Why do babies need to be baptized?

Through Adam’s sin, sin touches even the soul of the infant. Psalm 51:5:


Psalm 51: 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Job 14:1-4

1 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower, and withers; he flees like a shadow, and continues not. 3 And dost thou open thy eyes upon such a one and bring him into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.

Since birth, man is unclean. Only Jesus can make one clean. But one starts off unclean, according to Job and Psalms.

Paul develops the concept of original sin further in Romans 5:12-19. Let us look at some of these verses:

Romans 5:12

Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned--

Because of one man’s sin, all sin? What in the world is that? What causes all men to sin? One man’s sin? That is Adam’s sin. If it was just that all men, happen to coincidentally 'choose' to sin, why does Paul mention Adam as foundational to that choice? It is that Adam's sin causes men to be bent towards sin. Otherwise there would be no reason to mention Adam. What is that? Original sin.

Romans 5:14

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam,

How can death reign from Adam onward if there was no original sin? Why does death reign, even if it was not like the sin that Adam chose?

Romans 5:15

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Through one man’s trespass, many die. That is what original sin does. Paul explicitly says that one man’s sin, spreads to many. What is that except original sin? Why do all later in life choose to sin? Because of that one man’s sin spreading to all. That is original sin. Thus, one is bent towards sin, even from birth.

Rom. 5:17

If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

One man’s sin causes death to reign on all? It doesn’t say, well, because we choose to sin later on. No it says that through one man’s sin, death reigns on all. What is that except original sin. It is original sin, that bent away from God, that causes us to sin.

Rom. 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Many are made sinners by the one man’s disobedience. That is Adam’s sin we are made unrighteous. Not through us committing our own sin. We start off as bent towards sin, and actually unrighteous. That means as babies, we are so bent. Thus, original sin. Scripture profitably instructs us that Adam’s sin death spread to all, which is the reason that man commits sin. In fact, if there is no original sin, then why do we all sin when we get to the age of reason. Because of what Adam did. All sin, because of what Adam did. That is original sin. Notice that Paul writes that through one man’s sin, many are made sinners. If I am only a sinner because I choose to be, then how in the world would Adam’s sin make me unrighteous? In fact, why do I choose to be a sinner? Because Paul says it is Adam’s sin. What is that except original sin? What is Paul’s solution? Through Jesus one is made righteous. Thus, Jesus makes man righteous. How does he do that? It is not a coincidence but right after that, Paul writes:

Romans 6:

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 5 speaks of the sin of Adam effecting all of those who are born, as being unrighteous. Romans 5 shows that all are effected by Adam’s sin, and that would obviously start at birth. And we notice that right after that he says that we are made righteous in Roman 5:19 through Christ. In Romans 6, following upon this he gives us the further solution in how we are made righteous. Since he is speaking about all and all would include babies, his solution would also include all, including babies. What is his solution to get people into Christ? Those who are baptized into Christ. The solution to original sin is thus baptism, and since those in original sin are babies and are in Adam’s sin, to get out of Adam and into Christ’s death, and thus get justified, is baptism.

In addition, Ephesians 2 points to humans as “children of wrath” and we will see later that 1 Cor. 7 shows children are born unclean. To those against infant baptism, if children are born in a state of sin as evidenced by Job, David and Paul, original sin though it may be, why leave them that way and not put them in God’s grace? Even if babies have not sinned personally, this sin of Adam effects their soul. The baby did not choose to be unclean. Why do they absolutely have to be the ones who have to choose to be clean, when they can not reason for themselves?

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

According to Jesus one must be born of water and Spirit to enter the kingdom of heaven. (To see that water and Spirit means baptism, please see: Are Catholics Born Again?. Jesus did not give exceptions for infants. He did not say, “In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, adults must be born of water and Spirit, but babies get in without getting born of water and Spirit.” This command was universal, and if anybody wants their children, to be guaranteed of them going to heaven, in case of death, being born of water and Spirit is absolutely necessary. Even if there were no other principles that pointed towards infant baptism, the authority of Jesus words settle the matter.

In the Old Covenant, the principle of including babies in the covenant is established. God tells Abraham in his covenant, Genesis 17:9-14:

9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

12He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,

13 both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

In the Old Covenant, Abraham, the man of faith, is called to choose circumcision as an adult. Also, however, men of faith are called to exercise faith for their children. Babies 8 days old would have to be circumcised. That is how babies came into the covenant. The babies made no choice in the matter. God even says that those who are uncircumcised have broken my covenant. Babies who have not been circumcised are thus guilty, according to God’s own words. Children come into the Covenant established by God through the family. We thus see the necessity of those who love their children who want them in the covenant, circumcising their children.

We see that the way that children in their relation to God necessarily depending upon their parents believing for them. In Ex 4:24f, Moses is on the way back to Egypt and God seeks to kill Moses. Why? Moses neglected to circumcise his son. If circumcision gave spiritual benefits (Gen. 17:14, the part of being within the covenant), how much more would baptism?

All of Israel was told to sprinkle the blood of the lamb (which prefigured Christ) on the doors of the houses (Exodus 12:13). There was an issue of the firstborn of the land of Egypt and Israel. Those who were in Israel were commanded to sprinkle this blood on their doorposts so God would not destroy their firstborn. I guess maybe some individual Americanized Christians, with the anti-infant baptism mentality might have said “Well, let the children believe for themselves, since they must choose for themselves to sprinkle the lamb’s blood.” Instead, all of Israel, realizing that God works through the covenant, sprinkled the lamb’s blood on the doorpost to save their children. The Egyptians, similar to those against infant baptism, did not sprinkle blood on their doorpost, and all of their firstborn died (Ex. 12:24-28). Neither the firstborn of Israel or Egypt showed any faith. However, the difference was, that those of faith believed for their children while the Egyptians did not believe for their children. If the anti-infant baptism mentality was around, Israel would have ended up with dead babies, just as the Egyptians. Who in the New Covenant should we imitate? The mentality that would have produced dead babies, or the parents who believed for their children and put them in the Covenant of the family of God , and thus saved their children?

We see later in Joshua that God punished the nation of Israel, and those with Joshua because they had not circumcised their children (Joshua 5:2-7.) It was not until all the children were circumcised did God remove the reproach of Egypt from them (Josh. 5:8-9).

We thus see that God puts his children into the Old Covenant through the faith of their parents and grace. Are we to assume that even though in the Old Covenant that children are included in it by their parents faith for them and obedience for them by having them circumcised, that the children are not to be brought into the new covenant? Hardly!!! After all, the grace of the New Covenant far exceeds that of the Old Covenant. Romans 5:15 says,

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many."

We see in the Old Covenant that the people who are in God’s covenant, are put into the covenant of faith, for the most part, by the faith of their parents, as shown in the covenant that God established with Abraham, and by the parents sprinkling the blood on the doorposts for their firstborn. Is there any hint that in the New Covenant that children are not be included in the covenant, and thus we should deny baptism to them? The rationale given for this idea is that one must repent before they should be baptized (Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38). How does the idea of circumcision in the Old Covenant relate to the New Covenant? Paul writes about this in Colossians 2:11-14, where he refers to circumcision when he writes of baptism:

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ;

12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Paul specifically declares that baptism replaces circumcision in the New Covenant. What does baptism do? Put off the body of flesh, forgives trespasses, and raises them up. We saw earlier that children were born in sin (even if it is only original sin, according to David and Paul). They thus need the cleansing of baptism. Thus, Paul, mentioning in passing, as a matter that everybody should know, that baptism , which forgives sins, (See also Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Rom. 6:3-4, etc.) replaces Circumcision. Romans 5:15 shows that the grace in the New Covenant is far greater than the old (where God commands Abraham that the children in the Old Covenant must be circumcised or else the children would be cut off from covenant with God). It follows naturally that children would enter the new covenant that Paul is writing of through baptism. He makes no disclaimer that circumcision in the Old Covenant was for babies, but baptism is only for those “of an age of reason” in the New Covenant.

In Colossians, Paul equates circumcision with baptism. Circumcision was done on the 8th day, and of course, without the infant's consent or belief. As we saw earlier in Genesis 17:14, and following, we saw that uncircumcised infants are outside of God's covenant. If circumcision gave spiritual benefits (Gen. 17:14, the part of being within the covenant), how much more would baptism? Since the OT covenant promise applied even to infants, the NT covenant would as well.

Acts 2:38

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 shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."

Peter talks of the promise and how to get forgiveness of sin. What is the promise in regards to salvation? The promise of the Father of our Faith, Abraham (Rom. 4, Gal. 4). We see that this promise that was made to Abraham is now made to the believers in the New Covenant. Who does this promise include? Only those who are of an age of reason? No, according to Peter it is to you and your children. Children are thus included in this promise. All the believers were Jews, who had been brought up in the Old Covenant, and realized that children were included in covenants that God made with his children. It would have been unthinkable that in a new covenant with greater grace, that now all of a sudden they would have been excluded. Peter confirms this idea, all the more, when he says this promise is for you, and your children. When they heard Peter give this promise, they no doubt brought their children to be baptized. If the children were not to be included, there would have been a great controversy, and Peter would have had to have said, “Well, even though I said the promise included children, this baptism can only come when we reach this age of reason, that they could choose for themselves.” There was no controversy only because children were not to be excluded in the New Covenant.

How are we to come to Jesus in the New Covenant? Jesus proclaimed that we must come to him as children, Matthew 18:2-5:

2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

Notice that we must come to Jesus in the New Covenant, as children. It would be strange to say that we must come to him as children, but then exclude the very children he proclaims that we must be like, from entering communing with him through baptism!!! This definitely has baptismal implications, especially since he says in my name. In Acts 2:38 it is used of baptism in Jesus name. the New Testament talks about people being baptized "in the name of Jesus," , or Jesus Christ. There are four such passages (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and 19:5); It means to baptize in the authority of Jesus. Thus, when Jesus uses the phrase to welcome the children in my name, he definitely has in mind, that this would be a reference to baptism. Now unlike the oneness Pentecostals, we baptize per Jesus’ commission in the “name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19), but this specific reference in the gospel, when compared with the baptism in Acts, shows that baptism is in Jesus’ mind here. God does not work in coincidences. BTW, in this great commission he said to baptize all nations (includes the people in that nation, whether adult believers, or their children).

We have seen in the Old Covenant through Abraham and Moses that God commanded that they circumcise their children who had absolutely no say in the matter. In Jesus’ teaching, is their any hint as well, that spiritual blessing and forgiveness can be given through the faith of others? In Matthew 9:2-6, we see:

2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, take up your bed and go home."

Notice it was not the paralytic who chose for himself to accept Jesus words. It was the faith of his friends, which provided not only his physical restoration, but most importantly the forgiveness of his sins!! We also see in Mark 5, a Father acting on behalf of her dying daughter, saying:

22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."

We see later in fact, over the guffaws of many who might have thought, “well, this daughter should have believed for herself!! Nobody could believe for her”, Jesus responding to the faith of her Father. In fact she was now dead. However, Jesus, acting on the faith of her Father, restored her to life.

But do we have any indications of any households being baptized that would include infants? “The indications are fairly clear. Lydia was converted by Paul's preaching. "She was baptized, with her household" (Acts 16:15). The Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith, who had been about to commit suicide when they were miraculously freed from their imprisonment, was baptized that night along with his household. We are told that "the same hour of the night . . . he was baptized, with all his family" (Acts 16:33). And in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, "I did baptize also the household of Stephanas." In all these cases, whole households or families were baptized. This means more than just the spouse; the children too were included. (1 Cor. 1:16, also, Acts 18:8). If one is against infant baptism, one would have to argue that in not one of these households (Acts 11:14 implies household baptism, as well) were there any babies, or small children below the age of reason. The term oikos, (or household), normally refers to and would include small children or infants. If only one of those households had infants or small children, infant baptism is right there. It is very unlikely that there were no small children in any of the households. This was a world with no reliable form of birth control. Furthermore, if given the New Testament pattern of household baptism, there were to be exceptions to this rule (such as infants), they would be spelled out.”

To prove it further, I take them back to Acts 16 and tell them of the passage of Lydia who sold purple. I state that the Bible shows that God touched Lydia's heart and she became a believer after hearing the Word by and through Paul, and as a result, Paul baptized her household because of her belief. I tell them that it does not say God touched the hearts of her family, neither whether the family were true believers, but baptism was given because of her faith.

If any disagreers are still resisting or doubting, usually informing me that the Bible does not say infants were included in the household of Lydia, I informed them again that Acts 16:31, says, "..AND THY HOUSE" and insist that is everyone in a house is sanctified accordingly by one believer minimum. Yes, all are still accountable and responsible in time for what they do after baptism, but baptism cleanses them from original sin nevertheless and gives them grace.”

However, the grace that is given in infant baptism makes it easier for him to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Lord, than one without that grace given at baptism. The child who is baptized as an infant should be nurtured in the faith, no doubt. All parents are commanded to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”, Proverbs 22:6. Us Catholics must admit that many Catholic parents do not do what they were commanded to do this very thing at their infant's baptism.

Nevertheless, what do we do with the idea that one should repent and believe before they are baptized? As I just said, for those who by God’s grace are of the age of reason, and who have the ability to believe, they must believe for baptism. Nevertheless, those who have no ability to believe should not be denied, because of a principle well established in the Bible. Biblical commands must be looked at in context, and with common sense. For example, let us look at a similar command by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, where he unambiguously writes:

For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.

Many in the camp of Thessalonians were not working, because they were expecting the Lord to come. Paul writes that those who do not work, should not eat. No exceptions seem to be given. Well, using the same line that those against Infant baptism argue, should we say that we should starve infants (or wives who do not work, or old people unable to) because they do not work? Of those against infant baptism that I know, not one of them starves their children because of the command in 2nd Thessalonians 3:10. They use common sense in appropriating the verse. The principle that is established, is that those who have the ability to work, should work. Those who do not have the ability, such as infants and Old people are also given food, even when they are unable to work. God works through family. In the same way in reference to baptism, those who have not been baptized and are of the age of reason to believe, should believe before they get baptized. However, just as we do not deny food to infants per 2 Thes. 3:10, neither should we deny babies the sacrament of salvation, who are unable to choose for themselves.

With these principles established, we can say that Infant Baptism is indeed Biblical, and one should never forbid the Children from entering the covenant established by Christ. After all, Jesus did say, Mt. 19:14:

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”(Mt. 19:14)

Infant Baptism!

All Christians believe that baptism by water is essential to the administration of the sacrament. The Bible identifies water baptism with ceremonial purifying or cleansing with water. What does the Bible say? Scripture is very clear: Infants and children are not to be excluded from Baptism.In Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. When the water is poured upon us and received by us, but also through the whole course of our life. . . the infants of believers, who we believe ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as the children in Israel formerly were circumcised upon the same promises which are made unto our children. And indeed Christ shed His blood no less for the washing of the children of believers than for adult persons and therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of that which Christ has done for them; as the Lord commanded in the law that they should be made partakers of the sacrament of Christ's suffering and death shortly after they were born, by offering for them a lamb, which was a sacrament of Jesus Christ. The word "sprinkle" or some form of it occurs 84 times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New. Of the New Testament occurrences, six are in Hebrews and one in 1 Peter. Most of the Old Testament examples are connected with ceremonial rites (sprinkling the altar, sprinkling the mercy seat, the sprinkling bowls, or cleansing by sprinkling).


Below are a few of the instances of sprinkling in the Bible

Old Testament

Exodus 24:6-8, ff – Moses sprinkles the people with blood, initiating the covenant and purifying them before God.

Exodus 29:21 – The blood is sprinkled on Aaron and his sons, consecrating them as priests.

Leviticus 8:11ff—Oil is sprinkled on the altar, and then poured on Aaron, to consecrate him.

Leviticus 8:30 –Blood and oil are sprinkled on Aaron and his sons to consecrate them.

Leviticus 14:7 –Someone is to be sprinkled to be cleansed from an infectious disease.

Leviticus 14:51 – Blood and water are sprinkled on a house for its purification.

Numbers 8:7 – The Levites are made ceremonially clean by the sprinkling of water.

Numbers 19:13 – Speaks of the importance of the water of cleansing being sprinkled on someone before they enter the Tabernacle.

Isaiah 52:15 – The Messiah sprinkles many nations.

Ezekiel 36:24ff – In a discussion of the New Covenant, we read that God will sprinkle Israel with clean water and they will be clean.

New Testament

Hebrews 9:13-14– Christians are cleansed because they have been sprinkled clean with the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:19, 21, and others – Sprinkling clean with blood.

Hebrews 10:22– We can draw near because our hearts have been sprinkled clean.

1 Peter 1:2 – We are sanctified by the sprinkling of Christ’s blood.

Man baptizes with water, but God baptizes with fire and with the Spirit. When God baptized with fire, the fire sat upon their heads (Acts 2:3). When God baptized with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit "fell upon" (acts 10:44, 11:15-16) or "descended upon" (Luke 3:22; John 1:32), or was poured out upon (Acts 2:17; 10:45-46), or came upon (Acts 19:6). Baptism by sprinkling or pouring fits all of these descriptions much better than immersion. water baptism is done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost according to the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19. Although water baptism in itself does not save, it does identify us with Christ: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Corinthians 12:13).

When God baptizes you into Christ, you become part of the Body of Christ, which is the worldwide family of God. Nowhere in scripture is infant baptism prohibited. But Jesus has commanded infant baptism. In Matthew 28:19 He says, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit . . .." Before He ascended, the Lord of the Church commanded us to baptize "all nations," a phrase the Church has always understood to mean "everyone." Matthew 25:31-32 also uses the phrase "all nations" in this way. All nations are to be baptized, regardless of race, color, sex, age, class, or education. Jesus makes no exceptions. He doesn't say, "Baptize all nations except . . .." Everyone is to be baptized, including infants. If we say that babies are not to be included in Christ's Great Commission, then where will it stop? What other people will we exclude?

It is true that there is no example in Scripture of a baby being baptized. However, to conclude from this that babies are not to be baptized is absurd. Neither are there any specific examples of the elderly being baptized, or teenagers, or little children. Instead we read about men (Acts 2:41; 8:35) women (Acts 16:14-15), and entire households being baptized (Acts 10:24,47-48; 16:14-15; 16:30-33; 1 Co. 1:16).

The Bible teaches that infants are born sinful and are in need of forgiveness. Scripture says nothing about an "Age of Accountability" that begins at the age of reason. Its message is that accountability begins at conception. David confesses in Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." The Bible teaches original sin, that the corruption and guilt of Adam's sin is passed on to every human being at conception. Jesus affirms this teaching when He says, "Flesh gives birth to flesh" (John 3:5). Paul takes it up in Romans 5:18: "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Furthermore, Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; he who believes not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). According to Jesus, ANYONE who does not believe in Him will be damned. Jesus makes no exception for infants. Babies will not be saved without faith in Jesus. Parents who think they are placing their children under God's grace by "dedicating" them are deceiving themselves. The only dedication that the New Testament knows of is the "dedication" that take place via baptism. That is why infants should be baptized. Like everyone else, they desperately need forgiveness. If infants die before they believe in Jesus, they will be eternally condemned. They, like everyone else, need to be baptized so that they can be born again. Jesus said, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). We believe that baptism is God's special means of grace for children by which He causes them to be born again. To keep them from baptism is to keep them from forgiveness and to endanger them with damnation.

Luke 18 tells us that certain parents were bringing infants (Greek - brephe) to Jesus, that He might bless them. The disciples rebuked those who brought the babies. Jesus' response is well known: "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Luke 18:15-17). Some have objected that it is "little children" and not infants that Jesus speaks of here. Yet the very little children that the disciples were forbidding were infants. The infants are the focus of the passage. Clearly on this occasion Jesus had babies in mind when He said what He did! For those still stumbling over infant faith, remember: it is purely by God's grace that any person, adult or child, can believe. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit as much for the adult as for the child (see John 6:44; 1 Cor. 12:3; Eph. 2:1-4). When the adult believes in Christ it is only because the Holy Spirit, working through the Gospel, has worked the miracle of faith in his heart. So with the infant. If faith, then, is always a miracle, why can we not believe that God would work such miraculous faith in a baby? it is through baptism that faith is created in the infant's heart. Baptism, far from being the empty symbolism that many imagine it to be, is the visible Gospel, a powerful means of grace. According to Scripture, baptism "washes away sin" (Acts 22:16), "saves" (1 Peter 3:21; Mark 16:16), causes one to "die to sin, to be buried, and raised up with Christ" (Romans 6:3-4) causes one to be "clothed with Christ" (Galatians 3:27), and to be a member of the body of Christ: "for by one Spirit, were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). It bears repeating: baptism is a special means of God's grace by which He gives faith, forgiveness, and salvation to the infant. To deny the blessing of infant baptism because you can't find the words "infant baptism" in the Bible makes as much sense as rejecting the teaching of the Trinity because you can't find the words "Trinity" or "triune" in the Bible. We don't ask a baby if it wants to eat. We just feed him or her. We don't ask a baby if it wants its diaper changed, we simply change the diaper. We don't ask a baby if it needs a bath, we simply give the baby a bath when it is dirty. We take these simple and logical actions to physically clean up a baby. Catholics think it is even more important to do the same thing spiritually, through baptism. We need to let our Lord wash away the "original sin" from the baby. John's role was that he was "preparing the way of the Lord." Naturally, that preparation would include a prefiguration of the way that Jesus would save souls, which Catholics believe is through Baptism. (Acts 2:38, 22:16, 1 Pt. 3:21, Mk 16:15-16 Acts 2:38) After Jesus was Baptised, He made baptism the doorway to salvation and He sent his disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mark 28:19). We presume from Scripture and early Christian writings that that included infants. In a child Baptism, the parents and the Church intercede for the child. The parents who are interceding for the Child promise to bring the child up in the faith so as to prepare the child for this future mature decision for Christ, to the best of their abilities. Catholics feel that Jesus' generosity and the parents/Church's intercession along with the expectation that the child will make a personal decision for Christ when they are capable of doing so (1st Communion or Confirmation), combined with God's Grace and love of children, make the Baptism valid and wins salvation for the child.

He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

Acts 16: 15, 33

15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.

1 Corinthians 1: 16

(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)

Colossians 2: 9-12

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Matthew 28: 19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Ephesians 2: 8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Supporting verses for Infant Baptism are: Acts 2:38-39, 1 Cor 1:16, Acts 11:13-14, Acts 16:15, Acts 18:8, Col 2:11-12, Mk 10:13-16, Jn 3:5, Mt 28:19, Mk 16:16, Acts 16:33, Act 2:39, Act 2:42, Luke 18:17,Genesis18:18,Mathew 19:29,Numbers 8;11,Luke19:9,Acts11:14,Acts 16:31,Colosians2:11-13,Romans 2:13,Romans 3:20,Romans 4:2-3,James2:21-23,mark2:3-12,Ezekiel 18 :1-4,1 Timothy 2:4,Acts 10:44-48,mark 16:16,1 Peter 3:21,Romans 6:1-11, Acts 2:38-39 , 1 Cor 7, Ezekiel 36:25, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Malachi 2:15, Ephesians 6:7-8, Matthew 15:8, Psalms 14:1-3, Ephesians 6:4, Ephesians 2:1,Acts 11: 14

Will babies go to heaven or hell?

Verses Given For Why a Baby or Child Will Go To Heaven


A man is conceived and born in sin. That God elects who will be saved to enter heaven.

1."Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

2. I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 1 John 2:12

3. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

4. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 1 Corinthians 7:14

5. For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls. Romans 9:11

6. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev 20:15

7. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psa 23:6

8.Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. Deuteronomy 1:39

9. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Mark 10:15

10. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. (Isa 7.16)

11. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. John 6:39

12. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20

13. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

14. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Matthew 26:24

15. "And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Luke 1:41)

16. "For he (John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb." (Luke 1:15)

17. Even a child is known by his actions,by whether his conduct is pure and right. Pr 20:11

18. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace .Ephesians 1:4-7

19.But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first are filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. Mk 7:27

20. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31)

21. ...will be saved..."and your household." seems to support Paul's thought in 1Cor7:14

22. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:3-7

23. "Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel's voice, and with God's trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first. Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. (1Th4:16-17)

24. The LORD hath called me from the womb...” (Isaiah 49:1).

25. As it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD

26. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.(2 Timothy 1:5)

27. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.(2 Timothy 3:14-15)

28. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:14

29. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 2 Chronicles 34:1-3

30. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess Deuteronomy 31:12-13

31. And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.
(Deuteronomy 30:1-3)


32. Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren Deuteronomy 4:9

33. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
(Deuteronomy 11:19)

34. Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38, 39

35. “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Acts 10:47-49

36. Acts 16:15 - Paul baptized Lydia and her entire household. The word "household" comes from the Greek word "oikos" which is a household that includes infants and children.

37.1 Cor. 7:14 – Paul says that children are sanctified by God through the belief of only one of their parents.

38. Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders,


39.Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?’” Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. Joel 2:16-18


40. Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:37

41. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Romans 8:16

42. Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 1 Corinthians 14:20



Verses why the Babies do not go heaven



1. Ezekiel 18:4 ; For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

2. The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.-- Psalm 58:3

3. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalms 51:5

4. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness 2 Peter 2:14-15.

5. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Ephesians 2:3

6. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

7. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

8. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10

9. Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb. -- Isaiah 48:8

10. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12

11. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. Romans 3:11


12. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20

13. "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deu 24:16)

14. I will not have mercy on her children, For they are the children of harlotry.Hosea 2:4

15. Except a man be born of water and (of) the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5).

16. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(Exodus 20:5-6)

17. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

18. When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin. Job 8:4

19. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:23