One Lord • One Faith • One Baptism

Baptism

What does baptism do, who should receive it, and how did the earliest Christians understand Christ’s command to baptize?

You are right about baptism.

Churches of Christ have long insisted that baptism is not an optional outward symbol added after salvation. The New Testament connects baptism with repentance and forgiveness (Acts 2:38), washing away sins (Acts 22:16), union with Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4), putting on Christ (Galatians 3:27), and salvation (1 Peter 3:21).

Catholics agree that baptism actually does something by God's grace. The harder question comes next: who did the earliest Christians understand to be proper recipients of baptism?

Why Does the Church Baptize Young Children?

This visual summarizes the case for bringing young children to baptism, including Christ’s command to baptize all nations and biblical examples of one person’s faith benefiting another.

Why Does the Church Baptize Young Children? infographic with biblical arguments for infant baptism

The Biblical and Early Christian Case for Infant Baptism

These visuals bring together the biblical covenant argument, household baptisms, common objections, and testimony from the early Church.

Early Christians baptized infants, quotations from Irenaeus, Origen, Hippolytus, and Cyprian
Can babies be baptized? Biblical infographic explaining baptism as rebirth, necessary for salvation, and initiation into Christ
The circumcision of Christ , comparison of Old Testament circumcision and New Testament baptism
Household baptisms and common objections to infant baptism

Watch: 5 Reasons I Could No Longer Reject Infant Baptism

Watch: First Century Greek Speakers vs You

Children and the New Covenant

How could the New Covenant be GREATER than the Old Covenant if children are no longer allowed to be a part of it?

You know what's NEVER recorded in scripture?

A child being born and raised in a Christian household, waiting until the age of reason, making a declaration of their faith, and deciding on their own to be baptized.

Biblically, entire households were baptized. Scripture never tells us that children were excluded from these households.

“She was baptized, with her household” (Acts 16:15)
“He was baptized at once, with all his family” (Acts 16:33; 18:8 also implies it)
“I did baptize also the household of Stephanas.” (1 Corinthians 1:16)

Many biblical passages also connect household and children (Genesis 18:19; 31:41; 36:6; 47:12; Numbers 18:11; 1 Chronicles 10:6; Matthew 19:29; 1 Timothy 3:12). Several other verses reference entire households being saved (Luke 19:9; John 4:53; Acts 11:14; 16:31; 18:8).

Besides the household passages, the people we read about being baptized are adults, but this is because Christianity was NEW. So naturally, most of the people becoming Christians would have been adults.

Remember, in order to be consistent, it's not enough to just believe that NONE of these households had infants. You must ALSO believe that none of these households had any children at all who were under the age of reason, whatever that may be (10, 12, 14?).

Infant Baptism in the Early Church

The early Christian record does more than show that infant baptism eventually became accepted. These witnesses describe it as an established practice and, in several cases, explicitly connect it to the Apostles.

Apostolic Tradition traditionally attributed to Hippolytus

“Baptize first the children; and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them.”

Apostolic Tradition 21

Children who are too young to answer for themselves are baptized, with parents or relatives answering on their behalf.

Origen A.D. 244

“The Church received from the apostles the tradition of baptizing infants too.”

Commentary on Romans 5:9

Origen does not merely approve infant baptism. He explicitly says the practice was received from the Apostles.

Cyprian of Carthage A.D. 253

“As to what pertains to the case of infants… we all thought very differently… that the mercy and grace of God ought to be denied to no man born.”

Letter 64 (to Fidus)

Read Cyprian’s letters in context →

Cyprian and a council of 66 bishops were considering whether baptism should be delayed until the eighth day after birth. Their conclusion was no, even a newborn should not be denied baptism. The controversy wasn't whether infants may be baptized. It was whether one should have to wait until the eighth day.

John Chrysostom A.D. 388

“For this reason we baptize even infants, though they are not defiled by personal sins, so that there may be given to them holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ…”

Baptismal Instructions 3.6

Chrysostom explicitly says, “we baptize even infants,” and explains the spiritual benefits they receive despite having committed no personal sins.

Augustine A.D. 408

“The custom of Mother Church in baptizing infants is certainly not to be scorned… nor is it to be believed that its tradition is anything except apostolic.”

The Literal Meaning of Genesis 10.23.39

Read Augustine on the apostolic practice of infant baptism →

Augustine connects infant baptism directly to apostolic tradition.