Comments on: Why we sprinkle babies

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:59:33 +0000

Hey man, thank you so much for your reply. I am grateful that you would take the time to respond with so much information. Looking forward to reading the extra literature you forwarded.

By: felipeassis

felipeassis — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:07:31 +0000

In relation to your comment on Jesus’ baptism and this baptism is that there’s no distinction between both. It’s the same as long as people (no matter how old) are baptized in a trinitarian formula into a true local expression of the christian church.
As I tried to express in my post, baptism serves the purpose to bring people into the covenant community. To not baptize babies of believers is to treat these babies as unbelievers.

By: felipeassis

felipeassis — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:58:56 +0000

(cont)Christian infant dedication services don’t mention the ceremonial purification of the infant’s mother after the birth; they are performed not only for firstborn sons but also for later children–of both genders!”
So, in the sense of the parents undertaking the commitment to raise their kids in the Lord, yes, it’s similar. But “no”, dedication is not the same thing as baptism and to be honest… it’s much harder to prove infant dedication in the NT than infant baptism.

By: felipeassis

felipeassis — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:57:41 +0000

Nick,
It’s important to understand Lk 2 within the framework of the Bible as a whole. Note first that Jesus was first circumcised before he was dedicated. Dedication took place in light of what was commanded in Exod. 13:12. Firstborn sons were to be redeemed (Exod. 13:15). Dennis Johnson professor of Practical Theology at Westminster says this “It is hard for me to see how this Old Testament custom, which had to be observed carefully for Jesus since he came to fulfill every requirement of the Law of Moses, could be viewed as a model for Christians dedicating their children.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:59:25 +0000

*covenantal

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:48:24 +0000

Would you say for you guys that infant Baptism represents infant dedication as we see in Lk. 2? I definitely see biblically the idea of dedicating your children as Jesus was through covenentuial commitment (the vows to raise them in Jesus as parents and a congregation), but I struggle to see the relationship between that and the baptism found in Jesus Christ that is a baptism of Repentance, by grace through faith where we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:26:01 +0000

Cara, você tem que fazer uns vídeos assim, só que com uma linguagem mais acessível e moderna.