Catholic Verses - 95 Bibles Passages That Confound Protestants?
BAPTISM OF ENTIRE HOUSEHOLDS (IMPLYING THE BAPTISM OF CHILDREN)
Page 97: Acts 16:15: "And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us" (cf. 18:18). Acts 16:33: "And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family." 1 Corinthians 1:16: "I did baptize also the household of Stephanas." Catholics (and other advocates of infant baptism) do not claim that these verses prove that the Bible teaches infant baptism. However, a straightforward reading of them suggests that children were likely baptized along with the household or family of which they were a part. Thus, these verses pose a difficulty for Protestants who oppose infant baptism and must be explained differently.
Note: Infants cannot confess their sins.
Matthew 3:4-6 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Note: Infant baptism is based only on an assumption. How many households do not have infants? Answer: many.
Pages 97-98: In Acts 16:15, we read, "She was baptized, with her household." The fact that the verse says household rather than simply husband is a clear indication of others being involved. Now, who are the members of a household? In that time and culture, it probably would have included parents and maybe grandparents, as well as siblings or cousins. And almost always it would also include children. Extended families are not so common in our culture, but they usually still do (even in our somewhat antilife culture) include children.
Note: Infants cannot understand what is being spoken, eat bread, or pray.
Acts 2:41-42 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Note: Infant baptism is based only on an assumption. How many households do not have infants? Answer: many.
Page 98: Elsewhere in the Bible, entire households are referred to as being saved (Luke 19:9; Acts 11:14, 16:31). To be saved, one does not necessarily have to be aware of what is happening. For example, say a person was born with a severe brain defect and eventually died without ever having been capable of rational thought or communication. Is that person damned simply because of being unable to believe? I think not. Most Protestants agree with Catholics that God's mercy must extend to those who do not yet know or understand the gospel, or else all aborted babies, children who die at a young age, or before the age of reason, and so forth would go to hell (since they either cannot know or not properly understand the gospel). Therefore, to be saved is not necessarily to understand fully either the gospel or the means of grace by which one is saved (and Catholics, Orthodox, and most Protestants include baptism as a crucial factor in this salvation.
Note: God will have mercy on the innocent infants, children, and others and will save them apart from baptism. How are aborted infants baptized?
Matthew 18:2-6 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Page 98: Furthermore, St. Paul in Colossians 2:11-13 makes a connection between baptism and circumcision. Israel was the church before Christ (Acts 7:38; Rom. 9:4). Circumcision, given to boys eight days old, was the seal of the covenant God made with Abraham, which applies to us also (Gal. 3:14, 29). It was a sign of repentance and future faith. (Rom. 4:11).
Note: Ancient Israel should never be confused with the Christian church as the New Covenant should never be confused with the Old Covenant.
Romans 9:1-5 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Note: Baptism does not always refer to water baptism.
Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Pages 98-99: Infants were just as much as part of the covenant as adults (Gen. 17:7; Deut. 29:10-12; cf. Matt. 19:14). Likewise, baptism is the seal of the New Covenant in Christ. It signifies cleansing from sin, just as circumcision did (Deut. 10:16, 30:6; Jer. 4:4, 9:25; Rom. 2:28-9; Phil. 3:3).
Note: The seal of the New Covenant for Christians is the Holy Spirit through sincere belief not baptism.
John 7:37-39 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Page 100: Biblical language is often not as precise and "scientific" as modern language. We know that households could certainly include children. And even if we were to grant Strong's contention about this one family, it would not prove at all that every such family referred to as being baptized did not have children, or that the children were not also baptized. Nor does even the word convert necessarily imply an adult, any more than a "saved" person does (Luke 19:9; Acts 11:14, 16:31). The biblical case for infant baptism is an argument from plausibility or antecedent probability. The deductions made lead one to conclude that a certain state of affairs is probable, more or less, but not absolutely proven.
Note: Philip did not baptize any children only adults.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Note: Infant baptism is based only on an assumption. How many households do not have infants? Answer: many.