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1 Corinthians 14:20 (CEV)-My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies.
The New Testament teaches us that baptism is an immersion in water (Romans 6:3-4) where the repentant believer is saved from sin and Hell (Acts 2:38), receiving all spiritual blessings that are only found in relationship with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). According to the Scriptures, baptism is preceded by hearing and learning God’s Word (John 6:44-45), believing in Jesus Christ’s identity, death, burial, and resurrection on the third day (John 8:24; Romans 10:9-20), repenting of sin (Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19-21), and confessing Jesus as God’s Son (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 8:37). Logically, infants can do none of these things, and so are excluded as candidates for baptism.
So then, where did the idea of infant baptism come from?
The answer lies in the events of the second and third centuries after Jesus died.
There were many non-Christian religions which abounded in the area of Judaea at that time, and some of the disciples of Christ sadly began to incorporate some of these teachings and subsequent practices into the church. One example came from the teaching of paganism that anything material is somehow sinful (in opposition to what God’s Word teaches-see Genesis 1:31). As a result, the teaching began to be spread in the church that infants are conceived and born as sinners, somehow inheriting the sin of Adam. As a result of this false teaching, the idea began to formulated for the practice of infant baptism.
The first definite reference to infant baptism comes from a third century Christian named Tertullian, and he was mentioning the practice to say that he and other Christians of his time opposed it.
Brother Everett Ferguson has this for us:
“Tertullian provides the first certain literary reference to infant baptism, and that because he opposed the practice (chap. 21)…Some second-century passages have been thought to imply infant or child baptism. Justin Martyr says he knew of “many men and women of the age of sixty and seventy years who were disciples of Christ from childhood and remain celibate” (1 Apology 15.6). His emphasis in context is on their sexual purity; being “disciples from childhood” says nothing about the age of their baptism, for someone raised in a Christian home could be spoken of in the same way. Similarly, Polycarp’s declaration, “Eighty-six years I have served my King and Savior” (Martyrdom of Polycarp 9.3), even if giving his age at the time, could have been spoken without dating his baptism.1250 Nor does the Acts of Justin 4, which records the confession of two of Justin’s students that they received Christian instruction from their parents, say anything about the age of their baptism. Clement of Alexandria makes frequent use of the language of childhood in reference to Christians, but he apparently says nothing about baptism of actual children…. That brings us to Tertullian. He refers to the baptism of small children as something already being done and for which a practical and scriptural rationale was advanced (themselves indications of a new practice that needed justification), but in view of Tertullian’s respect for tradition at this period of his life1252 evidently not a practice of long standing…Tertullian confronts an already definite scriptural argument for baptizing children, namely Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:14. Tertullian’s response underscores the importance for him of teaching, learning, and personal knowledge of and commitment to Christ — the reasons for his advocacy of a delay of baptism until these conditions had been fully satisfied. He joins a host of earlier Christian writers in the affirmation of the innocence of children,1255 a condition making infant baptism inconsistent in his view with the generally recognized meaning of baptism as bringing the forgiveness of sins…. Tertullian is evidence for the practice of infant baptism in the late second century in North Africa, a region where major theological support for the practice was later to be found. His opposition is an indication that the practice was neither long established nor generally accepted…. The earliest surviving Christian inscriptions come from the end of the second or beginning of the third century. They are overwhelmingly burial inscriptions. The thought of the innocence of children continued to be expressed with no reference to baptism: “Eusebius, an infant without sin by reason of his age, going to the place of the saints, rests in peace” (ILCV 2155).” (Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries, 7241-7423 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans’ Publishing Company)
Let’s consider some lessons for us from all of these things.
First, the Bible teaching regarding the innocence of children is a model for us to strive for in our Christian life. Jesus Himself makes this clear numerous times (cf. Matthew 18:3, 14; 19:14). The Bible teaching regarding the innocence of infants and small children was something taught and embraced by the early Christians (at least for a time).
For example:
“They are as infant children, in whose hearts no evil originates. Nor did they know what wickedness is, but always remained as children.” (Hermas, 150; 2.53)
“Who are they that have been saved and have received the inheritance? Those, doubtless, who believe God and who have continued in HIs love-as did Caleb of Jephuneh and Joshua of Nun-and innocent children, who have had no sense of evil.” (Irenaeus, 180; 1.502)
“Behold, Christ takes infants and teaches how all should be like them, if they ever wish to be greater. However, (the Gnostics point out that) the Creator, in contrast, let loose bears against children, in order to avenge His prophet Elisha, who had been mocked by them. This antithesis is impudent enough, since it throws together things so different as ‘infants’ and ‘children.’ The first is an age that is still innocent. The other is one already capable of discretion (able to mock, if not to blaspheme). Therefore, God is a just God.” (Tertullian, 207; 3.386)
“If you mean the (region in Hades of the) good, why should you judge the souls of infants and of virgins to be unworthy of such a resting place-those who by reason of their condition in life were pure and innocent?” (Tertullian, 210; 3.233)
Second, we see an important lesson about how the religions of the world can affect the church if adherence to the Bible is not a priority. The Prophet declared once that God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Jesus teaches that people fall into error when they do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God (Matthew 22:29). We need to be diligent in our studies of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15).
Father, thank You for the innocence of children. Help us to learn from them as we live for You in this world. We also pray that we will be able to reach others with Your Word. Amen.