St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church
| Thursday, July 29, 2010 |
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St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church
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INFANT BAPTISM: A SUMMARY OF WHY THE CHURCH BAPTIZES INFANTS By The Rev. Nordon W. Winger, M.Div., C.A.S.
"Infant Baptism was never an issue until the time of the Reformation." Frank Wilson, Faith and Practice, 164I. Baptism, in the New Covenant, is analogous to Circumcision in the Old A. Paul treats baptism as a spiritual counterpart to circumcision: Colossians 2:11-13 1. Circumcision was the rite by which Jews were admitted as infants to the benefits of the Covenant and membership of the religious community 2. Jewish males were circumcised on the 8 th day, as the sign of their inclusion within the covenant3. Baptism, as analogous to circumcision, could thus properly be administered to infants B. "It had been a long-standing tradition within Christian theology to see baptism as the Christian equivalent to circumcision." Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, 520"The baptism of infants inside the church is regarded as a direct counterpart to the Jewish rite of circumcision." Ibid., 530 C. The Baptism of Infants argues for the more inclusive and gentle character of Christianity 1. The more inclusive character of Christianity was affirmed by the baptism of both male and female infants, as opposed to the Jewish marking only of male infants2. The more gentle character of the gospel is demonstrated by the absence of pain or the shedding of blood in the Sacrament: Christ suffered in order that his people need not suffer in this mannerII. Inference from the message of Jesus A. John 3:5 ". . . unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." B. Mark 10:14 "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to Such belongs the kingdom of God. The inference: If children are to belong to the Kingdom of God, and if admission to the Kingdom of God is only by baptism, then surely Jesus intended that children should be baptized III. Reference to the baptism of households in the New TestamentA. In Acts 16: 15; Acts 16:33; and I Corinthians 1:16 reference is made to the baptism of "Households" 1. In the Greco-Roman world the "household" would included the husband, wife, children servants, slaves and other retainers a. There is nothing to indicate that children would have been excluded b. This is also supported by the baptismal practice of Judaism as it related to proselytes, in which the children of Jewish proselytes would also be baptized ( Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Infant Baptism, 701)B. Acts 2:38-39 (cf v.33) "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in The name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."1. "There is little reason to doubt that the household baptisms would include any children who might belong to the families concerned." Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, art. Baptism, Infant, 87IV. Old Testament Types (pre-figurements) of Baptism A. The Flood: Noah’s family is saved with him in the Ark (cf I Pet. 3:20-21) B. Abraham given the covenant sigh of circumcision: It is to be given to all male members of his household (see above for the connection between baptism and circumcision) C. Passing through the Red Sea: All Israel (men, women, and children) pass through the waters in the great act of redemption, which St. Paul calls a "baptism" (I Corinthians 10) D. All of these, which were regarded by the Church as pre-figurements, or types, of baptism, favor the view that God deals with families, and not just individuals. V. The Priority of Grace A. The New Testament repeatedly stresses the initiative and prior action of God taken for our salvation, before and while we were incapable of doing anything for ourselves B. "Finally—and perhaps most important of all—we believe that the baptism of children witnesses to an important spiritual truth: our faith begins not with what we do for God, but with what God does for us. In baptizing children we remind ourselves of that important fact over and over again." Graeme A. Brady, Sacraments , from Anglican: Introducing the Faith, History and Practice of the Anglican ChurchC. "As the Bible sees it, baptism is not primarily a sign of repentance and faith on the part of the baptized. It is not a sign of anything that we do at all. It is a covenant sign, and therefore a sign of the work of God on our behalf which precedes and makes possible our own responsive movement." Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, art. Baptism, Infant, 87
SOME STATEMENTS REGARDING INFANT BAPTISM "He [Jesus Christ] came to save all through Himself—all, I say, who through Him are reborn in God—infants, and children, and youths and old men." St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 2,22,4 (c. A.D. 180), in William Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, v. 1, 87"Baptize first the children; and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them." St. Hippolytus of Rome, The Apostolic Tradition, 21 (c. A.D. 215), in William Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, v. 1, 169". . . according to the usage of the Church, Baptism is given even to infants." Origen of Alexandria, Homilies on Numbers [Hom. 8,3], (c. post A.D. 244), in William Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, v. 1, 208 "The Church received from the Apostles the tradition of giving Baptism even to infants. For the Apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of divine mysteries, knew that there is in everyone the innate stains of sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit." Origen, Commentaries on Romans, 5,9 (post A.D. 244) in William Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, v. 1, 209 "In view of the prevailing Jewish custom and the subsequent habits of the Church in administering Baptism to infants, the absence of any reference to them would seem to indicate that it was our Lord’s intention to include them. Some clearly negative precedent is required to over-balance the positive temper of these words." Frank E. Wilson, Faith and Practice, 165 "The practice of the Church is consistent with ordinary human experience. Just as one enters a family by birth and is really a part of that family even though for along period of time there is no real capacity for giving human love but only for receiving it, so one may be brought into the family of the Church before he or she is capable of understanding its significance or of expressing the love that marks this community as the Body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit." RichardP. McBrien, Catholicism, 798 |