Outline for a Bible Study on Infant Baptism

Last updated on: September 29, 2015 at 11:58 am by Jordan Cooper

Outline for a Bible Study on Infant Baptism 2015-09-29T11:58:30-06:00 Jordan Cooper

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I’m currently doing a Bible study series in my congregation on the distinctive practices and teachings of the Lutheran church. Our first class was on the subject of infant baptism. Feel free to use this outline in your own congregation, or for personal study:

Why do we baptize infants?

Whose work is baptism? Is it God’s work, or man’s work?
1. The believer’s only Baptist view says that baptism is our work. Through baptism, we show to the world that we believe in Christ.
2. The infant Baptist view says that baptism is God’s work. In baptism, God is declaring his grace and salvation to us.
Scripture teaches, in many places, that God is the one working in baptism. The benefits of baptism include:
1. The forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38)
2. Union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-4)
3. Salvation (1 Pet. 3:21)
4. Regeneration (Titus 3:5)
5. Cleansing from sin (Acts 22:16)
6. Being born-again (John 3:5)
Look who is doing the verbs: God. Scripture never says that we declare our faith through baptism. The direction of our relationship with God is always from God to us, never from us to God.
Who is baptism for? All sinners, because all sinners need forgiveness and salvation
1. In the great commission, Jesus says that baptism is for all nations (Matt. 28:19)
2. Nations include infants. Baptism doesn’t discriminate between different people groups, because God wants all to be saved.
3. Infants are sinners, and are in need of the benefits baptism gives (Psalm 51:5)
Baptism is a fulfillment of circumcision (Col. 2:11-12)
1. Circumcision was given to infants as well as adults (Gen. 17:10)
2. The New Covenant is more inclusive than the Old Covenant, so it would make no sense for the New Covenant to exclude infants when they were included in the Old.
3. The Jews in the first century, always believing that their children were part of God’s promises, would have baptized them unless they were explicitly told that something had changed. The Bible never says that this changed!
In the New Testament, households are baptized which definitely included children, and probably included infants
1. Baptism and forgiveness are for believers and their children (Acts 2:39)
2. Examples of household baptism: Lydia (Acts 16:5), the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:33-34), Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:16), and Cornelius (Acts 11:14).
3. Just as households received circumcision, households now receive baptism
Jesus declares that children and infants inherit the kingdom of God (Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17, Matt. 18:1-6)
Infants have faith (Luke 1:41, Psalm 22:9-10, Psalm 71:5-6)
Conclusion: Infants should be baptized.

Why do we baptize infants.

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Baptismal Regeneration

Infant Baptism

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