Who Should Be Baptized?
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:
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. [Col. 2:11-12 KJV]
Clear connection here (Col. 2:11-12) between circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New Testament. Paul is saying baptism is "circumcision in Christ."
Consider Romans 4:11 concerning Abraham:
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: [KJV]
Paul specifically says circumcision is a sign and seal of righteousness or justification by faith.
God commanded that circumcision, a sign and seal of justification by faith, be given to infant children of Abraham who were incapable of believing.
Abraham was a believer when he was circumcised, and therefore circumcision is a sign and seal of his justification by faith. The pattern in the book of Genesis is: First, the adult believer Abraham received circumcision, the sign and seal of justification by faith. Then the sign and seal was administered to his household.
The same pattern is seen in the book of Acts. First, there are adult believers; they receive the sign and seal of justification by faith, baptism; then this sign and seal is given to their households.
Baptists argue for an explicit New Testament command to baptize children of believers. God gave an explicit command in the Old Testament for the sign and seal of justification by faith to be administered to believers and their children. Without an explicit, specific New Testament reference to change that principle, how can we withhold the sign and seal of justification by faith from infant children of believers?
Christian parents, believing parents, have no more right or option to say, "Shall we have our children baptized?" than believing parents under the old covenant had a right to ask if their child should be circumcised. The New Testament does not speak explicitly, but points to the Old Testament where the Spirit has spoken sufficiently for our instruction.
The lack of an explicit question or instruction regarding the baptism of infant children in the New Testament indicates common agreement, background and understanding on this issue. What the Spirit had already said was sufficient.
Presbyterians do not speak of "New Testament Christianity" but "Whole Bible Christianity. We read the New Testament in the context of the Old.
[For the above argument, I am indebted to the late Donald A. Dunkerley– one time Baptist, mentor, fellow minister and friend– and a tract he wrote on Baptism, originally published by the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship]
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. [Col. 2:11-12 KJV]
Clear connection here (Col. 2:11-12) between circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New Testament. Paul is saying baptism is "circumcision in Christ."
Consider Romans 4:11 concerning Abraham:
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: [KJV]
Paul specifically says circumcision is a sign and seal of righteousness or justification by faith.
God commanded that circumcision, a sign and seal of justification by faith, be given to infant children of Abraham who were incapable of believing.
Abraham was a believer when he was circumcised, and therefore circumcision is a sign and seal of his justification by faith. The pattern in the book of Genesis is: First, the adult believer Abraham received circumcision, the sign and seal of justification by faith. Then the sign and seal was administered to his household.
The same pattern is seen in the book of Acts. First, there are adult believers; they receive the sign and seal of justification by faith, baptism; then this sign and seal is given to their households.
Baptists argue for an explicit New Testament command to baptize children of believers. God gave an explicit command in the Old Testament for the sign and seal of justification by faith to be administered to believers and their children. Without an explicit, specific New Testament reference to change that principle, how can we withhold the sign and seal of justification by faith from infant children of believers?
Christian parents, believing parents, have no more right or option to say, "Shall we have our children baptized?" than believing parents under the old covenant had a right to ask if their child should be circumcised. The New Testament does not speak explicitly, but points to the Old Testament where the Spirit has spoken sufficiently for our instruction.
The lack of an explicit question or instruction regarding the baptism of infant children in the New Testament indicates common agreement, background and understanding on this issue. What the Spirit had already said was sufficient.
Presbyterians do not speak of "New Testament Christianity" but "Whole Bible Christianity. We read the New Testament in the context of the Old.
[For the above argument, I am indebted to the late Donald A. Dunkerley– one time Baptist, mentor, fellow minister and friend– and a tract he wrote on Baptism, originally published by the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship]
posted by J. Glenn Ferrell at 4:05 PM
2 Comments:
You still buy into this stuff eh? ;)
OK. Clarification please?
What exactly does circumcision mean in the OT?
Circumcision in the Old Testament meant what the New Testament says it did. It was a sign of the justification which comes by faith, as shown in my blog post.
It is not a matter of my "buying into," as if it is a personal preference. It is God's command and a sin if not obeyed.
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