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What If I Was Baptized As A Baby?
Infant baptism was not a practice of New Testament believers.
There is not one verse in the Bible that explicitly tells us a baby was baptized in water. This practice, and the practice of confirmation, was established by some churches hundreds of years after the New Testament. The scripture is clear, only those who confessed Christ and repented of their sins are to be baptized.
Unless a person is old enough to comprehend and verbalize their belief in Christ alone, they should not be baptized. We desire for the Bible to be our authority, which means we must question human traditions that contradict it. Find out what the Bible says about baptism here.
Does the term household include infants?
Certain traditions use verses like Acts 11:14 that describe a whole household being saved and therefore conclude that even children and babies were baptized with them. However, in the previous chapter we are told what actually happened.
"And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ~ Acts 10:45-47.
In this chapter, water baptism was offered only to those who had received the Holy Spirit and spoke special words of praise. That certainly cannot mean that babies were speaking.
Can infant baptism count towards what the Bible teaches?
While someone's infant baptism or confirmation may hold meaning for them or their family, it is not the same as what the Bible teaches. To be obedient to Christ and the Biblical teaching, a Christian who has only been baptized as an infant should be baptized by immersion as a believer.
What about ceremonies for infants?
Parents desiring to publicly commit their children to God through a ceremony are encouraged to do so through a baby dedication instead of an infant baptism. If you would like to request a baby dedication or if you have further questions please email connect@tri.church.