Baptism in the Early Church: A Baptist Response

Here I respond to the appeal, "all of the church fathers believed in baptismal regeneration, so how can you not accept it?"

Truth Unites is a mixture of apologetics and theology, with an irenic focus.

Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai.

My books:

[TruthUnites]

For those who object that the damnation of unbaptized infants is only taught in the West, consider the following teaching from Dositheos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, from his 1672 Confession:

We believe Holy Baptism, which was instituted by the Lord, and is conferred in the name of the Holy Trinity, to be of the highest necessity. For without it none is able to be saved, as the Lord says, “Whoever is not born of water and of the Spirit, shall in no way enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens.” {John 3:5} And, therefore, baptism is necessary even for infants, since they also are subject to original sin, and without Baptism are not able to obtain its remission. Which the Lord showed when he said, not of some only, but simply and absolutely, “Whoever is not born [again], ” which is the same as saying, “All that after the coming of Christ the Savior would enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens must be regenerated.” And since infants are men, and as such need salvation, needing salvation they need also Baptism. And those that are not regenerated, since they have not received the remission of hereditary sin, are, of necessity, subject to eternal punishment, and consequently cannot without Baptism be saved. So that even infants should, of necessity, be baptized. Moreover, infants are saved, as is said in Matthew; {Matthew 19:12} but he that is not baptized is not saved. And consequently even infants must of necessity be baptized. And in the Acts {Acts 8:12; 16:33} it is said that the whole houses were baptized, and consequently the infants. To this the ancient Fathers also witness explicitly, and among them Dionysius in his Treatise concerning the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy; and Justin in his fifty-sixth Question, who says expressly, “And they are guaranteed the benefits of Baptism by the faith of those that bring them to Baptism.” And Augustine says that it is an Apostolic tradition, that children are saved through Baptism; and in another place, “The Church gives to babes the feet of others, that they may come; and the hearts of others, that they may believe; and the tongues of others, that they may promise;” and in another place, “Our mother, the Church, furnishes them with a particular heart.

[dugood]

Coming out of Mormonism I’ve been searching for truth in Christianity. Your videos have been of tremendous value to me. Thank you

[jmschmitten]

From a Roman Catholic, can I just say I’ve been so blessed, so blessed, to come across you. Im devouring your debates and videos.

[RicardoReyes]

Gospel simplicity sent me here. I'm a Catholic but like to listen to what others believe. It makes me a better Catholic. Thanks for the video!

[TheRoark]

This is quickly becoming my favorite theology channel on YouTube! Great work Gavin, glad to see another strong Protestant voice on YouTube!

[Tylerstrodtman]

I’m 40 years old, I’m listening to Gavin Orland talk about early church views of baptism on my iPhone X, while jumping on a 16 foot trampoline in my backyard. Life doesn’t get any better

[ryanbeneke]

Following up on your comment on opposition to baptism in China—I am a missionary in Japan, and it is the same situation here. A profession of faith rarely brings persecution, but people are sometimes disowned by their families when they prepare to be baptized. Both Christians and non-Christians view baptism as the mark that one has truly converted. So in the Baptist church I attend, for example, one will not be called a Christian until he or she has been baptized. There is definitely a sense in which that is the time you were “saved.” I do not think it goes quite as far as baptismal regeneration, however (although you will often hear Acts 2:38 quoted). One pastor friend described it like this: the initial profession of faith is the engagement, and the baptism is the wedding ceremony.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting that people in both China and Japan attach a greater significance to baptism than many evangelicals in the U.S. Maybe it has something to do with the more ceremonial and/or communal nature of these cultures?

[barelyprotestant]

Anglican here: I look forward to this one! I've always had immense respect for you, but at the same time have been puzzled by your positions on Baptism. This will be incredibly informative.

[ProfYaffle]

Came here from two recommendations in the space of 2hrs: Mike Winger and Tony Costa. Subscribed now

[isaacthibodeau]

This was fantastic, Gavin. I’ve been wrestling through this issue for a little while now and this really helped.

[ebercondrell]

Honestly I would watch videos six times longer than this in a heartbeat. No need to apologize for a 30 minutes video Gavin! Keep it up

[ImCarolB]

Thank you for your teaching. My heart aches for those who have been tormented in the past by false teachings, despairing of the salvation of loved ones, particularly infants.

[jakobi]

I appreciate the video! I’m a Lutheran who has been debating on and off with a baptist friend about baptismal regeneration for a while. I find myself ultimately disagreeing, as I am not sure if metonymy works well with the passages about baptism, I’ve heard contradicting accounts of early church history, and I’m just plain not a fan of decisionism. But it was great to hear someone approaching baptismal regeneration from an intellectual perspective who was not in favor of it. You gave me some stuff to think about

[Iffmeister]

My favorite Baptist drops a video. God bless you Gavin!

[Polarbeardueck]

Thanks Gavin I attend a baptist church and have been looking into catholicism and orthodoxy. For a while I have been thinking that my time as a protestant is coming to an end, I am glad that you are able to bring such scholarship to these issues and thanks for making it so accessible

[criticalthinkingwjake]

I appreciate the way you present your arguments. You begin with information and context and that follows with a clear and concise conclusion and brief summary.

[m.r.]

The Bereans would be proud if you! Excellent discussion, thank you!

[jozzen]

I started going into a baptist church after going to a WoF church for 4 months since i became a christian, have been struggling with this topic, thank you for adressing it. Let the grace of Our Lord be with you.

[theKpen]

Great Gavin! Thanks for this. The fact that scripture says “Baptism now saves you *as a seems to reinforce your point quite firmly that baptism is spoken of in reference to the whole of the conversion process it represents.

[Imjustinn]

Just doubled back to rewatch this video after listening to your discussions with Jordan Cooper. I wanted to say thank you for all the work you put into these videos Gavin - they’re thought provoking, informative, and they have grounded me in my views as I’ve listened to your videos/discussions. Thanks for all that you do! Blessings.