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Church_Militant
Guest
It is both Biblical as well as historically Christian as the following article points out.
The Case For Infant Baptism
The Case For Infant Baptism
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Orogeny
Guest
While it is probably true that infants were baptized in the early Church, the truth is is that the vast majority of people baptized in the early Church were adults. That makes sense since there are way more adults than infants or children. When the apostles began baptizing on Pentacost, they began with adults. Infant baptism didn’t become the norm for several hundred years.
Again, I don’t think that there is any doubt that infants were being baptized during that time, but the history of baptism isn’t as easy as saying that infant baptism has been the standard since the earliest fathers.
Peace
Tim
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His_helpmeet
Guest
In Scripture, we are told that several times, entire households were baptized. We’re not told that “the whole household was baptized, except for the infants and children who weren’t old enough to repent”. Therefore, we can naturally assume that babies and children were also baptized.
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AmbroseSJ
Guest
Exactly. Infant baptism was a continuation of the Jewish practice of infant circumcision. Baptism was the new circumcision. Therefore infant baptism was practiced universally from Apostolic times until the present.
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AmbroseSJ
Guest
Get the book “The History of Infant Baptism” by Wm. Wall (1705) It a standard text and proof of universal infant baptism since Apostolic times until now.
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Orogeny
Guest
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Orogeny
Guest
Does the book say that adults were not the majority of people baptized in the early Church? If so, I’m not really interested in historical fiction.
I assume that you agree with me that MOST people baptized in the early Church were adults? Or is it your position that adults were not baptized and that it was only infants that were baptized?
Peace
Tim
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AmbroseSJ
Guest
Once a community became Christian, it would mostly have been infants that were baptized, just as now. When a community was first converting to Christianity, the Apostles were baptizing adults, children and infants.Does the book say that adults were not the majority of people baptized in the early Church? If so, I’m not really interested in historical fiction.
I assume that you agree with me that MOST people baptized in the early Church were adults? Or is it your position that adults were not baptized and that it was only infants that were baptized?
Peace
Tim
Z
zz912
Guest
That’s not true. In the 100’s and 200’s there was disagreement, not if infants should be baptized, but if they had to wait until the baby was 8 days old, similar to circumcision. Origen, Iranaeus, and Tertullian all speak about infant baptism.
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Frankenfurter
Guest
Because Jesus told us to.
And no, the exact words are not in the bible. But we have the record of the people who actually were the ones who Jesus spoke to. And they went out and baptized everyone, including infants.
Mathew 28:
18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
And no, the exact words are not in the bible. But we have the record of the people who actually were the ones who Jesus spoke to. And they went out and baptized everyone, including infants.
Mathew 28:
18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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ckutac
Guest
Well, depending on what qualifies as an adult to you, actually I would disagree… Most of the people baptized even then where probably children. As most families at that time had way more kids that adults. And as we see from the story of the jailer in Acts 16, his confession was enough to get his entire family baptized. Now, we have no way of knowing how many of those children where at the age of reason, and how many where before the “age of reason”. So, I would find it highly unlikely that it was mostly just adults that where baptized. But if you want to call any child that has reached the “age of reason” and adult, then yeah likely where where more “adults” being baptized. But, we have to remember that at that time, a 7 or 8 year old was not considered an adult, by any means and almost surely didn’t get to make any of their own decision.Does the book say that adults were not the majority of people baptized in the early Church? If so, I’m not really interested in historical fiction.
I assume that you agree with me that MOST people baptized in the early Church were adults? Or is it your position that adults were not baptized and that it was only infants that were baptized?
Peace
Tim
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Ignatius
Guest
Baptism is not by sprinkling it is by infusion, It is not by infusion only, The Church baptizes by by both infusion and immersion. It’s not Infant vs adult baptism, it’s both infant and adult baptism.
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thinkandmull
Guest
My question is why we aren’t doing St. Paul’s (corinthians) “baptism of the dead” for aborted babies? I understand it can’t be done for adults, but when is the Church going to allow this Biblical practice?
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Randy_Carson
Guest
Where does the Bible specifically mention the baptism of teenagers?
If it is not mentioned, then teenagers should not be baptized, either.
If it is not mentioned, then teenagers should not be baptized, either.
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