Expert: Dr Don Howe - 9/17/2009

Question
I understand that Baptists, holding to believers' baptism, do not baptise infants but do perform a ceremony of "dedication".  Could you please explain to me the intention of this ceremony; its origins (i.e. when it started in the Baptist community); and if the usage "child dedication" is used.  In regard to the last question, would "child dedication" imply that another human being can be dedicated by someone?  If so, how is this different to baptism?

Many thanks.  I'm not interested in debate, merely trying to clarify the usage and the origin(s) of the practice.

Answer
Thanks John for your question. The origin of dedication comes from the Bible itself. The word dedication is the  Hebrew word which  is  ded’-i-kat, ded-ika’-shun (chanukkah, "initiation," "consecration"; qadhesh, "to be clean," "sanctify"; cherem, "a thing devoted (to God)"). So anything that is devoted to God is considered dedicated to God. Num. 18:14 states “Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.” So if we devote our children to God we are dedicating them to Him (Num. 18:14).
  God tells us in Deut. 6:4-8 that we are to teach our children the ways of the Lord. To start that process is to begin a child dedication. Dedicating a child acknowledges God's sovereignty not only over the child, but also Mom and Dad. Parents present their child before God and His people asking for grace and wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities. Parents also come praying that their child might one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sin. This where Num. 1:14 will come in.
  John, dedication of  children is not a new concept as it is in the OT or the NT. Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord in 1 Sam. 1 Sam. 11:1 which states “And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” God answered her prayer in 1 Sam. 1:26-27 “And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.”
  In Luke 2:22-23, Joseph and Mary after 40 day of purification, they brought Jesus to temple to be dedicated “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.” So the Hannah stated “I will give him unto the LORD” (cherem meaning devoted to the Lord) and Mary and Joseph dedicated (cherem) Jesus to the God because he was “holy to the Lord.”

  So child dedication (cherem) was practiced in OT and NT, and nothing in the OT or NT says anything about infant baptism. So this information would answer your question ”explain to me the intention of this ceremony; its origins.” The origin was in both the OT and NT and intention was to dedicate the child to the Lord (cherem).

  John, in the Baptist tradition. the child dedication is hard to get ahold when it actually started. But Baptists came out of the Puritan-Separatist movement in 1609 in Holland, so it probably started then. The Puritan-Separatist were Calvinistic all the way and so child dedication would be appropriate for them. So I would say, child dedication started after 1609, so it an old concept and a Baptist tradition. Remember, the Puritian-Separatist are the ones who settled at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock in American History.
  
  You asked “In regard to the last question, would "child dedication" imply that another human being can be dedicated by someone.” The child is not dedicated to just someone as the child is dedicated to God (cherem), and the Pastor of each church has the responsibility to do this dedication. The child is not dedicated to a human being.

  Each Baptist church has their own way of doing the dedication, some or formal and informal. But the intent is the same to dedicate the child to the Lord (cherem), bless the parents they will raise the Child according to the teaching of God Almighty (Deut. 6:4-8 comes into play here), and for the church to give the parents support in the raising of the child. See,  it God's sovereignty not only over the child, but also Mom and Dad. Parents present their child before God and His people asking for grace and wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities.

  You asked “how is this different to baptism?” Infant baptism can not be found in the Bible. Liturgical churches do infant baptism but they can not defend the practice unless they twist the Scriptures to mean what they want it to mean. Peter calls  this twisting the Scriptures “wresting” of the Scriptures in 2 Peter 3:16 “As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” So look what Apostle John said about “wresting” or twisting, or adding to  the Scriptures in Rev. 22:19 states “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.” John is dealing with book of Revelation but you can get a feel of the seriousness that we are not to add to God’s Word or take away from His Word. If it is not in God’s Word, then it does not exist.
  So infant baptism is not in the Bible and it is a tradition of men to make parents feel better. But it does nothing for the soul of the infant.

  Liturgical pastors and priest will go to war trying to defend the practice of infant baptism but they are building their church and beliefs on sand and not on the rock of Jesus Christ.

  John, I hope this helps. I hope that you are saved, have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you have a relationship with Him.

  God Bless you my brother.

Dr Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD