Best of 2020's - Infant Baptism is Not a Child Dedication Service

Infant baptism, child baptism or whole-house baptism is an iceberg of a topic.  John Fonville is tackling this significant church history topic and giving us some important background about this biblical topic.

About John

John Fonville is Pastor of Paramount Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Paramount Church is part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). 

The Him We Proclaim Podcast features the preaching and teaching ministry of Dr. John Fonville at Paramount Church. This resource aims to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. The gospel cannot be assumed. An assumed gospel will, in time, become a denied gospel. Thus, each generation must rediscover the paramount truths of the gospel and apply the gospel's implications to their own day and age. Him we proclaim (Col. 1:28)!

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Transcript

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

abraham, promise, baptism, gospel, church, abrahamic covenant, offspring, god, covenant, infant baptism, faith, children, christ, grace, jesus, parents, visible, sacraments, verse, holy spirit

SPEAKERS

John Fonville, HWP Announcer

HWP Announcer  00:09

Hi this is the Him We Proclaim Proclaim podcast. These are the messages of John Fonville, Little ones to Him belong. You might recognize that phrase from the Children's Him. Jesus loves me this I know. Today John is answering questions about why there are things like whole house baptism in Scripture and why we baptize children of believers. While baptism is a picture of the gospel, and a central teaching here on him we proclaim, let's dive into what scripture has for us with part two of Little ones to Him belong.

John Fonville  00:38

Why don't we baptize infants and why don't we baptize small children. Here's why we baptize our children because Abraham has the pattern, the Abrahamic covenant. To understand the infant household baptism, you have to understand baptism in his covenantal context, in the Scriptures, the scriptures are a covenantal book. The whole structure of the Bible is a covenant and is is held together by various covenants in scripture. But particularly you to understand infant baptism, you have to understand the Abrahamic covenant. Let me give you an illustration about this understanding the practice of infant or household baptism in the church is analogous to an iceberg. Scientists tell us that 90% of an iceberg volume and mass is underwater. 10% of the iceberg is above the water. And that's the 10% that everybody sees. This is a perfect analogy to infant baptism in the church, because what folks see is, they see babies being sprinkled, they see little children or small children being poured upon with water in a worship service. That's the 10%. But the overwhelming majority have never seen or encountered the 90% which is the covenant to a context of baptism in Scripture as it relates to the Abrahamic covenant. And they have no idea that the reason they're saying the temper sin is because of the 90% below the water. So what we learned last week from Genesis 17 Seven is that circumcision was administered to believers and to their children listen to the Lord's promises to Abraham. He says, I will establish my covenant between Me and you, and your descendants, your seeds, your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant. And here's the promise to be God to you, Abraham, and to your descendants, your offspring, your seed after you. God has promised to be a God to His people and to his people's children, to believers in their children, from Genesis 17, to Exodus to Jeremiah 31, to the gospel of fulfillment of Christ in the gospels to second Corinthians six where Paul applies Abrahamic covenant to the Corinthian church. And ultimately, in the book of Revelation, what you heard John, John and the new heavens and the new earth, the new creation in the resurrection, says again, he repeats the promise of Abraham, that God will be a God to us and to our children. And so this promise, the Lord's covenant promise to Abraham has echoed throughout all of redemptive history, the same promise, the saint, let me say, like this, the same gospel and the same administration of the Gospel, the pattern of administrating the promise, continues, all throughout redemptive history that never changes. So when you come, for example, to the apostle Peter at Pentecost, and he's preaching the gospel, he's preaching the promise. Peter at Pentecost does not announce the change in the Lord's promise. He's preaching the same gospel that was preached to Abraham in Genesis 12. And he also doesn't announce a radical departure from the pattern of administering that promise, which the Lord had instituted 2000 years prior, and the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 17. So what does Peter announce he announces the same promise the same gospel and he announces the same continuation of the covenantal family model of in ministering God's promise the gospel listen to what Peter says. He says, on the day of Pentecost, he says the promise is for you and your children. That's that is the same promise and the same pattern of administering the promise. It hasn't changed. In 2000 years, it never changed. The promise is for you and your tool. Learning for all who are far off the Gentiles, as was always promised, as you're gonna see in the Abrahamic covenant for all of them, the Lord will call. So Abraham is the pattern. The Abrahamic Covenant establishes the pattern. Secondly, that's what we looked at last week. Here's here's what we're gonna build on this week Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, as you heard this morning when he instituted the baptism, Jesus Institute's baptism within the context of the Abrahamic covenant. In Matthew chapter 28, verses 18 through 20, after Jesus had risen victorious from the grey and listen to what he said to his disciples, particularly verse 19. He says this in verse 18, because you know, the Great Commission begins in verse 18, verse 19, the great commission begins with the great announcement, the gospel, the good news, before it goes to the imperatives what we're to do. So this is what Jesus says, he says, All authority has been given to me and heaven on earth. Therefore, in light of this go, the visible churches commission, go and make disciples, how are two who have all the nations? Now listen carefully, go make disciples of all the nations how? Baptizing by means of baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Now, look at verse 19. If you have your Bible, Jesus commands his visible church to make disciples look of all the nations. That phrase all the nations indicates that baptism is placed within the context of the Abrahamic covenant. It shows us that baptism is placed in the covenant to history of God's people. Where do we first hear this phrase, all the nations? You have to go back guess where to the Abrahamic covenant? Genesis, chapter 22, verse 18, listen to what the Lord promises Abraham. He says, Abraham in your all offspring, all the nations, that's where it comes from. He says, in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. So from the beginning, God's promised to Abraham contain this universal character. That Abrahamic Covenant declares God's grace to all the nations, and it declares it that it will come listen through the, quote, offspring of Abraham. So the question is, who is the offspring of Abraham? Listen to the Apostle Paul and Galatians chapter three, verse 16. And he tells us, as Paul is reading the Abrahamic Covenant from Genesis, he refers to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 22, verse 18, and in Galatians, chapter three, verse 16, he tells us who the offspring of Abraham is, listen. He says, The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say unto us, sprayings, referring to many, but referring to one, and to your offspring, who is Christ. So it's clear from the gospel writers like Matthew, and from Paul in the New Testament, that they understood that Jesus Christ is the offspring of Abraham promised to Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant. And it is through Jesus, the offspring of Abraham, through whom the blessing of Abraham comes to look at all the nations to those who believe this is what Paul writes in Galatians chapter three, verses 13 to 14. Listen, when he says, he says, Christ Messiah, redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us where it is written, Cursed is everyone who was hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. So Jesus is the offspring of Abraham. Jesus is the promise, the promise that was given to Abraham, and he brings the blessing of Abraham. So what is the blessing of Abraham? Paul tells you in Galatians, chapter three again, and Galatians chapter three, verses 18, verses eight through nine, Paul says that the blessing of Abraham is justification. It is the heart and center of the gospel. It is the primary and fundamental blessing of the gospel. Listen to what Paul says verse eight. He's quoting Genesis chapter 12 Verse Three, and he calls Genesis 12 verse three, the scripture that's very powerful. He says the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand and Abraham saying, and you shall look at all the nations be blessed. There's the phrase again. He says, So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. So hopefully you're you're tracking with me, but let me just summarize it for you and Abraham's offspring, Jesus. All the nations are blessed shall be blessed. What is that they shall be justified by grace, through faith in Christ alone, just like Abraham. And so we learned last week and we're learning today that Ron Paul in Galatians, chapter three, verse eight, when he quotes Genesis, chapter 12, verse three, he calls the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis chapter 12, verse three, the Gospel beforehand, it is the gospel and promise, listen carefully. The Abrahamic covenant is the gospel and promise in the Old Testament. And so Paul makes it clear that salvation under Abraham was by grace alone, through faith alone, just as it is for us now in the New Covenant Church. The only difference between Abraham and us is that Abraham understood the truth of the gospel through types and shadows. And now we understand the gospel in the full light of their fulfillment in Christ, but it is the same Jesus is the same promise. And it is the same pattern of administering that promise that's never changed. So when we go back to Matthew's Gospel, what we see is Matthew's Gospel concludes his gospel in Matthew 28, and the Great Commission given to the visible church. He concludes his gospel the same way he began it in chapter one, verse one. In chapter one, verse one, Matthew opens up his gospel, and I want you to listen to what Matthew says about Jesus. He says in Matthew chapter one, verse one, he says, the record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham, the offspring, the descendant of David, the offspring, the descendent the son of Abraham. He's writing his gospel to first century unbelieving Jews who did not receive Christ as the Messiah did not believe that Jesus was the Son of David, the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, did not believe that Jesus was the son of Abraham, the offspring, as Paul says, All of what God has promised the offspring of Abraham. But Matthew begins his gospel and saying, This is the good news. Jesus is the offspring of Abraham, through whom all the nations will become disciples by means of baptism. This is Matthew's gospel. He says, It is through the son of Abraham, that all the nations are blessed. And so what is significant to note and Jesus is commissioned to his visible church and Matthew 28 Is that God's promised to Abraham and the pattern of administering this promise never changed. The only thing through the Great Commission that has changed are the signs. The types and shadows circumcision has now given way to the full reality baptism. But the Lord's promise to Abraham has come now that it has come to fulfillment in Christ listen. And now that it's in ministered in the new covenant through the visible churches commission is no longer circumcision But baptism. So the Great Commission, what is the Great Commission, the Great Commission, you can say like this is the new administration of the promise to Abraham or the Abrahamic covenant. That's what it is. The New Covenant is not like something that is so new that it's never existed before it is new and that it is the new administration of God's promise to Abraham is the new administration of the Abrahamic covenant. It's the same promise is the same Jesus is the same sour grapes way of salvation, and it is the same pattern of administering the gospel promise that God has given to his church. And so the visible church is commissioned to make disciples is now by means of baptism Go therefore in light of my authority, and make disciples by means of baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is initiation into the visible covenant community of God's people, just as circumcision was initiation into the visible covenant community of God's people. It's just in the New Covenant, that promise in that administration has expanded to include women and men. It has expanded, it hasn't changed. And so what we have in Matthew's Gospel from the words of institution from bat for baptism, is that again, Abraham is the pattern. The Abrahamic covenant is the pattern. So it is therefore in obedience to the Risen Lord's command, that the visible church baptizes believers in their children. That's why we're doing this today.  

I was reading this week back from some of the early church fathers and back in the fifth century about the foreign round 448 D. Leo's a great, listen to what he taught, he taught that we with Abraham believe in the same God, and that he says, It is those who are a faith who are the sons of Abraham. And this is what he said in one of the sermons that he preached in His Church. He says, Abraham is the father of all nations. And he has the promised blessing in the promised blessings given to the world in his seed. And he says, nor are they only Israelites, whom blood and flesh have begotten, he's referring to John chapter eight. He says, put the whole body of the adopted enter into possession of the Heritage prepared for the children of faith. We with Abraham, believe in God and do not waver through unbelief, but know most assuredly that what the Lord promised he is able to perform. So all he did was, was referred to John chapter eight in Galatians, chapter three, and he said, Those who believe Christ are the sons of Abraham, just like what Abraham did we share the common faith with Abraham. We're all sons, the offspring of Abraham. And so it's important to understand from our Lord's commission in Matthew that God administers His covenant of grace through outward means, that's fine. Like when we began the service this morning, I said, Aren't you glad that you can come to to a place in the world where there's grace given where gifts are present from God? You see, because the church is not only a people, but it is also a place. The church is a visible institution that has been commissioned by the risen Christ, who dispense the risen Christ gifts to his people. Well, ordinarily, that is the sphere of salvation. So can you imagine the impact that you will have by raising up your children and your family in one place over a lifetime of teaching and preaching and Sacraments and catechism because that is the means that is the outward means by which God administers his saving grace to save and sanctify his people. And so this is what Matthew shows us in the Great Commission. What is the chief our word means of how God changes us? It's the preaching of God's word, his long gospel, but specifically it is the proclamation of the gospel. Second Corinthians chapter three, verse eight that Paul describes as the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is through the announcement. It's through the proclamation of the gospel, not only audibly but visibly through the sacraments, by which the Holy Spirit creates faith and gives new life. The Holy Spirit then through the creation of faith, he confirms this gift of faith through the sacraments of the church. This is what we find in the Heidelberg Catechism in question 65, as it summarizes for us the outward administration of God's visible church, listen to what he says. It says, Since were made partakers of Christ and all of his benefits by faith alone, where does this faith come from? Where does faith come from? It's not something that you can just gender up. It's not something that you can just give yourself. It's not something that you just decide to have. Where does it come from? How do you get faith? Listen, is through the outward administration of the covenant of grace, the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts. By the preaching of the gospel. You see that the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts, by the preaching of the gospel. And he confirms he assures our faith He strengthens our faith, by the use of the Holy Sacraments. That's the outward administration of the covenant of grace that is how God ordinarily works to save and sanctify his people. And so throughout the whole history of salvation, this covenant of grace has been outwardly administrated first through types in shadow circumcision. And then finally, in full reality baptism, but the pattern of this How would administration of God's promise has never changed? And this brings us to a third point about infant baptism this morning. Here's the third point we're going to look at. Infant baptism is not a child dedication, service. Infant baptism is not a child dedication, service. What is baptism baptism is a divinely ordained ordinance of God. Christ says in the Great Commission in the words of institution, Go therefore and make disciples by means of baby dedications. Nobody says, He Institute's baptism, Go therefore and make disciples by means of baptizing. Baptism is an ordinance of God that means that means God has ordained it and he has instituted it. Baptism is the divinely ordained outward means by which he has chosen to administer his promise in the covenant of grace to his people. This is why we don't practice the manmade ceremonials of child baby dedications. baby dedications, child dedications are human innovations. They're human inventions. They're misguided, and they're an authorized by the risen Christ in His Church, because he did not authorize that he authorized and instituted baptism and the Lord's Supper. That's it. There are two sacraments in the church baptism and the Lord's Supper. There's not a third, there's not a fourth, there's not five and there's not seven, five is the Eastern Orthodox seven would be the Roman Catholic Church. There are two, two sacraments ordained by Christ. Let me talk about this. My church history professor, Dr. Scott Clark. He gave this great illustration about this issue in the early church. Yet the great controversy was in the second century in the early church that almost split the church in half forever. Do you know what it was in the second century? It was the controversy over when to observe Easter. Can you believe that? The controversy over when to observe Easter all no split the church forever? It was a huge controversy. And he makes this point. He says if the early church was willing to split over when to observe Easter, and if the original apostolic practice was believers baptism, and suddenly in the third century or second century, infant household baptism was introduced, that would have produced a massive schism in the church. You say because of the early church fathers like Aaron naiise Back in 170 ad, he says that he was devoted to following the apostolic teaching and practice. These were the Orthodox defenders of the church's doctrine in practice in the early church, and so of people like Aaron as if all of a sudden they would have had the This human innovation sprung upon the church. They would have vigorously and publicly oppose such an innovative practice on the church. But what you have in church history is complete and utter silence. Not a word. But the modern invention of baby child dedications is evidence that many Christians believe their children are different from those of unbelieving parents. The parents even of that persuasion, believe that there's something different about their children. And so if they're if they believe that their children are in covenant with them and different from an unbelieving home, why don't they have their children received the sign and seal that God has ordained in instituted in the words of institution? You see. So why practice a manmade innovation that has no divine sanction or institution in Christ Church? Baby child dedication services placed his all the emphasis on the parents promise to raise your children. So the whole thing is grounded on the parents promise. Now listen, to be sure baptism obligates parents to instruct and raise their children in Christian homes. And you'll hear that this morning, as parents this morning make vows to raise their children in the Christian faith. Do you sincerely promise to do all you can to teach these children and to have them taught by this Christian Church, this doctrine of salvation? And the answer is I will the Lord being my helper. But what is important to note about is this is that the responsibility to teach our children the Christian faith is in response to God's love and grace first. So in contrast to this manmade, right, this manmade innovative practice, that is actually very, very recent in the history of the church. And that's another thing if something is just very, very new and novel in the church, it's probably not true. But this, this man made right of baby child dedications. It places all the emphasis on the parents promise. In contrast, baptism places all the emphasis on God's promise. On his grace, unknown his calling. Baptism places the emphasis on God's promise, not the parents promise. Because how many parents are faithfully day in and day out? Teaching and catechizing and praying with your children in your home every single day? How many times have you failed as a parent, to raise your children in the Christian faith? How faithful Have you been to raise up your children to bring them to God's visible church where they get catechized? Also in the faith? How faithful Have you been to your promises? How faithful has God been to his promises? Baptism places the emphasis on God's covenant faithfulness, not the parents vows. That is unlike circumcision is a an outward sign of God's covenant of grace. Baptism is first and foremost God's sign. It is God's seal of his promise to be a God to us and to our children. Baptism, infant household baptism, or even adult believers baptism is a testimony to the sovereignty of God's grace, and which John says, we love Him because He first loved us. Baptism was the joyful side of the gospel proclaims to us like a neon sign I loved you first. Listen to what Michael Horton says about that. He says Why did God command the circumcision of Israel's infants? He says that Abraham believed and was justified when he can make it responsible decision. And yet God commanded the patriarch to institute the right beginning with his own children. Why didn't God simply wait until Abraham's son Isaac was old enough to make his own decision? It is because salvation is God centered, not human centered. The focus is not on our choosing, but on God's choosing. God comes to us and to our children in love and in grace. And he placed his his mark of ownership on his covenant people. Circumcision was not something that a convert in to show that he men business. Circumcision was something that God did to show the he means business. And so one author, as he's reflecting on the difference between covenant household baptism, infant baptism, and baby dedications he, he sums up the profound differences very good like this. He says the dedication services focus attention on the action of parents. Infant baptism focuses our attention and our hearts upon God's action. He says, which we received through faith alone, the baptism of children teaches us that our children are sinful. And as they along with the whole congregation, need to trust Christ alone for cleansing from their sins in order to be justified. He says, But dedication looks back and says, We gave you Lord baptism looks back and says The Lord gave Himself to you in the promise of washing away your sins. He says, dedication says we will raise you up to trust the Lord. But baptism says the Holy Spirit will raise you up from death to life to serve the Lord. The baptism of covenant children is the best dedication service possible, because God promises to dedicate himself to our children. And so it isn't obedience, Risen Lord's command, Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations by means of baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. It's an obedience to the Lord's command that his visible church baptizes, both believers and their children. So let's pray. Father, we thank you for the we thank you for the gift of baptism. We thank you for this joyful sign and seal of the visit of the gospel, this visible gospel that witnesses to us like a neon sign flashing to us. Good news. Good news, good news. Just as this water washes away the dirt and filth from your outward body. So has the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit washed away the filth of all our sins. So I pray that through this visible sacrament now that we would witness your loving grace coming to us, confirming and signifying and sealing your promise of your faithfulness to us, to be a God to us and to our children, we pray this name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

HWP Announcer  33:13

Thanks for listening to the Hebrew proclaim podcast with John Fonville.  Him We Proclaim as a ministry of John Fonville of Paramount church in Jacksonville, Florida. You can check out his church at Paramountdchurch.com We look forward to next time