 712-14 Gal. 19 2 Jno. 9
Rev. 2218-19 Matt. 159
III. Household Conversions
IV. Original Sin
V. Jesus said for the Little Children to Come to
Him
VI. The Old Covenant Includes Children
VII. Is Baptism Sprinkling or Pouring? Jno. 323
Rom. 63-4 Acts 836-39