IS THERE A BIBLICAL BASIS FOR INFANTS TO BE BAPTIZED?
BABYLONIAN PAGAN BAPTISM EXPOSED
The whole issue of infant baptism is a contentious topic among Christians so let’s see for ourselves what the Bible has to say regarding who should be baptized.
IT’S ORIGIN, HISTORY, AND SATAN
Once you know the origin and history of infant baptism, it no longer becomes a debate. It becomes crystal clear to you that infant baptism is a false doctrine that has Satan’s handprints all over it. I remember reading somewhere someone saying that “Infant baptism is responsible for sending more people to the lake of fire than any other religious error.”
So where did this idea of baptizing babies come from? I’m still working on my research on this subject, but all indications so far point to God’s adversary, Satan. One only has to go back to Genesis 10 and 11 where we read of Noah’s great-grandson, Nimrod, and his wife Semiramus, who started the great pagan Babylonian mystery religion and the Tower of Babel. This religion was called “Baal Worship” in the Old Testament, and God called it an abomination.
What I have learned so far from what the devil was up to in this mysterious Babylonian religious system is that Nimrod and Semiramis, along with their priests, were the only ones who understood the great mysteries of God and since it was the only true religion, all others were false. Therefore, only Babylonian priests could forgive and absolve sins and administer salvation. Salvation could be achieved through various sacraments performed during the person’s lifetime. These sacraments, necessary for salvation, began at birth with infant baptism and that person was bound to the Babylonian system hopelessly for life. The Babylonian priest first must exercise evil spirits from the infant by anointing the baby’s head with oil. With the oil the priest puts the mark of Tummuz (god of fertility) on the child’s head by marking a “T” with the oil (later to become the sign of the cross). The priest then put salt and spittle on the baby’s tongue to preserve it from future influence of evil spirits. “Holy Water” was now sprinkled or poured over the baby’s head, and the baby was said to be cleansed from any original sin and was now “born again” and a member of the Babylonian religion. This pagan process was adopted by the Roman State Church in the third and fourth century and was known as “Infant Christening.” The fact that the devil practiced this ritual of newborn baptism or baptismal regeneration going on 2,000 years before it was even used by the Roman Church has truly amazed historians. You can see in all these unbiblical sacraments, the handprint of Satan working behind the scenes.
At around the third century, Baal Worship, infiltrated the Roman Church. Immediately, Bible believing Christians rejected the idea of baptizing infants and baptismal regeneration – the teaching that baptism is essential to salvation or that the water baptism saves the soul (or at least as a part of a person’s salvation). These Bible believing Christians were labelled slanderously as “Anabaptists” by Rome because they rejected the idea of baptizing newborns as pagan and not scriptural. These “Anabaptists” were persecuted greatly because of this issue.
When Satan failed to destroy the church by violence, he resorted to a new strategy – he would join the church himself and corrupt it from within. This proved to be a far more successful plan. By the third century A.D. when Emperor Constantine made “so called Christianity” the official state religion of Rome, one of the first laws passed was the law decreeing infant baptism as the law of the land in 416 A.D. Those who disagreed with this practice and rejected it were persecuted without mercy for not conforming. According to historians the 30 miles of road leading out of Rome were stakes with gory heads of Anabaptists. Historian J. M. Carroll wrote in his book “Trail Of Blood” that no other doctrine that ever found its way into Christendom has caused so much bloodshed in this world as the doctrine of “Infant Baptism.” No wonder the book of Revelation declared in Revelation 17:6 that this great Harlot (false religion) had become drunk with the blood of the saints. Historian and Bible commentator Sir Robert Anderson estimated that throughout the Middle Ages over 40 million people were murdered and martyred over this one doctrine of “Infant Baptism.”
Without going further into the origins of infant baptism, we can see the union of church and state continues today in countries of the world. The Roman Church still teaches infant baptism and baptismal regeneration as do the breakaway churches of the Reformation (Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.). These churches have been deceived by Satan into employing a counterfeit water baptism. Most people who practice infant baptism believe the ceremony has something to do with regeneration and the salvation of the child. These are traditions of man and not the commandments of God. If you look closely, all of the heresies mentioned in the letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation are only of one system, the system of Nimrod and his pagan religion. If a person wants to know the root of religion and where it all got started, it was by Satan and the Tower of Babel in Babylon. Satan is the root of all religions throughout the world. For example, the Roman Church of today is purely a human institution. Its doctrines, which frequently stand in opposition to God’s word were never taught by Christ or the apostles. They crept into the Roman Church over a period of time. It is evident to anyone who examines the record of the Babylonian rites and practices (including infant baptism), they would see that many of today’s pagan elements within the Roman Church were taken directly from the Babylonian religion founded by Nimrod after the flood.
WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES ABOUT NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM
Now, here is what I believe the Bible teaches me regarding who should be baptized? The Bible says there are certain things a person must do before he or she can be baptized. A person must believe in Jesus Christ before he can be baptized. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).” How do we come to believe in Jesus as the Son of God? It is by hearing the Word of God. “So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).” Therefore, a person must have FAITH in Christ before he or she can be baptized. To be baptized before a person believes is not scriptural. Now let’s ask the question: Can an infant BELIEVE in Jesus as the Son of God? We all know the answer is “No.” Here we see one of the key prerequisites for baptism is to believe, which is impossible for an infant to do. A newborn can’t understand the gospel and consciously decide to obey and submit to Jesus.
Scripture clearly tells us that a person must repent of their sins before he or she can be baptized. The Bible says, “Repent, and let every one 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 (Acts 2:38).” To repent means to change one’s life from bad to good. To repent means to have a change of mind. A person no longer wants to do things his or her way, but now wants to do what the Lord says. Can an infant REPENT? Can an infant change his or her mind and way of life? We all know the answer is “No.”
Before a person can be baptized, he or she must also confess their faith in Christ. Scripture tells us in Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: For with the heart, one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” A good example of this is in Acts 8. The man from Ethiopia was being taught by Philip. They came to some water (v.36). The man from Ethiopia wanted to be baptized. Before Philip baptized him, he confessed, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (v.37).” After his confession, he was baptized. As you can see, baptism in Scripture always came after confession, not before. Can an infant CONFESS their faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God? The answer is a definite “No.”
So, what have we learned so far? A person must hear the Word of God. They must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Then they must repent of their sins. After that, they must confess their faith in Christ as the Son of God. All of this must be done BEFORE a person can be baptized. A newborn cannot be baptized and be born again and then many years later profess to believe, repent and confess. The Bible doesn’t teach it that way – this is not believers’ baptism as taught in Scripture. That is why infants are not to be baptized as it makes a mockery of God’s word. It ignores the Bible teaching that baptism represents the burial and resurrection of Jesus and the believer’s change of heart. Paul says our water baptism pictures our dying with Christ and our hope for resurrection. Simply put, the water of our baptism represents the grave, so that by going “under the water” we picture our burial with Christ, and then by our “coming out of the water” we picture our hope and a future resurrection into an eternal body (see Colossians 2 and 1 Corinthians 15). Scripture clearly states that baptism is immersion, which is burial in water. Baptism by immersion clearly shows one’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection – the gospel by which you are saved (1 Cor. 15:1-4). In Romans 6:4 it says, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.” Look, the original Greek word which is translated baptize is “baptizo” and it only means submerge or immerse. If God intended people to be sprinkled, He would have used the Greek word “rhantizo.”
You see, when we change the form of baptism, we lose the whole picture about the death of Christ, His atonement, His resurrection, the change necessary in the believer’s heart and the change commanded in his or her life. Sprinkling infants teaches against the need for a change of heart and goes against God’s word. An infant CANNOT confess their faith in Christ. Also, an infant CANNOT repent of their sins as an infant has no sense of what sin is all about. Let’s follow what the Bible teaches and then we can all agree. The Bible says, “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 (Acts 8:12).” Scripture clearly teaches us that unbelievers in the first century were led to Jesus Christ by being taken to the waters of baptism. Baptism accompanied the acceptance of the gospel. It marked a complete break with the past and a full entrance into Christ and His church. Baptism was simultaneously an act of faith as well as an expression of faith.
Deceived by Satan, the practice of infant baptism is from the traditions of man, not from God. Yes, parents have a responsibility and an important role to play in teaching their children God’s way of life but the decision to have a relationship with God and be baptized cannot be made by our parents or any other individual. While God loves all children, He only makes His covenant with those who are mature enough to understand repentance and the commitment they make to Him. Quite simply we should not baptize infants because baptism is a public confession of faith in obedience to Christ. Look, if infancy was the appropriate method in life to receive water baptism, then we would have expected our Lord to have modelled this pattern for us by being baptized as an infant Himself. Instead, the Lord (without sin) waited until He came into His early ministry as an adult to be baptized and was baptized by immersion underwater – an example for all of us to follow.
Baptism is one of the two ordinances we are asked to follow after we’ve been “born again” (of the Spirit); not before. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” This only happens when we come to Christ by faith and at that moment Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to take up residence in us and in our lives. That’s why infant baptism makes a mockery of God’s word. It is not taught in Scripture at all, only assumed (because some households were saved).
We do not know who was included in these households. Nothing was said about infants or babies. Certainly, there is no teaching of “infant baptism” here. In the case of the jailer (Acts 16), the Scripture makes it certain that there were no unaccountable infants. Verse 33 says “and was baptized, he and all his, straightaway.” But notice that verse 32 states that Paul and Silas preached the word “to all that were in his house” – infants could not partake as they would not be able to understand or believe. Then in verse 34 it says that the jailer, “rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” Certainly, everybody who was baptized in the jailer’s household were the ones who heard the gospel and received the Holy Spirit because they heard the Word and believed in Christ. Clearly infants had no part in this baptism, only believers, because like I said before infants cannot put their FAITH and trust in Jesus. An infant can’t BELIEVE in Jesus as the Son of God. An infant cannot REPENT – change their mind and way of life. This should clearly be obvious to all who follow God’s word.
Another objection that sometimes comes up is found in Matthew 18 where it says, “Except you become a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” I don’t read anything about baptism here. All that is saying is childlike faith is necessary to come into the kingdom. Others will say well what about Matthew 19: 14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16 that says, “Let the little children come to me, for such is the kingdom of heaven.” I don’t see any baptism there. Our Lord is simply saying that God has a special care for children. Look, a child of accountable age that believes in Christ can be baptized. An age that they can understand the gospel. Mom sent me to Sunday school when I was around 9-10 years old and I believed in Jesus. Yes, there are churches that baptizes children of accountable age that understands what baptism symbolizes and wants to make that personal public declaration but it is called believers’ baptism (not infant baptism). Infant baptism is not in the Scripture, it’s not New Testament believers’ baptism, and it is not – please – a replacement sign for the Abrahamic mark of circumcision. Clearly and very simply: The Bible does not teach it – Jesus did not practice it – Household baptisms do not prove it – Circumcision has nothing to do with it. An infant being sprinkled with water by an adult cannot substitute for a personal identification in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which baptism is intended to picture. Therefore, to sprinkle an infant and call it baptism destroys the very meaning and purpose of the New Testament believers’ baptism according to Scripture.
THE HARM OF INFANT BAPTISM
Occasionally someone will say, “Infant baptism doesn’t do any harm and it is beautiful to look at.” Well, I disagree. If you really knew the history of that doctrine and where it came from and the bloodshed that it brought into the world, I think you would think otherwise. Again, historian J. M. Carroll from his book “Trail Of Blood” said that no other doctrine that ever found its way into Christendom has caused so much bloodshed in this world as the doctrine of infant baptism.
Yes, baptism of an unaccountable infant does untold harm. For one thing, it leaves the impression that the change of heart is not necessary. It leaves the impression that the commandments of our Lord Jesus are a matter of ritual, not of personal faith. It ignores the Bible teaching that baptism represents the burial and resurrection of Jesus and the believer’s change of heart. Worst of all, the infant who is thus given a ceremony (baptism) which was only meant for born-again believers, often is led to believe, in after years, that since he is a member of a church, has been baptized, and is a respectable citizen, therefore he does not need the change of heart, does not need to be converted, saved by the blood of Jesus. Infant baptism is another ploy of Satan to cause people to be lost. Satan knows infant baptism accomplishes nothing – the infant being baptized is still a lost soul. Satan doesn’t care how much truth of God’s word people accept as long as it is not enough to save them. From my point of view, it is a dreadful thing to baptize an infant and let them grow up believing that by that baptism they have been saved and on their way to heaven.
Satan’s deception even when further. Nearly all infant baptizing Protestant churches have invented another unscriptural practice called “confirmation” because they realized that infant baptism is not sufficient in itself. They think that a later ceremony, as early as seven or eight or as late as 12 or 13, is necessary to complete that earlier ritual. This rite of confirmation is thought to be the way a person may confirm or validate what happened to them when they were a little infant. It is the way the church has devised to formally accept the “baptized” infant into adult membership of their denomination. You can see the handprint of Satan behind this? Isn’t it amazing how one unscriptural practice (infant baptism) has led to another unbiblical practice (confirmation).
It is a sad and remarkable fact that many earnest professing Christian people have followed Roman Catholics in sprinkling unaccountable infants when there is not one verse in the Bible to even intimate that it was the will of God. This is the toxic teaching the Catholic Church has spread all over the world and entire nations are deceived by this teaching. Clearly, what I have seen and experienced over the years is that pastors and teachers who defend infant baptism do so out of a desire to support denominational teachings. They search the Bible for passages that appear to support their churches preconceived doctrines because breaking free from their denominational viewpoint brings career and personal risk.
In closing, I just want to say that in every New Testament command and instance of baptism, repentance and faith proceed baptism. Baptism is described by Paul as an expression of faith (Col. 2:11-12). Baptism is described by Peter as an appeal to God by the person being baptized (1 Peter 3:18-21).
Let me leave you with this thought: “That if regeneration (by baptism) is prior to conversion, then salvation is no longer by faith. If one is already regenerated before he believes, then faith is not a condition to salvation but the evidence of having been saved.” Can you not see that such a monstrous idea is completely unbiblical and is contrary to what the Bible teaches. This is why the ceremony of infant baptism is unbiblical. Infants are not able to comprehend the spiritual things of God. Remember, God has no grandchildren – only children of God.
Scripture is clear that God judges the heart of every person and rewards each based on the decisions made by that individual, not by his or her parents. Salvation is a matter of PERSONAL obedience (Heb. 5:9); it is not a blessing that can be accessed by one person on behalf of another. In infant baptism, the choice is made by someone else, not the child being baptized. This false practice of baptizing infants makes a mockery out of what God requires in order for a person to receive His Holy Spirit and become a true believer in Him.
Now, here is a legitimate question that one can ask: “I was baptized when I was an infant, but I was not saved until recently. Should I be baptized again? Well, as you have just read, you were not saved when you were baptized as an infant. Your infant baptism was not New Testament believers’ baptism, regardless of what it may have been called at the time. I would suggest you should be baptized again, now as a believer in Christ. It is an important act of obedience that a person makes after accepting Jesus as Lord. Baptism is a public testimony of faith. Believers’ baptism is a picture of our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, which is the gospel. We should all seek to honour God and align with His will – believe and be baptized.