Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Colofornian
Paraphrasing something that I heard Dan Doriani, one of my favorite Bible teachers, say:

There is no verse in the Bible which directly supports paedobaptism. However, there is no verse which directly refutes it, either.

IMO, anytime that Scripture is silent on a topic, dogmatic positions should not be taken. Having migrated from one position to the other in my own spiritual growth, I can understand how sincere Christians could fall on either side of the argument.

Most of the examples from Scripture are of adult conversions. On that issue, there is no disagreement between paedobaptists and credobaptists.

25 posted on 03/06/2015 12:17:10 PM PST by CommerceComet (Ignore the GOP-e. Cruz to victory in 2016.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies ]


To: CommerceComet; All
Paraphrasing something that I heard Dan Doriani, one of my favorite Bible teachers, say: There is no verse in the Bible which directly supports paedobaptism. However, there is no verse which directly refutes it, either. IMO, anytime that Scripture is silent on a topic, dogmatic positions should not be taken.

Exactly.

What's interesting is how the anabaptists & their spiritual descendents have "FELT" the need to fill the vacuum:

Can you say "b-a-b-y d-e-d-i-c-a-t-i-o-n-s"?

There's no Scriptural precedents there, yet that doesn't stop today's churches from venturing into this relatively "new" ground in church history.

And even before that, an arbitrary "age of accountability" had to be drummed up even tho original sin is Biblically there from conception/birth (see Psalm 51:5; 58:3).

Many of the arguments used by credobaptists apply not only to infants, but toddlers, pre-schoolers, kindergarteners, primary school, and some of the arguments apply also to pre-teens, teens and even mentally disabled adults! (And yet certain arguments will suddenly disappear when the same exact question is applied to these other groups)

Finally, there's almost a level of derisive "mocking" of those who teach infant baptism...as if these people don't realize their spiritual forefathers taught it. (And I'm not just talking about certain mainline denominational ties their families may have once held in the past 100-200 years)

John Calvin, Martin Luther, H. Zwingli, Martin Bucer, John Wesley & other reformers all taught infant baptism. The only early church father I can find who had any heartburn about it was Tertullian. And no controversy existed in the early church about its widespread practice.

You would think that out of some respect to their almost universal spiritual elders, they would -- if not defer to their positions -- at least respect it...but no...

Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war...against almost every single Protestant heritage and the heritage of the early Church fathers!

26 posted on 03/06/2015 12:54:18 PM PST by Colofornian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson