![]() Historic practice, however, suggests a certain presumption in favor of infant baptism. 9 Of course the historic practice of the church does not settle the question. 8 In fact, infant baptism has been the practice of the historic Christian church since the Apostolic period. They also agreed that infant baptism is a biblical practice and the best expression of the Protestant gospel. Though these three great Protestants disagreed on many things, they all agreed on the Protestant doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. All the Protestant Reformers including Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin held to infant baptism. I also intend to give Reformed believers a clearer understanding of what God’s Word says about baptism and to answer objections which are often made against the Reformed position. I believe (perhaps naively) that if more Bible-believing Christians understood the Reformed view of baptism, they would accept our explanation of what God’s Word says about baptism. 7 This essay is intended in part to change that perception. Unfortunately, many Bible-believing Christians assume that all infant baptizing (paedobaptist) churches are identical. The view labeled Lutheran is probably somewhere in the middle in popularity. Among Bible-believing Protestant churches, the Baptist view is easily the most common and the Reformed view is probably the least well known. Protestants uniformly reject the Roman Catholic view of baptism as unbiblical and sub-Christian since it replaces faith as the instrument of justification. Therefore covenant children of believing parents as well as unbaptized adult converts should be baptized. It is a sign and seal of the Covenant of Grace illustrating what Christ has done for his people and sealing salvation to the same. Baptism is a means of sanctifying grace and a gospel ministry to the people of God.Both the children of believers and unbaptized adult believers should be baptized (Lutheran). Baptism is so closely related to the gospel that through it, Christians receive eternal life and without baptism there can be no assurance of salvation.Therefore, only those who are able to confess Christ should be baptized. Only those who have reached the age of discretion can make such a profession of faith. Baptism is a public testimony to one’s faith in Jesus Christ.Children of all church members and unbaptized adult converts must be baptized (Roman Catholic). Baptism communicates saving grace, by the working of its own power. ![]() Baptism is the means of spiritual renewal and initial justification and sanctification through the infusion of grace received in it, in such a way that one cannot be saved ordinarily without it.Federal Vision and New Perspectives on PaulĪmong Western Christians there are four major views on baptism: 1.
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