Q: Why do some Christian denominations practice infant baptism while others only practice believer baptism? What do practitioners believe infant baptism does/does not mean or accomplish?
Acts 16:31 tells us that if we believe in the Lord Jesus, He will save you, you and your household. Acts 18:8 says, “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, believed and were baptized.” Here, the passages suggest that everyone in the household underwent baptism. This required the people first to believe. As a transition book, Acts highlights when baptism occurs: after someone comes to Christ.
John The Baptist baptized Jesus Himself, as shown in Matthew 3:13. It says, “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.” Identification with Christ matters most. True baptism occurs at the age of accountability.
Referenced:
Acts 16:31, Acts 18:8, Matthew 3:13
Listen to both arguments of the debate referenced:
Hear John MacArthur’s Position Here.
Hear R. C. Sproul’s Position Here.
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