There is evidence in the Jewish Talmud that the Jews baptised the children of Gentiles during their proselyte baptism if those children were below a certain age (13 for boys and 12 for girls). If a family converted to Judaism, the Talmud allowed that the entire household, including babies, could be baptized into their new faith—although when the child came of age, he could reject the faith and the baptism. Babies and children of Jews or proselytes who had converted earlier were not baptized, as they were considered to be born into the faith.
This Jewish practice of Baptism is consistent with the Biblical teaching regarding the covenant of grace. Children are part of the covenant of grace as a matter of principle. Thus the Jews circumcised their children and they also baptised the children of Gentile converts. An individualistic way of thinking is foreign to the Bible. A family is a unit and if the father converted, the entire household was assumed to follow.
From the writings of Tertullian (155-240 AD), Origen (184-253 AD) and the Council of Carthage (253 AD), we know that the early church had a practice of baptising children. According to Origen (184-253 AD) the baptism of children was a tradition inherited from the apostles. Would this practice have been prevalent if it was unwarranted?
As modern people, we’ve all been influenced by Western individualism. We think that our identity is something we must personally discover, choose, form, and authentically express. This is a unique approach to identity formation differing from almost every other culture in the history of the world. Everywhere else, identity is largely determined by those that come before you (family, community, and culture). It is assigned, received, and embraced as a calling to embody.Â
The Bible shares this perspective of identity formation. It assumes that children receive and live into the identity of their parents.
With regard to baptism, the evangelical church has largely embraced an unbiblical understanding of identity formation by insisting that a person raised by a Christian family does not share in that Christian identity and must have a conversion experience in order to be credibly considered a Christian. Nominalism is certainly a danger, but this must not lead us to overturn the Biblical pattern that God works redemption through families. Salvation comes to households (Acts 16:31).
Western Individualism has blinded us to the reality that identity formation has a huge corporate component. Salvation comes to households because the identity of every member of the household will be linked to the head of the community. Not absolutely in every case with every individual always. But the reigning assumption of Scripture is that when Jesus comes to a household, he transforms everyone there.
The practice of naming children gives us some insight here. A father (and mother) names his son or daughter, giving the family name and assigning the identity. Then he nurtures and admonishes the child to grow up into that identity. The father doesn’t wait until the child grows up and chooses to belong to the family before giving the family name. So it is with baptism. The children of believers are washed in the Triune name, assigning the child a Christian identity into which they grow as they are nurtured and admonished along the way.
Christian believers intrinsically recognise that their children are different from those of unbelievers (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:14). We don't raise our children as pagans only to later call them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We raise our children and teach them God's truth from the beginning.
In recognition of the status that children have in God's church, many Baptists have introduced a 'baby dedication.' With this rite parents recognise the need to raise their children in the faith. Sadly this is a human substitute for the divinely instituted sign and seal of baptism. Baptism, not baby dedication, is Biblical sign of entrance or initiation into the visible covenant community (church).