Nary an Original Thought

Paedo/credo baptism can be a touchy subject. Unlike some other “finer points of doctrine”, this one has a lot do to with what we “do”. It also involves our kids. So, when I say I believe that babies should be baptized, there is an unavoidable bit of condemnation in there that says, “You’re not raising your kids correctly because you didn’t baptize your babies.” Want to have the iciest Christmas on record? Tell your sister/cousin/aunt that she’s not raising her kids correctly. Then, duck. So, this doctrinal point is inherently personal. Handle with care.

One other caveat for the credos among us. Yes, there are some denominations that, as I see it, go too far in their belief of what baptism *does* to a baby. Not all paedos think that their kid is once-saved-always-saved because he was sprinkled on the 8th day. Furthermore, some of these denominations base their position on tradition and doctrine handed down from “denominational ancestors”. However, not all paedobaptists are guilty of holding to beliefs based on “tradition and the teachings of men.” It is profoundly ignorant to accuse a paedo of not “going to the scriptures” on the issue after he has argued his point from passages in Exodus, Psalms, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Colossians, 1 Peter, and 2 Timothy. To someone who holds sola scriptura at the center of his theology, this is about as offensive as telling him he isn’t raising his kids correctly.

Finally, let’s all admit that it is possible that *you* could be wrong on this one. There have been godly men and women on each side of this issue, dating back several centuries. R.C. Sproul is not a heretic, and neither is John Piper. If those guys can come down on different sides of the issue, something tells me that it’s OK if we do as well. That is not to say that truth does not matter. It does. In Reality, these positions are oppositional and, therefore, can’t both be correct. However, we can also admit that this is a complicated issue and both conclusions can be reached based on humbly and sincerely searching the Scriptures for God’s truth. God’s grace is big enough to cover this one. I promise.

By the way, I spent a bit of time outlining my position on the issue awhile back, when we decided to baptize our oldest two. My position has developed a bit further in the past couple of years, but it hasn’t changed a whole lot. And, no, I don’t think you’re raising your kids incorrectly!