by Doreen Kajulu | 31 August 2019 08:46 pm08
ANSWER: No, it is not biblically permissible to baptize young children. Baptism in Christian theology is a sacrament that follows genuine repentance and faith. In the Bible, repentance involves a personal decision to turn away from sin and dedicate one’s life to God. This is clearly outlined in
Acts 2:38, where Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Notice the order: repentance first, followed by baptism.
In
Mark 1:15, Jesus also preached, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.”
Again, repentance and faith precede baptism. Baptism symbolizes the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as described in
Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Thus, baptism is a conscious act that follows personal faith and repentance, and this cannot be applied to infants or young children who are not yet capable of making such decisions.
Why aren’t infants baptized? The primary reason is that infants do not have the ability to make a conscious decision to repent of their sins or to place faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that individuals must recognize their need for salvation and choose to follow Christ for baptism to be meaningful. In
Romans 10:9, it is stated, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Infants are not able to declare their faith or make this confession.
The Bible also speaks about the necessity of personal responsibility in salvation, as seen in
Acts 17:30, which says, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Children, being unaware of their sin or the gospel, cannot meet this requirement.
Instead of baptizing infants, we see in
Mark 10:16 that Jesus blessed children, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
This shows that while children are precious in God’s sight, they are not yet at an age to make personal decisions about repentance and faith.
Baptism and Personal Decision: To baptize an infant is similar to baptizing someone who has not personally repented and confessed faith in Christ. True baptism, as shown in
Acts 8:36-37, is linked to an individual’s personal confession of faith. When Philip baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch says, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And Philip replies, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
Baptism without personal faith and repentance is not consistent with the biblical model.
In summary, baptism is a deeply personal step that follows an individual’s decision to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Infants, who are not yet capable of making this decision, cannot be biblically baptized. Instead, they can be prayed for and blessed, just as Jesus did with the children in Mark 10:16.
Shalom.
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