This was originally published at sbcIMPACT a couple of years ago. We had a lively discussion then. William Thornton’s article this morning got me thinking about it. I’ve revised it a little. For the record, the baptisms referenced in the first paragraph were a couple of years ago, not yesterday.
Last Sunday I baptized five children in our early worship service. In the next couple of weeks, there are 4 or 5 more that are waiting in the wings to publicly picture the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Many are the fruit of an evangelistic family which adopts children and brings them to Christ (may their tribe increase!). Others came to Christ during our associational children’s camp or during our recent Vacation Bible School. I have talked to each child and they have answered my questions, satisfying me that they have professed faith in Christ and understand biblical baptism. These children range in age from about 7 to 10 years old. In the past I have baptized several 6 years olds, and even a rare 5-year-old.
I have read articles very critical of what I am doing. One blogger I respect deeply (and almost always agree with) calls what I do a Baptist version of paedobaptism. He believes that we should not baptize until much later in a child’s development. The danger is that children with an incomplete understanding of faith may be baptized before they have been truly converted, thus giving them a false basis of hope or salvation. I remember back to a Pastoral Ministry class I was in 150 years ago, in which one pastor recommended we wait until at least age 12 to be baptized. Others have advocated an age even higher.
So here is our question: is it inadvisable to bring younger children who have expressed faith in Christ to the waters of baptism? Or, would it be better to make them wait until they are older and understand their commitment better?
I continue to baptize even young children who make a clear profession of faith in Christ and give evidence of a basic understanding of the purpose and meaning of baptism. I admit that it is very possible, even probable, that some of these children will, as they grow, give evidence that their profession may not have been genuine. And still, I continue to baptize them. I will join in the chorus of those who are critical of some of the tactics and strategies of some who work with children. One church in Sioux City (not SBC) gave perhaps the worst gospel presentation I have ever heard. One of our families (the evangelistic adopters I mentioned above) sent their children to the VBS alternative that this church offered. A couple of weeks later they got a letter in the mail congratulating them because their child had “made the Big JC her best friend.” That was the gospel – do you want to make the Big JC your best friend? That passed for evangelism, I guess. A relative of mine came home from Sunday School as a young boy very upset. The evangelist had come to class and left him with the impression that by not receiving Jesus as his Savior that day, he now had a black spot on his heart that would never go away. We have to be very careful when we deal with children – they are gullible, eager to please (mostly) and it would be easy to lead those children to false professions based on faulty understanding. And still, I plan to continue baptizing children who make a clear profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Permit the little children to some to me.” I plan to do nothing to hinder children who have trusted Christ from being fully obedient to him in all things, including baptism.
My Convictions about Baptism
I believe it is my responsibility as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to baptize anyone who comes to me with a clear profession of faith in Christ and a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of baptism. My convictions on this issue are based on my general understanding of baptism. Last year, I wrote a series of blogs on my personal site that spell out what I believe about baptism. I will not rehash all of that now, but if you are interested, the links to that series are here,here, here, and here. My views have been growing and developing as I have continued to study this issue, and I might word a couple of things differently (perhaps less stridently). But, essentially, those posts summarize my beliefs and I will not repeat than information here.
What we need to address today is one application of these principles. What is required for me to perform a valid baptism? Should I, after someone comes to me with a profession of faith, require instructional classes or catechisms? Should I require certain evidences and actions as proof of the validity of the baptism; signals that the discipleship process is taking hold? Should I wait for the children to reach a certain age? Or, should I baptize every person who comes to me with a clear profession of faith after I explain to them the meaning and purpose of biblical baptism? I have already stated that I am convinced of the second option. Perhaps other options exist that our readers can add for me to consider.
Reviewing the Evidence
As best I can find, there are eight baptismal stories in the book of Acts. In Acts 2:38-41, Peter finished his sermon with a call to repentance. Three thousand souls responded. Those who received the word were baptized. Simple, straightforward statement. When they received the word of God and expressed faith in Christ, they were immediately baptized. I see no evidence of any intervening actions. Conversion, then immediate baptism.
Acts 8:12-13 tells the story of Philip. When they believed the message Philip taught, they were then baptized. No one was consulted. No classes were held. Conversion, then immediate baptism.
Peter was carried off into the wilderness and met the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:37-40. He explained the gospel to this man who had been reading from a scroll of Isaiah. The Ethiopian asked if there was any reason he shouldn’t be baptized. Philip had none. He did not need to consult with or get the approval of any church or put the man through any classes. Conversion, then immediate baptism.
In Acts 9:18, Paul was baptized by Ananias after he believed. His baptism was not immediate. He was so stunned from his encounter on the road and there were no believers around. But when Ananias found him and the scales fell from his eyes, they baptized him. Conversion, then almost immediate baptism.
Acts 10:46-48 is another telling story. Peter, without consulting with the Jerusalem church or the other apostles, baptized Cornelius and others when they professed faith and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Here, there was clear and convincing evidence of their salvation, but the principle still applies here. Conversion, then immediate baptism.
Seeing a pattern develop?
Look at Acts 16:14-15, the story of Lydia’s conversion. The Lord opened her heart, she believed and was immediately baptized. In Acts 16:30-33, Paul and Silas led the Philippian Jailer to faith in Christ. Verse 33 says, “he was baptized at once.” Not after the new members class finished. Not when he turned a certain age. Both were converted, then immediately baptized.
The last significant account is Acts 19:3-5. Paul encountered a band of John’s disciples. He explains the fulfillment of the gospel through Jesus and they believe. Verse five tells us, “on hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Conversion, then immediate baptism.
There seems to me to be a clear pattern. In the book of Acts, NOTHING comes between salvation and baptism. If I led you to Christ, we would go and find a pond, creek or river and you would be baptized before the hour was out. That seems to be the clear pattern. It is not a command that we baptize immediately, but it certainly seems to be a pattern.
It is unfortunate that none of these stories involves children, though there are a couple in which households are involved; households that may well have had children. No children were baptized in these stories, but neither is there any prohibition of such. The argument of silence is weak in both directions.
What I Believe and Why I Do What I Do
1) It is clear to me that in the New Testament days, as just demonstrated in the review of the passages in Acts, baptism followed conversion immediately (or as nearly so as practicable). When a believer shared the gospel with an unbeliever and the unbeliever believed, the next thing they did was find some water for a baptism. Granted, we only have eight examples and it could be argued that they do not represent the practice of the church as a whole. But there are eight examples and they are uniform in the pattern – conversion, followed by an immediate baptism. If this was not the general practice of the early church, one might expect to find instructions in the epistles to countermand the clear implication of this pattern.
2) I see no evidence of any kind of screening process, membership class, or discipleship process that preceded baptism. This does not necessarily invalidate them, but it makes it hard to argue that they are a biblical mandate. Baptism seems to be an initial picture, a public proclamation of salvation in Christ that initiated the process of discipleship and is not the culmination of it.
3) It does not seem to me that new believers were required to prove their faith before baptism in any tangible way. They were baptized on clear profession of faith, not on the proof of that faith. I am sure that the disciples were careful to explain the gospel clearly and exercised reasonable vigilance to see that the confession was not in any obviously false way.
It is always sad when someone gives a profession of faith then turns back from it in later days. I think we try to examine folks so carefully to avoid this. Certainly, we are required to exhibit due diligence in explaining the faith and verifying the understanding of those who confess Christ.
But baptism initiates discipleship, it is not the culmination of it.
4) While there is no example of the baptism of small children, neither is there any prohibition of it. We each have to make a decision based on our understanding of scripture.
Baptism and Children
1) It is my duty to baptize those who give a clear profession of faith in Jesus Christ – regardless of their age. If a child gives a clear and convincing profession of faith in Jesus Christ and understands that salvation and the picture of baptisms, I will baptize them.
I want to see the following things:
• A clear understanding of the gospel. “Jesus is my best friend” is not enough. Sin. Death. Hell. Jesus’ death on the cross. His resurrection. A childlike faith is fine, but even children need to understand these things. Frankly, I have received some excellent explanations of the gospel from very young children.
• Genuine conviction of sin. Obviously, children haven’t usually done horrible, wicked things, but they are sinners. They need to understand that they have sinned against God and are under his judgment. They must have a sense of the seriousness of their sin and their need for Christ.
• A realization that Christ came to bring new life; a life in which he is Lord. Children need to understand that it is more than just Jesus coming to live in their hearts and taking them to heaven one day. They are surrendering their lives to Christ as Lord.
• An understanding of the meaning and purpose of baptism. They must realize that baptism is a symbol, a public profession of faith and not a saving event in itself. This is especially important in areas like mine in which certain other denominations hold sway and teach that baptism “washes away our sin.” This needs to be made clear.
2) Our families and our children’s ministries must make these truths absolutely clear. Personally, I think it is best to continually proclaim the gospel and these truths, but to refrain from invitations, especially ones with pressure, when children are involved. Children will often respond to please, and they are susceptible to guilt and pressure. Who would not ask Jesus to be their best friend? We need to teach clearly and let the Spirit of God create the desire and conviction within them. My experience has been that children saturated with the true gospel message will tend to respond at the proper time, young or old. Make the message clear, but don’t make the decision too easy. Even children must count the cost.
3) I have baptized many children aged 6 to 11 in my years of ministry. Some have fallen away and perhaps given evidence that their testimony was not genuine. But the simple fact is that the vast majority of those I have baptized have continued to serve the Lord. I have not done a scientific study as to the rates at which children and adults I have baptized have given evidence of genuine conversion. I would hazard a guess that children have a slightly higher “recidivism” rate, but not by that much.
4) I recognize that early baptism often leads to a time of doubt and reevaluation in the teenage years or following. I was saved and baptized at age 6 and I certainly went through that reevaluation process. But I am convinced that I was saved that night in my bedroom as my dad read a book called, “Little Pilgrim’s Progress.” Now, 48 years later, I still think it was real.
5) It would be very easy to manipulate children into “decisions for Christ” and build your baptism statistics. That would be despicable! Providing false hope for parents or facilitating a false experience for children is contemptible. Any of us who baptize children must be absolutely sure that we examine the children and their profession clearly. Do they understand the gospel? Do they evidence repentance and an awareness of their sin? Do they understand that baptism does not save, but is only a picture of salvation.
6) Here’s my question for those who make children wait. If we believe that baptism is the first act of obedience required of a believer in Jesus Christ, are we not requiring that children who are genuinely saved begin their Christian lives with disobedience? I know that is no one’s intent, but is that not the effect?
I am teachable on this issue. But until someone convinces me biblically that baptizing children is wrong, I will continue doing it. I will baptize anyone of any age who gives me a clear and convincing testimony of faith in Christ and demonstrates an understanding of baptism. I try to discern that this is a function of their own faith and conviction and that it is not being done under parental pressure. I was saved and baptized at age 6.
Does that make me a Paedobaptist? I don’t think so, but now, you make the call.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Can anyone remember back when baptism was the hottest topic in Southern Baptist blogging?
Dave,
No, being a Baptist who baptizes children does not make you a Paedobaptist. Paedobaptism involves much more than children, water, and a ceremony.
I am not totally against baptizing children but have a few genuine concerns about the matter. One of those concerns is the issue of discipleship after a child professes faith in Christ and is baptized a believer. Too often, these young Christians are left to be sinful children until their teen years without reflection upon their new identity in Christ. As odd as it sounds, a 6 year old must put off the old self (Eph 4:22ff.). It is almost as if the children who are supposed born-again believers are “Christian-lite” and will start their Christian life in a few years. This is not scriptural and is damaging. If the child continues to have no desire to live in obedience and grow in the knowledge and grace of God, then rightfully count him/her a heathen, not a Christian, and witness to them about their state. Too often, parents look back at the child’s baptism as evidence of the child’s salvation, ignoring the complete rebellion against God going on in the child’s life (I liked your comments on Baptism not being proof of salvation). Baptizing a child and then not discipling the child and/or holding him/her accountable is a serious issue associated with baptizing children.
I also have grave concerns about it. When a 5 or 6 year old is baptized it often starts a chain reaction. And sometimes it is the parents and other times the kids. And sometimes it puts the parents of other kids in an awkward situation. Why would the pastor baptize johnny when he is so bad at church all the time and continues to be? Boy have I heard this one a lot.
I am not saying it is wrong but I do have serious concerns about it. Especially when they are baptized and go on to show really bad fruit around the other kids continually and willfully. (Hebrews 10) But ar given a pass because they are “kids”. Not sure I get it….where is the Holy Spirit in this?
I have no answers. I don’t judge people who do this but I have spoken to my own child about it and what it means. It is serious business and not just about “believing” but about being convicted of sin and being a disciple. Every kid at church is going to say they “believe”.
Too many think they are saved because they were once dipped. Most of my Catholic friends think they are because of being sprinkled and then confirmation. And they might be despite that. But not because of it.
This is one of those issues to be taken on a case by case basis. But I also know parents who insist and the pastor does it because he does not want to lose members.
I too have “serious concerns” every time a child professes faith. That must be taken seriously. Absolutely.
I agree with Lydia’s assessment of some downsides . Baptism and now the popular Membership Class are being worked over by church politics . If pastors had the sole authority to baptise it wold help eliminate the parents ” forcing” their children so they too can take communion while sticking their tongues out at their friends – kids do that sometimes. Or when the Membership Class is now added as a condition of full church membership so that these children can vote on the half-million dollar addition at the next Business Meeting – it doesn’t take long for the “opposition” to start to push their children through the process. And the churches have control over the by-laws and can develop the procedures that you pastors must follow. I’ve witnessed this event and it’s not smart . It’s sickening to see children manipulated in the name of religion . So my vote would be to have only the Senior Pastor or his designate perform baptisms after careful scrutiny and do diligence to see that the child’s well being is paramount and always respected . For it is he that can explain his decision to the parents and take the ” heat ” instead of the child not performing in an interview as the parent “instructed” and getting the third degree when they get home. It’s not a perfect world and baptising a child involves a lot of ground. If you expect a grade of excellence in the process then you must be open and aware of all human aspects as well and willing to exert complete control regardless of the motivations of “outsiders”.
Baptists like things formulaic. But like most real things, reality is more complicated. When to baptize someone is a matter of discernment. I do think there is far too much frivolous dunking of children, but if they can give a clear profession, then down they should go. I do feel strongly, however, that they should not subsequently be re-baptized later in life. One faith, one baptism.
Dave,
GREAT article. I had a 7 year old articulate what him believing the gospel meant better than most adults can. As you said, we baptize on the profession of faith and not the proof of faith. I certainly baptized that young man.
I think Matt Svoboda makes the valid point here.
It was the 7 year old that articulated the meaning of the gospel, not another person for him.
We baptize on the profession of faith and not on the proof of faith.
Our obligation is to make sure, very, very sure that we are teaching and preaching the biblical gospel. The consequences of our obedience to presenting the biblical gospel belongs to the Holy Spirit of God.
I had the joy of baptizing my six year old daughter in 2011. I really put it off for months. She kept asking questions about heaven, hell, sin, salvation and baptism. My greatest fear was that with two parents heavily involved in various ministries that she was doing this to please us or had been somehow conditioned to it. Then on her own one night in her room, she prayed to Jesus to be her Savior and told her mom and I about it the next morning. I talked in depth to her about it. Let me tell you, she is one sharp little kid. Every doubt and concern I had was eliminated. With joy I baptized her. She has a childlike faith I wish I could see replicated in adult believers.
Over the past year, counting my girl Hannah, I have baptized a total of three children under the age of 10. The church has rejoiced at each one, and I am confident in the profession of faith of each one. Discernment and discipleship are key, and each of these children are regular attendees of church and come from Christian households. So in summary, Dave I’m with you.
Randy
Great post. The only other thing we look for is to see that the child is coming on their own initiative–not because someone pushed them into it.
When we lived in a heavily Catholic community, we occasionally got calls from parents wanting to know if we would baptize their babies. Often it was because the Catholic priest had refused the baptism for one reason or another. When I took the calls, I usually explained that we didn’t baptize infants and why, gave a brief gospel explanation, and described what we do in an infant dedication service, then invited them to attend our church for a few weeks to see if they would like to have an infant dedication service. Never got many takers on that, but it was the best way we could figure out to handle it.
Leigh, I think that is the key. I get the hint sometimes that parents, coming from a place of true concern, want to “get my child baptized” to calm them about their eternal destiny.
I think we need to surround children with the gospel, the story of Jesus – preparing the soil. But it is very unwise to give invitations to children that exert any pressure at all on them.
Let it come from inside them.
Dave, I think you’re on the money. Discernment is always necessary, child or adult. And we can’t know for sure if someone will persevere to the end, but that shouldn’t stop us from baptizing. If we had to wait to know for sure, we’d only baptize dead people who we know left this world in good faith.
A couple of people from a closed nation were baptized in our church yesterday. Many new Christians in such nations are baptized with the understanding that it could mean their lives. We don’t have that here in the States. It’s almost too easy to profess faith where there’s no penalty of suffering from the world. “Too easy” often equals “false faith”. But where there is a very real and physical threat to those who do so, one can be more certain of a candidate’s faith because they are willing to risk their lives to profess their faith through public baptism.
Yes, sometimes people see what they want to see and kids do what their parents want them to do. We have to be careful.
That being said. I was baptized just going into the first grade and never looked back. My wife was young as well. We knew we trusted Christ and we insisted. My wife, she actually refused to be baptized with her family when they were saved, just to make it a family thing. A year later she trusted Jesus and knew it. Then she was baptized.
You have my Amen, Bro Dave.
By the way, your 1,2,3 in bold is just beautiful
1.baptism followed conversion immediately
2.no evidence of any kind of screening process
3.baptized on clear profession of faith, not on the proof of that faith.
Love it. Thanks.
I always say it this way. Baptism is the first step of obedience in the Christian life.
It is not a merit badge, nor a graduation, but churches treat it that way don’t they.
Dr. Estep had my ear and even before I was in his class I inclined towards the following:
1. The conjoined ethnic and religious identity of the nation of Israel seems to me to have been set aside in favor of the invisible Kingdom that we associate at with solely by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore no ritual is needed at the birth of the child to identify the child with the religio/ethnic theocracy.
2. Baptism is intended to show identification not with a nation but instead with an invisible King and Kingdom based on that King’s prior act of symbolism and obedience of being baptized as the first fruit of resurrection. I would add that the symbolism of death, burial, and resurrection as it applies to Jesus’s life is essentially prophetic while as it applies to our lives it is–in every sense of the word–fully symbolic of a cathartic moment. That moment is realization and confession of sin, followed by repentance, followed by acceptance of Jesus’s sacrifice and entry into the new Kingdom. The baptism itself–per traditional Southern Baptist theology–has zero spiritual content except to demonstrate obedience which we might add is precisely the opposite condition of sinfulness.
3. I certainly prefer the position that baptism is only for believers. I note that the Anabaptist reserved the decision of faith for children that were twelve and up. I would offer that from one story I was told of a man who was on Okinawa when he professed faith, they required a year of faithfulness to the local congregation before offering him baptism. It probably is a wise approach to require something similar whether you call it discipleship or catechism, especially in cultures where the believer’s life is in danger upon acceptance in the church.
The last point takes me to why I think the baptism of very young children has re-emerged: we live in safety and therefore we feel safe having our children baptized early. If this was a different situation, we might indeed require an adult profession of faith prior to administering true believer’s baptism.
That said:
1. My mom was saved and I believed baptized at five. She clearly remembers and is able to retell the story of her conversion based on the wordless Bible.
2. My quite memorable baptism was in 1969 at Lawn Baptist in the quite chilling internal baptistry. The heater went out that week!! (I’m not sure whether or not I should give thanks to God for making that memorable, but I certainly have not forgotten neither my private profession of faith (in my dad’s office at the church), my public profession of faith (as I tried to figure out exactly HOW MUCH time I should wait after the invitation music started since my dad was the pastor), nor my baptism (dad wore waders, which, in retrospect, I realize should be considered cheating. But his sprung a leak that day…)
My kids ranged in age from five to ten when they were baptized. I don’t honestly recall how old my wife said she was when she was baptized, nor do I recall my dad’s testimony (which strikes me oddly since my memory of mom’s is so clear.) But if I had my druthers, they would have all waited until 12 just as a matter of convention. And then I read Jesus’s comment again and I realize that our human administration of access to Jesus must honor the intention of that verse and should not create unnecessary barriers for children identifying with Jesus.
That thought, in and of itself, is remarkable and bears repeating: we often turn faith into something for adults when, instead, Jesus designed it so that you could copy children who know how to do it better. Similar problem to the rich entering the Kingdom, methinks.
Good thoughts, Greg.
If you dont mind me asking Greg, where was Lawn Baptist Church located?
I’m guessing in a patch of grass somewhere?
Lawn, Texas, south of Abilene.
It’s a small world Greg, I’m originally from Tuscola, TX and I went to elementary and Jr. High at Lawn, TX. My wife has a lot of kin in that church.
I’m dealing with this very issue right now, personally. My 6 year old son had been asking lots of spiritual questions for months. For his entire life, we’ve tried to share the Gospel with him in age-appropriate ways that he could understand. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he would be asking these questions. Finally, last Sunday night, after we talked to him for a long time, and after much thought and prayer ourselves, and after I made sure he understood what he was getting into and what it would mean and what it would cost him, we helped him pray to receive Christ. We talked about his sin and Jesus’ death and the cost of discipleship, as well as you can with a kid his age. He’s a very smart 6-year old (if I do say so myself,) and he’s grown up in the church, and he’s been surrounded by the Gospel from the time he was born. So it shouldn’t be surprising that he gets it.
He hasn’t been baptized yet though. We’ve decided to wait, for the time being. I think in a perfect world, we would have gone ahead and done it. But I’m still just a bit uncertain, and he’s okay with waiting. There are days when he can clearly articulate the Gospel, and seems to really get the depth of his sinfulness and his need for a Savior. And there are days when I’m not so sure.
I’m also trying to remember that he’s still a kid. So kids, even saved ones, are going to act like kids. I’m trying to remember that even though we should expect to see change, saved kids will still disobey their parents, and act up in church, and pull their sister’s hair. Those are the kinds of sins kids are prone too, and I shouldn’t expect that he’s going to immediately overcome them all. I’ve fought the temptation, more than once, to use his conversion as an excuse to guilt him into obedience.
Anyway, to bring a meandering post to a merciful end, he’ll probably be baptized soon. But I’m probably not going to feel 100% certain about it either way. I suppose, as with us all, only time will tell. So there.
Having had four kids go through this, let me say that you will never know for sure.
A-Men Dave Miller, A-Men.
Thanks to you both. That was strangely comforting.
LOL.
Wade Phillips,
Hang on to that ‘comfort’ as long as possible. Stranger things are coming. Our children leave the nest, but they never get “un-nested.”
I don’t buy the argument that there is a Scriptural principle on immediate baptism. There is a pattern. I wouldn’t make it a principle (or do we criticize Athabaskans who used to wait until there was a pool of unfrozen water?).
You make the point that you insist that the child have “An understanding of the meaning and purpose of baptism…” This is complicated. I read that child development specialists maintain that a child is incapable of abstract thinking, a necessity for your point above, until a certain mental age. Here’s where the rote memory of a child, however excellent, falls short.
Age of baptism is a no-win deal. I’ve been criticized for not dipping the toddler and also for holding back the 7,8 year old because they couldn’t give a credible account. You get raked over the coals because so-and-so was genuinely, absolutely saved at age 2 or 3 and think you are denying their salvation.
I don’t have any problem encouraging a child in believing in Jesus but asking them to wait until they comprehend baptism better.
William,
I relate to your caution.
Yet because, as you know, the new birth is from above, there are those who do understand it early. This is what makes our task one to be taken with extreme caution.
I mentioned in the post that we have no command either way. However, we do have eight instances of baptism and in each one the baptism followed very soon after the moment of conversion. None of those involved children. Whatever argument we make must be based somewhat on an argument from silence.
However, since there is not a command, why not follow the consistent pattern of scripture.
One of my concerns (as I stated in the post) was that we are telling newly converted children to NOT take the first step of obedience to Christ. That bothers me. If baptism is a first step of obedience, then I am not going to tell someone not to take it, if they have a clear understanding of both salvation and baptism.
This is the way I see it too. The consistent example is baptism without undue delay (waiting for ice to unfreeze is not undue delay).
Personally, I don’t see why someone has to have a firm grasp of the doctrines of baptism before they can be baptized. There are a lot of baptizers out there that are still shaky on a few points. What matters is that the person trusted Jesus and declares him Lord. The baptism is the public profession of faith.
Stephen M Young II,
I think you are right. Waiting on the ice to thaw is not undue delay.
Of course, if a fellow does not consider immersion necessary to a biblical baptism, he could just shave off some of the ice and sprinkle it on the candidates head. Upon their baptism, those individuals could be known as Iced Over Christians.
Come to think of it, there may already be a lot of those folks in the church I serve.
Gives a new meaning to the term “Frozen Chosen” doesn’t it?
Many are called, but a few are frozen.
If a child is incapable of abstract thought (i.e. Jesus died for my sins, my immersion is a symbol) they not only fail to have a firm grasp of the doctrines of baptism but they fail to have the least grasp of it, not to mention salvation. If salvation comes through mimicry, a point no one has stated here but which certainly is the case with many younger children, then we are essentially paedobaptists, relying on the comprehension of the adult and not the child.
The typical scenario involving a younger child (sometimes an older one also) and baptism is that they equate the act with salvation or the washing away of their sins. The thinking makes sense.
Sure, kids can be taught to answer “no” when asked, “Does baptism wash away your sins?”
Why do adults come to us pastors and say that they were “saved” as a child but don’t remember much about it?
I think this is a problem when we focus too much on salvation as “an event”. I don’t worry when someone cannot tell me the precise moment that they were saved, or that they cannot remember their salvation experience. It is easy to ascertain whether a person has a credible profession of faith now. If they believe now, it doesn’t really matter whether they know when they started believing. In the case of small children, I am certain it is often the case that many of them simply grew up believing because that is what was taught in the home.
I would recommend reading the studies of psychological researcher Lawrence Kohlberg on cognitive development and independent moral decision-making. I believe both parts of that are important: “independent” and “moral decision-making.” If Kohlberg is correct, it may not signify that much that children are able to clearly articulate the gospel, or even give lip service to faith and repentance. Their understanding of the gospel or their sincerity is not what is in question. It is their ability to make INDEPENDENT moral decisions.
Check out a brief explanation of Kohlberg’s ideas here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development
And an old post of mine (to which I think Dave alludes in his post) going into more detail on this subject here:
http://sbcimpact.org/2008/07/09/semi-infant-baptism-in-baptist-churches/
I heard a pastor in my early years say, “I walked through the muck and mire of this world, I was a prisoner of my own desires and passions, I did everything a person could do until I was gloriously saved at the age of 6.”
I think, like most of us have to, that all I believe is based upon how my salvation experience aligns with scripture and how my continued walk compares to the truths of God’s word. Many people’s testamony aligns with what took place in my salvation experience, too. We should baptize everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. I walked an isle at 6 and never knew the difference until the Holy Spirit delivered to me the ability to reach out in faith to obtain the righteousness of God through the blood of the cross at 25 years old. I was not seeking it, but it became as real as the pearl of great price for me at that moment. The baptism will always allow other believer’s the opportunity to “ask” for the hope that is in them. We also need to keep up with them, too.
I agree with the statement about “The danger is that children with an incomplete understanding of faith may be baptized before they have been truly converted, thus giving them a false basis of hope or salvation.” I cringe when parents at our Baptist congregation bring up their 5 year olds. These children have no deep conviction of the wickedness of their sin, but rather it seems far too much like, “I’m doing this to make mom and dad happy.”
Still, I will agree it’s better than infant baptizing, which is little more than sprinkling water on the fearful anxieties of their parents.
I’ve certainly observed things like that. Parents, be very careful about pushing your children into “decisions” on spiritual matters. I suspect that at the root of a lot of “false conversions” among small children are two things.
First, is people who let statistics drive them. I remember one year in VBS many years ago we had an evangelism leader who got pretty much every child in VBS to “pray the prayer”. We had a TON of “conversions.” Give a little pressure and the right kind of invitation and many children will respond. Will they be saved? Maybe not, but they will pray the prayer and be baptized.
Second, is parents who subtly, perhaps unintentionally pushed children to, as you said, allay their “fearful anxieties.”
I don’t think these come from a bad place, but the results are very bad. It is always best with children to tell them the truth but avoid pressure, inducement or anything else that could lead kids to false decisions.
I am researching, not for myself, mind you, but for a theology class paper the topic of which I choose. THe paper is relevant for me in that I am a missionary in Africa and work with children. Over the past 2 years, 8 of the children in my Sunday School class have prfessed faith in Christ at different times. I was hesitant about 1 or 2 of them as regards their decisions but the rest I was sure of based on their lives and their devotion to Christ at an early age. Each of these children come from a home with strong Christian parents. My problem came when I told the pastor that several of the children wanted to be baptized. He kept putting off talking to them. When finally cornered as to why, he said he didn’t like baptizing children. The elders of the church asked why as it does not say you can’t in the Bible only that it was the first act of obedience to be followed by the new believer. After some time, the pastor interviewed two of the children and made them go to a month of baptismal classes before he would baptize them, which he finally did do. However, for the remaining 6 children, now aged 10-12, he acts as if he has forgotten it and the children are asking why they cannot be baptized. What can I do? I cannot push a national pastor to baptize. I have chosen another path; I remind the pastor every so often but in the mean time, I am discipling them very intentionally. We have studied the Survival Kit. We are studying about David and having a strong relationship with God. I am teaching them about having a devotion time, giving their parents notes from the Sunday School lessons and the daily devotions I write. I am very intentional in the discipling of the children. We also work on outreach and how to tell our testimony. We also have times outside of church to have fun and play together like picnics and swimming. So the question still remains, how do you get a pastor who does not like baptizing kids to see a need for it, especially a pastor in a mission situation in another country?
Frankly, this is not really a baptism problem, but a ministry and relationship problem. The church needs to set a policy and abide by it – either baptize the kids or don’t.