He Said What?

Often this is my response to discussions between Paedobaptists and Credobaptists. I can hear myself say "what" as both sides not only talk past each other but seem to be clueless to what their opponent believes. I typically don't foray into the discussion because I would be spending more time correcting the straw-men arguments than I would presenting my case. So as I observe the, often, heated exchanges I can find myself thinking "what" as the Baptist says something like, "The Reformers couldn't fully break from Rome where infant baptism came from!" Sounds like someone has, either, ignored Church history or wasn't paying attention in class. Historically speaking, it can be traced explicitly back to the third century, which is before the institutional church at Rome (the Roman Catholic Church). Perhaps, if my fellow Credo's were sincere in the discussion, then this type of fallacious argument wouldn't surface.

When I hear the Paedobaptist argue- "We don't exclude our children from the fellowship of the saints and ignore them at church," I often hang my head and chuckle and then murmur "he said what!?" Sounds like someone has never stepped foot in a Reformed (or covenantal) Baptist church. Maybe you can ask one of the children what they have learned about Christ or if they feel "excluded" from the rest of the body? And just try asking us what, exactly, we believe about children in our churches rather than telling us what we believe. Dialogue is a must in this conversation.

Part of the problem is that both sides are far more concerned with attempting to prove the other wrong without first having listened to what the other believes. When this approach is taken (it usually is) the conversation doesn't get very far before it turns into a verbal slugfest and defeats the whole purpose. Often I can sense a bit of elitism coming from both sides. The Paedobaptists tend to make themselves "Truly Reformed" since the Reformers were for infant baptism. The Credobaptists, on the other hand, tend to swing their elitism in another direction. They- "stand upon the Word of God and not on the traditions of men." Sadly,  for the most part, neither camps have taken the time to demonstrate brotherly love by listening or reading what the other side believes and interact with that argument. The times when I have discussed the subject of baptism with Paedobaptists, it is as if they do not recognize that their is even a covenantal reason why Reformed Baptists do not embrace infant baptism. There are Credobaptists-far too many- that haven't a clue to the case from Paedobaptists on the continuity between circumcision in the O.T. and baptism in the N.T. Have we learned nothing from Proverbs 18:13: "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

Of course this argument is worth having. Absolutely. It is even good to have some wood thrown in to stoke the fire but we must never forget that we are brothers in Christ and must never lose sight of the goal-our growth and His glory. We should not make this into a discussion to feed and fuel our pride and to divide over, for that brings more shame and dishonor to Him than being wrong on the subject! 

While we stand as Reformed Baptists on this blog, we love and respect our Paedobaptist brothers. So much that we wrote two articles about it here and here. We reject much of what comes out of most modern day Baptist churches and, quite frankly, have more in common with our Paedobaptist brethren than we do contemporary Baptists. This is why we have no problem sitting at the feet of our infant baptizing brothers and learning from them and recommending their books and sermons. If one must look through the eyes of superior and inferior, then we readily acknowledge we are inferior but receive us, love us and teach us, as I have found no greater theologians in the history of the Church than Ursinus, Witsius and Owen- all Paedobaptists! Let both sides remember: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 Jn 4:20–21). Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,

Fernando