Infant Baptism
In
a missionary situation the first subjects of baptism are always converts. But
throughout Christian history, attested as early as Irenaeus and Origen with a
reference back to the apostles, it has also been given to the children of
professing believers, ( If the child is
of age to fulfil the main requirement for Baptism, which is REPENTANCE) . To be sure, there is no direct command to
baptize infants Again, if we have no
clear-cut example of an infant baptism in the NT, there may posible have been
such in the household baptisms of Acts . ( This sounds like we are trying to
make a doctrine out of a GUESS, does't it?)
To begin with the detailed passages, we
naturally turn first to the examples found in the New Testament, we find John
the Baptist saying in Matthew 3:11 "As for me, I baptize you with water
for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not
fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And again in Mark 1:4. John the Baptist
appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins.Verse 5. And all the country of Judea was going out to him,
and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the
Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Now, how? And why would an infant confess their sins, seeing that an
infant could not even understand? And
sin is an act of rebellion against the will of God, how could an infant
sin? Now observe after the Church was
born, we read in the book of Acts chapter 2 verse 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Again
in the book of Acts chapter 2 verse 39 we find "For the promise is for you
and your children, (This word children does not mean "infant," it
means child, notice the verse goes on to say "and for all who are far
off.)" and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call
to Himself."