Sep 21
5
Afternoon Sermon
To Whom Is Baptism To Be Administered?
Baptist Catechism 98-99
Acts 2:36–41
Pastor Joe Anady
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Baptist Catechism 98-99
Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)
Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?
A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–41
“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:36–41, ESV).
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
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Who is to be baptized?
- What does baptism signify?
- Union with Christ in his death and resurrection.
- Cleansing.
- New birth
- What do we say in baptism?
- Jesus is Lord!
- What does God say to us in baptism?
- You are forgiven!
- What does the NT teach regarding who should be baptized?
- Those who repent and believe!
- What does the OT say about who should be baptized?
- Nothing explicate, for baptism is a sign of the NC
- But the OT does suggest that the NC will be pure, made up of those who believe
- This argument that because circumcision was applied to infants, baptism should be applied to infants, is flawed, for the NC is not like the OC in some important ways.
“And Peter said to them, ‘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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’”
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Conclusion
Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)
Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?
A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)
