Infant Baptism

Infant Baptism

I often hear criticism of the Catholic practice of infant baptism coming from some of the Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide crowd, and I believe that these Protestants are contradicting their own doctrines by failing to appreciate the practice of infant baptism.

Catholics are accused of performing needless works to earn Heaven by the ‘faith alone’ bunch, and yet Catholics are the ones who seem to understand that because Baptism is a free gift that we cannot earn, babies who have no ability to perform a work of acceptance of the gift of Baptism, are eligible to receive this gift.

What Does Scripture Say about Infant Baptism?

It is true that Scripture doesn’t say in so many words that babies should be baptized or were baptized, but there are scriptural references to whole households being baptized which suggests that any babies who were part of these households would have also been baptized. (Acts 16:15,18:8). Paul makes a reference to baptizing a whole household in 1 Corinthians 1:16. It is also important to note that nowhere in Scripture does it say NOT to baptize infants. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. . .” (Matthew 28:19). Why would we assume this command doesn’t include babies? Infant Baptism is certainly not omitted from Scripture.

Infant Baptism and Grace

I have also heard it said time and time again that all that is needed in order to receive the Grace of the Holy Spirit is a simple verbal confession of faith and a heartfelt acceptance of Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior. According to those who subscribe to this notion, since a baby cannot give a verbal confession of this sort or accept Jesus into his heart, baptism should wait until he is old enough to perform these works. These people ask, “Why all the fuss over the ritualistic celebration involving water and a priest? Is Infant Baptism really necessary?"

Indeed, if we examine Scripture we find that faith is vital. In Acts 16 we read about the jailer who asked Paul and Silas how he might be saved. They tell him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31. But, upon examination of the words following this passage, we see that Paul employs actions involving water which is described as a washing away of wounds. “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.” Acts 16:32-33. Here we see Paul baptizing a whole family, water being used to wash wounds, and though it is not stated who the members of the family included, no reason is given to assume that infants were not part of the jailer’s family. Now, our ‘faith alone’ friend might say that Paul states that the conditions for salvation were ‘believing’. But that statement from Paul makes total sense in light of the fact that the jailer would not have allowed his family to be baptized if he didn’t believe in the Lord. For adults, believing is necessary in order for one to enter into the sacrament of his or her own free will. The same cannot be said of infants. They are too young to believe - they need, Infant Baptism.

The jailer’s belief was important so that Baptism might take place. Paul doesn’t say the rest of the family has to believe. He says only that the jailer has to believe in order that his family be saved. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31. If Paul’s emphasis on receiving Grace only included a personal acceptance of the Lord and nothing else, he would not have said that the jailer’s belief could save his family. Clearly he meant that the jailer’s belief would allow him and his family to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.

I think the most compelling reason we should baptize infants is stated in John 3:5, “. . . unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Why would we withhold such a vital re-birth from infants?

Circumcision was performed on babies at the age of 8 days. This sign of one’s entering into covenant relationship with God was a precursor to the Sacrament of Baptism which we celebrate today. In Colossians 2:11-12 we read, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” It doesn’t make any logical sense to believe that although babies were welcomed into covenant relationship with God at the age of 8 days through circumcision, now that Christ has come to fulfill this covenant, the conditions for eligibility are different. With a proper knowledge of Scripture, no parent would keep their child from the Sacrament of Infant Baptism.

As I study the Catholic Catechism this week in an effort to complete my homework for next week’s class on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the following question is of special interest: How can Catholics make the claim that a church full of sinners is holy? I would like to share some of what I learned, as well as my personal thoughts with you. Paragraphs for study are nos. 811-870.

The Church is holy because Christ loves her as His bride, He gives himself up for Her, joins Her to Himself as His Body, and endows Her with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Church is sanctified by the Grace of Christ and the Church is sanctifying because it is in the Church that the ‘full means of salvation’ has been deposited. (830) Though Her members are imperfect, it is through Her that Christ calls all men to perfect holiness (825). All sinners in the Church are on their way to salvation, and if the sinners live in Her, She will sanctify them with Her Grace. Like Christ, the Church suffers and does penance for the sins of Her members. (827). Read more...

From time to time, I participate in an online theology discussion, but as one of a only a handful of Catholics sharing my opinion on a website designed by Protestants, I can sometimes really feel out of place. Indeed, even the questions posed on this site used to generate thought and discussion appear, to a cradle Catholic like myself, to come from a foreign nation out of touch with what many of us believe is the Kingdom of God. One such question was as follows: "What things do you look for when trying to find a church?"

Now, I can’t speak for all Catholics, but most Catholics I know don’t fret a whole lot over the parish community they decide to join. Our faith is not really about our local parish community. There is something much bigger in play here.

Protestants are the ones who go on a search for that church which supports their own individual beliefs and philosophies, that church that makes them feel welcome, and that church that houses people they feel comfortable being around. It is said that there are some 33,000 plus Protestant denominations, but I believe that when you consider all of the differing Protestant views, the actual number might be much bigger. There could indeed be a different denomination for every individual Protestant in the world. No two people ever think exactly alike. Each individual Protestant becomes his own infallible authority guiding his moves upon what suites his tastes. But truth, by its very definition, must be objective and independent of the individual's own system of beliefs if it is to be regarded as real truth. There can only be one truth. Read more...