At What Age Should We Baptize?
These observations might be kind of random at this point, but I thin it’s important not to slip into a false disjunction on the question of understanding.
That is, just as a person can become a Christian having an understanding of the gospel that is not complete, so a believing child can receive baptism that he/she does not fully understand until later. Understanding is not “either 100% or 0%.”
So the question becomes How much understanding is necessary. With Ed, I’d say it’s a judgment call. One major factor: what do the parents believe about their child’s understanding?
I only vaguely remember my own baptism. I better remember making “the decision” to be baptized because, for me, it was a very emotional moment. I don’t feel deprived by the fact that the event itself is pretty much gone. (Probably when I get to the age where I can’t remember my phone number or who I had a conversation with an hour ago, I’ll vividly remember my baptism. ;) )
I know it occurred and what it meant and I remember understanding what it meant in those days. That’s the important thing to me.
Oddly enough, both of my kids did not seek baptism until they were a good bit older than I was. Pretty sure they’ll remember it. (We have photos, too which helps)
That is, just as a person can become a Christian having an understanding of the gospel that is not complete, so a believing child can receive baptism that he/she does not fully understand until later. Understanding is not “either 100% or 0%.”
So the question becomes How much understanding is necessary. With Ed, I’d say it’s a judgment call. One major factor: what do the parents believe about their child’s understanding?
I only vaguely remember my own baptism. I better remember making “the decision” to be baptized because, for me, it was a very emotional moment. I don’t feel deprived by the fact that the event itself is pretty much gone. (Probably when I get to the age where I can’t remember my phone number or who I had a conversation with an hour ago, I’ll vividly remember my baptism. ;) )
I know it occurred and what it meant and I remember understanding what it meant in those days. That’s the important thing to me.
Oddly enough, both of my kids did not seek baptism until they were a good bit older than I was. Pretty sure they’ll remember it. (We have photos, too which helps)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Because of a physical condition I had as a child, I had to get a doctor’s note in order to get baptized. Can’t find that one in Acts. :p
Personal experience- I made a profession as a child, said all the right things, because I knew what to say. My motive was that my brother had gone forward to get saved, and we were highly competitive siblings. Anything he could do, I could do better, as far as I was concerned. I didn’t do too much introspection about that, since I was a ‘good kid’ (everyone said so), I sincerely loved church and studying the Bible, all of which I took as evidence that I really had gotten saved. It wasn’t until I was about 26 that God pulled the rug out from under me so I would fall flat on my bum and look to Him instead of myself as a measure of my spiritual status.
Said all that to say that ultimately it is the responsibility of the individual. Pastors and parents can counsel and guide, but that’s as far as it goes, IMO. My dh and I have taught our kids the pertinent spiritual truths, but left the decision about salvation and baptism up to them. It has worked out fine, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t worry for a minute that they have been coerced in any way to make decisions for the Lord.
Personal experience- I made a profession as a child, said all the right things, because I knew what to say. My motive was that my brother had gone forward to get saved, and we were highly competitive siblings. Anything he could do, I could do better, as far as I was concerned. I didn’t do too much introspection about that, since I was a ‘good kid’ (everyone said so), I sincerely loved church and studying the Bible, all of which I took as evidence that I really had gotten saved. It wasn’t until I was about 26 that God pulled the rug out from under me so I would fall flat on my bum and look to Him instead of myself as a measure of my spiritual status.
Said all that to say that ultimately it is the responsibility of the individual. Pastors and parents can counsel and guide, but that’s as far as it goes, IMO. My dh and I have taught our kids the pertinent spiritual truths, but left the decision about salvation and baptism up to them. It has worked out fine, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t worry for a minute that they have been coerced in any way to make decisions for the Lord.
When a young married woman attending our church came to understand the gospel and believed on Christ she was quite ready to make her faith known not only to the church but also to her whole family! her joy in the gospel was clear, the catch - she was pregnant at the time. Jokingly we asked if this would mean I would be participating in a form of “infant” baptism. Oh what is a pastor to do? Complications brought about a stern request from her doctor that we delay the baptism until after delivery. So my conscience was cleared, but we did not delay in giving her a chance to share testimony of the great work God had done in her life.
In every church we have stories and anecdotes, I just pray the more I spend in the Word the more wisdom God gives to navigate the “what if’s” of ministry!
In every church we have stories and anecdotes, I just pray the more I spend in the Word the more wisdom God gives to navigate the “what if’s” of ministry!
[Greg Long]
Dave, if you want to play the scriptural example card, the fact is that there is no clear example in Scripture of the baptism of a young child. We have no idea who was in the jailor’s “household.” It might refer to his wife and/or children and/or servants, but we just don’t know.
You (and Larry) are right. We don’t know who was there or what they undertook, but it seems fairly clear that there wasn’t an extended process involved. I suppose even that much is speculation, but we see them being baptized, not starting to come to the church at Philippi for some amount of time until they were ready.
The difference here, of course, is the work of the Holy Spirit that would enable a child to understand and believe. Again, it is not a question of whether or not a child CAN truly believe, but rather whether or not we can discern the genuineness of the child’s profession.
Of course, it’s not a baptism context, but when Jesus said “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter there in,” I believe he was making clear that little children not only can have faith, but it’s theirs that has the most genuineness. He certainly was displeased when they were kept away.
Just remember… If we are biblical Baptists, we must be careful not to forbid baptism to those who are genuinely converted. We must also be careful not to baptize those who are not genuinely converted.
But of course, that is something we can never know with certainty. (That’s why I brought up the example of Simon the sorcerer earlier.) That’s also why there are tares in the church. I’m not against keeping them to a minimum, but I think we need to be careful not to squelch any child-like faith, either from adults or children just because we need to be “careful not to baptize those who are not genuinely converted.” It should be clear, but in case it isn’t, I’m not saying you baptize anyone who asks for it. But if you are trying to be sure those being baptized are genuinely converted, how long do you take and how much process would you use before you think it’s “good enough?” And what is the biblical pattern for doing so?
(As I said in my last post, I agree in some sense with you, especially given the “easy believism” that has been a large part of fundamentalism in recent years. I just wonder if we haven’t overcorrected on this point.)
Again, all I was asking for was what you would say to a child asking for baptism — what biblical reasons would you give them (that they can properly understand) why you shouldn’t baptize them, when they want to be obedient and have given testimony to their salvation?
Dave Barnhart
Discussion