Infant Baptism is Catholic but
Un-biblical
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Roman Catholic Faith Examined! Catholic false teaching on Baptism:
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Not even John Paul II can make right, an infant baptism by sprinkling,
that is wrong according to the Bible! |
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Immersion Versus Pouring
The book, My Catholic Faith,
on page 270 gives the present day practice of the Catholic Church on baptism.
It says, "How would you give baptism? I would give baptism by pouring
ordinary water on the forehead of the person to be baptized..."
The Bible clearly teaches that
baptism is a burial in water, not a pouring of water. Our English word
"baptism" is from the Greek word "baptisma" and means
"immersion, submersion and emergence" (Vine's Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 96), "to dip, immerse,
submerge" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, p. 94).
Consider the act of baptism as
suggested by the baptism of Jesus. Mark writes, "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." (Mark 1:9-10). Furthermore, examine the
manner in which the eunuch of Ethiopia was baptized. "And he commanded the
chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch,
and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the
Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way
rejoicing." (Acts 8:38-39).
The apostle Paul said, "And
you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." (Col.
2:12). In Rom. 6:4, Paul said, "We were buried therefore with him by
baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Consequently, it is
abundantly clear that the baptism which God ordained is a burial or immersion
in water.
The Following Catholic officials
freely admit that immersion was the common practice for many years.
"Baptism took place by immersion in ancient
times." (New Interpretation of the Mass, p. 120).
"Catholics admit that immersion brings out more
fully the meaning of the sacrament, and that for twelve centuries it was the
common practice." (Question Box, p. 240).
"Baptism used to be given by placing the person
to be baptized completely in the water: it was done in this way in the Catholic
Church for 1200 years." (Adult Catechism, pp. 56-57).
"The church at one time practiced immersion.
This was up to the thirteenth century. The Council of Ravenna, in 1311, changed
the form from immersion to pouring." (Our Faith and the Facts,
p. 399).
We raise a simple question here,
"Who gave the Catholic Church the authority to change what the Lord
ordained?" We are taught in God's holy word that we must follow the laws
of the Lord without change or variation (Gal. 1:6-9; Rev. 22:18-19). When we
follow the traditions and doctrines of men, our religion becomes vain (Matt.
15:9; Col. 2:8; Titus 1:13-14). The Bible plainly reveals that there would come
a great "falling away" (2 Thess. 2:1-12) or "departing from the
faith" (1 Tim. 4:1-5). In the last day many sincere religious people will
be rejected because they have worked iniquity or acted without law (Matt. 7:22-23).
Consider the ridiculousness of
the following "official" claims:
"Has the Catholic Church ever changed its
teaching? No, for 2000 years the Church has taught the same things which Jesus
taught." (Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 57).
"It is a historical fact the Catholic Church,
from the twentieth century back to the first, has not once ceased to teach a
doctrine on faith or morals previously held, and with the same interpretation;
the church has proved itself infallible." (My Catholic Church,
p. 145).
The following Catholic official
openly acknowledges that the Catholic Church changed from immersion to pouring
simply because it was more convenient. "The present mode of pouring arose
from the many inconveniences connected with immersion, frequent mention of
which are made in the writings of the early Church Fathers." (Question
Box, p. 366). The wicked king Jeroboam made things convenient for the
people by setting up idols and saying, "It is too much for you to go up to
Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt." (See I Kings 12:28-33). Two of the priests under the Mosiacal
system thought they would do what was convenient and "offered strange fire
before the Lord, which he commanded them not" (Lev. 10:1). The very next
verse says, "And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and
they died before the Lord" (Lev. 10:2). To please God we must do exactly
as He commanded and not that which might be more suitable to us. No one man or
group of men have a right to change the law of God. God commanded a burial in
water, and this is what must be done.
Infant Baptism is Catholic but Un-biblical
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Have you been Baptized with
The Wrong Baptism? Not even John Paul II can make right, an infant baptism by sprinkling,
that is wrong according to the Bible! |
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The Catholic Catechism
for Adults of page 71 says, "Do babies have to be baptized? Yes,
because they have Original Sin in their souls, which means they have no
grace." Notwithstanding, infant baptism was not practiced by the apostles
and early Christians. All of the cases of conversion in the book of Acts show
that individuals heard the gospel, believed, and were baptized. There is not a
single instance in the New Testament of infants being baptized, but rather a
glaring lack of it. For example, Acts 8:12 says, "But when they believed
Philip as he preached the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they
were baptized, both men and women."
Some Catholic officials readily
admit that infant baptism cannot be proven by the Bible. "There is no
express mention of the baptism of infants in the New Testament" (Question
Box, p. 23). "It is difficult to give strict proof from the
scriptures in favor of it" (Catholic Dictionary, p. 61).
"Catholic controversialists soon proved to the Protestants that to be
logical and consistent they must admit unwritten tradition. Otherwise by what
right did they rest on Sunday and not on Saturday? How could they regard infant
baptism as valid, or baptism by infusion?" (Catholic Encyclopedia,
Vol. XV, p. 7).
Like many other doctrines of the
Catholic Church, the baptism of infants slowly and gradually developed.
"Ecclesiastical custom with regard to the administration of Baptism has
undergone a change in the course of history. Whereas the early Church baptized
adults only, the baptism of children soon became the usual practice." (Pastoral
Medicine, pp. 32-33). "Where in the fourth and fifth centuries
the doctrine of original sin became better known, the practice of infant
baptism progressed rapidly." (Legislation on the Sacraments in the
New Code of Canon Law, p. 72). "When all fear of persecution had
passed away, and the empire had become almost entirely Christian, the necessity
for a prolonged period of trial and instruction no longer existed, about the
same time the fuller teaching on the subject of original sin, occasioned by the
Pelagian heresy, gradually led to the administration of baptism of
infants." (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. V, p. 78).
The baptizing of infants
originated from the false idea that babies inherit the sin of Adam--termed,
"original sin." In defining different kinds of sins, the book, My
Catholic Faith, on page 50 says, "Original sin is the
kind of sin that we inherit from Adam." There is nothing in the Bible
which teaches that men inherit the sin of Adam, or that men are born in a state
of sin. A person becomes a sinner when he commits sin, and he commits sin when
he transgresses Gods' law. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also
the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4; see also
James 1:13-15). A baby cannot be a sinner because he has not transgressed God's
law. The prophet Ezekiel said, "The soul that sinneth, the same shall die:
the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not
bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and
the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." (Ezek. 18:20; Catholic
Confraternity Version). Hence, sin is not transferred from on generation or
person to another. All men are sinners, not because they have inherited sin,
but because "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23).
An infant is not a subject of
the baptism ordained by God in His Holy Word. First, a candidate for baptism
must be a hearer of the Word of God (Rom. 10:17; Acts 2:22,
37; 15:7). He must be taught and he must learn the
will of God. Jesus said, "It is written in the Prophets, 'And they all shall
be taught of God.' Everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned,
comes to me..." (John 6:45). In the great commission, the Lord said,
"Going therefore teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you..." (Matt. 28:19-20; Catholic
Rheims Version). Furthermore, one must believe the gospel
before being baptized. Again Christ said, "Go into the whole world and
preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be
saved..." (Mark 16:16). Another prerequisite to baptism is repentance.
Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..." (Acts 2:38). A verbal confession
of Christ is also necessary before baptism. "For if thou confess
with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and believe in thy heart that God has
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9; see also Acts
8:37). Consequently, infants cannot be subjects for baptism because they
cannot: (1) be taught of God, (2) believe, (3) repent, (4) confess. Those who
baptize infants today are doing so against God's will. John said, "Anyone
who advances and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, has not God; he who
abides in the doctrine, he has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 9).
By David J. Riggs