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| Q: | In acts 8:38, when the man talks of being baptized, Phillip checks to make sure that he believes in Christ first, and baptizes him. Isn't this an example confirming the doctrine of "believer's baptism" promoted by the Baptist denomination, that says you should not be baptized until you are already a believing christian? This concerns me, because we as lutherans baptize infants that cannot do as this man did (confess a believing faith in Christ before baptism). It seems that as Lutherans, we put two and two together, and assume that this scripture in Acts 8:38 is only speaking for adults, and not infants. However, baptist's also seem to put two and two together, by assuming that this scripture applies to adults and infants. But if, as Lutherans, we say that this scripture applies only to adults, aren't we saying that we do believe in the doctrine of "believer's baptism", but only for adults? I am confused, because I thought we do not believe in any "believer's baptism" doctrine. I don't understand why we say an adult has to have a belief in Jesus or understanding of Him, in order to be baptized, but it seems we assume that this is not true for children. Don't get me wrong here. I am a Lutheran, but sometimes I just have questions about that which I do not understand (even though I still believe what I do not understand, in faith). May my own rationality never be my authority, but God's word alone. | ||||||
| A: | You are correct that we, as Lutherans, do not tend to use the phrase "believer's baptism". The reason is this: those who speak of believer's baptism don't believe that baptism is a real means of grace. In other words, they believe that baptism is merely a sign of what God has already done in the heart. They tend to emphasize that baptism is nothing more than our obedience to a command of God that shows that we have already, as they would put it, "committed our lives to Jesus". They do not believe that baptism really forgives sins. They believe it is merely a symbol of the forgiveness we already possess. As Lutherans, however, we are convinced that Scripture clearly pictures baptism as a means of grace in which the Spirit is at work (John 3:5) through the gospel. Baptism actually gives to us all the blessings that Christ has won for us. It actually gives us forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism actually clothes us with the holy record Christ lived under God's law in our place (Galatians 3:26,27). Wherever that gospel of Christ's righteousness and forgiveness is found, the Spirit's power is at work to create or strengthen faith (Romans 1:16,17). That is why Paul can speak of baptism as "the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Notice what a difference there is, therefore, between those who teach "believer's baptism" and us. We believe that baptism doesn't just symbolize God's gifts, it is a real means of giving us that grace, 100% gospel that can create or strengthen faith. For those who teach believer's baptism, baptism is a mere symbol and the real emphasis is on our obedience to a command of God, almost 100% law. But aren't we denying our own teaching when we first instruct adults before we baptize them? Not at all. When a Lutheran instructs an adult before baptizing him/her, just as Philip did in Acts 8 with the man from Ethiopia, that doesn't mean that suddenly we have forgotten that baptism is a real means of grace with the power of the Holy Spirit behind it. Rather, we instruct an adult first only so that baptism, with its very real and beautiful gifts, is not treated as some lucky charm or magic wand. We don't want to give the impression to an adult that instruction about Christ is unimportant as long as you are baptized. We deal with an adult differently not because we are suddenly "believer baptists", but because an adult can also understand the spoken gospel. We therefore take the opportunity to apply the means of grace in both Word and Sacrament. This also explains why we deal with children differently (as did the apostles, notice the rapid baptism of whole households twice in one chapter of Acts, chapter 16). As far as we know, newborn infants do not benefit from the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, we apply to them the gospel in baptism which Peter has told us includes a promise of forgiveness that is "for you and your children" (Acts 2:39). Then, we start teaching them the gospel to strengthen their faith. | ||||||
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