BAPTISM Babies or Believers?

THERE IS NO RITUAL THAT ANY PERSON CAN PERFORM THAT IS GOING TO MAKE A BABY ANY MORE LOVED OR ACCEPTED BY GOD

Paedo-baptism: BAPTISM REPLACES CIRCUMCISION AS BEING A SYMBOL OF BEING PART OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE

Genesis 17: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to make you into a mighty nation.” 3 At this, Abram fell face down in the dust. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of not just one nation, but a multitude of nations!

5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram (exalted father); now you will be known as Abraham (father of many), for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will give you millions of descendants who will represent many nations. Kings will be among them!

7 “I will continue this everlasting covenant between us, generation after generation. It will continue between me and your offspring forever. And I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 Yes, I will give all this land of Canaan to you and to your offspring forever. And I will be their God.

9 “Your part of the agreement,” God told Abraham, “is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. 10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep:

Each male among you must be circumcised; 11 the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off. This will be a sign that you and they have accepted this covenant. 12 Every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth.

This applies not only to members of your family, but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. 13 All must be circumcised. Your bodies will thus bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. 14 Anyone who refuses to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for violating the covenant.”

Galatians 3:29 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Acts 2:38–39 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 16:15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. Acts 16:33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 1 Corinthians 1:16 I also baptized the household of Stephanas.

Matthew 28:19–20 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1. THAT BAPTISM SHOULD REPLACE CIRCUMCISION IS NOT AN UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE GETS FROM A PLAIN READING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

2. IF BAPTISM HAS SIMPLY REPLACED CIRCUMCISION AS A SIGN OF BEING PART OF GOD’S COVENANT PEOPLE, WHY DIDN’T PAUL JUST SAY SO?

Galatians 5:2-6; 12 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ….

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. …As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 2:38-41 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 8:12 Acts 8:34-38 Acts 9:18-19Acts 10:47-48 Acts 16:14-15Acts 16:30-33

Acts 18:8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

BAPTISM IS LIKE A FUNERAL SERVICE AND A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ALL IN ONE

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 2:11-12 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Romans 6:3-4 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Colossians 2:11-12 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Romans 6:3-11 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death

in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. … Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. … The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

SO WHAT IS BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM BY IMMERSION? a response of obedience a public declaration a symbol of association with the church a sign of determined commitment

6. Members in General Meeting may accept into the Membership of PBC any person who 6.1. gives confession to and evidence of a life transformed by faith in Jesus Christ, 6.2. has been baptised as a believer as a public declaration of faith and accepts that PBC practises Believers’ Baptism by immersion as the norm,

OR ALTERNATE WORDING FOR AMENDMENT – 6.2. has, according to their conscience, been baptised and accepts that PBC practises believers’ Baptism by immersion as the norm agrees to abide by the PBC Constitution and indicates willingness to accept the responsibilities in Article 5 above, and 6.4. has complied with the procedures detailed in the Regulations and has been recommended for acceptance.

6.2. has been baptised as a believer as a public declaration of faith and accepts that PBC practises Believers’ Baptism by immersion as the norm, OR ALTERNATE WORDING FOR AMENDMENT – 6.2. has, according to their conscience, been baptised and accepts that PBC practises believers’ Baptism by immersion as the norm.