WHAT IS CALVARY CHAPEL’S POSITION ON INFANT BAPTISM?

 

Before we address this question, it would be beneficial to examine God's Word when it comes to this issue. The fact of the matter is that there are no examples of infants or small children being baptized in the Bible. Furthermore, the Bible lays out certain requirements for baptism that no infant or young child could possibly meet. As Philip evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8, the eunuch asked "What hinders me from being baptized?"  In other words, "What do I need to do before I can be baptized?" Philip's answer to this question is very important because it sets a precedent for Christian doctrine:

 

(Acts 8:37-38 NKJV)  Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." {38} So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

 

Here we see that personal belief and faith in Jesus Christ is a pre-requisite for baptism. The Bible also tells us that we ought to recognize and appreciate the significance of what baptism represents. It depicts the burial of the old life and the hope of the new resurrected life in Christ.

 

(Romans 6:3-5 NKJV)  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? {4} Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. {5} For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

 

According to the Apostle Paul, every person who gets baptized is expected to understand and appreciate this wonderful truth. Therefore, when we baptize someone here at Calvary Chapel, they must first of all be a believer in Jesus Christ (Acts 8), and they should also understand what baptism means and represents (Romans 6).  Before we begin our baptisms, we have a short Bible study that thoroughly explains all of this for the benefit of those who have a desire to be baptized.

 

Of course, this brings us to the issue of baptizing infants and small children. We don't baptize infants or small children because it's impossible for them to consciously place their faith in Christ and understand what baptism represents (this begins to change when a child is about 8-10 years old). Although the outward act of baptism would be accomplished, the inward significance of baptism would be completely void and ritualistic. Furthermore, the biblical model is always that of infant and child dedication, never baptism (Exodus 13:2, 12-15, 1 Samuel 1:26-28, Luke 2:22, 27, 18:15-17, Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16).

 

"But what about those families that were baptized on the behalf of a parent's profession of faith?"  There are only two instances (that I'm aware of) where this even remotely appears to take place, in the households of Cornelius and the Philippian jailer. In both cases, all who are baptized also heard and believed the Word of God that was preached to them.

 

(Acts 10:44-48 NKJV)  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word...Then Peter answered, {47} "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" {48} And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

 

In this case, it is pretty clear that those who heard the Gospel believed in it since they were immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit.  The next logical step was for them to be water baptized, having already demonstrated that they were believers. The case of the Philippian jailer's family is a bit more challenging, but becomes clear nonetheless.

 

(Acts 16:27-34 NKJV)  And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. {28} But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." {29} Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. {30} And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" {31} So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." {32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. {33} And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. {34} Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

 

If you stop at verse 33 it appears as though the entire family was baptized on the basis of the jailer. But when you read on it clearly says that the entire household had believed, making it acceptable for all of them to be baptized. Some confuse the statement "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household"  as meaning that the entire family would be saved by virtue of the jailer's belief. But the correct way of understanding this is that the same opportunity to be saved through believing was extended to the jailer's family and not just him: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household [will be saved through believing],"  which they evidently did. In any event, there is no evidence of infants or small children being baptized in this family, only those "having believed in God."