Baptism Lutheran Perspective

Arguing against the Anabaptists on Infant Baptism

-They point to the texts of Jesus being Baptized as a reason that we are to only Baptize adults. (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 3:23)

-The first problem with this is that Baptism occurs just so we can follow what Jesus did. Our life is to follow Jesus, obviously this is impossible due to sin as stated in Ephesians 2:1-3, and Romans 8:7-8.

-One must remember first of all that Jesus was born under the Old Covenant, which is why he was circumcised in Luke 2:21. The reason that Jesus was baptized as laid out by my Friends at CARM is to fulfill priestly righteousness. Jesus was a Priest in the Melchidezek Order as stated in Hebrews 5:8-10, and to enter the Priesthood one had to be washed with water in accord with (Leviticus 8:6, and Exodus 29:4). Since Jesus was to be the Ultimate sacrifice for sin in accordance with (2 Cor 5.21, and 1 Peter 2:21)

-They also cite the command to baptize as stated in Matthew 28:19- It never states not to baptize someone, as this is never cited in scripture. Baptism of infants is never forbidden anywhere in scripture. We know that Polycarp was baptized as an infant around 70 AD, around the time the Later Epistles were written; we know that this probably wasn’t the first Infant Baptism. The Matthew 28 text also states that people must be raised in the Faith in verse 20.

-They cite the Acts 2:40-41 passage which talks about people getting Baptized and saved. Well if one is to link the work of Baptism with the work of saving as they like to do here, who is the one who does the saving in accordance with (1 Corinthians 2:10-11, Titus 3:5, I Corinthians 12:3, I Peter 3:8, and John 3:5). It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Though this isn’t to deny as the Univeralists do that we can reject the work of the Holy Spirit as stated in Acts 7:51, Mark 3:27-28, and Hebrews 3:5-6). They point to verse 38 in Peter’s call to repent then be baptized as a need to repent before Baptism. It should be pointed out that these people were all outside the Christian church, so that is why so many Adult Baptisms take place in the 1^st century, but in ensuing generations the practice of infant Baptism becomes more prevalent. By the 2^nd century, Infant Baptisms were quite universal. Here it states that in Baptism which I substitute as God’s Grace through Jesus Christ as Baptism much like Circumsion is pointing to the faithfulness of God in which it represents. This brings forgiveness of sins and is done through the work of the Holy Spirit. In Verse 38, Baptism is pointed to as God’s action. In Verse 39, we again have an inclusive command to baptize all people. It asserts Baptism with the promise of God in Jesus Christ.

-Acts 8:35-39-Speaks of the eunuch being convicted of sins by Philip. It should be noted that the eunuch wanted to be baptized, if he understood it as just a confession of faith. Why didn’t he just state a confession of faith? We would probably understand this text, as the eunuch wanted to be washed of his sins before God. We know that the Spirit worked in the water here in Acts 8:39- thereby further pointing to the work in Baptism as the work of the Spirit.

-Acts 16:30-33 is similar to Mark 16 in that they seem to be defining Baptism and Belief as too separate things, as they always point to Belief as salvation. We know here that the jailer was baptized along with his entire household, a theme of inclusion in regard to Baptism. We know nothing of the age of people in the Household. Here though the Baptism serves as a washing of sins, rather than a confession of faith. It is also stated here that they need to hear the word in Baptism, but no one would dispute that the power of Baptism is from the promises of God’s Word.

-Colossians 2:11-12-This is probably the best set of verses in all of Scripture to make the argument for Infant Baptism. Here a comparison is made to Circumsion as putting of one’s sinful nature. What Circumsion was is an engrafting in God’s Covenant as stated in Genesis 17:10-14. So here Baptism is being spoken of as bringing one into the faith and it is not the act that brings one in but what it represents God’s Faithfulness and the Work of the Holy Spirit. This is consistent with Romans 4:9-11 which speaks of how circumsion brought people into the faith. Some argue against this in that it was done to define the Israelites, and this is different than God’s salvation to all people today. I say so what? It is God that brings all people into faith, in means like Circumsion and Baptism. To use Romans 9 as an argument against this seems to make little sense, since it is faith that saves as stated in Romans 4. Not nationality, nor righteousness. This text speaks of how we have been buried with Christ in accord to (Ephesians 2:1-3) due to our sinful nature. We are dead unable to do anything at this point because of sin. But due to God’s work, like in the waters of Baptism, Christ was raised from the dead, so that we may walk in newness of life. There was no response needed for our sinful state it was just like Lazarus in John 11, Jesus said “Rise” and “We rose”. This idea is advanced in Romans 6:3-5. The Romans text further drives home the point of the death of our sinful state. Some might ask about the references to faith in Colossians 2:12, as stating Baptism being the same thing as faith. The problem with this is that we are saved by faith, which is the work of the Holy Spirit, and since Romans 4:11 establishes Infants can have faith, than therefore this isn’t sufficient grounds to deny infants Baptism. This is backed up by 2 Timothy 3:15, and is why Jesus states the Little Children may come to him.

-Doesn’t 1 Peter 3:21 assert Baptism with saving faith? 1 Peter 3:21 states it is what is symbolized that saves you. This is not our action, but the work of Christ on the Cross, and the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to faith.

Baptism in none of these passages cited by the Southern Baptists is pointed to as the same thing as a confession of faith, it is never pointed to as any of our doing, and nowhere is it ever said not to baptize someone. The only people who seemed to be against Baptism in the scriptures were the Pharisees in John 3:5 due to it being an acknowledge of one’s own sinful, and in the Early Church Tertullian didn’t care for it, since he didn’t believe in the Doctrine of Orginal Sin.

Can the Holy Spirit work in the waters of Baptism? If you believe in Acts 2:38 and Titus 3:5-6. Then yes, the Titus passage speaks of God’s saving as by his own mercy, and through the work of the Holy Spirit in the washing of Renewal and Rebirth. This Renewal took place through Christ our Savior.

So what is the Lutheran Argument for Infant Baptism

-Starts out with our Depravity as stated in (Romans 5:12-21, Romans 3:23, I John 1:8, Ephesians 2:3, Psalm 51:5). We are since dead in sin as stated by Ephesians 2:1-3. It is in this way in accordance with I Corinthians 2:14-that man cannot know God through his own merits. We know from Romans 10:14-21 that the Holy Spirit tries to reach all people to bring them to faith, it is there own work to reject Faith. We know that due to our own sinfulness, Baptism is needed to wash away our sins in accord with Acts 22:16. We Baptize because of scriptures command to baptize in Matthew 28:19-20, and Acts 2:38-39, all people without any distinction. Never does scripture ever state, how anyone has misused Baptism. Nor does, scripture state one should be Re-Baptized. For Baptism is not all dependent on all merits, but only God’s in bringing about forgiveness of sins. This is why Colossians 2:11-12-compares Infant Baptism to Circumsion. The argument of Baptism laid out in John 3:5-7 is how Baptism brings new birth, one must ask how did we cooperate in our first birth. Baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit in washing of renewal and rebirth, poured out through Christ as stated in Titus 3:5-6, made valid through the power of the scriptures as stated in Acts 16:32-33, assures us of the salvation of God’s grace (I Peter 3:21), and raises us from our sinful state (Romans 3:5-6). Every action, portrayed here is God’s doing, not ours. In Lutheran Baptism, one must start with the total dependence of man on God for salvation. How man cannot know God on his own. Arguments against Infant Baptism can be made on rationalistic grounds. One might point on how infants can’t possibly rationalize up everything needed to believe. This goes against the very words of Christ in Matthew 18:2-6, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17;. For Faith doesn’t come from our own minds, but only from the work of the Holy Spirit. But we also reject the idea that Baptism works without Faith in accord with Acts 16:31, and Romans 1:16-17