Infant baptism in the Christian Church
Many A branch of the Christian Church. baptise infants. Although the ceremonies are similar, there are some important differences between them.
Initially it seems that it was adults who believed in Jesus who were baptised, but over time baptising infants began.
In the The second part of the Christian Bible containing 27 books consisting of four types of literature: letters (epistles), gospels, history and prophecy. book of The fifth book of the聽New Testament, its full title is 'Acts of the Apostles'., the Also known as Saul of Tarsus, Saint Paul the Apostle spread the teachings of Jesus across Europe and Asia in the first century AD. baptised the Philippian jailer and his whole household. Some have argued that this must have also included infants.
In the New Testament book of A book in the New Testament comprising a letter written by Saint Paul to the Christians of Colossae., Paul writes:
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
It has been argued that this passage links baptism to The cutting off of the foreskin, usually as a religious rite especially in Judaism or Islam..
In Judaism, the infant is circumcised before it has a faith of its own to symbolise that it belongs to the Jewish people.
In the same way, baptism of an infant occurs before the infant has a faith of its own. Baptism shows that it belongs to the Church.
Both circumcision and infant baptism look forward to a time when the child will choose to believe for themselves. Therefore, infant baptism is seen to replace circumcision in the Church.
Why baptise infants?
- It brings the child into the Christian family/community.
- It is a public confession of the parents鈥 faith.
- It causes parents to think about the child鈥檚 spiritual upbringing and lays foundations for that upbringing.
- It permits When a baptised person confirms the promises made on their behalf at baptism. later on and allows the person to become a full church member.
- Without confirmation, A service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ involving the sharing of the bread and wine (body and blood of Christ) in church. cannot be received.
- Parents take vows to help the child know God and expose them to the teachings of God.