Question 166. To whom is baptism administered?

 

Question 166. To whom is baptism administered?

Answer. Those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him. (Baptism cannot be administered to those who are outside the visible church and are foreigners to the covenant of promise.) Infants born of parents who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him, or of one parent only, are in the covenant in that respect, and may be baptized.

Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

A believer is someone who confesses that he or she is a sinner before God, repents, enters Christ, dies to sin with Jesus, receives the resurrection life with Jesus, and believes in living for righteousness. Such a believer becomes one who acknowledges Jesus as Lord. Therefore, the believer can be baptized by Jesus. Baptism is performed by the pastor to the believer through Jesus. However, he or she does not say the name Jesus, but baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The name is Jesus. Baptizing is lending a person's hand, but it is done by Jesus who died on the cross and was resurrected. Therefore, it should be said, "I baptize you in Jesus Christ."

In most church communities today, those who confess Jesus as Lord, make a confession of faith, and believe that Jesus died for them are baptized. Repentance is missing, faith in Christ is missing, and Jesus is missing. Also, pastors do not talk about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the faith that unites with the resurrected Christ.

Baptism in the New Testament era has a similar meaning to circumcision in the Old Testament era. Circumcision in the Old Testament era meant that one was dead by cutting the foreskin, and it meant being a covenant people. A covenant is a contract, but making a covenant does not mean that one has been confirmed as a covenant people. God sees faith. God appeared to Abram when he was ninety-nine years old and changed his name to Abraham. And He commanded circumcision. And He commanded that he be circumcised when he was eight days old.

Circumcision is a calling and a covenant contract, but it is not a confirmation of faith. Faith is hoping for something that cannot be hoped for. Since circumcision is based on the Old Testament law, infant baptism can also be seen as based on the Old Testament law. Not all who are circumcised are confirmed as covenant people. Ishmael was circumcised, but he did not become a covenant people.

Even if one receives formal baptism, one cannot be confirmed as a covenant citizen if one does not realize and believe that he or she is united with Jesus who died on the cross. Therefore, infant baptism does not confirm one as a covenant citizen.

If an infant who knows nothing about salvation dies before being baptized, it is an area where humans cannot speak carelessly about whether he or she will be saved. However, salvation is not in ritual baptism, but in the belief that he or she is united with the death of Jesus on the cross and is resurrected in union with Christ.

Acts 16:31-32 “And he said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

If someone in the family reaches salvation through Jesus, the possibility of the entire family reaching salvation increases. However, some family members will be saved and some will not. There will be families where discord arises because of Jesus Christ. However, if one person is saved, the possibility of the family being saved greatly increases. Therefore, infant baptism based on the law is not directly connected to the salvation of the infant, but reflects the parents’ belief that it can lead to salvation in the future.

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