Introduction

Over the years there were some debates in the theology especially on the efficacy of the
sacraments. For those who believe in some of the sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church,
they differ in the theology of these effects and meaning of the sacraments. One of the main topics
of debate among the churches that believe in the sacraments, especially the sacraments of
initiation is the idea of infant baptism which is recognized in Catholic Church mainly. Those
who do not believe in the infant baptism have their own arguments that stem from logical
deduction and their understanding of some scriptural passages. On the other hand, the churches,
especially main line churches that recognize infant baptism have also scriptural and logical
support of their teaching. This piece of work shall therefore briefly outline the arguments given
by those who do not recognize the efficacy of infant baptism. After that brief outlook, the writer
will then deal with the main topic of discussion, that is, the justification of infant baptism.
What is baptism?
The word Baptism is derived “from the Greek word, bapto, or baptizo, to wash or to immerse. It
signifies, therefore, that washing is of the essential idea of the sacrament.” 1 Scripture usages of
the term baptize both literally and figuratively. The Roman Catechism defines baptism “as the
sacrament of regeneration by water in the word.”2 St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa theological
gives this definition: “Baptism is the external ablution of the body, performed with the
prescribed form of words.”3 These definitions do not say anything on who should be baptised but
rather focus of the act and effects of baptism. What then is infant baptism?

Infant baptism “is the practice of baptizing infants or young children.” 4 The Catholic Church has
continued to defend the practice of infant baptism” 5since her official acceptance in 1349 AD. For
Roman Catholics, baptism by water is a sacrament of initiation into the life of children of God 6

Arguments against infant baptism by Protestants

1
J. H. THAYER, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament http://cdn.theologicalstudies.net/30/30.1/30.1.4.pdf.
2
CCC 1211.
3
http://www.wlsessays.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/1501/VogtInfant.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y/.com.
Accessed 20 September 2019.
4
J MURRAY, Christian Baptism, Presbyterian and Reformed, Phillipsburg Press, New Jersey 1980, 55.
5
R. X. REDMOND, “Infant Baptism: History and Pastoral Problems,” accessed 25 May 2017;
6
CCC 1212-13.

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Now briefly looking at the arguments given by those who deny the efficacy of infant baptism we
notice inductive arguments. They firstly insist that the New Testament calls for faith and
repentance as the requirements for baptism. On Faith they insist that, it seems clear that the first
requirement for baptism in the Bible is faith in Jesus as the Savior of the world (John 3:16). This
idea is more of fideism approach to the sacrament. They argue that infants lack faith. They also
believe that Christ said, “he who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). They
argue that the New Testament says “believe and be baptized.” How can an infant believe?

They also say there is no specific Scriptural command to baptize infants. Apart from that they
believe that Infant baptism minimizes the importance of conversion, and gives carnal security to
Unbelievers. They even argue that “If infants are to be admitted to baptism, why are they not
admitted to the Lord’s Supper? In the OT, circumcised children participated in the Passover
feast.” These and other argument shall be dealt with in the arguments for infant baptism which
shall encompass catholic teaching in line with scriptures and theological teaching.

Catholic teaching on baptism

In Roman Catholic teaching, baptism plays an essential role in salvation. The Catechism of the
Catholic Church states “Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has
been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.” 7 Accordingly, a
person who knowingly, willfully and unrepentantly rejects baptism has no hope of salvation. The
Catholic Church draws this teaching from the teaching of Jesus himself. The Catholic Church
goes on to believe that, “the sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest
in infant baptism.”8 While infants bring no human achievements or works whatever to their
encounter with God, they are nonetheless given a share in divine life. This means the sacrament
of baptism has salvific effects on all children or infants included.

The Church also places baptism as one of the sacraments of initiation. To say that baptism is
primarily an expression of one’s faith also misunderstands faith, salvation, and the sign of God’s
grace. Baptism is God’s sign which he applies to one through the Church whether as infant or
adult. It is God’s sign of what he has done. “Baptism is not, primarily, a sign of my faith.
7
CCC
8
CCCC1250

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Baptism is a sign (and seal) of God's grace.” 9 Circumcision is always a sign of the grace of God
in making the covenant with Abraham. So also baptism is a sign of God’s grace which includes
adult converts or infant children of believers.

Catholics believe that baptism is necessary for the cleansing of the taint of original sin, and for
that reason infant baptism is a common practice. The reason is that “infants are in a state of sin
and need to be regenerated.”10 This argument stems from mainly the theology from St Augustine
who taught that “all persons, including infants and children, are born with a corrupted nature and
reckoned guilty in being sinners with Adam.”11 In order words, infants and children find
themselves under the curse of sin as Adam’s children the curse of eternal death therefore they
need redemption through baptism. To make this point more solid, those who practice infant
baptism add that “as for children who die in infancy or an early age, despite their participation in
Adam’s sin, ‘they are somehow accepted and saved.”12 This then validates the idea of infant
baptism in connection with both original sin and salvation.

Theological Basis
According to Reichelderfer, for one to understand infant baptism “the nature of the church, along
with baptism in terms of it being a sign and seal of the covenant” 13 there is this
interconnectedness between signs used and the idea of the new covenant “It is the sign of
initiation that represents that the individual has been received into the community of the church,
engrafted in Christ, and can be considered among God’s people.”14
Referencing to these New Testament passages (Gal. 2:3, 5:6, I Cor. 7:18-19), Wayne Vogt
argued that “Jesus replaced circumcision with baptism”15 and since infants were circumcised
they are now to be baptized. Because of the promise of the covenant of grace, God is a God not
only to adult believers, but also to their children. That is why, in 1 Corinthians 7:14, Paul said
that children of believers are holy. In interpreting the message of people in line with the context
one may conclude that Paul deliberately used Old Covenant, ceremonial, language to teach the
9
P.C. MARCEL, The Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, Cambridge Press, London 1953, 56.
10
J. M. BEACH, “Original Sin, Infant Salvation, and the Baptism of Infants,” 62.
11
Ibid 62.
12
Ibid 56.
13
D. L. REICHELDERFER, “Understanding Infant Baptism in the Covenant Community of God’s People,”
Reformed Theological Seminary, North Carolina 2014, 17.
14
Ibid 33.
15
W VOGT, “The Biblical Substantiation for Infant Baptism, 33.

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Corinthians that their children should not be considered outside of the visible people of God. To
use old covenant language, children of believers are clean, and therefore have a right to share in
the blessings of being a part of the visible people of God, including baptism.
In addition to the above point, Baptism is seen as a “testimony of divine grace towards God’s
people and it is done publicly. God appointed infants to be included in the benefits of the
covenant and declared infants to receive circumcision as a sign and seal. They were considered
to be an integral part of the people of Israel. Since children received the covenantal sign in the
Old Testament era, it is presumed that they have a right to receive it in the New Testament era.

Biblical Basis
Idea of circumcision mentioned above is also biblical base for infant baptism apart from being
theological. One of the arguments for infant baptism is connected to the idea of circumcision.
The connection between baptism and circumcision is quite clear in Colossians 2:11-12. The
connection is not direct, but indirect and the point of contact between them is Christ and baptism
is the sign and seal of that circumcision. Though, there is no direct reference to infant baptism in
the Bible, deduction has been made from some biblical quotations and passages. Circumcision in
the Old Testament is one of the strongest bases for those who practice infant baptism. Wayne
Vogt wrote “perhaps the strongest support of infant baptism, in my estimation, is the fact that
Baptism replaced Old Testament circumcision.”16 For the generations to come every male among
you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought
with money from a foreigner those who are not your offspring (Genesis 17:10-12 NIV). If this
practice was done to infants of about eight days as God’s command how then do we justify the
denial of infant baptism?
From Old Testament to New Testament we see that ceremony was followed right up to the time
of Christ, because Christ Himself was circumcised on the eighth day. Luke 2:21 records the
circumcision of baby Jesus on the eight day. In the Bible, circumcision was performed when the
child was only eight days old. “Circumcision was the sign that marked the community of God’s
people who had been claimed by God as his own, and who now responded in obedience to his
claim. Circumcision was the rite by which those in the covenant community pledged to live
under the authority and rule of God.”17
16
W VOGT, “The Biblical Substantiation for Infant Baptism.” 40.
17
https://www.livinglutheran.org/2017/01/why-infant-baptism/.com. Accessed 20 September 2019.

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 Apart from the above point, Matthew 28:18 reads, “therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (NIV).
This implicitly is another biblical justification for infant baptism is that Jesus has commanded us
to baptize ‘all nations. This reason is derived from the great commission. The logical argument
from this text is that “children are certainly a part of ‘all nations.’ And when Jesus commanded
us to teach and baptize all nations, He did not make any exceptions. He did not exclude the
children. Nor are we told of any exceptions that He made in the account recorded by St. Mark,
‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved’ (Mk. 16:16).” According to Wayne Vogt,
“Jesus baptism is crucial to the extent that He placed it at par with faith.” He continued to argue
that “Christ did not prohibit infants from baptism.” 18Nowhere in the Bible are did God or in the
person of Christ commanded to exclude children from Baptism. Those who say we dare not
baptize children cannot point to anyplace that the Bible forbids it.
Idea of parent deciding the baptism of the family is also another base for the infant baptism.
Scriptures presents us with household or oikos formula as another basis for the practice of infant
baptism. There are several New Testament references to the baptism of the “whole households”
(Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33, 1 Corinthians 1:16). The key examples of the household baptism will be
of Lydia, Crispus, and Stephanas found in the book of Acts and Corinthians. This household
baptism is assumed “would include infants and children.” Even tracing back to the Old
Testament, if the head of a household converted to Judaism, all the males in the house, even the
infants, were circumcised. So the argument from household baptism as a basis for the practice of
infant baptism is based on assumption.
From other perspective, Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38,39 are direct commands to baptize infants.
It is true that there is no explicit command baptizes infants. There is no such command because
there is no need for such a command. Neither is there an explicit verse which states God is One
in three persons, but God’s Word teaches the existence of the Trinity throughout. Nowhere in
Scripture, however, is there a declaration that children are no longer to receive a covenant sign.
“If one needs an explicit command to baptize children then we should stop admitting women to
the Lord ’s Table, since there is no direct command to allow women to come to the table. This is
clearly absurd.”19
Conclusion
18
W VOGT, “The Biblical Substantiation for Infant Baptism.” 40.
19
https://www.livinglutheran.org/2017/01/why-infant-baptism/.com. Accessed 20 September 2019.

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The Catholic Church presents logical bases for their stand infant baptism despite their incapacity
to make choices. The Church’s bases is sound logical theologically, they lack solid explicit
biblical support. Arguing using the reasons for baptism such as initiation practice, original sin,
salvific purpose and biblical support, this pierce of work was an attempted to show that despite
their incapacity to make their personal decision in any area of life, infant baptism remain
necessary. This is clear from Catholic dogmas, biblical texts and theological ground as well as
not undermining Sacred Tradition.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
CATHECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Paulines Publications Nairobi 1999.

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL BIBLE, Doubleday, London 1999.

BEACH J. M., “Original Sin, Infant Salvation, and the Baptism of Infants,” .

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MARCEL P. C., The Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, Cambridge Press, London 1953.

MURRAY J., Christian Baptism, Presbyterian and Reformed, Phillipsburg Press, New Jersey
1980.

REDMOND R. X., “Infant Baptism: History and Pastoral Problems,” accessed 25 May
2017.

REICHELDERFER D. L., “Understanding Infant Baptism in the Covenant Community of God’s

THAYER J. H., Greek-English Lexicon of of the New Testament. Net

https://www.livinglutheran.org/2017/01/why-infant-baptism/.com. Accessed 20 September 2019.

http://www.wlsessays.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/1501/VogtInfant.pdf?
sequence=1&isAllowed=y/.com. Accessed 20 September 2019.

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