Baptism, Infant

Infant baptism (paedobaptism, from Greek pais, child) is the practice of baptizing the infants of Christian parents, widely practiced in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican traditions. Its theological defense rests on the covenant theology of the OT: as circumcision was the covenant sign for infant males in Abraham's household (Gen. 17:9–14), so baptism is the corresponding covenant sign in the new covenant, applied to the children of believers as members of the covenant community (Col. 2:11–12). The Great Commission's "baptizing them" (Matt. 28:19) includes, on this view, household members; household baptisms in Acts (Cornelius, Acts 10:48; Lydia, Acts 16:15; the Philippian jailer, Acts 16:33; Crispus, Acts 18:8; Stephanas, 1 Cor. 1:16) likely included infants. Jesus's blessing of children and declaration that "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 19:13–15; Mark 10:14) is cited as affirming their covenant standing. The opposing credobaptist (Baptist, Anabaptist) position holds that baptism must follow a conscious, personal profession of faith, that infant baptism has no explicit NT warrant, and that the new covenant community is composed only of the regenerate. The debate turns on the relationship between the covenants, the nature of the church, and the meaning of baptism as sign and seal.