Is it right to baptize infants?

Question

Is it right to baptize infants?

Mark 16:16 says, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved". What does this say about infant baptism?

Answer 1

Dude..........

I can see that some people would use Mark 16:16 as an argument against infant baptism. However, it has to be seen in context, because one can never just pick out a verse and use it without seeing the whole setting and what the intention of the writer was. It is clear that the Bible has nothing to say against infant baptism. In this verse the baptised believer is held up as the one who will be saved. That is the important point, not any detail about when or how baptism takes place. There is an explicit dogmatic condemnation of those who do not believe.
Baptism in the Bible always supposes that a person has heard the preaching of the Gospel and professed his faith in Jesus Christ. However, the object of faith, Christ and his saving work, can be known implicity rather than explicitly when the Spirit is given before baptism (Acts 10:44-48), and it seems that the faith of the father of the family can be valid for all his household - this is the case with Cornelius and the jailer at Philippi (Acts 10:47; 16:15; 16:33). Nowhere does it say that everyone "except infants" was baptised. In Acts 16:33 nothing is said about the faith of the family baptised, only the faith of the father.

Since the Bible clearly says in the verses I quoted above that whole households are baptised, Christians have always believed that believing parents have the right, on the basis of their faith, to have their children also incorporated into Christ and brought up knowing Him. However, baptism alone is not enough. If it is simply a formality, without faith on the part of the parents or is later rejected by the person baptised (he or she rejects it by not converting their life to Christ), then it is useless.

Faith in Christ involves a total conversion and normally leads to a request for baptism. The reception of baptism finds the perfection of faith. Paul never separates conversion from baptism. He always takes it for granted that the profession of faith is crowned by the reception of baptism.

In Chapter 16 of Mark, Jesus appears to the eleven, rebukes them for not having believed, and sends them into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel: "Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved". What is being said is that belief and baptism go together. It is not saying, first believe, then be baptised. Any knowledge of Greek, the language in which it was written, will tell you that. The two things belong together, and in the following verse there is the promise that the Lord will work with the missionary disciples and confirm them through miraculous signs.

It is difficult not to be impatient with the sort of (rather unintelligent) Bible reading that picks up little details and builds fantastic theories on them that contradict two thousand years of Christian practice! The main thing to remember is: the Bible connects belief and baptism. The how, why, and timing of the connection is left open.

Answer 2

The bible clearly defines baptism as an open statement to those who wish to serve God and understand the choice they are making. So, infant baptism is meaningless.
I disagree with baptizing anyone before 13 at the youngest. I saw a baptism of a 6 year old and the girl had to be coaxed through her decisions. I thought it was a shame for the pastor to allow it. He should have stopped the baptism right then and there.
Now, she will go through life thinking she was baptized, when she never really was. It is a decision that the person must fully understand and she clearly only wanted to do it to either please her parents or because it looked like fun.

If you really want it to be a simple answer, try and find anyplace in the bible where an infant was baptized. If it was OK, then Jesus or the apostles would have done it. There were plenty of babies back then, so why isn't it in the Word of God. People brought babies and children to Jesus constantly to be blessed. Why didn't He command them to be baptized?

Baptism is a sign of repentance. A baby cannot talk, let alone repent of something.

Answer 3

It is not right to baptize infants because they are already covered by the blood of Christ. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Baptism shows the world that you are saved. How can an infant believe in their heart when they can't speak so we don't know what they believe. An infant cannot confess because they cannot communicate with us. Why should they be baptized when they cannot and have not confessed unto salvation? Only believers are baptized and infants aren't believers as far as we know because they cannot tell us what is going on in their heart. Only God knows their heart which is why they are covered by the blood of Christ; if they die, they automatically go to heaven.

Answer 4

YES! This ALL started because to this day - children die.
Parents/families are in mourning, what do you do? Well of course you baptize the children right after birth. This way - if the worse happens and it happens a lot - the parents and families can find SOME COMFORT. As the children's parents DO believe - and plan to teach their children what they believe, even as infants they are saved.

As a side note, as I'm Roman Catholic, I would say at the age of reason, we have confirmation, where we are asked if we believe - and we speak for ourselves. I think other religions have something similar when children come of age - but I don't know enough to talk correctly.

Answer 5

As you have said, whoever believes. Does an infant knows how to believe? And Jesus himself was baptized when He was an adult not an infant, because you have to believe first before the baptism. Additional info: Jesus was dedicated in the temple as a baby. He is our role model so what they have done before should be copied. Hope I helped you.

Answer 6

It doesn't hurt to baptize infants nor does it help. Because as you point it out, a person must first believe and then be baptized.

David fasted and prayed until his baby died. After the baby died, he ate again because he said he would see the baby again. There was no mention of the baby being baptized.

The Bible states "if you do not ~believe~ you will be condemned". Baptism is an act of obedience and public identification with the death and resurrection of Christ, but is not necessary for receiving salvation.

Answer 7

The Bible says nothing about infant baptism.
Jesus is our example. He was baptized when he was 30; old enough to be making a conscious choice to believe. Follow the Example.

Answer 8

Baptism is a choice people make to show a public confession that believe in Jesus Christ. An infant cant make this choice it is made for them. When John was baptizing he asked them to repent and believe in the messiah. There wasn't any infants.
It is just a public show that you believe.

Answer 9

I have always had an issue with infant baptism, but it has nothing to do with interpreting the proper message intended in scripture.

The point of baptism, as I was taught it in the Catholic church, is to wash away original sin (i.e. the sin of Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God, ate the forbidden fruit and gained the knowledge of their own nakedness and shame, that is the knowledge of their sexuality).

This means that the dogma is that children are born with sin on them, born guilty.

Well, I was present for the birth of both of my children and I know for a fact that they were born purely innocent. God did not need to forgive them for anything at all.

I chose not to baptize my children for that reason.

Answer 10

I am so disturbed by this, Infants don't even know what is going on. Why get them baptized, it has no true meaning. when someone gets baptized their sins are washed away, your infant has no sin. I know that it is cute, put honestly pointless. I think that THEY need to make that decision when they are older, not the parents, or it will become meaningless.

Allot of people take this scripture way way out of contents. It is awesome to be baptized, Jesus was, and he led by example. In order for you to go to heaven, you have to call upon the name of Jesus. That is it.......there are no ultimatums on his love, besides loving him. The thief on the cross was promised Paradise, he called upon the name of the Lord. He was never baptized. Is he still going to make it into heaven.....? The answer is yes...

Get you child baptized when he accepts Jesus into his heart, when he knows who Jesus is! I know that it is so precious, but maybe you can get him christened.