{"id":23406,"date":"2026-10-09T15:00:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/?page_id=23406"},"modified":"2026-10-09T15:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:19:41","slug":"kinderdoop-of-geloofsdoop","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/studies\/kinderdoop-of-geloofsdoop\/","title":{"rendered":"Infant Baptism and Believer Baptism: What Does the Bible Really Teach About Baptism?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" id=\"lbry-iframe\" src=\"\" style=\"background: url('https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/studies\/Infant-Baptism-or-Believers-Baptism-Do-you-need-to-be-baptist-again.jpg') no-repeat center center \/ cover;\" width=\"560\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n<button class=\"fallback-yt tooltip\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('lbry-iframe').src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/'\" title=\"Click here to watch via another stream\">YouTube<\/button>\n<button class=\"fallback-yt tooltip\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('lbry-iframe').src='https:\/\/www.bitchute.com\/embed\/'\" title=\"Click here to watch via another stream\">BitChute<\/button>\n<button class=\"fallback-yt tooltip\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('lbry-iframe').src='https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@apologeet:3\/'\" title=\"Click here to watch via another stream\">Odysee<\/button>\n\n<p class=\"\">Can a baby be baptised, or should you only enter the water once you personally believe? Both sides appeal to the same Bible, yet reach very different conclusions. In this video, we will set church traditions aside and go straight to Scripture: what does the Bible really teach about baptism?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We will consider the arguments for both believer baptism and infant baptism fairly \u2014 from the covenant with Abraham and circumcision to the households mentioned in Acts. And at the end, we will look at that pressing question: do you need to be baptised again if you were already baptised as a child?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Let us begin at the beginning: what does baptism actually mean?<\/p>\n\n<h3>What Is Baptism?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Let us begin at the beginning. What actually happens when someone is baptised?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">At the end of Matthew, Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and then teaching them everything He has commanded.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Matthew 28:19\u201320.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is immediately clear that baptism is connected with discipleship. Baptism does not stand apart from Christ. It concerns people being brought to Christ and learning to live with Him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We see this in Acts as well. On the day of Pentecost, Peter proclaims Jesus Christ. The people are deeply moved and ask what they should do. Peter answers in <b>Acts 2:38<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Then Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But notice what Peter says immediately afterwards. In <b>Acts 2:39<\/b> he speaks about the promise and says:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That does not in itself prove that babies should be baptised. But it is striking that Peter, immediately after calling people to repentance and baptism, also mentions the children of his hearers. Children therefore do not disappear from the picture when Peter speaks about the promise of the new covenant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we see a clear connection between repentance and baptism. First the gospel is proclaimed. People are called to repent. And then they are baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But does that automatically mean that only people who are able to believe personally and repent may be baptised? That is precisely the question.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Baptism and Its Connection with Christ<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">In Romans 6, Paul writes about the meaning of baptism. He connects baptism with Christ&#8217;s death and resurrection.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Romans 6:3\u20134<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Paul uses very strong language here. The person being baptised is united with Christ. Baptism points to dying and rising with Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptism is therefore never merely a religious ceremony. It concerns our relationship with Jesus Christ. In <b>Galaten 3:27<\/b> Paul also writes about baptism. He says:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For all of you who were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here too, Christ is at the centre.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptism is therefore not primarily a ceremony centred on us. Baptism points to Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But then an important question arises. If baptism is so closely connected with personal faith and being united with Christ, how can a baby be baptised?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is the strongest objection to infant baptism. And we should take that objection seriously.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Biblical Case for Believer Baptism<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So let us first look at the arguments for believer baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">When we read Acts, we regularly see the same sequence. The apostles proclaim the gospel. People hear it. People believe. People repent. And then they are baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We see this, for example, in Acts 2, but also in Acts 8. There Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch. Philip tells him about Jesus. The eunuch then comes to some water and asks whether there is anything preventing him from being baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Acts 8:35\u201338<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here too, then, we see a clear connection between hearing the gospel, faith and baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We see the same with Cornelius in Acts 10. The gospel is proclaimed. The Holy Spirit falls upon those who hear it. And then they are baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In Acts 18 we also read about people in Corinth who hear the gospel, believe and are baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The New Testament therefore clearly gives us a strong pattern for people who come to faith: Gospel \u2013 faith \u2013 repentance \u2013 baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is therefore understandable that Baptists and many evangelical Christians say: <i>\u201cThe Bible shows that people who come to faith are then baptised.\u201d<\/i> That is a strong biblical pattern. But it does not automatically follow that personal faith before baptism is an exclusive requirement for every possible recipient of baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And there is an important biblical argument behind this.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But Does the Bible Say That Babies May Not Be Baptised?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now we come to an important question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Suppose someone says: <i>\u201cI cannot find anywhere in the New Testament where a baby is explicitly baptised.\u201d<\/i> That is true. Nowhere does it say: <i>\u201cAnd then the apostle baptised a baby.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But then we need to ask another question. Does it say anywhere: <i>\u201cChildren of believers may not be baptised\u201d<\/i>? That is not found anywhere either. And this is precisely why we need to distinguish between two questions: who must personally believe in order to be saved, and who may receive the sign of God\u2019s covenant? Those two questions are not automatically the same.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that distinction is important.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If we are going to handle the Bible honestly, we should not only ask: \u201cWhere does my position appear word for word?\u201d We must also ask: \u201cWhich biblical principles do we need to consider together?\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely where the debate about infant baptism begins.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Covenant with Abraham<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">To understand infant baptism, we need to go back to the Old Testament. To Abraham.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In Genesis 17, God makes a covenant with Abraham. God gives Abraham a sign of that covenant: circumcision.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Genesis 17:7\u201312<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">What stands out?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is not only Abraham who is circumcised. His children are as well.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A boy did not first have to believe personally before receiving the covenant sign. He belonged to the family and to the covenant people. Circumcision was therefore not only a personal testimony of Abraham&#8217;s faith. It was also a sign of God&#8217;s covenant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And this brings us to the heart of the argument for infant baptism. The reasoning goes roughly like this:<\/p>\n\n<blockquote>In the Old Testament, God includes believers and their children in His covenant. Therefore, children receive the covenant sign.<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote>In the New Testament, baptism comes as a sign within the church. Why, then, would children suddenly be completely excluded from the covenant sign?<\/blockquote>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is a serious biblical question.<\/p>\n\n<h3>A Striking Connection Between Circumcision and Baptism<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">We should also look at Colossians 2. Paul speaks there about circumcision and then connects it with Christ, with dying and rising with Him, and with baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Colossians 2:11\u201312<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This text does not automatically prove that baptism is a one-to-one replacement for circumcision. The differences between the old and new covenants are too important for that. But it is striking that, in a passage about circumcision, Paul then speaks so directly about baptism. It makes it difficult to argue that there is absolutely no covenantal relationship between the two.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But Is Baptism Really the New Circumcision?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we need to be careful. It is not enough simply to say: \u201cCircumcision was for children, baptism is for children, therefore baptism is automatically the new circumcision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is not that simple. There are important differences between the old and new covenants. Jeremiah, for example, speaks about a new covenant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Lees <b>Jeremiah 31:31-34<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The emphasis there is strongly on knowing God.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And the writer of Hebrews quotes this prophecy in Hebrews 8.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Hebrews 8:6\u201313<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is why Baptists say: <i>\u201cThe new covenant consists of people who actually know God. Therefore, the sign of the new covenant belongs to people who personally believe.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is an important argument.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But advocates of infant baptism respond: the fact that the new covenant is spiritually richer does not automatically mean that children are removed from the community of believers.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And this brings us to the New Testament.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Jesus and the Children<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Jesus gives children a remarkable amount of attention.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In Mark 10, people bring little children to Jesus. The disciples try to stop them. But Jesus intervenes.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Jesus says in <b>Mark 10:13-16<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is a beautiful passage. But we must also be honest. Jesus does not say here: <i>\u201cBaptise these children.\u201d<\/i> The passage therefore does not, in itself, prove infant baptism. But it does show us something important: children are not outsiders to Jesus. He does not reject them. He welcomes them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This passage therefore does not prove that children must be baptised. But it does show that Jesus does not regard children as people who must first become adults before they may come to Him. That is important when we think about the place of children within the community of believers.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Children in the Church<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">There is another passage that deserves attention in this context. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul speaks about children where one or both parents are believers, and he calls them holy.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>1 Corinthians 7:14<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This passage is not directly about baptism either, and therefore does not in itself prove infant baptism. But once again we see that, in the New Testament, the children of believers are not simply treated as outsiders. This fits with the question of whether children have a particular place within the community of God&#8217;s people.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Households in Acts<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then we come to another important argument.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In Acts, we read several times about people being baptised with their households. Lydia is one example. In Acts 16, we read that the Lord opens her heart. She is then baptised, together with her household.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Acts 16:14\u201315<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Later in the same chapter we read about the Philippian jailer. He asks: <i>\u201cWhat must I do to be saved?\u201d<\/i> Paul and Silas proclaim the word of the Lord to him. Afterwards, he and all his household are baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Acts 16:30\u201334<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">These are important passages in the discussion.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Advocates of infant baptism say: <i>\u201cWhy is the whole household repeatedly mentioned? It is quite possible that children were included.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But opponents say: <i>\u201cThe text nowhere says that there were babies. Moreover, the context speaks about people who hear the word and believe.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And we must acknowledge that. The household passages do not prove that babies were baptised. But neither do they prove that there were no children present.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, we need to be cautious.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Household of Stephanas<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">There is another interesting passage.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In <b>1 Corinthians 1:16<\/b> Paul writes:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here too, an entire household is mentioned. But again, we do not know exactly who was part of that household. Therefore, we should not use this text as though it definitively settles the debate.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Bible simply does not say: <i>\u201cThere were three babies, and they were baptised.\u201d<\/i> But neither does the Bible say anywhere: <i>\u201cOnly adults in the household were baptised.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So we need to look further.<\/p>\n\n<h3>An Important Distinction: What Does Baptism Mean?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Perhaps this is where we come to the heart of the discussion.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Ultimately, the disagreement is not only about water. It is about the question: <b>What does baptism mean?<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Suppose baptism is understood primarily as a personal profession of faith. Then believer baptism makes sense. After all, a baby cannot yet make a personal profession of faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But suppose baptism is also primarily a sign of God&#8217;s promise and of belonging to the community of God&#8217;s people. Then there is room for infant baptism. The question is no longer: <i>\u201cCan this baby believe yet?\u201d<\/i> but: <i>\u201cDoes God also give His covenant sign to the children of believers?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>But let us look at this through another example.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Suppose someone has a severe intellectual disability. He or she is brought to church by parents or carers and is part of the Christian community, but is not able to understand the gospel sufficiently or make a personal profession of faith. And suppose the carers bring this person forward and ask: may we have him or her baptised?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Suddenly the question becomes very concrete.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If personal faith and the ability to make a conscious profession of faith must always come before baptism, then we cannot baptise such a person. After all, that person cannot understand and profess the faith in the same way as someone who is able to understand the gospel.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But if baptism is also a sign of God&#8217;s promise and of belonging to the community of God&#8217;s people, the question looks different. We cannot ask only: <i>\u201cCan this person profess their faith?\u201d<\/i> We must also ask: <i>\u201cWhat place does this person have within the community of God&#8217;s people?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And this brings us back to the distinction we need to make. The inability to profess personal faith is not the same as consciously rejecting Christ. We cannot hold someone responsible for being unable to express that faith when they are not capable of understanding the gospel.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Of course, this does not mean that the Bible directly commands us to baptise people with severe intellectual disabilities. The Bible does not give us a specific case like this. But the example does show that the question of personal faith and the question of who may receive baptism are not simply the same question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>And so we can see that the discussion goes much deeper than the question: baby or adult?<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">There are really two different questions here. The first question is: who must personally believe in order to be saved? The second question is: must someone already personally believe before he or she may be baptised? If we confuse these two questions, we create a great deal of confusion.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">For every person who is able to understand the gospel and respond to it consciously, personal faith in Christ is necessary. But a small child who is not yet able to consciously understand the gospel and Christ&#8217;s sacrifice is not declared lost simply because that child cannot yet express such faith. Salvation is by grace, after all.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, the baptism of such a child cannot be based on a personal profession of faith that the child is not yet able to make. Infant baptism can be understood as the sign by which the child is brought into the covenant and the Christian community. As the child grows up, the call to personal faith in Christ remains fully in place.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We must therefore distinguish between the question of how someone is saved and the question of who may receive the sign of baptism. Salvation is always by grace and on the basis of Christ. But it does not automatically follow that only people who already personally believe may be baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely where the difference between infant baptism and believer baptism lies. In believer baptism, the starting point is that someone first comes to personal faith and is then baptised. In infant baptism, the idea is that the children of believing parents may also receive the sign of God&#8217;s covenant, while later coming to personal faith in Christ themselves.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The real questions, therefore, are:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"a\">\n<li><b>What is God&#8217;s covenant?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Who belongs to God&#8217;s people?<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>What is the meaning of baptism?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"\">And:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"a\">\n<li><b>What place do children have within the church?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Baptism Does Not Save<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we need to clear up an important misunderstanding.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Whether someone is baptised as a baby or as an adult, baptism in itself does not automatically make someone a Christian. The New Testament continually emphasises faith in Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Paul writes in <b>Romans 10:9-13<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is about Christ. It is about faith. It is about trusting Him. That is why I would consider it dangerous if someone says: <i>\u201cI was baptised as a baby, so everything is fine.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Bible does not call us to put our trust in our baptism. The Bible calls us to put our trust in Christ. That applies to someone who was baptised as a baby, but also to someone who was baptised as an adult.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But What, Then, Is the Problem with Believer Baptism?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">If we are honest, believer baptism also has a strong biblical basis.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is perfectly understandable that someone reading the New Testament says: <i>\u201cI keep seeing people who come to faith and are then baptised.\u201d<\/i> That pattern is there. And it is important.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But there is also a question that believer baptism needs to answer. Why does the New Testament never explicitly say: <i>\u201cFrom now on, the children of believers are no longer part of the covenant people\u201d<\/i>? Where is the moment when God says: <i>\u201cIn the past, the children of believers received the covenant sign, but from the New Testament onwards they no longer do\u201d<\/i>?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We do not find that verse. Therefore, both positions have to go beyond any single isolated text.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What Is the New Covenant?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So we need to return to the question of what the new covenant actually means.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The New Testament speaks of a new covenant that finds its fulfilment in Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus says in <b>Matthew 26:26-28<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The new covenant is based on the work of Christ. Not on human descent. Not on human achievement. But on God&#8217;s grace in Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Something fundamental changes with this. The new covenant is fully grounded in Christ and His work. Everyone who belongs to Christ through faith belongs to the people of God. But this does not automatically answer whether the children of believers belong to the community of God&#8217;s people before they have personally come to faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is precisely the point at which Christians draw different conclusions.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Two Ways of Looking at the Bible<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">You could summarise the two main approaches roughly as follows. Ultimately, the difference is not only about when someone is baptised, but especially about what baptism means and who may receive the sign of God&#8217;s covenant.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Baptist Approach<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The emphasis is on personal repentance and faith. The Bible repeatedly shows: <b>faith \u2192 baptism.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, baptism is given to people who personally believe in Christ. The idea is that the biblical order of faith and repentance, followed by baptism, is normative for every person being baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Children are raised in the faith and belong to the Christian community, but they are only baptised when they themselves come to faith.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Covenant Approach<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here the emphasis is on God&#8217;s covenant. God includes not only individual believers, but also their children. Just as children received the covenant sign in the Old Testament, so the children of believers may receive baptism in the New Testament.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But personal faith remains necessary.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Infant baptism therefore does not mean: &#8216;This child is automatically saved.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Rather, it means: &#8216;This child is brought into the community of God&#8217;s people and receives the sign of God&#8217;s covenant.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Later, the child must personally place his or her faith and trust in Christ. Infant baptism therefore does not replace personal faith; rather, it points forward to the response of faith that will later be required of the child.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I have also made a separate video about this: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/studies\/nederlands-reformatorisch\/\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Baptised but Not Born Again? The Question Dividing Dutch Reformed Churches.<\/a> In it, I explore in more detail how baptism, regeneration and personal faith relate to one another.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Personal Faith Remains Necessary<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we may need to make another distinction.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we need to make the distinction even sharper. Personal faith is necessary for our salvation. But that is a different question from who may receive the sign of God&#8217;s covenant. Faith is not a merit by which we persuade God to accept us. It is the human response to God&#8217;s grace.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The New Testament is very clear about this. Our salvation does not begin with our performance. It begins with God.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Ephesians 2:8-9<\/b> says:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Faith itself is not a merit. We are not saved because we believe well enough. We are saved by God&#8217;s grace in Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And therefore we cannot separate baptism from God&#8217;s grace.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But Does Someone Then Need to Be Baptised Twice?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now we come to a practical problem.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Suppose someone was baptised as a baby. Later, he or she comes to personal faith. Does that person then need to be baptised again?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That depends on what you understand the first baptism to mean. Those who do not recognise infant baptism as a valid biblical baptism will speak of a first genuine baptism after personal faith. Those who recognise infant baptism as biblical baptism do not see the later profession of faith as a second baptism, but as the moment when the person personally responds to God&#8217;s grace in faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here again, churches differ in their views.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptists and many evangelical churches will say: <i>\u201cInfant baptism was not biblical believer baptism. Therefore, baptism after personal faith is not a second baptism, but the first genuine baptism.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Churches that recognise infant baptism say: <i>\u201cThe baptism has already taken place. The person does not need to be baptised again. But he or she must personally come to faith.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And there is an important biblical idea behind this. What is baptism, actually?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptism is a sacrament to which God attaches His promise. A human being administers the baptism, but it is God who attaches His promise to it. The power of baptism therefore lies not in the human being, but in God.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This also means that we should be careful not to make the validity of baptism ultimately dependent on the spiritual quality of the person being baptised. If the validity of baptism depends on whether someone genuinely had sufficient faith at that moment, a difficult question arises: how can we know for certain that someone had enough faith at that moment?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This brings us to a fundamental question: does baptism depend on our performance, or on God&#8217;s promise? This is not a new discussion; the early church already wrestled with this during what became known as the Donatist controversy. The Donatists were involved in a conflict over the extent to which the validity of sacramental acts depended on the spiritual condition of the person administering the sacrament.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">If you would like to know more about Donatism and this debate in the early church, I would recommend this page: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/studies\/donatism\/\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Heresies All Around Us \u2013 Donatism.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Of course, we should not equate that historical debate directly with the discussion about infant baptism and believer baptism. The situations are different. But the underlying principle is relevant: the power and validity of God&#8217;s action ultimately do not rest on the spiritual perfection of the human being.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That does not mean that every arbitrary act is automatically a valid baptism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">What, then, do we mean by a valid Christian baptism? At the very least, it means that water is used for baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that the baptism is administered as Christian baptism, as a sign of being united with Christ and belonging to His church.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But if we recognise a baptism as Christian baptism, that baptism does not suddenly become invalid because the person&#8217;s faith later grows, deepens or becomes personal.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The New Testament therefore does not teach that someone needs to be baptised again because his or her faith later becomes more personal, conscious or mature.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Paul says in <b>Ephesians 4:4-6<\/b>:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptism is therefore not an act that is repeated again and again.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If someone was baptised as a child in a Christian and valid manner, the fact that he later comes to personal faith does not suddenly make his first baptism invalid. His faith must become personal. He must come to know Christ himself, trust Him and follow Him. But that is not the same as needing to be baptised again.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The question, therefore, is not only: <i>\u201cWhen did I personally come to faith?\u201d<\/i> The question is also: <i>\u201cWhat does baptism mean?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If baptism is understood exclusively as a personal profession of faith, it is understandable to baptise again someone who was baptised as a baby. But if baptism is also understood as a sign of God&#8217;s grace (which therefore also applies to little children), God&#8217;s promise and our place within His covenant, then there is reason to recognise the earlier baptism and to see the later profession of faith as the moment when the person personally responds to God&#8217;s grace in faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is why Paul does not speak of two baptisms for different stages of life, but of <b>one baptism<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What Does the Bible Therefore Teach with Certainty?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Perhaps it is good to summarise everything at this point.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">There are a number of things about which the Bible is very clear.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>E\u00e9n:<\/b> baptism belongs to the Christian life. Jesus commanded His followers to baptise.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Twee:<\/b> baptism is connected with Christ. Romans 6 makes clear that baptism points to His death and resurrection.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Drie:<\/b> faith and repentance are fundamental. The New Testament calls people to repent and believe in Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Vier:<\/b> children have a particular place within God&#8217;s community. Jesus welcomes children, and the Old Testament shows that the children of believers were included in God&#8217;s covenant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Vijf:<\/b> the Bible contains no explicit command: <i>\u201cBaptise all babies of believing parents.\u201d<\/i> But neither does it contain an explicit command: <i>\u201cBaptise only people who have first personally professed their faith.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Zes:<\/b> the Bible does make it very clear that every person must personally come to faith in Christ. Neither believer baptism nor infant baptism can ever replace that faith. The sign of baptism and personal faith should therefore not be set against each other.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely why this discussion has existed for centuries.<\/p>\n\n<h3>So What Does the Bible Teach About Infant Baptism?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">If we are honest, we have to say that infant baptism is not based on one explicit verse. It is a conclusion drawn from the broader biblical pattern.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Those who defend infant baptism do so from a broader biblical line: God&#8217;s covenant with Abraham, the place of children within the covenant, the promise to the children in Acts 2:39, the connection between circumcision and baptism in Colossians 2, the place of children within the community of believers, and the absence of an explicit exclusion of children.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is a serious biblical argument.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But believer baptism is not simply a human invention either.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Believer baptism clearly follows the pattern we see in Acts:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>proclamation \u2013 faith \u2013 repentance \u2013 baptism.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That too is a serious biblical argument.<\/p>\n\n<h3>My Own Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">At the risk of being portrayed as a heathen, I would nevertheless like to give my own view on baptism. Above all, I think we should be very careful about making sweeping statements.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I cannot honestly say: <i>\u201cThe Bible gives us a simple command somewhere that every baby of believing parents must be baptised.\u201d<\/i> It does not. But neither can I say: <i>\u201cThe Bible rules out infant baptism.\u201d<\/i> It does not do that either.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">When I bring the different strands together \u2014 God&#8217;s covenant with Abraham, the place of children within the covenant, the promise to the children in Acts 2:39, the connection between circumcision and baptism in Colossians 2, and the way the New Testament speaks about the children of believers, while also keeping in mind that little children will be saved by grace \u2014 I see good biblical grounds for baptising the children of believers.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">At the same time, the New Testament is absolutely clear that personal faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for our salvation. Therefore, I would never explain infant baptism by saying: <i>\u201cThis child is now automatically saved.\u201d<\/i> That would not do justice to the Bible.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I therefore understand infant baptism as a sign of God&#8217;s promise and of the child&#8217;s place within the Christian community. But infant baptism does not replace personal faith. There must come a point when the child personally responds to the gospel. He or she must learn to trust Christ personally. He or she must believe personally. He or she must follow Christ personally. In this way, God&#8217;s promise and personal faith can stand alongside each other without one cancelling out the other.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely why someone who was baptised as a child can later make a very conscious profession of faith.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Infant Baptism and Believer Baptism Do Not Have to Stand Opposed to Christ<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Perhaps that is ultimately the most important point.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Sometimes it seems as though Christians are standing against one another: <i>\u201cInfant baptism!\u201d &#8230; \u201cNo, believer baptism!\u201d<\/i>  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But both groups should continually ask themselves the same question: <b>Where does baptism point? <\/b>If baptism points to Christ, then we must never make baptism more important than Christ. Someone can be immersed in water and not know Christ. And someone can be baptised as a baby and later truly come to know and follow Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The outward act is not the foundation of our salvation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Christ is the foundation.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Paul writes in <b>Galatians 2:20<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is ultimately the heart of the matter. Not: <i>\u201cI have been baptised.\u201d<\/i> But: <i><b>\u201cI belong to Christ.\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So what does the Bible really teach about baptism?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Bible teaches us that baptism is closely connected with Christ. With His death. With His resurrection. With repentance. With faith. With belonging to God&#8217;s people. And with a new life.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Believer baptism has a clear biblical basis in the pattern of the New Testament: people who come to faith are called to repent and are then baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But infant baptism can also be defended from a broader biblical covenantal line. The one does not exclude the other: personal faith is necessary for every person, while baptism can also be given to the children of believers as a sign of God&#8217;s covenant.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, I think we should be careful about statements suggesting that the Bible settles this issue with a single verse. The question is bigger than that. It concerns our understanding of God&#8217;s covenant. Of the church. Of children. Of faith. And ultimately, of the meaning of God&#8217;s grace.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And perhaps this is the most important question we can ask ourselves:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Not: <i><b>\u201cWhen was I baptised?\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But: <i><b>\u201cDo I belong to Jesus Christ?\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">For baptism ultimately points not to the water. Baptism points to Christ. And therefore the most important call of the gospel is not: <i>\u201cBe baptised.\u201d<\/i> But: <i><b>\u201cBelieve in the Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Acts 16:31<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">For whoever trusts in Christ has received more than a sign. He has found Christ. And that is ultimately what it is all about.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Infant baptism or believer\u2019s baptism? What does the Bible really teach about baptism? 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