A Scriptural Understanding Of Baptism Week 3

All right, let's pray okay.

Father thank you for our time together.

Now help us to understand this.

Help us that your name will be glorified and help us so that we will have an understanding with the scripture say.

But Lord help us not to be proud in knowing things rather

Rather help us to be humble with the truth.

All right.

Last week.

We started talking about the case for pato baptism.

I.

I.

Was hoping that I would be fair and the actor someone said to me

last week Wow after that.

That's really cool.

It'd be great to be present here.

So I thought I did a good job.

All right, but we're not done yet.

We're gonna let them continue to make their case.

So what we saw last week, of course was that Admittedly and they will admit it.

There are no there are no biblical References to

Infant baptism in the New Testament, you can't find a record of one and they openly admit that.

Okay.

So what happens.

Well because of necessary.

And why can't I always forget that phrase.

Because it's a good phrase.

That by.

Good and necessary consequences we can deduce from Scripture the truth.

That's true.

And so what they've done is they said, okay the Abrahamic Covenant is central to our belief and

if you understand the Abrahamic Covenant, then the good and necessary

Consequences that give us the truth come from that.

So we saw that God made a covenant with Abraham and

Basically Promised him all these things and then said to him this is for you

and your household and your descendants after you so that the household was

circumcised and All the descendants that followed generation after generation were

circumcised as members of that Abrahamic Covenant.

Now they would they would say then that that that circumcision all's that did was God's remember sign

and seal That if you meet the conditions of the covenant, which is faith,

then you will be saved.

Okay.

Mosaic Covenant, of course has circumcision in it because they're all Abraham's descendants and they're

there.

Their deduction is simply this that we are now Abraham's descendants and therefore

because of that covenant, which is still in force because of that covenant and we have to

Give our infants the covenant sign.

Okay.

So what's remained the same is the covenant and the fact that we If you're if you're descended from

Abraham and we've seen Galatians that were Abraham's children.

Therefore we have to give the covenant sign to the infants that remains the

same.

What has changed is the covenant sign.

It went from circumcision to Baptism.

Okay, so that's where we were last week.

But again, there are other considerations that they give besides just the Abrahamic Covenant.

One is a particular view of the church.

There's a particular view of the church.

That.

That comes into play here now they will say God has one plan of redemption and one

people through all the ages and Again, we can agree.

There is one plan of redemption Granted that's clear from Scripture and one

people for all the ages.

That's that's true, too.

But it's not the same as what they would say this one.

We don't agree that it's quite the same.

But here's what they would say.

All right.

One plan of redemption one people.

So they have a tendency at least the old Presbyterian theologians of Talking about the church

in the Old Testament.

All right.

The church in the Old Testament or they would might refer to Israel in the wilderness as the church

in the wilderness.

So they so so then they draw the following conclusions.

It's from Charles Hodge Great Presbyterian theologian great theologian altogether, but particularly

Presbyterian.

He says if the church is one under both dispensations now what he means by

dispensations is The Old Testament and the New Testament if the church is one under

both Dispensations if infants were members of the church under the

theocracy.

They are members of the church now.

Unless the contrary be proven.

So you see what what plays into this idea?

Is this this straight line?

God's people in the Old Testament are the church.

God's peace in the New Testament are the church.

So they will talk about the church.

You know in Israel or the the church in the wilderness or the church here.

They'll use that terminology and it's just one straight line.

So that if you if you gave if the church in the Old Testament

Gave the covenant sign the infants and the church in the New Testament does the same.

It's just All the way straight across.

Okay.

Here's the next argument they will make there's there's a Contrary command you won't find the contrary command anywhere.

There's an absence of it and they would say you create a Baptist face the absence of a specific

command.

To deny children the covenant sign they say there is no command that says don't do

that anymore.

Because they argued this would have been an immense change for Jewish converts.

The removal of the sign the covenant sign for children they say that would just be totally radical.

It would be like this Imagine what happens when a Jewish convert who submits to

baptism is told that his children Cannot have the covenant sign.

That's just way too radical.

That just that just doesn't make sense.

I mean they've been practicing circumcision for 2 ,000 years of Giving the sign to their infants and all of

a sudden you're gonna say no.

No, no more children allowed.

You see that's just too radical.

You got to find a commandment that says don't do this before you can assert that only

believers can be baptized.

All right.

And then.

So there's there's these two views a particular view of the church the absence of any contrary command to stop

Giving the covenant sign to the babies.

All right, and then there's the household baptisms in the New Testament.

Okay, and when you look at the New Testament, you see that the Apostles expected

entire households to be baptized Once the head of the home accepted the

gospel.

In fact when you read the New Testament accounts of baptism Every person identified as having

a household present at his or her conversion Also had the entire household baptized.

They say look at every instance where someone is converted his entire household Was

baptized, okay.

And.

So they say okay, so the household has to be baptized.

Now, what's the household?

We saw it last week.

Here's their contemporary definition.

This included all of one's resident dependents spouse children resident

relatives and dependent servants not earning regular wages.

Now it interests me just as a footnote here because I'm not gonna critique this yet.

Just kind of.

What's interesting to me is how this not earning regular wages has slipped into the definition.

And I don't understand why.

That is other than they're trying to make the point.

It was just the slaves that were in the household who got it and they were service not earning regular

wages.

So that may be where it came from but it also delivers them from having to

Baptize the nanny that's living in your household.

And take care of your kids.

And that's just a.

That's just a throw -off.

That's a throwaway line.

You can tuck it away do what you want with that one.

We may come back to it later.

Let's look at.

Let's look at some of these look at Acts chapter 16 verses 30 and 31.

Here's a the Philippian jailer.

You remember the story Paul and Silas have cast out a demon from a.

From a woman who's been making a lot of money for her Masters and they get really mad

and they have Paul and Silas thrown in prison.

And you remember they're in the stocks and it's about midnight and they're singing and all the

doors fly open.

And the jailer comes walking in he's ready.

He's running in he's ready to commit suicide.

He says what must I do to be saved and they give him the gospel and he is converted.

And then we get down to verses 30 and 31.

We read where is that?

Then he brought them out and said sirs What must I do to be saved.

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.

Okay, then he brought them up into his house and set food before him and he rejoiced along with his entire

household that he had.

That he that and he had believed in God.

So they say look there it is.

He believed and his whole household was baptized.

Now they would say if you look at that Paul's words do not mean that the rest of the household would express genuine

faith.

But that the faith of the household head would now govern the life and

faith of patterns the life the The life and the faith

patterns in the rest of his family.

So there's where they would point they would also point to Cornelius in Acts chapter 10.

It says that all of his household was baptized in Acts

chapter 16 verse 15.

And.

She that is Lydia and after she was baptized in her household as well She urged us saying if you

have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come to my house and stay.

And she prevailed upon Us.

So again Lydia's baptized and her household later on.

Is the Philippian jailer you look at? Colossians 1 16.

Wait a minute.

Okay. Here we go.

All right Cornelius.

Lydia.

Philippian jailer.

Stephanus in 1st Corinthians 1 16

Verse 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.

So that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.

I did baptize also the household of Stephanus beyond that I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.

So He mentions the household of Stephanus there, okay.

So talks about his household.

Another one that's implied is Crispus.

We find in Acts chapter 18.

Chapter 18 verse 8

Crispus the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth.

Now Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord together with his entire household and.

Many though and many of the Christians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

And then when you turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 verse 14 talks about.

Yeah, he baptized Crispus.

So they draw the conclusion.

Well, it says that his household believed and Crispus is baptized.

And so for that Crispus believed that his household was baptized in here.

Well, no in Acts 18, it says Crispus believed in 1st Corinthians it says

he was saved.

Household is mentioned in Acts.

But Crispus is mentioned in 1st Corinthians.

Now they say to us credo Baptist.

Why is there why do you resist household baptism so much?

He says they say you're too individualistic.

You've forgotten the representative principle.

Remember we talked about that last week.

The representative principle.

Where the household head?

Represents the entire family.

So he's baptized.

The whole household is baptized.

And they said you're just too Individualistic.

You just bought too much into the American view of individualism and you forgot the representative principle.

And.

That you don't understand how covenant sign is a seal or a visible pledge that

promises.

That promises apply when you meet the condition of faith.

Okay, you just don't get that.

Okay.

All right.

Now they'll talk now also, so those are some other biblical considerations that come into play.

Household baptism is a real big one for them because they think they think that

aha see Whole households are baptized Just like in the Old

Testament.

Okay, I'm not going to deal with that now.

You have to come back later for us to deal with that.

I would just suggest to you.

Let me suggest to you that you read those accounts and Pay attention to everything in those accounts.

Okay, just read it read it carefully read it over many times and see if

it holds.

All right now.

Now they want to talk about the benefits of infant baptism.

What are the benefits?

That they have that we don't have.

Well, the first of all they talked about they might talk about the devotion of parents and Brian

Chapel writes this.

Should we baptize infants because the sacrament will guarantee that our children will become genuine and

eternal citizens of heaven?

The answer is no.

Because no sacrament automatically creates or transmits the grace of salvation.

No mere ritual will save anyone and so they agree with us wholeheartedly

that that faith.

Faith is necessary to be reconciled to God.

They'll never deny that they'll agree with us and I'm thankful for that.

So if it doesn't confer salvation then why do it.

Because God makes covenantal promises to believers and their children.

Well, we talked about devotion of parents.

Okay, and in an infant baptism Abraham devoted all that he had to God in the

covenant faith.

So what what's the conclusion so Christians?

Should do the same.

So Christian parents should do the same.

Okay.

So Abraham devoted all they had to God in the covenant.

So we should too.

All right, it demonstrates.

It demonstrates very tangibly the commitment to be faithful stewards of our children's Souls,

it means to trust and to follow God in raising children.

Okay.

It's saying that I've devoted my children and my whole household to God and I'm going to lead

them in the way of God.

All right.

Salvation truths are signified in baptism.

Parents humbly acknowledge that they're dependent on God's grace.

Not only in the duty to raise the child according to Scripture, but also to do what they cannot

do.

Just to say okay.

It signifies.

That.

We're dependent on God's grace.

Right this covenant.

Because remember remember the covenant.

You remember that little baptismal ceremony we went through last week where the pastor addresses the child and

Essentially says to him if you believe you'll be saved.

And this is God's promise that he'll save you.

And so it's it's a promise from God that if you believe you'll

be saved.

Okay.

This public act of devotion makes the parents accountable to the church Before which they

take their vows.

So in that in that baptism What's and I didn't do this last week because it would make

it too long.

But in the baptism the parents make vows and the church makes vows

the parents make the vows.

That before the church body that they're gonna raise these children up in the in the admonition

nurture of the Lord.

So now the whole church the whole congregation is within their witness their vows To do this and so

they have vowed that they would help them.

So that if you're not raising your children the way the way you promised we're gonna talk to you about it.

Okay?

They're accountable now because they very publicly did this so they're accountable and it is

the seal or Pledge from God.

This is God's continuing visible pledge to his church that he will fulfill his covenant

promise if That child puts his faith in the Lord Jesus

again, one of one of the Presbyterian writers says By by the marks of

this sacrament, I promise that any this is God talking in baptism.

So God essentially says in baptism by the marks of this sacrament.

I promise that anyone who trusts in my mercy through the blood of Christ will have his sins washed away

and will be as pure Before me as the water that flows from this font so that we will be in holy union forever

again a visible pledge of God's merciful grace.

It's evident in baptism, it's there for our children to claim.

Okay.

So.

What's the benefit of infant baptism.

The devotion of the parents.

What they're what they're gonna say?

They're going to do.

Then there's the blessing to the children or of the children.

They are blessed as well.

Blessing places each child into a privileged possession position of being raised in a

Christian home.

In a Christian home.

Where they will hear and understand the truths of the gospel.

Okay.

He lives in a home that through baptism has promised to provide Christian nurturing baptism.

You're making a vow before God that you're going to raise them in a way that

in the in the fear of the Lord and.

So these parents have through baptism promised to use the resources of the church to make the

nurture truly biblical in character, so Puts them

into a Christian home and the parents publicly promise in this sacrament to pray with

and for Their child so that early in life the child might know the realities of God's saving grace in

Christ.

So puts them into a privileged position of a Christian home.

It also places the child into the privileged position of church membership Membership so that he is

exposed to the gospel.

Now listen some.

Some of us, you know, well a lot of us who are Baptist.

This is just this just kind of Doesn't sound right because we have so

solidly stood on Believers are baptized and brought into membership but you

have to remember that when an infant is Baptized and and as

we're going to see later in a few more weeks, I use that term loosely and when a

child is sprinkled or water poured on them they become

Officially a member of that church.

Okay, got to get that into your mind.

They then become a member of the church so if.

If.

Let's say we practice this.

Let's say we're a Presbyterian Church.

All right.

The baby that Sarah is going to bring into the world in a couple more weeks if.

Don't don't even draw the picture.

Andrew, is that what you're saying?

It's just an illustration.

It's just a bit so

that little boy is going to be just as when he's baptized and I use the term loosely.

He is just as much a member of this body as I am.

As you are.

Okay.

He is a member of the church and It's so what's the advantage of that.

Because it's within the covenant community that child has all the advantages of hearing the Word of God.

The child also has a promise of the church to support the parents in their

spiritual nurture and admonition.

The church again remember has vowed to be a part of this and so has the resources of the

church and when the church is truly one in this effort a child is Surrounded and embraced

by the testimony of Christ at every turn.

One writer.

Writes this in this atmosphere of faith in this I'm sorry in this atmosphere.

Faith.

Naturally germinates and matures so that it is possible even common

for the children of Christian parents.

Never to know a day that they do not believe that Jesus is their Savior and Lord.

Okay, so I'm saying because of the atmosphere it's not unusual to hear a child say well, I've

always believed in Jesus.

Okay, and the last thing is they cannot be treated as unbelievers.

You'd never treated as unbelievers.

But as part of the covenant people of God in a special position before God.

In a special position before God.

Okay.

So they're not like kids that are not in church or have been baptized.

They're not like non -members.

They're there and so you don't treat them as unbelievers.

You see, but I don't know whether they believed or not.

In their way of thinking you're treated as a believer.

Until you do things that would say otherwise and then discipline follows.

Okay, they do believe in church discipline.

But it's exercised when you start showing that you really don't belong.

Okay.

So, in fact they quote 1st Corinthians 714 oftentimes in this regard.

Let's look at that.

This is in the passage that has to deal with marriage and singleness and Divorce,

so it's set in that context.

And in 1st Corinthians 714 and this is another

proof by the way.

Here's what you read.

Okay, now this is having to deal with divorce when a Believer is married to an unbeliever and the

unbeliever says I'm done with this marriage.

I'm out of here.

The believer is told to let him go.

Just to let them go don't fight about it.

Let them go.

So he says in verse 12 to the rest I say I not the Lord in other words.

He's just got done talking about what the Lord had taught now.

He's going to say this is something the Lord didn't teach but this is what I'm gonna say on my apostolic

authority from Jesus himself.

Do the rest.

I say I not the Lord that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she?

Consents to live with him.

He should not divorce her if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever.

And he consents to live with her.

She should not divorce him.

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her

husband.

Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy now.

Do you see that your children are holy?

And they say look there you go, right?

There it is.

Baptism makes them covenant members, so they're considered holy all right.

You see there's got to be more to that.

Yeah, there is but we're not going to get into it this week.

Okay, here's the last benefit.

They talk about when a child is baptized.

God enters the scene.

God now becomes involved.

He promises to strengthen and enable the testimony and training of parents.

Who seek his aid?

Okay.

He promises to strengthen and enable the testimony and the training

That the parents give to their children when they seek his aid.

He promises to walk with and fulfill the covenant promises to the child who matures

in faith.

All right.

And lastly God uses the devotion of parents and the church to further the spiritual

nurture of the child.

Okay, so there we have it.

The Abrahamic Covenant is central.

Many deductions are are drawn from that and.

Then.

You've got all these other considerations to take into mind from the Bible particularly household

baptisms.

Okay.

All right, that's it for today.

We're done.

You're saying how can that be because I went long last week?

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

I'd haven't even asked the questions in here.

Yes, Steve.

That Presbyterians themselves don't agree on there's some guys

like Doug Wilson.

You've all heard of Doug Wilson.

Most of you have.

Some of you have.

Doug Wilson is very reformed.

Makes the case for pedo community.

The children Should because they're covenant members.

They should be allowed to the Lord's table.

What's the problem?

But that's a very minority view within Presbyterian is.

Most would say oh, no, absolutely not.

No, no.

Because when you read first Corinthians 11, there has to be knowledge of what you're doing.

That's clear.

The question is on what basis do you make that distinct?

That's that's the question I asked.

What basis do you make that distinction?

It's entirely consistent for Doug Wilson to say baby should be part of me right,

so.

Bethany.

Later.

You know what.

Years and years ago you any of you remember Robert.

Robert did a Bible conference here several years ago.

He was a pastor in West Virginia.

He went on to become he's now a professor of counseling at Southern seminaries

in their program down there and Robert and I Robert's a good friend and

we were teaching together at a counseling event where Jay Adams was the plenary

speaker and Jay's a Presbyterian and I'll never

forget Robert saying this to Jay.

Jay.

I got just one question for you.

What advantages do your children have?

Over mine.

Don't hang on.

I don't remember what.

Jason.

So just just okay.

It was just a good question, and I wish I remembered the answer.

I do.

Maybe it's because I was so overwhelmed with the thought of hokey -smokey.

Are you really gonna ask Jay Adams that how can you even question this guy?

I don't believe it either, but You know, it's interesting is when

Jay was here speaking and some of you kids remember that.

I did.

When he was here, oh, yeah, but he got me on that.

You know, if you don't remember I took remember our old green cups.

We had that someone gave us as American Baptist men on it.

So he's back here just yucking it up with everybody in the congregation.

Having a good time.

And I walked up and I said, okay I'm gonna get it and I said Jay I want to present you with this cup.

Right says American Baptist men on it.

He looks at it.

He says wow, this is great.

I'll use it at my next baptism.

But when Jay was here I'll never forget that.

We had tons of people come we have people from Cleveland coming and stuff and I remember.

We're trying to get to the back for fellowship and there are two Baptist guys here.

Just really trying to convince him how wrong he was.

It's like.

That's not the time or place.

Let the poor guy go so we can have some coffee.

Yes first Dennis.

So.

Let's say you have a family.

Yeah.

Would you would a Presbyterian.

Baptize.

The other part of that couple even if they were very explicit.

Just because.

You know, that's a question I've never heard anybody ask or answer.

I've been reading and I haven't heard anybody.

You know and.

Again, I was maybe saving this for later, but I'll I may mention it later.

But so what happens when your Unbelieving brother who's made you the guardian

of his kids is killed.

He and his wife are killed and those unbelieving teenagers now come.

Do you take them to church?

But I don't know if anyone's who's ever done that.

I may be wrong.

I don't know if they've ever done that.

I I need to ask Rhett about that.

See what he says.

So I have at least an answer from the Presbyterian side.

I just wonder about that.

Or your unbelieving mom comes to live with you.

She's living in your household.

Mom, we're going to church today.

Why.

Because you're gonna get baptized.

Blankety -blank.

Actually if I you know what I think of your blankety -blank church, right?

I Don't know what they do with that.

I have to ask Andrew.

Yeah.

Well, I mean are they gonna say that here's my question then so are you gonna call circumcision baptism?

It's foreshadowing baptism.

So you.

Call that baptism.

Well, I understand I understand

but you don't have to discuss this.

I still think that this is connected to that.

No.

But I never heard a president here to call circumcision.

Heard a Presbyterian call circumcision baptism.

Now that doesn't mean.

That doesn't make any sense.

Never mind.

Forget it.

All right.

They

don't discipline you if you don't have your children baptized, I don't know why not that's I'll have to ask that.

Someone write down all the questions.

So, all right.

You're asking good questions.

Anyway, so there's the case for paid about.

It's and then I've given you Just the highlights.

Okay.

They'll they'll dive deep into a lot of stuff for that Levi.

Do you have a question?

Okay, just scratching your head.

All right.

All right, so Next week I hope

To Do some critique and

I also want to talk about mode of baptism.

Why dunking as opposed to anything else going to spend some time in that as well.

So what is this a third week?

I get three more weeks.

Yeah, okay, well so I want to close this in prayer besides Andrew, oh.

All right, Levi.

Thank you.

You.

Man thank you.