Baptism, infant and Adult

6.  Baptism, Infant and Adult                                                                           

Is there Scriptural and historical support for Infant Baptism? Does the Holy Spirit come into infants?  How a Christian is baptized and how much water is used seems to be a highly-debated.  The Bible makes reference to a number of different accounts of Baptism, 1. When someone is old enough to repent and                        2. entire households being Baptized.  In order to understand why certain Christian traditions baptize infants, we have to know what the word "household" means.  Let's see what the Bible says about the word "household."

Genesis 18:19

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

Genesis 50:8

as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.

1 Timothy 3:4

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping           his children submissive,

1 Timothy 5:4

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

1 Timothy 5:14

So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

It is obvious from the passages above in both the Old and New Testaments that the word household included children.  Did early baptisms include infants?  Let's see what Paul said about that in his letter to the Colossians.

Colossians 2:11-12  (ESV)

¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

--Obviously Paul is comparing baptism to circumcision. Circumcision in ancient Judaism was done on the eighth day of life and so is infant Baptism because Baptism is the new circumcision. From Catholic Answers, "Even in the books of the New Testament that were   written later in the first century, during the time when children were raised in the first Christian homes, we never—not even once—find an example of a child raised in a Christian home who is baptized only upon making a "decision for Christ." Rather, it is always assumed that the children of Christian homes are already Christians, that they have already been "baptized into Christ" (Rom. 6:3). If infant baptism were not the rule, then we should have references to the children of Christian parents joining the Church only after they had come to the age of reason, and there are no such records in the Bible."

"She was baptized, with her household" (Acts 16:15). The Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith was baptized that night along with his household. We are told that "the same hour of the night . . . he was baptized, with all his family" (Acts 16:33). And in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, "I did baptize also the household of Stephanas" (1 Cor. 1:16). 
In all these cases, whole households or families were baptized. This means more than just the spouse; the children too were included. If the text of Acts referred simply to the Philippian jailer and his wife, then we would read that "he and his wife were baptized," but we do not. Thus his children must have been baptized as well. The same applies to the other cases of household baptism in Scripture."--Catholic answers    

                                                                                                               

The Little Children and Jesus

Holy Spirit into Infants and blessing them
Luke 1:13: But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 8:15-17
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Accounts of entire Households being Baptized
Acts 16:31-34 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Col 2:11-12  In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

1 Corinthians 1:16: I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else

 Here Paul compares the entry rite of Judaism, circumcision, with the new entry rite of Christianity, baptism. Jewish children were circumcised and entered Judaism on the eighth day their life. This is why Sacramental traditions in Christianity baptize on the 8th day.  Infant Baptism removed original sin and saves the child from the start with water.  Then, the child walks faithfully throughout life with Christ to obtain salvation (see Salvation section).

1 Peter 3:20-21: who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. "Baptism, which corresponds to this, 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"

John 3:5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of    water  and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

I will stop right here a minute.  Our children were young when we spent some time in the Baptist Church.  I remember wanting to have them Baptized, but they were not "of the age of reason or make a decision to accept Jesus in their hearts yet"  and were not allowed to be Baptized.  Due to what John 3:5 says and the way I was raised in the Episcopal Church, I took my children back to the Episcopal Church I grew up in and had them baptized at ages 3-1/2, 2, and 1.  The purpose was to remove original sin and for them receive the Sacrament of Baptism in case something happened to one of them.  John 3:5 and history says that being baptized with water is a requirement for salvation, so therefore, I wanted my children Baptized..  When they became of age to fully follow Jesus Christ on their own, then they could be confirmed which they were in the Anglican Church.  They also chose full emersion baptism as a profession of faith.

Mark 1:4-11: John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove;  and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."

Baptism is regenerative, not just symbolic.  It actually washes away our sins.  This is why infants can be baptised.  It washes away original sin that they are born with (refer to households being baptised and the new circumcision).

Acts 2:38: And Peter said to them, "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 22:16

Now, why delay?  Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.

I Corinthians 6:11

That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Romans 6:4

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm