Given how much confusion about infant baptism abounds across the theological spectrum, I felt that it was valuable for me to offer these brief clarifying remarks at last Sunday’s baptism of my own son, born November 17, 2015.
We realize that infant baptism causes a lot of confusion with some people, as it once did with me. So we appreciate Pastor letting me say a few brief words about what infant baptism is, and what it is NOT, in our United Methodist tradition.
We are NOT pretending that [my son]is making a choice today. This baptism does NOT excuse [him] from his need, as he becomes old enough, to repent of his sin – which we expect him to show a lot of – to trust in the blood of Christ, and submit every area of his life to King Jesus. It does NOT guarantee that he will definitely go to Heaven or get God’s approval regardless of what choices he makes as he grows up.
Here are a couple things from the official United Methodist statement on baptism:
- Baptism is “neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation.”
- “God’s gift of grace in the baptismal covenant does not save us apart from our human response of faith.”
- “The United Methodist Church does not accept … the notion that the baptism of infants magically imparts salvation apart from active personal faith.”
So why do we, and the majority of the world’s churches, bother baptizing infants, as well as adults? How was an evangelist like John Wesley able to stress the importance of personal conversion when we are of age but also of infant baptism?
Remember, Jesus actually scolded his disciples for trying to prevent parents from bringing their young children, or babies, to Him. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” And then He blessed them.
Through the ages God has worked through families. In the old covenant, babies even younger than [my son here] joined the people of God through the ritual of circumcision. In the new covenant, children of parents who do have active Christian faiths do so through the sacrament of baptism, which is offered to people of all genders, races, and ages.
Since John Wesley’s day, Methodists have believed, in continuity with centuries of Christian tradition, in the words of our church’s statement: “that in baptism a child was cleansed of the guilt of original sin, initiated into the covenant with God, admitted into the church, made an heir of the divine kingdom, and spiritually born anew.”
And again: “The sacrament is a powerful expression of the reality that all persons come before God as no more than helpless infants, unable to do anything to save ourselves, dependent upon the grace of our loving God.”
“Neither parents nor infants are the chief actors; baptism is an act of God in and through the church.”
Comment by Brian Oliver on December 23, 2015 at 7:18 pm
As a Wesleyan I have always found baptism to be the ultimate expression of Prevenient Grace. Well written John.
Comment by John Lomperis on December 29, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Thanks, Brian!
Comment by OhJay on December 23, 2015 at 11:29 pm
If we are “unable to do anything to save ourselves,” then how is it that “the baptismal covenant does not save us apart from the human response of faith”? I’m not trying to troll, I just know myself as a genuine sinful wretch who has sometimes had nothing but my baptism to cling to. I think of so many dark moments in my life when, if I died, I would have gone before the throne with nothing but that splash of water to show for myself.
Comment by Mark Brooks on January 11, 2016 at 1:49 pm
Be glad then that you didn’t, since the scriptures are clear. You do believe in Christ alone for your salvation, yes? So you don’t have to rely on being baptized as an infant in such a case.
Comment by Chris Hiles on January 31, 2018 at 1:24 pm
What gives you absolutely certainty that you are correct about baptism?
Comment by Paul Zesewitz on December 24, 2015 at 5:47 am
Not hard to see why most Baptists merely ‘dedicate’ babies rather than actually celebrating the sacrament of baptism for them. A little disclaimer here: I was raised Baptist. Now all these years, after reading Scripture (especially the one about Jesus inviting children and then blessing them), my beliefs about baptism probably resemble those of Presbyterians.
Comment by bostic on December 24, 2015 at 10:17 am
I am a UMC and follow the Discipline. Infant baptism is the only place in our doctrine that I believe we missed it. Biblically, I see baptism as a sacred moment between the sinner and a forgiving God. Even though I do not agree, I have baptized 50 infants this year. It is not a battle for me, it is still all about GRACE! I wish all pastors followed the Discipline. It is good even if you don’t agree with all of it. What would happen if we just preached Jesus and not our own agendas. God would fill our churches! The movement would be back.
Comment by Pak Mamat on December 24, 2015 at 6:06 pm
I was raised a Baptist and educated in a Baptist seminary, but I strongly support infant baptism. I do find it a bit curious that this issue sometimes causes controversy in the Methodist church when 80% of the world’s Christians baptize infants as Wesley did.
Comment by Mark Brooks on January 11, 2016 at 1:46 pm
For Baptists, God’s word gets in the way of going along with the crowd.
Comment by Pak Mamat on January 12, 2016 at 6:32 pm
What part of God’s Word are you referring to, good friend? Certainly you’re not forgetting non-Biblical theologies such as Darbyism which are popular in Baptist denominations?
Comment by Skipper on December 29, 2015 at 5:45 pm
I also remember hearing that in the early church some thought a baby needed to be baptized in case it died at an early age. That would make sense, although I don’t know how prevalent this idea was. In any case, it would be symbolic of cleansing, not a physical cleansing.
Comment by Norm on December 30, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Infant baptism is a grand deception and not biblical. The Bible says “believe and be baptized” (i.e. Acts 2:38; 16:31). It never says “be baptized and then believe”, and there is no recorded instance of infant baptism in the New Testament. (Jesus blessed the children; he did not baptize them, and Acts 16 makes no reference to children being present.) The order is essential. Baptism is a proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial and resurrection. If a person – particularly a sleeping months-old baby – does not believe in and accept Christ as Lord and Savior, how can that person be “baptized”? it makes absolutely no biblical, theological or logical sense and sends an entirely false message to the family and congregation. One is not cleansed of sin nor initiated into the covenant of believes by proxy. One is cleansed of sin and initiated into the covenant of faith when he or she comes to faith. How do we explain a person who is baptized as an infant but who does not ever accept Christ? What went wrong? What effect did the baptism have? What was the point? Did God fail? One reason I ceased my UMC local pastor licensing track in 2001 was because I could not participate in such a deception.
Comment by Mark Brooks on January 11, 2016 at 1:45 pm
I commend you for following a literal approach to scripture. As you have seen from the article and many of the comments on the article, infant baptism is usually defended with non-literal proof-texting and appeals to traditions of men. The reason the UMC and many other supposedly Christian bodies baptize infants has more to do with Rome than with Christ, Methodism having arisen within the Church of England. Alas, the myth of Christendom is a hard one for many to let go, even those whose churches were never state institutions.
Comment by Norm on January 12, 2016 at 2:23 pm
Thanks. Exactly – men and power, not the Bible. I have a dear friend from our time on Guam in the 90’s who is an industrial-grade Roman Catholic, which is the predominant denomination in the Marianas due to the early Spanish presence there. Marianist and papist to the core, never mind what the Bible says (or doesn’t say) about Mary, the pope, salvation, communion, the priesthood, all the classical differences between the Roman church and the Reformation. Talk about proof-texting and the power of tradition! He and I agree on many things but I’m afraid we’re talking about two different Jesuses sometimes.Usually I just change the subject after a while so we can start talking about Santana or the Beach Boys again. At the same time, I have another dear friend back in our California hometown, a former Jesuit priest who turns 91 this year, and he is always interested in the Protestant take on things. We have some great e-mail discussions. A while back, he said, “I think Mary had been given a lot more power than she is supposed to have,” I was afraid to pass that on to my Guam friend!
Comment by Linda on June 9, 2018 at 10:06 am
I TOTALLY agree with Norm.
Comment by Brian Felker Jones on January 5, 2016 at 11:43 am
Just excellent, John! Thank you. I pray that Josiah comes to know and understand the grace, repentance, redemption, and sanctification Christ has been calling him to before he could even say his own name. May he be, like his namesake, strong in the Lord even if all those around him go another way. Y’all have our prayers!
Comment by John Lomperis on January 14, 2016 at 6:04 pm
thanks so much, brother!
Comment by J Hart on July 7, 2017 at 5:05 pm
I participate in a discussion group that touches on infant baptism from time to time.
A lot of it becomes those who do not baptize babies trying to describe why it is done.
I would rather provide your explanation in your words, hopefully providing a more fair basis for discussion.
We have a rule that permission must be obtained for copyrighted material .
May I copy your explanation (less comments) and present it unedited?
Comment by Margaret McCleskey on October 5, 2017 at 11:47 pm
Methodists are not the only denomination that practice infant Baptism. It is basically a ceremony where the parents if the child promise to rear him/her in the Christian faith. When a child who has been baptized as an infant is confirmed he/she acknowledges the promise his/her parents made at his/her baptism.
Comment by Dan Owen on January 31, 2020 at 2:37 pm
I see that it’s been a few years since anyone commented on John’s article. Since then, our UMC imploded in St. Louis and is on its way to dividing into at least two parts now, in 2020. I side with the Wesleyan Covenant Association and I see our upcoming denominational division as the PERFECT chance to delete the practice of baptizing infants. I have been a UM pastor for 36+ years and have baptized tons of infants because I agreed to support our UM practices when I was ordained. Speaking now to the “traditional” UM’s out there who will split that way, CAN WE PLEASE USE THIS UPCOMING DIVISION AS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO CEASE THE PRACTICE OF BAPTIZING INFANTS??? Thank you.
Comment by Tara on February 27, 2024 at 12:20 pm
I understand baptism according to what I read in God’s word best thriugh Noah and the John. If we will look to Noah’s arc as the flee of God’s judgment into safety, we can also see Christ as The One where we flee into for safety from God’s judgment for sin. He is our salvation. It is all about Christ. He is the baptiser, whose sandals the baptist was unworthy to tie. Men may sprinkle a child, it is no more a washing of dirt from the body to the infant, but may be a parent’s desire being reflected that the child be saved. How much more the Father who wills that none perish but all reach repentance and obey the gospel. For an older to child to “confirm” their parent’s desire in confirmation that they now have indeed repented of trusting in self, religion, good deeds or right, or their infant “baptism”, but trust in Christ and His victory over death for their sin, means that obedience to the faith is seen by an act of…..baptism. Being immersed into God when they believe God’s Son. Baptism is not given to show another outward demonstration of secondary man’s desire, but that inward regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit…. That CHRIST has so cleansed the conscious of condemnation for sin under the law of God that now he has too died in Christ and been raised by His life! Baptism!! Submerged. In God. Through the obedience of Christ. It’s never been about us. It’s the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord that we follow. That part of our obedience to be baptized is a result of Christ’s grace, its not grace itself. The picture of His death and resurrection and ours in Him is clearly communicated in the submersion and raising up through the water. Christ is the way, the truth and the life. It seems infant baptism is confusing people about the things of God. Look to the gospel and the power of God to save us at the giving of His Son. He has done it! He has the victory!