Comments on: Romanian Forum: On the Baptism of Small Children

By: ounbbl

ounbbl — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:58:35 +0000

Act 2:39 reads ‘promise belongs … to your children’.

What does this have anything to do with baptism of young (immature) children?

Anyway, what is a ‘baptismal rite’ for, when it is symbolic of one’s participation of suffering, death and resurrection of the Messiah, to belong to the believer’s community? It’s not a commitment rite, is it?

By: Luke Geraty

Luke Geraty — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 08:06:58 +0000

This provides some helpful thoughts, though I believe there is more to it than simply waiting until a person turns 14. For example, my 7 year old daughter came to the Lord about two months ago and has been reading her bible and asking my wife and I many questions about baptism. We have been very careful simply to explain baptism on a doctrinal level and have avoided putting any pressure on her. Well, 2 weeks ago she came to me out of the blue and told me she had been praying about it and felt the Lord directing her to be baptized. After all, she repented of her sins and trust Christ for her salvation!!

After thinking long and hard about this, I can’t find any Scriptural support for me to wait. Plus, I want to ENCOURAGE her obedience to Scripture.

This has greatly challenged me because I have MANY of the same concerns expressed here! Yet I also have found that our concerns may also cause us to move beyond what is both biblical and healthy…

Very good thoughts here. I appreciate them!

By: Patrick Hubbard

Patrick Hubbard — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:00:40 +0000

I agree that we should wait until it is clear that a child understands the implications of their faith in Christ and we can observe fruit in their lives. However, I wonder how much the cultural background (i.e. communist leaders insisting on age 18) of these men has influenced their decision to wait until someone in well into their teen years. The question then becomes does this carryover to our context?

By: Trevin Wax

Trevin Wax — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:31:52 +0000

Most churches observe Communion on the first Sunday of the month. Other churches might not celebrate the first Sunday, but it is still celebrated monthly.

By: James Grant

James Grant — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:55:48 +0000

Trevin,

One of the dynamics regarding this situation of baptism and the age of children concerns frequency of communion, so How frequent is communion in Romania?

James Grant

By: Trevin Wax

Trevin Wax — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:59:12 +0000

Lance,

Baptism is a prerequisite to participating in the Lord’s Supper. Small children do not take Lord’s Supper (because small children aren’t baptized). Most parents use the time as a teaching moment about Christ’s sacrifice for us.

By: Lance Parrott

Lance Parrott — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:32:12 +0000

Trevin,

Thanks for using these godly men to speak wisdom to pastors here in the States. I have recently planted a church in Bowling Green, KY and many of the children in our neighborhood have been asking questions about baptism and following Christ. The only question I would ask of these pastors is “What role does baptism play with taking of the Lord Supper in Romania?”

By: RJ

RJ — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:00:36 +0000

I guess I am aligned with the Catholic church on this one. To me baptism is not about us it is about the Holy Spirit coming into our lives.
Here is some of what they say about this:

Peter explained what happens at baptism when he said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). But he did not restrict this teaching to adults. He added, “For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him” (2:39). We also read: “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). These commands are universal, not restricted to adults. Further, these commands make clear the necessary connection between baptism and salvation, a
connection explicitly stated in 1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

I know Christians will probably be debating this issue all the way up to the second coming. All I can say is that I am glad the Holy Spirit was in my long before i consciously accepted Christ’s offer of salvation.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:25:34 +0000

This is great, if not humbling. I was baptized young and honestly, my church should have waited too, because I was not truly saved back then. As my son is six right now, I will be waiting for awhile. Yet I believe he already knows who Jesus is and has accepted him, as much as he knows how. I’ve told him already that he is God’s, but we are holding off on this baptism as well.