Thoughts on Covenant Baptism

This Lord’s Day, we will have the great privilege of receiving a precious covenant child into the body of Christ through the sign of baptism.  There are some in our congregation who have not been exposed to infant baptism in the past and may have questions about what we mean when we baptize a baby.  My hope is that this letter will help clarify what we believe infant baptism to be in contrast with what we know infant baptism is not.

We don’t believe infant baptism guarantees the salvation of the child: Some churches believe in “presumptive regeneration,” which is the idea that when a child is baptized, that child is born again.  We don’t believe that, as such a view would turn baptism into a saving work rather than a sacramental sign. 

We don’t believe infant baptism replaces a child’s public profession of faith: When a young child is baptized, this marks out that child as a child of the covenant, just as circumcision did for Jewish boys under the Old Covenant.  That child now baptized is truly part of the church as a non-communicant member being raised in the covenant community under the means of grace.  This child will receive the tremendous benefits of being raised in the covenant community and being prayed for by the entire church family.  However, we do so in hopes that God will draw this child to Himself, and that she will one day stand before the church and openly profess Jesus Christ as her Savior.  

We believe infant baptism is biblical: Sometimes those who disagree with infant baptism will say that it is a holdover from Roman Catholicism that the church failed to get rid of during the Reformation.  Clearly I disagree, as we have historical evidence that the church baptized infants all the way back in the second century.  Yet historic precedent is not why we do this; Scripture alone is why we do this!  

While there are many passages that I could point to in order to make this case (Matt. 18:5; 19:14; 1 Cor 7:14; cf Joshua 24:15), I’d like to focus on Peter’s Pentecost sermon in Acts 2.  Peter has just given a wonderful Gospel presentation, and some who heard it said “Brothers, what shall we do?”  And Peter’s response was simple: Repent and be baptized every one of you.”  Peter here is establishing the role of baptism as the normative sign of entry into the covenant community, but he doesn’t stop there.  In verse 39, he makes the amazing statement that “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.”  These words were not original to Peter, but were a reiteration of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 17, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you.”  Peter’s sermon makes clear that children still hold a prominent place in the covenant community, just as in Abraham’s day.  This explains why, often when we see baptisms in the book of Acts, it is not merely the professing believer, but frequently the whole household:

• the baptism of Cornelius’ family in Acts 10:47-48 and 11:14.
• the baptism of Lydia’s family in Acts 16:15.
• the baptism of the Philippian jailer’s family in Acts 16:32-33.
• the baptism of Crispus’ family in Acts 18:8.
• the baptism of Stephanus’ family in 1 Corinthians 1:16.

We believe infant baptism acknowledges the important place of children in the church family: As I mentioned above, young boys in the Old Covenant were brought into the covenant community through circumcision. This formed a universal understanding among the Jewish people that children were legitimately seen as part of the people of God.  As covenant children, they received the benefits of shepherding care, exposure to the ministry of the Word, and the prayers of the entire covenant community. 

Now under the New Covenant, baptism is the sign of entry into the covenant community (Colossians 2:11-12).  There are many similarities between baptism and circumcision:

• Both are signs (Genesis 17:11, Romans 4:11-12)
• Both are a seal (Romans 4:11; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13,30; 2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 9:4)
• Both initiate membership into the covenant community (Genesis 17:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
• Both symbolize regeneration (Deuteronomy 10:16; John 3:5; Colossians 2:13)
• Both are for those who are holy/ set apart by parents’ relationship to God: (Malachi 2:15; 1 Corinthians 7:14)
• Both point to the need for an inner spiritual experience, namely spiritual circumcision and spiritual baptism (Romans. 2:28-29; Jeremiah. 4:4; 1 Peter. 3:21)

Of course, just as the New Covenant is better than the Old, so baptism is better than circumcision: it is more inclusive (male and female/ Jew and gentile) and unbloody (Christ has already shed His blood, so our shedding of blood is unnecessary).  

Recognizing that the New Covenant is better than the Old in every way, we would be highly surprised to find that children of believers were now excluded from the covenant sign.  I suspect if that were the case, a major controversy would have ensued in the early church, one that would have likely been recorded in the New Testament.  Yet we find no such controversy, indicating that children are indeed part of the covenant community. 

For that reason, we gladly give the sign of baptism to the children of believers, welcoming them into the covenant community.  This is why we as a congregation seek to be extremely attentive to children at First Scots: because they’re part of our church family. 

We believe infant baptism is a beautiful illustration of the Gospel: As the waters of baptism flow down the head of the child, we see a vivid picture of the sovereign grace of God in the Gospel.  Just as that child did nothing to warrant that baptism, we are reminded that salvation is completely contingent upon God’s grace.  And as that child is baptized, we pray for the symbol represented in baptism to be made effectual in the life of the child through the sovereign grace of God.  

We believe that infant baptism casts our hope of this child’s salvation onto God’s sovereign grace:  As we see this Gospel drama acted out in baptism, it is intended to leave an indelible imprint upon our hearts that our child’s hope of salvation does not rest in our parenting, or in the child’s goodness, or even in the church’s ability to disciple these children.  It rests upon God’s sovereign grace alone. 

Through the years, the baptisms of my sons have fueled my prayers and encouraged my heart as I plead with God to bring to fruition what we asked Him to do at their baptism.  Likewise, many parents have found their child’s covenant baptism to be a great comfort in times that children have become wayward.  

I know that there are many in our congregation who are undecided on this issue, while others find themselves on the opposing side.  We love and embrace those brothers and sisters with deep joy because our common ground in the Gospel far outweighs our differences on this issue.  Regardless of what you believe about baptism, we can all pray with one voice that God will draw Corrie Grace Purser (and all of the little ones in our congregation) to Himself. 

If you’d like to read more about this, here are some books I’m glad to recommend:

• James Chaney, William the Baptist : This book is written as a novel telling the story of how one man came to embrace infant baptism through the study of the Scriptures. 
• John Murray, Christian Baptism: Dr. Murray was one of the 20th century’s great reformed theologians.  This book is theologically dense but very helpful in understanding a theology of baptism.
• Guy Richard, Baptism: Answers to Common Questions: Dr. Richard’s book is practical and very clearly written, and it would be well worth your time to read it. 

All of these will be available in the church bookstore this Sunday. 

If you have questions, we would be glad to discuss this further with you. 

With love in Christ,

Pastor Alex