BAPTISM

Scripture teaches that water baptism is a visual portrayal of a believer being personally united with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism publicly pictures one’s initiation into Christ by faith. This individual is then to be received by the church community who is in covenant with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When someone is baptized, he/she makes a public profession of being forgiven, dead the old life under sin, and now alive to life with God by the Spirit through Jesus (Romans 6:1-11; Acts 2:38). It is the living God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we have share life with and that is the name we identify with in water baptism (Matthew 28:18-20).

We baptize because it’s part of Jesus’ commission to us. The timeless commission of Jesus to us is seen in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

The central command in this passage is “…make disciples of all nations.…” There are three participial phrases connected to this process of making disciples. These include “going….baptizing…teaching….” This commission and these practices were not limited to just one cultural context of the original apostles and the early church. Jesus has all authority and he wants this done among “…all nations….” Jesus promises his presence with us as we continue to carry out his commission and these practices “until the end of the age.” As we proclaim the gospel and make disciples, we also practice baptizing in water each one who personally receives this gospel of grace by faith.

We believe the preponderance of Scripture demonstrates that baptism is for a person who professes faith in Jesus. That is, it is best to wait to baptize an individual until he/she personally repents and trusts in Jesus who is proclaimed in the gospel. Here are just a few biblical examples:

And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” [Acts 2:38-47]

And they 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. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. [Acts 16:31-33]

Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. [Acts 18:8]

What About Infant Children?

Teaching believer baptism almost always raises additional questions such as…What about infants and small children of believing parents? We believe infants of believing parents should wait to be baptized until they come to personally repent and trust Jesus. God has always saved us by grace through faith apart from any meritorious works or ceremonies we do. This was true throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament (Romans 4).

But, when should a person receive the outward sign of faith? Abraham received the outward sign of circumcision after he believed and then circumcised his children before they were old enough to believe. This sign continued through the old covenant. While there is continuity between the old and new covenants, there are also some areas of discontinuity between these covenants. For example, the old covenant included promises of a particular area of physical land, and it was a covenant with one nation that one came into merely by physical birth. The new covenant is different than this. One particular area of discontinuity is who should now receive the outward sign of being part of the covenant people of God. The old covenant sign of circumcision is now replaced in the new with the outward sign of water baptism (Colossians 2:8-15). In the old, one had only to be born physically. In the new, one should be born again spiritually to receive the outward sign of being part of the covenant community. Knowing the Lord by faith, being forgiven, and having his Holy Spirit are conditions of being part of God’s new covenant people – his church body (Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 1:12-13; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:23-29). That is why we teach that infants of believing parents should wait to be baptized until they come to personally repent and trust Jesus. This is what we believe and practice though we have families in our church who have come to differing convictions. They too can be members of our church and will not be looked down upon or judged if they have their child baptized. We believe this is an "open item" that is not essential.

Parent – Child Dedications

If infant children are not to receive the outward sign of baptism as being part of the new covenant people of God until they personally believe on Jesus, then the question remains "How are children of believing parents in the covenant community to be viewed?". Certainly they are not to be viewed as pagan children.

Scripture gives us some clues to help us. Jesus welcomed and blessed small children when parents brought them to him (Mark 10:13-16). As Paul instructs the Corinthians about an issue they faced, we also pick up insight about children of believers. When at least one of the parents in a family comes to faith in Jesus, I Corinthians 7:12-16 describes that marriage and family as no longer being a spiritually “unclean” family with a believer in it, but rather it is a believing household with unbelievers still in it. It is now considered a set apart believing household (“holy,” no longer spiritually “unclean”). While each unbelieving person will still need to exercise personal faith, there does appear to be an acknowledgement that children are under the blessings of a parent who is standing in grace by faith in Jesus. Therefore, rather than baptizing infant children of believing parents, we practice parent-child dedication as a church community. This allows believing parents to publically dedicate themselves and their child unto the Lord for his purposes in front of their church family and friends. This gives the covenant community of church friends an opportunity to hear this public dedication and to affirm their commitment to support and stand with these parents in the weeks, months, and years to come as they rear their children to believe and follow Jesus.

What About Adults Sprinkled As Infants Who Now Personally Believe In Jesus?

Another question often raised is…What about those sprinkled as infants who now believe in Jesus? How do we relate together as true believers given differing views on water baptism? At Downtown Hope we practice, teach, and encourage believer baptism. Can someone be a fully functioning part of Downtown Hope if they were baptized as an infant and are now genuinely trusting Jesus Christ for salvation? The answer is yes. Although we would encourage him/her to be baptized as a believer, we do fully accept these believers into our church family provided that they reject the notion that there is anything meritorious before God accomplished in their infant baptism. As long as that individual professes that their salvation is by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone we welcome him/her (Romans 5:1-5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:8-9). We hold this position because Scripture is much clearer about practicing love and unity among believers in Jesus and his gospel than it is about the timing of water baptism (John 13:31-35; 17:20-23; Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:11-22; 4:1-6; Philippians 1:27). In this same spirit of unity, we ask that these friends in Christ refrain from teaching infant baptism among us to help protect the unity of this body.