INFANT BAPTISM

Many practice infant baptism---but is does NOT find its origin in the New
Testament.  Christianity is a "taught" religion.  Jesus said, "Go...make
disciples...baptizing them"  (Matt. 28:19).  By definition a disciple is
"a learner" (in fact one translation says---go teach).  The authority to
baptize is authority to baptize a learner---and infants are not learners
in the Biblical sense.  In Mark 16:15,16 the apostles were told to
preach the gospel to the world...and the results would be baptism---
however note again that this verse shows that Christianity is a taught
religion.  Careful attention should be paid to verse 16 which says that
the one how is to be baptized is one who believes.  Now infants cannot
believe.
     An even clearer indication of the fact that the early church did
not practice the baptism of infants is the account in Acts 8:35-38.  A
man of Ethiopia was reading the Bible and when taught by Philip asked to
be baptized.  When he saw water he said, "Here is water; what doth
hinder me to be baptized?"  Philip replied, "If thou believest with all
thine heart, thou mayest..."  Philip shows that the one being baptized
must be a believer.  There is no indication that infants were baptized
in the early church.
     One other matter.  Infants do not need to be baptized for they have
not committed sin.  The Bible shows that there is some relationship
between baptism and salvation from sin.  We have noted Mark 16:16;
consider Acts 2:38.  Those who killed Jesus asked what they should do
and were told to "...repent and be baptized...for the remission of
sins."  Acts 22:16 shows that Paul who had killed Christians was told to
"...arise, be baptized and wash away ... sins."  Now infants do not have
sin and thus are not separated from God.