Credo For Christ: A View on Baptism

[Title Photo Attribution: Original Photo Source; CC 2.0]

Introduction:

To discuss every aspect of baptism is a task for someone else at another time. In fact, many such works already exist. My intention is to address the issue as to why credo-baptism makes the most sense biblically speaking. For those who may not know, credo-baptism is also known as “believer’s baptism.” There is also padeo-baptism and padeo-baptism is often referred to as “infant baptism.”

It’s important to note that these arguments are not exclusive, nor even original, to me. I have seen, heard, or read, almost all of these in the past at one time or another. Quite frankly, if I’m reading my own chicken scratch of notes correctly, this article spring boards off of notes I jotted down from a presentation by Alistair Begg. Begg gave the anti, or “against R.C. Sproul,” position at the Ligonier conference all the way back in 1997. The issue was padeo-vs-credo baptism and Begg supported the credo position while Sproul defended the padeo position.

First Mention:

For starters, baptism is a New Testament concept and we come across it for the first time in Matthew 3:1-2, 6 – “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (ESV) and the parallel passage of Luke 3:3 – “And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (ESV).

In these passages we find a large number of people coming out to hear and follow John and they are being baptized with the baptism of repentance. This starts a noteworthy trend and that trend is that whenever we see baptism taking place it is in regards to repentance and faith.

Acts:

In Acts 2:38 & 41 we see that the passage speaks to the command of first believing and repenting (v.38) and it speaks to the people first of all accepting/believing and then being baptized (v.41).

Acts 8:12-13 – “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed” (ESV). In verse 8 we see that they believed, and then they were baptized. And even in verse 13 we see Simon first believing, and his was not the most solid of faith.

Something very interesting takes place when we take a look at Acts 8:36 which deals with the Eunuch who desires to be baptized – “And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [Acts 8:36 Some manuscripts add all or most of verse 37: And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

Did you catch the significance? The Eunuch wants to be baptized, and some very early scribe didn’t want a chance for any kind of misunderstanding to take place so he made sure to add “If yu believe with all your heart, you may.” And the Eunuch responds with, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” What’s significant is that while it may very well be an addition to the text, it tells us volumes on how the early church viewed baptism: they saw it as inseparable from, and intimately connected to, faith (or belief).

The order for Cornelius in Acts 10:47 is belief, receiving the Holy Spirit, and then baptism. The order for Lydia in Acts 16:14 is belief, because God opens up and regenerates her heart, then baptism, and then she demonstrates her faith by believing Paul and showing charity toward him.

In Acts 16:31 we see the jailer first believing the power of God and the testimony of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, and then he is baptized. In fact, it says he and his entire household are baptized. The Padeo-baptists love to cling on to this verse and try to claim it for themselves. However, when one takes a closer look it is far more likely the children believed as well and then were baptized, if indeed there were children at all.

We see in Acts 18:8 that Crispus and the Corinthians were baptized after believing and in Acts 22 Paul gives his own testimony telling that he was convicted, repented, in his case lost his sight, and was then baptized after his sight returned.

Infants:

Since there is no disputing that baptism and faith belong together, it only makes since for credo-baptism to follow, because it is the choice which acknowledges that a personal, living faith and repentance are the core aspects of baptism. I am sure some might be asking themselves, “why is this so?” Well, because if one baptizes babies there is a break in that link, there’s a break in the pattern of believing and then baptism that we have seen all throughout this paper and in the Scriptures. Padeo-baptism, or infant baptism, is unfaithful to the New Testament pattern expression, and understanding of what baptism is.

After all, it’s not like Scripture is clear and expressive that adults need to confess belief and then be baptized, and then silent or unclear on what should be done with our babies. The Bible is completely clear that baptism follows on the heels of faith. First faith, then baptism.

Infants do not have the cognitive ability to understand right from wrong and this is evident in life as well as in Isaiah 7:16. Not only are they unable to deduce right from wrong, they are incapable of telling their right hand from their left (Jonah 4:11). Therefore, baptism is not, nor was it ever meant to be, for them.

Children:

When faced with all of the above information, the padeo-baptists start turning to passages that deal with the idea of covenant children. But this also falls flat because it is not just children God delights in, it is faithful children.

Mark 9:42 says, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (ESV). Notice the severe punishment awaiting those who mess with children who believe.

Acts 2:39 reads, ” For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (ESV). The idea of this verse is not that children are saved apart from faith, but that this promise is good for everyone God has called, you, your children, strangers – all people whom God has elected not only can be saved by faith in Christ but will be saved.

We see the children are encouraged to come to Christ in Mark 10:15, even so, in verse 16 it is plain to see that their faith and acceptance of the Kingdom is what makes them precious. Or, we can also say that this has absolutely nothing to do with baptism, and that is just as valid an argument.

Conclusion:

To believe our covenant children should be baptized apart from a personal, living, repenting, faith is to completely miss the entire reason for baptism. It’s to belittle the significance of faith and it’s centrality in the New Covenant. Romans 6:3 tells us baptism is a kind of participation in Christ’s death, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death”

Not only have we been baptized into his death, it is also participation into a new life and body, 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (ESV) and Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (ESV).

So, it comes after faith, it follows faith. Indeed it is the mark of faith, and evidence of faith. It should in no way be separated from an active, living, confessional faith

This was a guest post from Dr. Jeff Hagan.

Jeff is an ordained Christian minister with over 23 years of ministry experience. He has attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary, Tyndale Seminary and a handful of other institutes as well. He has earned several degrees including the Doctor of Christian Education and the Doctor of Theology.