What's the Point of Baptism? Pt. 3
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 9 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Household Baptisms
Household Baptisms
Biblical covenant theology does not lead to baptizing babies
No biblical evidence for baptizing babies
Baptism is for disciples alone
3 Reasons PBs left paedobaptism
No command in NT that believers should baptize their children
No compelling evidence for practicing infant baptism
No example of baptizing infants
John Murray “We do not have an overt and proven instance of infant baptism recorded in NT.”
If not command, no example, no evidence why do Presbys baptize their babies?
They say because Bible leads them to
WCF “expressly set down or by good and necessary consequence can be deduced from scripture.”
We don’t have to deduce recipients of Baptism from scripture. Scripture is clear on this point.
As baptists we do not deduce that infants should be baptized
When Baptists challenge Presbys on biblical evidence of infant baptism they will often use the household baptisms in Acts and 1 Cor. as examples
But 4/5 actually prove credobaptism. Only one could plausibly be an example of infant baptism
The argument:
Head of house (covenant head) believes and everyone else in house follows covenant head in baptism.
Infers that infants, as part of the household, are baptised because they are part of the covenant community based on parent’s standing.
3 Assumptions made about these texts when using them to justify infant baptism
3 Assumptions made about these texts when using them to justify infant baptism
The word “household” must mean every individual in the household without exception
other places in bible where “household” is used and it does not mean everyone
“World” doesn’t mean everyone in the world
Hannah, mother of Samuel, wife of Elkanah
1 samuel 1:21
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.”
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
d. Is Paul saying that even infants are being deceived and led astray by false teachers
e. We can deduce from these passages that even if infants were part of the “household” they do not have to be included in the action of the household
2. Infants were present in the households and baptized along with all the others
No clear reason to believe infants were baptized in any of the texts
The Bible is very clear when children are present.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
Samuel wants the reader to know exactly who was put to the sword
35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
Bible clearly wants readers to know children are present
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
A
5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
Luke, author of Acts, wants readers to know children are present
12 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.
What is missing in this verse? Children. If they were meant to be included they would’ve been.
Luke does not assume when children are present, yet the Presbys assume they are
3. Household formula is normative in NC.
Primary way God works in salvation is through families
We as Baptists see discontinuity
No longer generation, but regeneration
Emphasis shifts from household to individual in NC
29 In those days they shall no longer say: “ ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
Under OC the father’s (covenant head) actions directly impacted generations that followed
Under NC this is no longer the case
34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Shifts from the father’s action impacting family to a more individual nature
Jesus also disrupts families
21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Matt 10:
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
NC establishes new family
6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
The idea of household moves from physical family to spiritual family
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
Covenant head of this household is Christ
Household language shifts from YOUR physical family to THE family of God
Remember the Eunuch? He can’t be head of a household
Household Passages
Household Passages
Cornelius in
Acts 10
Cornelius has a vision to summon Peter
Peter has a vision that declares what was once unclean is now clean
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
acts
Peter was preaching the Gospel
Who does the text say should be baptized?
those that received the Holy Spirit
Speaking in tongues
Not plus their infant children
Peter explains this to the church in
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Acts 11:15-
Allude to
2. Philippian Jailer
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Acts 16:
Indicates that the entire household was in fact baptised
Also indicates that whole household believed also
Verb for believe is singular. Paedos will say this must mean the family was baptized because of the jailer’s faith.
Problem is that the verb for rejoiced is also singular and the rest of the household took part in the rejoicing
Also, how strange is it that if the whole household heard the gospel, but only the head of the household believed it then why would the rest rejoice if they did not believe it?
How can infants rejoice?
Two ways to interpret this:
The whole house believed and whole house rejoiced
One man believed and the whole house rejoiced
3. Crispus and his household
8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.
Three parties mentioned here
Crispus, his household and many Corinthians
Believed qualifies both Crispus and his household.
Believing qualifies the Corinthians that heard and believed and also is prior to baptism
4. Household of Stephanus
16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
Not much info here about the household of Stephanas
Paul tells us more about this household at the end of the book
15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints—
All members are both converts and servants
If you assume infants in the household then they were converted servants which is not possible
5. Lydia and her household
This is the one household account that is somewhat problematic, but not really
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Not any info that other members of her household believed. (this is the paedo argument)
But also not info that there were any babies in the household
Two key facts about Lydia
Successful businesswoman
From Thyatira, but Paul meets her hundreds of miles away in Phillipai
These facts suggest she was unlikely to have young children
The text indicates she is either widowed or otherwise unmarried too old to have young children
The text gives no indication that children were present in her household
This text does not explicitly indicate that the other members believed prior to baptism
But in others believing precedes baptism
4/5 accounts cannot logically, exegetically lead us to infant baptism
Only Lydia’s could remotely indicate some kind of assumption that children were baptised
But here is what we do know 100% from all 5 accounts BELIEVERS WERE BAPTIZED.
