It seems like baptism is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible. Infant baptism is an example of such misunderstanding. Infant baptism is based on the idea of original sin--every person born inherits Adam's original sin in the Garden of Eden. A thorough study of the Bible shows that this false idea originated from man-not God.
Adam's sin was Adam's sin, and a parent's sin is the parent's sin, not his child's. The Bible makes this very clear.
- Ezekiel 18:20 - "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."
- Deuteronomy 24:16 - "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin."
- Psalms 62:12 - "Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work."
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
It's obvious that a person who sins is guilty of sin. This fact alone is enough to prove that infant baptism is wrong; however, another thing--the requirements for baptism--further proves the point that infant baptism is not Biblical. A study of the Bible (in particular, the book of Acts) shows that, before a person is baptized, he must take certain steps.
- Hear God's word (Acts 2:37) - "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do? '"
- Believe God's word (Acts 8:12) - "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized."
- Repent of sins (Acts 2:38) - "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
- Confess belief in Christ (Acts 8:37) - "Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'"
These are the steps a person must take before being baptized for the remission of sins. Infants can hear whatever adults say to them, but they are not able to understand what the adults are saying. Since they can not understand the words spoken to them, then they cannot believe. As already discussed, infants have no sin; therefore, they have nothing of which to repent. Lastly, they cannot confess, since they cannot believe in Christ (Acts 8:37).
Those who believe in infant baptism argue that a God-parent takes these steps for the infant. However, there is not one verse in the Bible that teaches, shows, or infers that one person can hear, believe, repent, and confess for another person. The person being baptized must take these steps.
Jesus told His disciples to become as little children. We read in Matthew 18:2-3, "Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.'" If little children are born sinners, why would Jesus tell His disciples to become like them.
In conclusion, every person born is born without sin. A person is guilty of sin when he or she is able to fully understand the difference between right and wrong, and then chooses to sin. The God of Heaven could not be a God of love (1 John 4:16), nor a God of justice (Isaiah 30:18) if He was willing to condemn a little child to Hell for something that happened thousands of years before that child was born.
Sadly, many in the world fail to see that "infant baptism" is not part of God's word, but simply the wisdom of men. Baptism is immersion for those who are guilty of sin-infant baptism fails on both counts!