Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 7/20/2004

Question
I was reading a response that you posted in regard to Catholics baptising infants.  You said that you didn't think that it hurt anything.  I have been researching infant vs. adult baptism because I feel that I need to come to a decision on my own.  However, after reading many Scriptures, I still am not clear on the subject.  I know that the Bible refers to adults repenting and being baptized.  It makes sense that adults were baptized because Christianity was beginning and they would not have had the opputunity to be baptized at birth.  However, the Bible also speaks of households being baptized, and baptism is paralleled to circumcision.  I definitely do not think that baptism leads to salvation - but I can see valid reasons to support both infant and adult baptism.  Do you have any supporting arguements that could help me in my pursuit?  Thank you.

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your questions.  I am sorry this is late, my computer crashed and I was off line for a few days.

For Baptists, baptism is only for believers.  Infants and small children cannot make that decision on their own.  We believe that a child already belongs to God until they reach the age where they understand the true difference between good and evil.  Jesus said go into all the world and make diciples then baptize them.  An infant cannot be a diciple.

Also, the word baptize is a transliterated word.  That means it was taken from the greek and made into English without translating it.  The greek word is baptizmo which means to dunk.  We believe an adult or older child who has become a diciple and has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord is to be immersed or dunked into water to be baptized.