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Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 166

Question 166

Unto whom is Baptism to be administered?

Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

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 8:36-37

36As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”

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.

Genesis 17:9

9God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you.

Galatians 3:9

9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:14

14He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Colossians 2:11-12

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.

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.

Acts 2:38-39

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.

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.”

Romans 4:11-12

11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

12And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Romans 11:16

16If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

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.

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,

Luke 18:15-16

15Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Source and edition

Westminster Larger Catechism. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription

Unlicense. Source transcription.

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