“Too Young for Grace? Making the Case for Infant Baptism Today”
Preliminary Remarks:
Faith is the pre-requisite condition for the reception of baptism. Christ himself in Mark 16:16 affirms this when he says: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” However, many object to the tradition of infant baptism arguing amongst other things that infants do not have the ability to express their faith. The Catholic Church on her part insists on the importance of infant baptism as a veritable tradition of the Church by making refence to the sacred scripture, tradition and common sense.
- Scripture:
The justification of infant baptism in the scripture can be seen in three ways:
- Universal Commands of Christ:
In emphasizing the need for baptism, Christ makes reference to the fact that “all” not “some” should be baptized. Divine wisdom has not excluded children from the reception of baptism. For instance, Matthew 28:19 explicitly states “Go, therefore, and make disciples from all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The above and other scriptural passages where we see the need for baptism like John 3:5, show that infant baptism is not opposed to the positive will of Christ.
- Household Baptisms:
In the scripture also, we find references to the baptism of entire households without the exclusion of infants. For instance, in Acts 10:48, we find the baptism of Cornelius and his entire household. Also, in Acts 16:15, we find the baptism of Lydia and her entire household. Coming down to Acts 16: 33, we see the baptism of the Philippian jailer and his entire household. In 1 Corinthians 1:16, Paul recalls baptizing Stephanus and his entire family. Thus, there is credible evidence that infant baptism was practiced by the Apostles and early Christians.
- Baptism as Circumcision in the New Covenant:
For St. Paul, just as circumcision ushered infants into the Abrahamic covenant with God in the Old Testament dispensation, baptism ushers us into the new covenant with Christ. (cf. Colossians 2:11-12.)
- Tradition:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) no. 1252 points out that “the practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on…” Amongst the Church Fathers, Irenaeus in his work “Against Heresies” notes that Christ came to save all and passed through every age, from infancy to adult. Hippolytus of Rome in his “Apostolic Tradition” stipulates an order of Baptism whereby he instructs presbyters and deacons to first baptize the little ones and St. Augustine in his “Enchiridion” affirms that as a result of the original sin factor, no one is disqualified from receiving Baptism, infants and adults alike.
- Common Sense:
- Based on parental responsibility, it is the duty of parents to provide for the holistic well-being of their children. CCC no. 1251 affirms that Christian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.
- Another factor is that faith is God’s gift and can be given to anyone. CCC no. 1253 points out that “It us only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop.”
CCC no. 1254 continues that for all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism. For this reason, the Church celebrates each year at the Easter Vigil for the renewal of baptismal promises. Preparation for baptism leads only to the threshold of new life. Baptism is the source of that new life in Christ from which the entire Christian life springs forth.
- Again, there is no need for delay since they can die as well and they need to be washed off from the taints of original sin. More importantly, if the snares of the devil can affect them as we see with original sin, why can’t the grace of God?
In making a conclusion, it is important to bear in mind that the reception of baptism is not a final stage in the journey of the Christian life, rather it is the birth of a life of grace that should last throughout one’s life. Thus, as CCC no. 1255 remarks, the parents’ help is important, so too the role of the godfather and godmother who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized, whether children or adult.
Articulated by Fr. Cyprian K. Nwabueze