When Do Baptized Children Become Covenant Members? | Doug Wilson

In this episode of Ask Doug, Pastor Doug Wilson answers question about baptism and covenant membership.

[jonmark]

As someone who holds pastor Doug in high regard, and appreciates the Canon Press ministry, I can’t help but be a little shocked by the lack of scripture to back these very controversial beliefs.

[SAOProductions]

A pebble thrown into the debate - Just as the Scriptures state "For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel" and the sign of the covenant for them was circumcision - then can the same be said that "for they are not all Christians who are identified by the rite of infant baptism". So would it be correct to say that some who place their trust in having been baptized as an infant may not be able to enter God's rest in much the same way as some of those Hebrew descendants of Israel who put their in the sign of the covenant fell in the wilderness? Just a

[andrewoverholser]

MANY brothers and sisters in Christ followed this practice. I could go either way on it and yes I understand there is no explicit Scripture saying “baptize your infants.” I do not see anything wrong with it because it is not believed that baptism is the same as regeneration by the Spirit. Though I am a reformed baptist member I think that entrusting your children to God and having the sacrament of baptism applied to them is not wrong. Also, it is noteworthy Acts 2:38-39

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

[rlh]

If you take the position that 1 Cor 7 implies a believer’s baby is a *saint*, and if you also hold that a believer can’t lose his salvation, how do you account for the fact that not every baby you baptize becomes a believer when they finally get a say in the matter? Do you differentiate between saints and believers? Perhaps you can address this question in a future video.

[mikeschmoll]

Question relating to 1 Cor. 7.14
If the child is a Saint because of one believing parent then would it not follow logical that the unbelieving parent is also a kind of Saint because he is made holy by is believing partner?

"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."
1 Corinthians 7:14 ESV

[mkshffr]

An exercise for my credo only brothers (of which camp I used to be myself). Carefully read Genesis 15 and meditate on how it might relate to this issue.

[FBCTrona]

I have watched very similar videos, as well as read books by those who believe in uphold PO baptism, and I am overwhelmed by the lack of scripture as well as the reliance upon church, confessions and taking passages of scripture and saying something like “it could be “. You would have a very hard time, teaching baptism without using any ancient creeds or confessions and only using scripture alone

[therealkillerb]

Anyone else see a discrepancy between Mr. Wilson's statements here, where he endorses Federal Vision, and the ones he made on James White's channel nine years later, where he basically denied that he had ever embraced Federal Vision? This is a legitimate question, not a "gotcha" one. I am open to explanation/correction.

[yeoberry]

The command to baptize is to baptize "disciples" (Mt. 28:19ff). Since one cannot know if a child is a disciple or not, there is no command to baptize them. Furthermore, there is no account of baptizing children in the NT and we can infer from the Didache that they were not baptizing babies by the early second century.

[jaquirox]

Just saw Mark Driscoll’s name in the credits for a 2011 conference. …lol

[LeoRegum]

But the unbelieving spouse is also said to be ἡγίασται, so what is good for the child must be good for the spouse. This issue was never settled at Westminster.

[LawofChristMinistries]

So you hang on the west minister but not the Bible . Bible does not teach infant baptism that’s the thing that trips me up about Presbyterians. We can’t find it bible so let’s make something up and use something that’s not Inspired like west minister, like history like man

[toddmcrae]

Notice at the start of the video, he asks "according to federal vision". Instead of according to the bible. And the response is "this is what the westminister confession says" instead of "this is what the Bible says".

If you just read the Bible by itself, you wouldn't believe in baby baptism.

[LawofChristMinistries]

False doctrine based on tradition not based on scripture

[brucemercerblamelessshamel]

scripture says by grace through faith not faith and sacraments

[Zaloomination]

I seem to remember a debate with James white and Wilson on this subject but can't find it on YouTube, am I mistaken?

[YTTraveler]

He should have answered the question " I don't know. We baptize out of obedience. "
We don't need to know everything Doug.

[GodsTruthMinistries]

Baptism of infants is unbiblical. Believers though can be quite young. My daughter was 4 when she believed but was baptized around 12.

[churchmouse]

Babies aren't Christian. They cannot hear the Gospel, repent, confess & be saved. In all of scripture, the outward sign comes after the inward working of God. The outward demonstration of the inward sign (wrought by the Holy Spirit) is a believer's confession of faith & then baptism. Babies cannot do this!

The Great Commission is: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them NOT go and baptize the nations, discipling them.

[roblakov]

See Matthew 28, Mark 1, Mark 16, Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 16 and many, many more...