Should we baptize babies? Is Baptism the circumcision of the new covenant?

[portlie]

I am wondering if baptism for children is what God wants, many say it is the new covenant and, like circumcision should be done to dedicate a child to God

thank you to whoever can help 

[other one]

it is my personal opinion that we should not be baptized until we reach the age of accountability and give ourselves over to Jesus.

 

[Who me]

52 minutes ago, portlie said:

many say it is the new covenant

The new covenant is between God and each worshipper. Baptis  in the nt is by followers of Jesus on their profession of faith.

" Christening " is a pagan practice,  adopted by the rcc. 

[Jayne]

59 minutes ago, portlie said:

I am wondering if baptism for children is what God wants, many say it is the new covenant and, like circumcision should be done to dedicate a child to God

thank you to whoever can help 

New Testament baptism is for believers in Christ Jesus.  It is done after one is born again or saved.  One cannot be born again until he/she understands the concept of their own personal sin and why Jesus had to die.

The New Testament teaches nowhere that babies and young children should be baptized because it is like circumcision.

Baby dedications are fine.  At my church, on Mother's Day, we dedicate the babies born over the past year.  The parents come and stand in front with the babies and we pray for them, the parents confirm that they want to raise the child in the Christian faith,  and volunteers from the congregation who feel led by the Spirit to agree to pray for the child stand and pledge to do so.

But we do not baptize the babies.

That is for believers.

 

[Dennis1209]

Jayne's response above is absolutely correct. 

[MomBearTo4]

I was raised in a mainstream denomination (and left when they grew too liberal for my tastes).  The baby baptisms were practically identical to baby dedications in the churches I have gone to since I left that denomination except for the use of water and the phrase "I baptize you..."  In the infant baptisms of my childhood, the parents are asked to promise that they will raise the child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord until they accept the gift of salvation, and there is also a congregational response making a commitment to "order our lives after the example of Christ" to be living testimonies and examples to the infant to lead them to faith. 

I don't have a problem with dedicating babies to the Lord as long as it's not a ritual like nursery graduation or something.  Each of my children were dedicated to the Lord from the time I knew I was carrying them.

I struggled for a while with the issue of believer's baptism, and for myself I believe it was what God wanted me to do and I see the Scriptural support for it.  With that said, I have friends who are convicted that baby baptism is a "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" type of thing and not anything that imparts saving merit -- 1Pe 3:21  which figure now also saves us, baptism; not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; -- but with the same intentions as the baby baptisms of my childhood. 

But I don't fault people who don't see that and want to do a baby-dedication type of "baptismal" service but I do believe that children who were brought to Jesus as an infant still need to come to Him on their own to be saved, but even after they were baptized as an infant (as I was), they still need to come to a personal surrender to Jesus in faith and need to be baptized afterward as a testimony of what Christ did for them (as I also did). 

[Tristen]

Baptism is an ancient ritual that extends beyond Christianity. It symbolically represents a death and new life. For example, an orphaned child could be baptized into a new family - symbolizing first, the death of the found child; with the raised child now a fully-legitimized member of the new family.

There is no rule either for or against baptizing Christian children. Baptizing the child of Christians is a symbolic statement that the child is considered to be a member of God's household (a decision made by the parents on behalf of their child). As mentioned above, most Christians now prefer a type of dedication ceremony - where the parents and church commit to raising the child under God's guidance according to Christian wisdom and precepts.

A baptized child may later choose to be rebaptized when they are old enough to make the decision for Christ for themselves.

[farouk]

18 hours ago, Tristen said:

Baptism is an ancient ritual that extends beyond Christianity. It symbolically represents a death and new life. For example, an orphaned child could be baptized into a new family - symbolizing first, the death of the found child; with the raised child now a fully-legitimized member of the new family.

There is no rule either for or against baptizing Christian children. Baptizing the child of Christians is a symbolic statement that the child is considered to be a member of God's household (a decision made by the parents on behalf of their child). As mentioned above, most Christians now prefer a type of dedication ceremony - where the parents and church commit to raising the child under God's guidance according to Christian wisdom and precepts.

A baptized child may later choose to be rebaptized when they are old enough to make the decision for Christ for themselves.

Hi @Tristen Acts 2.41 shows that baptism follows personal faith; it does not bring it into effect, supposedly.

[Tristen]

3 hours ago, farouk said:

Hi @Tristen Acts 2.41 shows that baptism follows personal faith; it does not bring it into effect, supposedly.

Acts 2:41
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

This verse "shows" that a group of formerly non-Christians received the Gospel preached by Peter and became Christians. They were subsequently baptized to publicly demonstrate that their old self had passed away - and they now possessed new life in Christ.

That's just what happened on that day. It is not a formula that prohibits parents from making the decision to baptize their children - i.e. to make a statement that their children belong to God.

 

[farouk]

5 minutes ago, Tristen said:

Acts 2:41
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

This verse "shows" that a group of formerly non-Christians received the Gospel preached by Peter and became Christians. They were subsequently baptized to publicly demonstrate that their old self had passed away - and they now possessed new life in Christ.

That's just what happened on that day. It is not a formula that prohibits parents from making the decision to baptize their children - i.e. to make a statement that their children belong to God.

 

Well, I would look at such examples as being for our learning; clearly they consciously believed when they were baptized.