Monday, December 18, 2006

Baptism

The distinctive doctrine that gave Baptists our name is "believer's baptism" - the idea that baptism should occur when a person is old enough to affirm his or her own profession of faith. Most Christians baptize infants. Some have tried to compromise - allowing both. At Between Two Worlds, Wayne Grudem is quoted describing his views in a post titled "On rethinking his compromise on baptism.":
But now I'm beginning to realize that admitting to church membership someone who has not been baptized upon profession of faith, and telling the person that he or she never has to be baptized as a believer, is really giving up one's view on the proper nature of baptism, what it really is. It is saying that infant baptism really is valid baptism! If we didn't think it was valid baptism, we should be telling people who were baptized as infants that their "baptism" was not valid baptism and they should be baptized now, after their personal profession of faith. They would need to do this in obedience to Christ's command. [the rest]
Source: Between Two Worlds: Grudem on Rethinking His Compromise on Baptism
Source: Adrian Warnock: Interview with Wayne Grudem, Part Seven

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