What is purpose Of Infant Baptism, do ANY Baptists practice it?

[JesusFan]

Does it allow God to "regenerate" the infant, is a sign of being in the Church, or what?

Do ANY baptist groups practice it? Do we recognize it as being valid mode of baptism ?

 

[annsni]

I don't know of any Baptist church but I know we baptized my daughters when they were little because that was something that the Presbyterian church we attended did. However, it was pretty much a "dedication" and it was expected that they would later have a "believer's baptism" which they did.

It would be interesting to see if any Baptist church baptizes infants.

 

[JesusFan]

I don't know of any Baptist church but I know we baptized my daughters when they were little because that was something that the Presbyterian church we attended did. However, it was pretty much a "dedication" and it was expected that they would later have a "believer's baptism" which they did.

It would be interesting to see if any Baptist church baptizes infants.

Do you require adults to be rebaptised?
Would "reformed" baptist, who adhered to confessional creeds require infant baptism?

 

[Iconoclast]

Would "reformed" baptist, who adhered to confessional creeds require infant baptism?

No....RB believe in believers baptism only.

Infant baptism is done by those who believe baptism is the replacement sign replacing circumcision. They believe the sign points to the thing signified

new birth

here is the RB teaching of the 1689;

1._____ Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.
( Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2;12; Galatians 3:27; Mark 1:4; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:4 )
2._____ Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance.
( Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36, 37; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 18:8 )

3._____The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
( Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 8:38 )

4._____Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance. ( Matthew 3:16; John 3:23 )


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Chapter 30 "Of the Lord's Supper"

here is the padeo 1644:

I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, or his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life: which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his Churchy until the end of the world.

II. The outward element to be used in the sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

III. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person.

IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.

V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

VI. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time.

VII. The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered to any person.

Roman Catholics practice the heretical baptismal regeneration idea

 

[drfuss]

We just attended our infant granddaughter's baptism in a Presbyterian Church. The minister read the entire infant baptism service. I paid close attention. The minister explicited read that the baptism saved our granddaughter from her sins. I suspect the reading meant saved her from her sins until the age of accountability.

In the past here on BB, others have said that when they attended Presbyterian churches, saving from sins was not a part of the infant baptism. This Presbyterian church is a part of the liberal wing of the Presbyterian churches which may make a difference.

 

[annsni]

Do you require adults to be rebaptised?
Would "reformed" baptist, who adhered to confessional creeds require infant baptism?

Anyone who had an infant baptism would have to be rebaptized.

Not sure about reformed Baptist but I've never heard of any Baptist church requiring infant baptism.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

Does it allow God to "regenerate" the infant, is a sign of being in the Church, or what?

Do ANY baptist groups practice it? Do we recognize it as being valid mode of baptism ?

There is no biblical purpose for infant baptism. It was an invention of men stemming from the belief in baptismal regeneration. The idea was to baptize infants as soon as possible to keep them from going to hell.

Christians who practice it now didn't reform enough from Roman Catholicism. However, even though some have invented new reasons for it it is still an utterly useless practice.

All Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans believe in baptismal regeneration and think that the infant is born again through baptism.

Presbyterians think it's just a sign of the new covenant that says the child is associated with Christ and will be saved because his parents are saved.

Methodists sprinkle babies for much the same reason.

There are no baptists that baptize infants. We only baptize professing believers. That is really what sets us apart and makes us more biblical than anyone else. Credo-baptism is also why we are called baptists.

 

[Iconoclast]

Anyone who had an infant baptism would have to be rebaptized.

Not sure about reformed Baptist but I've never heard of any Baptist church requiring infant baptism.

I lost my first post,lol

Ann,
RB follow the teaching of the 1689 confession of faith.We do find alot of agreement with padeos, but not here.

short answer ...padeos think the new cov. is just like the old cov.
RB think the new is not like the old.....how you get in, and is it breakable is the issue

 

[Jkdbuck76]

The Church of Christ (where I grew up) believes in baptismal regeneration, but they only practice believer's baptism. Weird, huh?

But the 1644 info above has some really telling stuff. Re-read it, folks. I'm not saying "believe it", I'm saying to re-read it.

 

[TomVols]

Presbyterians think it's just a sign of the new covenant that says the child is associated with Christ and will be saved because his parents are saved.

Methodists sprinkle babies for much the same reason.

This is not entirely accurate. Presbys/Methodists believe that infant baptism shows that the child is part of the covenant, much like circumcision in the OT. It is not salvific in any way nor does it guarantee the salvation of the infant.

Some baptist churches, including John Piper's, recognize infant baptism as valid if you can provide a covenental and Biblical reasoning for it. Alistair Begg's church has considered this as well, and others are kicking it around.

 

[Jim1999]

Gnerally, the Church of England believes the infant is covered with infant baptism from original sin, but still require a confession of Christ as Saviour at confirmation.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Iconoclast]

This is not entirely accurate. Presbys/Methodists believe that infant baptism shows that the child is part of the covenant, much like circumcision in the OT. It is not salvific in any way nor does it guarantee the salvation of the infant.

Some baptist churches, including John Piper's, recognize infant baptism as valid if you can provide a covenental and Biblical reasoning for it. Alistair Begg's church has considered this as well, and others are kicking it around.

They say that the covenant has an external administration that infant sprinkling allows the covenant child to be a member of this outward administration,ie, the visible church.
Later on they believe God will work in the child, unless the child breaks the covenant through unbelief.

 

[Jerome]

Last I heard the saints at Bethlehem Baptist had forced Piper to withdraw that proposed scheme. Good for them.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

Last I heard the saints at Bethlehem Baptist had forced Piper to withdraw that proposed scheme. Good for them.

I hope so. Infant baptism should never enter a baptist church.

 

[David Lamb]

Do you require adults to be rebaptised?
Would "reformed" baptist, who adhered to confessional creeds require infant baptism?

Baptists don't see it as rebaptism. Because we see baptism as something for believers only (note: not "adults only"), we do not see that sprinkling water on a baby's forehead is baptism.

I had the water-sprinkled-on-my-forehead ceremony when I was less than five months old - most children did in those days (1949). Even now, about 39% of babies in this country have such a ceremony performed on them in either the Church of England or the Roman Catholic church. For many parents, this is seen as a naming ceremony - some even seem to imagine that if they don't get their baby "done", that baby will not be legally named! That sort of thing is not baptism.

When I was converted at the age of 19 or so, I was baptized. I have never thought of that as being "rebaptized" - it was nothing like the ceremony I had been through unknowingly at a few months of age.

In answer to your question about reformed baptists, no, they definitely do not "require infant baptism". The "confessional creeds" that reformed baptists usually adhere to are those such as the First London Baptist Declaration of Faith (1646), the Second London Baptist Declaration of Faith (1689) or the 1966 Affirmaton of Faith. All of these are alike in stating clearly that the subjects for baptism are those who have exhibited repentance for sin, and have made a profession of their faith in Christ.

I hope that helps.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

Baptists don't see it as rebaptism. Because we see baptism as something for believers only (note: not "adults only"), we do not see that sprinkling water on a baby's forehead is baptism.

I had the water-sprinkled-on-my-forehead ceremony when I was less than five months old - most children did in those days (1949). Even now, about 39% of babies in this country have such a ceremony performed on them in either the Church of England or the Roman Catholic church. For many parents, this is seen as a naming ceremony - some even seem to imagine that if they don't get their baby "done", that baby will not be legally named! That sort of thing is not baptism.

When I was converted at the age of 19 or so, I was baptized. I have never thought of that as being "rebaptized" - it was nothing like the ceremony I had been through unknowingly at a few months of age.

In answer to your question about reformed baptists, no, they definitely do not "require infant baptism". The "confessional creeds" that reformed baptists usually adhere to are those such as the First London Baptist Declaration of Faith (1646), the Second London Baptist Declaration of Faith (1689) or the 1966 Affirmaton of Faith. All of these are alike in stating clearly that the subjects for baptism are those who have exhibited repentance for sin, and have made a profession of their faith in Christ.

I hope that helps.

:thumbs:Amen.

 

[StefanM]

I hope so. Infant baptism should never enter a baptist church.

I don't think it's actually possible to have infant baptism in a Baptist church. Credobaptism is the sine qua non of Baptist churches. If a church baptizes infants, it is not a Baptist church. It could be an evangelical, congregational church, but it would not be a Baptist church, no matter what it is called.