Bible Truth FAQs
IS INFANT BAPTISM VALID?
A large segment of the religious world known as Christianity practices the rite of infant baptism. They do not scripturally baptize infants (see Greek "baptiso"), but they call it baptism anyway. Even if the mode were scriptural, there are Bible reasons declaring it invalid.
1. Baptism is an act of obedience on the part of a willing, responsible, penitent believer (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). Infants are not willing but usually quite opposed to and disturbed over it. Also they are not responsible persons, nor penitent, nor are they believers in Christ. They lack all the prerequisites.
2. Baptism is for remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Infants are not sinners, as some erroneously claim (Ez. 18:20; Ez. 28:15; Luke 18:16-17). Infants have committed no sin and therefore are not accountable for sin.
3. There is neither command nor example for infant baptism in the Bible. Men arrive at conclusions based upon presumptuous premises. Such presumptuousness is sinful because it goes beyond God's word (II John 9). Infant baptism is entirely unscriptural.
As in all other acts performed in the name of religion. The question is. "Is it God's will?" If it were, would he not have said so?
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