28. John the Baptizer 2

This morning I will have the privilege of baptizing [child] into the covenant. And before I do that, I want to give a little background on why we baptize infants. In Appendix B of my book on infant baptism, I show how infant baptism started in the Old Testament — specifically in the time of Moses. Male children were circumcised and baptized on the eighth day, and female children were only baptized. And interestingly, the Jews called the Baptism a circumcision. And often it took the place of circumcision. For example, when a Jew would apostatize or be excommunicated, they would treat him as a Gentile. But if that person converted, if he was a man, he couldn’t get circumcised a second time. So instead, the Bible would have the person baptized, and the baptism was treated as a circumcision. When a Gentile family would become saved, the males would be circumcised and baptized, and the females would only become baptized. And in the appendix I give the verses that show all of this. In proselyte baptism, the children were always baptized. Almost everybody acknowledges this.

Where the debate comes is whether that is relevant at all to the church. Many people treat Christianity almost like a brand new religion, with brand new rites. But where covenant theology does see changes (for example the blood aspects of Passover are removed in the Lord’s Table), we do not see ourselves as having a brand new religion and brand new rituals. Where Baptists say that John the Baptist was performing something brand new, we say that he was simply calling for proselyte baptism. That’s why the Pharisees were so offended. He was calling them to repentance, treating them as Gentiles; as people who had been cut off from the covenant. And they were. And if John the Baptist’s baptism was Old Testament baptism, then it is almost certain that whole families were being baptized, including the youngest children.

And so, what I want to do today — rather than looking at one passage of Scripture dealing with infant baptism like we normally do, I want to answer two questions: First question: “Is there any evidence that the New Testament has taken away the practice of baptizing the babies of believers?” And my answer is “No.” Now there was huge controversy over the removal of circumcision. All bloody rites were removed once Jesus’ sacrifice was finished. And that stirred up controversy. But there is not the slightest evidence that the church was forbidden to continue baptizing their babies. In fact, the book of Hebrews explicitly ties our baptism together with Old Testament baptism. Now some people will say that the command to believe and be baptized by implication indicates that babies can’t be baptized because they can’t believe. But exactly the same commandment was given for both circumcision and baptism in the Old Testament. That’s why the unbelieving generation of Israelites under Moses were not allowed to circumcise their children. They didn’t have faith. Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant only for believing parents. There is no evidence that infant baptism was removed.

Second question: “Is there any evidence that the New Testament continued the practice of household baptisms?” And the answer is “Absolutely, yes.” To see all of the evidences, you will have to read my book. But let me give a couple hints. Turn to Galatians 3. This is a passage Baptists frequently turn to in order to prove that infants have been removed from the Abrahamic covenant and are no longer heirs. The context is circumcision being abolished and baptism taking the place of circumcision. That all by itself should clue us in that the subjects of circumcision would be the same as the subjects of baptism. But let’s start reading at verse 26.

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” This much is clear: full sonship only comes through faith. But does God leave children out in the cold until they come to faith, or are they under guardians and special privileges? Verses 23-25 indicate that until faith comes, God made provision by way of what he calls a tutor. But let’s keep reading in verse 27. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Baptists say, “Those are the heirs, and therefore those are the only ones who should be baptized. Baptism applies to believing Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free, men, and women.”

Unfortunately, that’s where most people stop reading. It is quite true that the Abrahamic covenant required faith for adults. It is also quite true that both Jews and Gentiles were circumcised in Genesis 17. Both males and females were admitted. Both slaves and free were part of the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 17. In fact, there were more Gentiles circumcised that day than there were lineal descendants of Abraham. So Galatians 3 says that the sign of the covenant continues to apply to those believers. But to say that children were excluded is going too far. Keep reading in chapter 4. “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.” The Greek word for “child” in verse 1 is defined in dictionaries as being a child anywhere from a newborn to a toddler. In God’s plan they were not in a no-man’s land. The ones baptized in chapter 3 are not the only ones who are heirs. The children are heirs of the Abrahamic covenant, and central to that covenant is the seed. That’s just a hint that the children have not been removed from the Abrahamic covenant.

Another hint is that almost every time baptism is mentioned in the New Testament, it is tied to the Abrahamic covenant.

Another hint is the number of household baptisms that you find in the New Testament. You have the baptism of Stephanus and his household, of the Philippian jailor, of Lydia, of the Centurion, of Gaius, and of Crispus. In fact, the only times we know for sure that the household was not included is when there was no household. The Ethiopian eunuch couldn’t have children. Paul didn’t have children. And the disciples of John who were baptized in Acts were single. Otherwise, they were all household baptisms. This is a strong hint that OT baptism of children continues.

The point is that God continues to care for the family and sees the family as the fundamental unit of society and the fundamental unit of the church. This church is not made up of individuals. It is made up of families. Some families happen to be single. But when God describes the members of the church, He includes the children. He speaks of “their little ones, and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole congregation of them” (2 Chron. 30:18). In another place He says, “Sanctify the congregationm, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing babes” (Joel 2:16). Jesus Himself said, “Let the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them. For of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). If Jesus welcomes them into the protection of the kingdom, we cannot exclude them.

And so, even though there are changes to the rituals of the Old Testament, we continue to apply the sign of the Abrahamic covenant to our children who are heirs, even though they are not yet sons by faith. And may this baptism become our pledge as parents to be stewards and guardians of our children to lead them to faith. May it be our pledge to raise our children in the fear and nurture of the Lord and a claim to God’s promise that He gave to the Philippian jailer. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). He believed, and laying claim to God’s promise to be a God to Him and to His children after Him, He placed the sign of the covenant upon his children. The next verses say that his household was baptized. Not all good Christians agree with us on infant baptism. But it is something that we glory in, and delight in speaking about. Amen.

Now as [family] come forward, we get to witness both sides of the covenant. [Child] will be baptized in anticipation of when he will enter into sonship by faith. [The next two children] have already come to faith, and as a son and daughter of the Most High, they will be admitted to the Lord’s Table. So I will be asking them questions immediately after the baptism.