Infant Baptism Controversy

The Issue

Infant baptism is baptism administered to the young children of believing parents. The question at issue is whether baptism requires a personal profession of faith or whether, on the basis of God's promise, it may also be given to the children of believing households.

Churches That Practice Infant Baptism

Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Anglican, and Lutheran churches belong to this group.

• In the Old Testament, circumcision, the sign of the covenant people, was given to infants eight days old (Genesis 17:12), and baptism is understood to take its place (Colossians 2:11-12). Presbyterian covenant theology develops this argument most systematically.
• The Book of Acts records that Lydia and the Philippian jailer were baptized together with their households (Acts 16:15, 16:33).
• Proponents cite Jesus' words welcoming little children (Mark 10:14).
• Baptism is explained as showing that God's grace precedes human decision.

Those baptized as infants later profess their faith for themselves through an examination for admission to communicant membership (confirmation).

Churches That Baptize Only Those Who Have Professed Faith

Baptist churches, Full Gospel (Assemblies of God) churches, and the Churches of Christ, among others, belong to this group. The Anabaptists of the Reformation era were the first to articulate this position clearly.

• They hold that in the New Testament baptism always follows repentance and faith (Acts 2:38, 8:12).
• They point out that the New Testament contains no clear record of infants being baptized, arguing that it cannot be known whether the "households" included infants.
• They are concerned that baptism without a personal decision can produce merely nominal church members.

Instead of infant baptism, these denominations hold a service of infant dedication, presenting the child to God.

The Situation in Korean Churches

The issue has become a practical one as more church members move between denominations. Baptist churches often require those who received only infant baptism to receive baptism by immersion when joining, whereas Presbyterian churches generally recognize baptisms performed in other denominations. Within Presbyterianism, there has also been discussion of introducing a "children's baptism" between infant baptism and adult baptism, and some denominations have adopted it.

Points for Reflection

Both sides ground their positions in Scripture, and they generally agree that baptism is not a condition of salvation. The difference lies in whether baptism is viewed primarily as "a sign of God's promise" or primarily as "the confession of the believer."