Many Christians think that the Bible teaches infant baptism.  For centuries before the Reformation, non-Catholic believers, who taught that Scriptural baptism was only for those who had believed the Gospel and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. rejected baptismal regeneration.  Those that practiced infant baptism attempted to justify it by citing passages of Scripture where entire households were baptised.  They assumed that some infants were in these households.

Upon examining these passages, we find that the opposite is true.  Look at  the household of Cornelius:  They heard the Gospel, believed it, and were baptised.  There were no infants involved because the Bible says they had all gathered “to hear all things that are commanded thee of God” (Acts 10:33), things which an infant could not understand.  “The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”  (vs. 44)

That they had “received the Holy Ghost” (vs. 47) proves they were saved.  After this Peter baptised them (vs. 48).  They were saved before being baptised.  Only those that had been born again were baptised.

Another  text used in an attempt to endorse infant baptism is that of the Philippian jailer, who “was baptised, he and all his (household)” (Acts 16:33).  There were obviously no infants present because Paul and Silas preached the Gospel “to all that were in his house” (vs. 32), and “all his house believed” (vs. 34).  They were then baptised.

Those that baptise infants today do not first preach the gospel to them.

We must understand the word “Baptism.”  It is from the Greek word, “baptizo”, which means, “to dip, plunge under or immerse.”  The word is not ambiguous.

There is Biblical precedent for dedicating an infant to God.  Hannah dedicated her infant son, Samuel, to the Lord.  (I Samuel 2)

My 10-month-old grandson, Joshua, is the only person on earth that, upon seeing me enter the room, smiles and begins to crawl toward me as fast as he can.  I love him.  His parents may dedicate him to the Lord publicly or in private.  This is no substitute for his, in time, personally accepting Christ as Savior and following Him in baptism.  God has no grandchildren.

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