Question 74

Are infants also to be baptized?

Yes, for since they as well as the adult are included in the covenant (Gen. 17;7), and church of God (Mark 10;14-16): and since redemption from sin by the blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult (Acts 2;38, 39): they must, therefore, by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted into the Christian Church (Mark 16;46); and be distinguished from the children of infidels (1 Cor. 7;14); as was done in the old covenant or testament by circumcision (Gen. 17;11); instead of which baptism was instituted in the new covenant (Col. 2;11, 12).

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Genesis 17:7
7I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

1 Corinthians 7:14
14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Mark 10:14-16
14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
16And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.

Joel 2:16
16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the aged, gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.

Acts 2:38
38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:39
39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Luke 1:15
15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Matthew 28:19
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Acts 16:33
33At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.

Acts 10:47
47“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”

Genesis 17:11
11You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

Genesis 17:12
12Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring.

Colossians 2:11
11In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

Colossians 2:12
12And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Source and edition

Heidelberg Catechism. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879

Public Domain (historic text); CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription). Source transcription.

Transcription licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

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