Lord’s Day, Vol. 3 No. 46

Infant Baptism

Infant Baptism is a biblical doctrine, in accordance with the Reformed Faith, where infants are baptised so that they become a part of the covenant family in the visible church. The believing parents enter into a covenant with the Lord by bringing their infant for baptism, promising God to bring their child up in the fear and knowledge of God. In the Old Testament, God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male child who was eight days old in his household, as a sign of His covenant with Abraham for all their future generation.

Genesis 17:9-13 “9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

The Old Testament administered the covenant through circumcision whereas in the New Testament the sign and seal of the covenant is baptism. The Apostle Paul taught baptism as a sign of being in the covenant family of God through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:11-12 “11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

When new believers are saved and added to the infant church in Jerusalem at Pentecost, the Apostle Peter instructed those who have repented be baptised, and these included the children.

Acts 2:38-39 “38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Oliver Buswell in “A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion” affirmed the biblical doctrine of infant baptism when he wrote, “God promised to Abraham emphatically and repeatedly that He would be the God of Abraham’s children. Paul clearly teaches that the children of Christian parents, if even one parent is a Christian, are in a holy relationship (I Corinthians 7:14)… the Reformed theology holds that infant baptism is the sign and mark of this family covenant, the sign not only of the vows of the parents, but the sign of the obligation and responsibility of the church toward the children under its care.”^[1]

The sanctifying influence of the believing parent upon his/her children is emphasized in 1 Corinthians 7:14 “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”

As such, the Bible-Presbyterian Church constitution in article 4.2.11 doctrinally states, “We believe that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Baptism for believers and their children…which sacraments shall be observed by His Church till He comes (Matt. 28:19, 1 Cor. 11:23-26).”

Also in article 7.1, “BAPTISM: The observance of the Baptism of believers is by sprinkling on personal confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Infants of one or both the believing parents are to be baptised (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-42, 8:35-38, 10:44-48; 1 Cor. 7:14).” (Bold added for emphasis)

The believing parents will therefore, as representatives of their children, bring their children before God in baptism, acknowledging that they, as well as their children, are sinners, lost and undone, that apart from the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are all lost and doomed to hell, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Saviour for themselves and their children. They understand that baptism does not save their children but by presenting their children for infant baptism, it shows their earnest claim to God’s covenant of grace upon their family.

The believing parents make the promise before God to teach their children to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour at the earliest opportunity by sharing the gospel with them and instructing their children in the principles of God’s Holy Word. The parents are to be examples of piety and godliness for their children’s emulation that the children may be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Westminster Confession of Faith XXVIII 1-7 affirms this biblical truth, “Of Baptism– …not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.”

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee

¹ J. Oliver Buswell, “A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Christian Life Publishers Pte. Ltd., 1994, Part III, 265-266.