Infant Baptism and the Red Sea Crossing

by J. V. Fesko

“Infant baptism does not appear on the pages of the Bible” is one of the regular claims I hear from my Baptist friends. I think the claim is common given that many Christians look to the New Testament to shape their understanding of baptism. After all, John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, and Jesus commissioned the church to baptize the nations (Matt. 28:18–19). But does this New Testament–only approach to understanding baptism hold water? Whenever I teach on any doctrine, I encourage my students to look at the unfolding history of redemption and trace the doctrinal line from Genesis to Revelation to ensure they get a full-orbed picture. In this case, the Apostle Paul’s inerrant and infallible commentary on the Old Testament shows us that Scripture does indeed reveal infant baptism. Paul’s explanation of the Red Sea crossing gives us a typological picture of baptism, even the baptism of infants. But this typological portrait is not pointing forward to the sacrament of baptism. Rather, both the ... Read more

The Beauty of Christian Baptism

by Jeremiah W. Montgomery

The Christian church has been baptizing new disciples for more than two millennia. As Christianity expanded through the centuries, spread across continents, and permeated new societies, it is no exaggeration to say that several billion souls, from diverse tribes and in different tongues, have felt the waters and heard the precious words, “I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Yet as this wonderful history has unfolded, much confusion and sharp controversy have arisen within the church as to how we are to understand baptism. It is therefore worth taking some time to consider: What is the meaning of Christian baptism? Who is to be baptized? And why is baptism so important, so beautiful? The Meaning of Baptism To understand the meaning of Christian baptism we should first remember its context. What other practices existed in ancient culture that provided early Christians with a framework to understand it? The Old Testament law included situations ... Read more

Praying the Promises for Our Covenant Children

by Matthew A. Figura

God’s people ought to delight in God’s gift of baptism for covenant children. John Murray wrote in Christian Baptism that “the ordinance of infant baptism is intended to encourage and confirm faith in the covenant faithfulness of God. Baptism is the sign and pledge and seal that God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him and His righteousness unto children’s children” (89). Delighting in God’s Gift of Baptism for Covenant Children Baptism is a delight for God’s people precisely because it is a sign and seal of the most glorious spiritual realities and, as Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, “the promise is for you and your children” (Acts 2:39). J. Gresham Machen in The Christian View of Man wrote: In baptism, God receives the child into His covenant family. By baptism, God assures us that our children, like ourselves, are included in the covenant of grace. Thus, baptism becomes an anchor of assurance, binding our children to Christ and His ... Read more