Baptism (infant)

Biblical Foundations

Jesus commanded his followers to baptise in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). Some New Testament passages are interpreted as supporting the baptism of children, including Acts 10:25-48, 16:11-15, and 16:25-34. While the Bible does not explicitly record infant baptism, these passages are often cited to demonstrate that entire households, potentially including children, were baptised. Matthew 19:13-14 reinforces Jesus’ openness to children, stating that they are welcome in God’s kingdom, which supports the theological rationale for paedobaptism.

Augustine’s View

St. Augustine argued that infant baptism is essential for the removal of Original Sin. Since Christ is the saviour of all, including infants, baptism cleanses them from inherited sin and unites them with God. Without baptism, infants risk eternal separation from God. Augustine compared baptism to the removal of a disease and emphasised its role as a sacrament—an outward sign of an invisible grace, through which the risen Jesus is encountered.

Baptism was also seen as the spiritual counterpart to circumcision, the sign of the covenant between God and his people. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:14 declares that children of Christian parents are “holy,” indicating their inclusion in the covenant. In Colossians 2:11-12, baptism is described as the “circumcision of Christ,” linking it to covenantal identity and highlighting Augustine’s belief in its causative effect in imparting grace and salvation.

Zwingli’s Perspective

Ulrich Zwingli, a Protestant reformer, accepted that infant baptism had been practiced since the early Church and thus supported its continuation. However, Zwingli rejected the idea that baptism itself effects salvation. Instead, he saw it as a sign and seal of God’s promises, similar to the covenantal sign of circumcision in Romans 4:11. Baptism serves as a public declaration of a child’s inclusion in the faith community and encourages parents to raise their children in accordance with Christian principles.

Zwingli emphasised that faith is ultimately necessary for salvation and that baptism prepares the child and community to nurture this faith. Romans 8 supports this understanding, portraying baptism as a physical illustration of God’s ongoing work in the life of his elect.

Summary

Infant baptism is therefore understood differently across Christian traditions. For Augustine and the Catholic Church, it is a sacrament that cleanses Original Sin and unites the infant with God. For Zwingli and many Protestant traditions, it is a symbolic act marking inclusion in the Christian community and a commitment by parents to nurture faith, while salvation itself comes through personal belief and the work of the Holy Spirit. In both cases, infant baptism reflects the theological importance of children in the life of the Church and their welcome into God’s covenantal family.