Covenantal
Infant Baptism

Gregg Strawbridge

Introduction and Dedication

I. The Covenantal Framework of Scripture
II. Covenant Household (Infant) Baptism
III. Objections to Infant Baptism
IV. Brief Theology of the New Covenant
V. The New Covenant in Hebrews
VI. Critical Reviews of Anti-paedobaptists

• Paul K. Jewett
• John G. Reisinger
• David Kingdon
• T. E. Watson

To the Elders of Audubon Drive Bible Church --

I truly pray and say and sing these words of Audubon Drive Bible Church. I am, before God, grateful for all our congregation and its leaders. No person can claim a more profound influence than I know in my life from any church. Truly, a church is not the steeple, but the people. And the people of Audubon Drive Bible Church are dear in my heart. I can hardly imagine that any group of elders has had as significant an impact on a young minister, as I know.

I believe that I have a good reason for my present beliefs, while at the same time I realize my own frailness and fallibility. I am sure that I could be wrong about my convictions of covenant theology and covenantal infant baptism. I can say honestly that the greatest disappointment, has not been your lack of acceptance of the position of paedobaptism, but that we have finally concluded that covenantal Baptists and covenantal paedobaptists cannot lead this church together.⁽²⁾ But in this fallen world of the best laid thoughts of mice and men, the best that I can do is to reflectively evaluate each component of my conviction in light of God's Word. I can say, coram Deo that I have done that. I intend to do it more and I sincerely ask for your prayers. I sincerely ask for your challenging questions and responses in the fear of Christ.

I have summarized in an outline form why I believe that the Bible teaches my present convictions. I write this for myself, and also for you since it has been specifically requested by two elders, George Shurden and Alan Morgan. I respectfully ask you to carefully read this outline, as well as the full text of the Scriptures cited. I know my own heart's desire to jump to the bottom line of a written argument, but unless we reflectively consider the verses denoted and whether these theological assertions based on them are accurate, little advance will take place on this issue, on either side. My basic method is very simple: I have tried to make my assertions in the outline points and then immediately provide the text that supports it. I have not tried to give exhaustive references to each of these points, only unassailable ones.⁽³⁾

The Contents: Section I is a foundation for covenantal infant baptism, but it may or may not necessarily imply it. Presumably covenantal Baptists and paedobaptists will agree on it. The specific defense of covenantal household/infant baptism will follow in the next section (II). And the relevant objections to it have been put in the last section (III). It is my purpose to argue in the first two sections (I, II) by clear assertions which are (I believe) evidenced by the simple statements of the English translation of the Bible.⁽⁴⁾ The technical nature of some of the objections requires more exegetical and linguistic precision. Section IV is a brief biblical theology of the new covenant, including a contextual and exegetical study of Jeremiah 31:31-36. Section V is a study of the citations of the "new covenant" passages in Hebrews 8 and 10. Section VI is comprised of critical reviews of influential Baptist attacks on covenantal paedobaptism. And finally, section  is an attempt at historical fiction. This "Letter to Julius" seeks to imagine the frame of mind of the original audience of the New Testament as it touches on baptism.
 

1. The created order exists because of God's "natural covenant."
1. • Jer 33:25 "Thus says the LORD, 'If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, 26 then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them. '"
2. The world is not destroyed because of God's covenant faithfulness.
1. God covenanted with Noah for the salvation of the world, including Noah's family.
1. • Genesis 6:18 "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark-- you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
2. With the rainbow as the sign, God restrains His hand of judgment by flood because of His covenantal faithfulness.
1. • Genesis 9:15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
3. God is a covenant-keeping God. He, therefore, brings about His promises.
1. God keeps covenant with His people and those whom He has blessed with obedience.
1. • Dan 9:4 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
2. • Neh 9:32 "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who dost keep covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before Thee, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Thy people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
2. His covenant love extends through successive generations.
1. • Deu 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
4. God made a covenant with Adam, who represented mankind.⁽⁵⁾
1. • Hos 6:7 But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.
1. Adam was the covenant representative of all "in him" in a covenant he transgressed, just as Christ is the covenant representative of all "in him."
1. • 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
2. The content of this covenant (which Adam transgressed) essentially involved (a) obedience to the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as well as the creation mandates. (b) Since Adam's nature was upright,⁽⁶⁾ and all men, Jews and Gentiles, have the (moral precepts of the) law written on their consciences,⁽⁷⁾ Adam had the (moral precepts of the) law written on his conscience. Transgression brought spiritual and physical death.
5. The Godhead freely "counseled" together to save a people from fallen mankind. The redemptive plan which unfolds in the biblical revelation is called a covenant.
1. Redemption and its historical expression in the Bible is called "His covenant."
1. • Psalm 111:9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.
2. Our salvation is put in the New Testament terms of the "eternal covenant."
1. • Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord.
3. Our Savior is the Mediator of a covenant.
1. • Hebrews 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
4. The plan of redemption was entailed in the very first prophecy of covenant promise at the Fall of man.
1. • Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.
5. God intended to save a people for himself from Adam (who transgressed the covenant in the garden). Hence, each act of God throughout biblical revelation progressively reveals this covenant. The plan culminates in Christ (Eph 2:12). Jesus was the "last Adam" because He, like Adam, covenantally represents a people (1Co 15:45). This is why the Old Testament covenants are seen as fulfilled in Christ (2Co 1:20).
1. • 1Co 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
2. • Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
3. • 2Co 1:20 For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
6. This redemptive plan is commonly called the "covenant of grace."⁽⁸⁾
6. Christ came, then, in fulfillment of these covenant promises, specifically the outworking of the covenant of grace.
1. • Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant-- 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old-- 71 Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; 72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
7. The nation of Israel was in covenant with God because of the Abrahamic promises.
1. • Exodus 2:24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
1. Since the Jews at the time of Christ were unfaithful and ultimately, rejected Christ, the "covenantal kingdom" was taken from them. Though, in the future they will be grafted back into the people of God.
1. • Let me establish first that "covenant" and "kingdom" are inter-related, hence justifying a "covenantal kingdom" concept: 1 Kings 11:11 So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. Ezekiel 17:14 that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant, that it might continue.
2. • Mat 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.
3. • Rom 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
2. Though in the history of God's redemption, the Israelites were given "the covenants," now the church (including Gentiles from "all the families of the earth") has "been brought near by the blood of Christ"(Eph 2:13) to the "covenants of promise."
1. • Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
8. Therefore, as in the past era the people God redeems are placed in a covenantal entity, the church, and are commanded to therefore "keep covenant."
1. We are a "holy nation" according to the New Testament.
1. • 1Pe 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
2. In the original citation, the "holy nation" is told to "keep My covenant."
1. • Exo 19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 'These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
3. Keeping covenant is simply a single term for the relationship of faith and works that the Bible presents in both testaments. Faith is the horse and works are the cart. In the Old Testament Abraham was justified by faith and that justification was "justified" (vindicated) by works.⁽⁹⁾ When Abraham "believed God" (Rom 4:2), he believed God's covenant promise. When the Israelites in the wilderness "broke the covenant" they did so because they did not "believe" the Lord.
1. • Genesis 15:5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
2. • Romans 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
3. • James 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
4. • Deuteronomy 9:23 "And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; you neither believed Him nor listened to His voice.
9. The purpose of God in converting the nations (in missions) is covenantal.
1. The very Great Commission (Mat 28:19-20) is the imperative form of the Abrahamic covenant.
1. • Acts 3:25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.'
2. • Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
2. The message of reconciliation which is to be proclaimed to the world is the promise of the new covenant.
1. • 2Co 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2. • Heb 10:16 "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND UPON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, 17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
10. Service to Christ is ministering a "covenant gospel" which fulfills a covenant promise.
1. •2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2. • Ephesians 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
11. Apostasy is covenant breaking.
1. In the Lord's Supper one receives the sacramental "blood of the covenant."
1. • Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
2. In the church's sacraments, covenant faithfulness is pledged.
1. • Mat 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
2. • 1Co 5:8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
3. • 1Co 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
3. In abandoning Christ, an apostate is denying what he or she had previously pledged in the sacraments; the apostate regards "as unclean the blood of the covenant" and because of this "the Lord will judge His people" (Heb 10:29-30).
1. • Hebrews 10:29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
2. • Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE."
3. • 1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
12. The family is a covenantal entity and must therefore keep covenant by faith (which produces works).
1. Abraham was chosen by God in order that he carry out the familial covenantal responsibilities of instructing his children in faithfulness to God.
1. • Genesis 18:19 "For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."
2. Just as Abraham was instructed to be faithful to God, so we are told that His lovingkindness is on children's children who "keep His covenant."
1. • Psalm 103:17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, 18 To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do them.
3. Marriage is covenantal, both in its commitment nature and in its relational nature, representing Christ and His people.
1. • Mal 2:14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
2. • Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
4. Children must be brought up in the discipline, education, and culture of Christ, our Lord.
1. • Eph 6:4 And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.⁽¹⁰⁾
5. Believers' children are therefore (at least in some sense) covenantally obligated. They are obligated to continue in faith and obedience to the Word of God. They are obligated to obey the covenant law and will be blessed as they, in faith, obey.
1. • 2Ti 3:14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2. • Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

1. The administration of biblical covenants includes a principle of familial, corporate inclusion or "generational succession."⁽¹¹⁾
1. In the covenant of life/works with Adam:
1. • 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
2. In the covenant with Noah:
1. • Gen 9:15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.
3. In the covenant with Abraham:
1. • Gen 17:9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
4. In the Mosaic covenant:
1. • Deu 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
5. In the Davidic covenant:
1. • Psalm 89:3 "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, 4 I will establish your seed forever, And build up your throne to all generations. "Selah.
6. In the new covenant:
1. • Deu 30:5 "And the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.
2. • Jer 31:34 "And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." 35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: 36 "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, " Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me forever. " 37 Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD. 38 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
3. • Mal 4:5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 "And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."
2. Biblical covenants between God and man include signs and seals which visibly represent the realities behind the covenants to flesh and blood people. For example --
1. In the covenant of works/life/creation the tree of life is the visible sign of the invisible reality.⁽¹²⁾
2. In the Abrahamic covenant circumcision is the sign-ification of the promise.
3. In the Mosaic administration of the covenant, the sacrifices are more carefully defined and the covenant meal is defined, Passover.
4. In the new covenant, the baptism and the Lord's Supper signify its meaning.⁽¹³⁾
3. The visible signs and symbols of God's covenant redemption are administered in corporate/household manner, not in an exclusively individualistic manner.⁽¹⁴⁾
1. The covenant with Noah was for the salvation of his household, and ultimately for "every living living."
1. • 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.
2. • Gen 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
2. The patriarch's sacrifices and symbolic pledges were familial and corporate: Genesis 8:18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
1. • Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
2. • Job 1:5 And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.
3. Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of God's covenant to be administered to those in the household.
1. • Gen 17:9 God said further to Abraham, "Now 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.
4. Under Moses the Israelites were commanded to put the blood of the Passover lamb on their doors to preserve the firstborn in the household.
1. • Exo 12:23 "For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.
5. The Passover meal was thus given under Moses and to be administered for/according to the household.⁽¹⁵⁾
1. • Exo 12:24 "And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.
4. Therefore, there is a pattern of the corporate and often household administration of signs and symbols in the previous covenants.
5. The question now is whether the visible sign of entrance into the new covenant (baptism) is to be administered corporately in any sense -- I have come to be convinced that there is much evidence for the continuity of this pattern in the new covenant and in its sign, baptism.
1. The "new covenant" as prophesied in the Old Testament included the principle of successive generations (just as the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and even Davidic covenants did).
1. • Deuteronomy 30:1 "So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, 3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. . . 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.
2. • Jer 32:37 "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38 "And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. 40 "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.
3. • Zech 10:6 "And I shall strengthen the house of Judah, And I shall save the house of Joseph, And I shall bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And they will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them. 7 "And Ephraim will be like a mighty man, And their heart will be glad as if from wine; Indeed, their children will see it and be glad, Their heart will rejoice in the LORD. 8 "I will whistle for them to gather them together, For I have redeemed them; And they will be as numerous as they were before. 9 "When I scatter them among the peoples, They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children will live and come back.
4. • Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, 2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. . .15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber. . . 27 "Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD your God And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. 28 "And it will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 "And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
5. • Jer 31:33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." 35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: 36 "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, " Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me forever. " 37 Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD.
6. • Isa 59:20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD. 21 "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: " My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, "says the LORD," from now and forever. "
7. • Mal 4:5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 "And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."
2. In the new covenant's fulfillment and full disclosure, the New Testament apostles included the generational principle (the "you and your seed" concept) in their explanation of the new covenant.
1. • Luke 1:17 "And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
2. • Luke 2:48 "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
3. • Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
4. • Acts 2:39 "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself."
5. • Acts 3:25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.'
6. • Acts 13:32 "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'THOU ART MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE.'
7. • Rom 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. . .16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
3. The Old Testament predictions of the new covenant Messiah include allusions to a cleansing rite, administered in a corporate way, the "baptism" of nations.⁽¹⁶⁾
1. • Isa 52:15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.⁽¹⁷⁾
2. • Eze 36:24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 "And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
3. • The Old Testament basis for this symbolism is in Numbers 19:19: "Then the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean by evening" (see also Num 8:7, 14:51).
4. Predictably, the commission to baptize is to baptize the corporate "nations" whom we are to disciple.
1. • Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. "
6. Baptism is the functional replacement and sacramental equivalent of the Abrahamic rite of circumcision.⁽¹⁸⁾
1. The visible sign of baptism represents the same reality as the visible sign of circumcision: essentially, spiritual regeneration.⁽¹⁹⁾
1. • Mark 1:8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
2. • Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized 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 for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself."
3. • Acts 10:47 "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
4. • 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
5. • Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
6. • Col 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
7. • Rom 4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
8. • Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
9. • Jer 4:4 "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My wrath go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds."

1. • Deu 10:16 "Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.
2. • Deu 30:6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.
1. Baptism is commanded as a visible ordinance of the new covenant (Mat 28:19-20).
2. It is unnecessary to circumcise a person who receives baptism.
1. • 1Co 7:18 Was any man called already circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
1. Given what comes before, it is not surprising, then, when reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, that baptism is administered to households ("the families of the earth," Acts 3:25).
1. Every person named in the apostolic New Testament baptism narratives had their household baptized, if we have any reasonable basis for believing the individual had a household. (I.e, it is not reasonable to expect the Ethiopian eunuch, Saul, and Simon the Sorcerer to have had a familial household.)
2. Of the nine individuals named in the baptism narratives, one likely did not have a family (Sorcerers are not generally considered family men), two had no household for obvious reasons (eunuch, Saul ), and five had their households baptized.
3. That leaves Gaius (1Co 1:14) who is mentioned as a household head along with Crispus. Crispus' household was undoubtedly baptized with him (Acts 18:8), yet Paul said in no uncertain terms, "I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius." This leads me all the more to assert that Paul considered baptism to be properly administered in a corporate/household way. As would be perfectly intelligible to any covenantally-minded Jew, Paul simply spoke of Crispus as representing the household in the administration of this sacrament. Paul did not see the need to clarify his assertion by adding "and Crispus' wife and Crispus' sixteen-year-old son and Crispus' eight-year-old daughter that had a solid profession of her faith" -- because as with circumcision, all the household received it (with men representing the rest of the family). Only an individualistic assumption about the administration of baptism would cause one to see an impropriety in Paul's statement here (1Co 1:14).
4. This leads me to observe that if Gaius had a household, it is quite reasonable to assume that it was baptized, just like Crispus' household, whom we know was baptized.
1. • The Household of Cornelius: Acts 11:14 and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.
2. • The Household of Lydia: Acts 16:15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
3. • The Philippian Jailor's Household: Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
4. • The Household of Crispus: Acts 18:8 And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
5. • The Household of Stephanas: I Corinthians 1:16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
6. • Possibly Gaius: I Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
5. Since it is legitimate to baptize households under the headship of a believer, then it is right to baptize children born or by adoption brought into that home.
2. Reformed definitions of infant baptism, with which I am in substantial agreement:
1. Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 28:
1. • 28.1 Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ,(1) not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church;(2) but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace,(3) of his ingrafting into Christ,(4) of regeneration,(5) of remission of sins,(6) and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life.(7) Which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in His Church until the end of the world.(8) (1)Matt. 28:19 (2)1 Cor. 12:13 (3)Rom. 4:11 with Col. 2:11,12 (4)Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:5 (5)Tit. 3:5 (6)Mark 1:4 (7)Rom. 6:3,4 (8)Matt. 28:19,20
2. • 28.2 The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto.(1) (1)Matt. 3:11; John 1:33; Matt. 28:19,20
3. • 28.3 Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but Baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.(1) (1)Heb. 9:10,19,20,21,22; Acts 2:41; Acts 16:33; Mark 7:4
4. • 28.4 Not only those that do actually profess faith in the obedience unto Christ,(1) but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized.(2) (1)Mark 16:15,16; Acts 8:37,38 (2)Gen. 17:7,9 with Gal. 3:9,14 and Col. 2:11,12; and Acts 2:38,39; and Rom. 4:11,12; 1 Cor. 7:14; Matt. 28:19; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15
5. • 28.5 Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance,(1) yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated or saved, without it;(2) or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.(3) (1)Luke 7:30 with Exod. 4:24-26 (2)Rom. 4:11; Acts 10:2,4,22,31,45,47 (3)Acts 8:13,23
6. • 28.6 The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered;(1) yet, not withstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in His appointed time.(2) (1)John 3:5,8 (2)Gal 3:27; Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:25,26; Acts 2:38,41
7. • 28.7 The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered unto any person.(1) (1)Tit. 3:5
2. Heidelberg Catechism (Questions 72-74):
1. • 72. Is then the external baptism with water the washing away of sin itself? Not at all: for the blood of Jesus Christ only, and the Holy Ghost cleanse us from all sin.
2. • 73. Why then doth the Holy Ghost call baptism 'the washing of regeneration' and 'the washing away of sins'? God speaks thus not without great cause, to wit, not only thereby to teach us, that as the filth of the body is purged away by water, so our sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ; but especially that by this divine pledge and sign he may assure us, that we are spiritually cleansed from our sins as really, as we are externally washed with water.
3. • 74. Are infants also to be baptized? Yes; for since they, as well as adults, are included in the covenant and Church of God, and since both redemption from sin and the Holy Spirit, the Author of faith, are through the blood of Christ promised to them no less than to adults, they must also by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be ingrafted into the Christian Church, and distinguished from the children of unbelievers, as was done in the old covenant or testament by circumcision, instead of which baptism was instituted in the new covenant.⁽²⁰⁾
3. The Genevan Confession of Faith (1536)
1. • 15. Baptism is an external sign by which our Lord testifies that he desires to receive us for his children, as members of his Son Jesus. Hence in it there is represented to us the cleansing from sin which we have in the blood of Jesus Christ, the mortification of our flesh which we have by his death that we may live in him by his Spirit. Now since our children belong to such an alliance with our Lord, we are certain that the external sign is rightly applied to them.⁽²¹⁾
4. The French Confession of Faith (Calvin, 1559)
1. • 35. We confess only two sacraments common to the whole Church, of which the first, baptism, is given as a pledge of our adoption; for by it we are grafted into the body of Christ, so as to be washed and cleansed by his blood, and then renewed in purity of life by his Holy Spirit. We hold, also, that although we are baptized only once, yet the gain that it symbolizes to us reaches over our whole lives and to our death, so that we have a lasting witness that Jesus Christ will always be our justification and sanctification. Nevertheless, although it is a sacrament of faith and penitence, yet as God receives little children into the Church with their fathers, we say, upon the authority of Jesus Christ, that the children of believing parents should be baptized.⁽²²⁾
5. The Belgic Confession (1561, Revised at Synod of Dort, 1618-1619)
1. • 34. Holy Baptism. We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, who is the end of the law, has made an end, by the shedding of His blood, of all other sheddings of blood which men could or would make as a propitiation or satisfaction for sin; and that He, having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, has instituted the sacrament of baptism instead thereof; by which we are received into the Church of God, and separated from all other people and strange religions, that we may wholly belong to Him whose mark and ensign we bear; and which serves as a testimony to us that He will forever be our gracious God and Father. Therefore He has commanded all those who are His to be baptized with pure water, into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, thereby signifying to us, that as water washes away the filth of the body when poured upon it, and is seen on the body of the baptized when sprinkled upon him, so does the blood of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit internally sprinkle the soul, cleanse it from its sins, and regenerate us from children of wrath unto children of God. Not that this is effected by the external water, but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God; who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh, that is, the devil, and to enter into the spiritual land of Canaan. The ministers, therefore, on their part administer the sacrament and that which is visible, but our Lord gives that which is signified by the sacrament, namely, the gifts and invisible grace; washing, cleansing, and purging our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving unto us a true assurance of His fatherly goodness; putting on us the new man, and putting off the old man with all his deeds. We believe, therefore, that every man who is earnestly studious of obtaining life eternal ought to be baptized but once with this only baptism, without ever repeating the same, since we cannot be born twice. Neither does this baptism avail us only at the time 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. Moreover, what circumcision was to the Jews, baptism is to our children, And for this reason St. Paul calls baptism the circumcision of Christ.⁽²³⁾

 

1. Objection: The commission to baptize requires that only individual disciples may be properly baptized (Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . .").
1. This is an overstatement of what is exegetically demonstrable from the passage --
2. The grammar of this command, honestly and objectively analyzed, does not require that only individuals who are self-conscious disciples be baptized. In the participial phrase beginning, "baptizonteV autouV" ("baptizing them")," the referent to the pronoun "them" (autos) grammatically cannot be "disciples" because "make disciples" is not a noun at all. It is a verb (maqhteusate is the 2^nd person plural, aorist tense, active voice, imperative mood form of the verb, matheteuo, "you should disciple"). Hence, it is not a mere grammatical conclusion to assert, "'Them' refers only to those who become disciples."⁽²⁴⁾
3. Also, it is going beyond the mere grammar of the text to assert that ". . .the Great Commission commands to 'make disciples of all the nations [individuals from all nations, not the national entities], baptizing them [those who were made disciples, my emphasis]. . ."⁽²⁵⁾ This is said as though the text read maqhteusate ek pantwn twn eqnwn (make disciples from among [ek] all the nations with the genitive case⁽²⁶⁾), when de facto it simply reads: maqhteusate panta ta eqnh ("make disciples of all the nations"). "Nations" (ethne) is in the accusative case. Hence, "nations" is the direct object of the verb "disciple." There is simply no preposition to be rendered "from." This is why the ASV, NAS, NAB, RSV, NRSV, and NKJ all translate this text simply, "make disciples of all nations" and the KJV even more directly renders it, "teach all nations."
4. Moreover, one is proceeding beyond a purely grammatical inquiry when Matthew 28:19 is quoted to prove that baptizing follows discipling. As Warfield puts it, "as if the words ran maqheteusanteV baptizete, whereas the passage, actually standing, maqheteusate baptizonteV, merely demands that the discipling shall be consummated in, shall be performed by means of baptism."⁽²⁷⁾
5. This leads me to conclude that the grammar of the Great Commission is such that if the term "baptize" (baptizw) were replaced with "circumcise" (peritemnw)--no Jewish Rabbi would have taken the intent of Christ in this command to exclude infant circumcision for the exclusive circumcision of mature, self-conscious, disciples.
6. For example we are told in Acts 15:3 about the "the conversion of the Gentiles" (v 3) and that some of "the Pharisees who had believed" demanded that "it is necessary to circumcise them" (v 5). It is virtually certain that these Pharisees were not insisting on exclusive adult "believer circumcision" by demanding that those "converted" be circumcised. This contextual understanding may extend to the other passages which speak of believers being baptized as well.
7. When the Pharisees made a proselyte (Mat 23:15) they considered the children of proselytes -- proselytes as well, though they may not have been of a sufficient level of maturity to self-consciously profess Judaism. More characteristically however, the ancient culture, especially in the Jewish context involved such a strong sense of headship/representation that sometimes "disciple" meant merely the male head of the home (notice the distinction between "they [disciples] and "wives and children"] in Acts 21:4-5).
1. • Acts 21:4 And after looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5 And when it came about that our days there were ended, we departed and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. And after kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.
2. • Mat 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
8. The objective of the Matthew 28:19-20 command is very simply to make all the nations disciples. This is accomplished by "signing" the nations with the name of the Triune God in baptism and by instructing the nations to keep all the commandments of Messiah Jesus. It is possible because Jesus has all authority and He is with us. The Commission is not kept when merely some "individuals from all nations" are individually made disciples. The church may not say that this job is done until the nations are disciples. It may be that only individuals from a nation will presently bow their knees to King Jesus; but that by no means is all that is intended by this command. The Great Commission is the almost predictable Messianic restatement of multitudes of Old Testament commissions and promises and prayers: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen 12:3). "Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 28:14). "That all the ends of the earth may fear Him" (Psa 67:7); "All nations serve him" (Psa 72:11); "All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify Thy name" (Psa 86:9); "Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!" (Psa 117:1); "Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and virgins; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven" (Psa 148:11-13). "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee" (Psa 22:7). "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths" (Zec 14:16). "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE THEE, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed" (Rev 15:4). "Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength" (1Ch 16:28). "Then hear Thou from heaven, from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to Thee, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, and fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name" (2Ch 6:33). "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed" (Dan 7:14). -- And about 100 other passages which declare that all nations are to be disciple-worshipers.
2. Objection: John, Jesus, and the Great Commission speak only of "disciples" being baptized. The argument for this is made as follows -- (a) John 4:1 says ". . .the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John . . ." (b) John the Baptist was baptizing only those who were capable of a discipleship-like profession (in repentance) -- ". . .they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins" (Mat 3:6). (c) Disciples must be mature enough to at least profess their faith and allegiance to Jesus (Luke 14:26, 27, 33).⁽²⁸⁾ Therefore, only disciples are to be baptized. My response is as follows:
1. Consider carefully the term "disciple" as it is used in the New Testament. While it is true that "disciple" in John 4:1 and the Luke 14:26ff probably denotes a mature person who is a self-conscious follower of Christ, it seems to have a technical and rabbinical sense.⁽²⁹⁾ "Disciple" is not used in the gospels to refer to women. Notice that in Luke 14:26, all the familial relationships are mentioned, except there is no mention of a disciple leaving a "husband": "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
2. As it turns out there is only one woman in all the Bible expressly called a "disciple," Tabitha (called Dorcas) (Acts 9:36). However, in this passage the term "disciple" is maqhtria, not maqhthV (mathetria not mathetes). It is the feminine form, not the masculine form.⁽³⁰⁾ This feminine form is used only here in Scripture. Again, because of the rabbinic context only adult males are called "disciples" (mathetes, masculine) in the New Testament.
1. • Acts 9:36 Now in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she continually did. 37 And it came about at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.
3. Further, the technical use of "disciple" explains why maqhth.j is not used in the LXX, since the LXX predates the Pharisaic and rabbinic context of Jesus' day.
4. In saying all of this I do not mean to deny that contemporary Christians have latitude in our normal use of language to generalize the term "disciple" and talk of "discipling," "discipleship," and even a "disciple" who is not technically a rabbinic-like disciple.
5. To sum up, in order to meet the objection that only self-consciously mature believers qualify as disciples and only disciples are to be baptized --I have argued that in the exact sense of the Gospel's usage of the terms, only mature men qualify as disciples. Hence, it is not surprising to find that they are called to leave "wife" if necessary in order to "be His disciple." But to argue from this that the specific requirements of baptism in the New Testament exclude the possibility of infants is equivocation.
3. Objection: Because of the characteristics of a "disciple" in the gospels, Matthew 28:19-20 ("make disciples") cannot permit the concept that a child in a believing home is "discipled" from birth via baptizing and teaching. Hence, paedobaptism is not permitted by the Great Commission in any sense. My response is as follows:
1. Again, any Jew of the first century or before would have seen no discontinuity in the Commission with all the Old Testament revelation if the Commission had simply said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, circumcising them in the name of the Jehovah, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." They would not have thought this was a commission to abandon infant circumcision for exclusive adult circumcision.⁽³¹⁾
2. More specifically, as argued above the noun "disciple" in the gospels has a rather technical and rabbinic sense. The verb "disciple" or "make disciples" in Matthew 28:19 (maqhteuw) is from the noun, maqhthV.⁽³²⁾ The noun "disciple" (maqhthV) is from the root verb manqanw (manthano) which is simply, "learn."⁽³³⁾ While the terms maqhthV  and maqhteuw do not occur in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX), the root verb (manthano) does. Deuteronomy 31:12 commands, "Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, in order that they may hear and learn (manthano) and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law." Likewise in the Apocraphal book, Wisdom of Solomon 16:26, were are told that "that your children" are to "learn (manthano) that it is not the production of crops that feeds humankind but that your word sustains those who trust in you." Moreover, Micah 4:3 predicts Messianic blessing to the (corporate) nations, "Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train (manthano) for war." In the Isaiah 2:4 parallel, "And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn (manthano) war." Isaiah 26:9 models revival prayer saying, "At night my soul longs for Thee, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks Thee diligently; For when the earth experiences Thy judgments The inhabitants of the world learn (manthano) righteousness." Jeremiah 12:15-16 even uses this verb expressly of Israel's surrounding nations within new covenant-return-from-the-exile context, ". . .after I have uprooted them, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. Then it will come about that if they will really learn (manthano) the ways of My people . . . then they will be built up in the midst of My people."
3. Therefore, it is my contention that there is organic continuity in the Great Commission's imperative to disciple the nations and what the Old Testament predicts of Messiah, specifically in the Old Testament concepts of Messianic blessings on the nations, familial solidarity, and familial covenantal responsibilities (Gen 18:19, Deu 6:4-7).
4. If one puts himself in the place of the (Jewish-Christian) apostles, is it credible to think that they saw the Commission as including making disciples of families or households? I believe that it is. To add to what has been already discussed: (a) In biblical usage the term "nations" is the semantic equivalent to "all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:3, 28:14, Act 3:25, cf. Psa 22:14). (b) In a biblical survey of the term "nations," the terms "family" and "house" or "household" are explicitly and organically connected. For example, in the book that defines family and nation, Genesis, "nations" is equal to "families": "From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations" (10:5). In Genesis 10:32 the terms "families" or "households" are semantically identical to nations: "These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood." Moreover, throughout Scripture the "nation of Israel" is called the "house of Israel" and the church is called the "household of God" (oikos). (c) Therefore, if the command had been "Go and make disciples of families, baptizing families . . ." -- would this not be warrant for the baptism of households under the leadership of head of the household? Surely. Asking such a hypothetical question is simply a way to challenge alternate assumptions about the context, audience, and semantic intention. In this case, it challenges the individualistic assumption that I believe is often imported into the text.⁽³⁴⁾ "Families of the earth" have an original (in Genesis), biblio-theological, and explicit semantic connection to "households." This is probably why the apostles baptized them.
4. Objection: There is no explicit command or example of infant baptism; therefore, it is invalid. My response is as follows:
1. I believe that my argument above already addresses the "explicit" criterion in one way. It may be true that there is no express statement about "infant baptism," but this objection cannot be raised about "household baptism." Is there any explicit evidence for "household baptism"? Yes, there are several express statements about household baptism. Given the fact that Acts/and the narrative statements in the epistles are a limited, selected history, spanning decades, that there are so many statements about household baptism is remarkable. It is quite legitimate to infer that within the apostolic era there must have been many more.
1. • The Household of Cornelius: Acts 11:14 and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household. '
2. • The Household of Lydia: Acts 16:15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
3. • The Philippian Jailor's Household: Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
4. • The Household of Crispus: Acts 18:8 And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.
5. • The Household of Stephanas: I Corinthians 1:16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
2. To the real issue, though: it seems most persuasive to many Baptists, almost without any other consideration, that since the Scriptures contain no positive command to baptize infants nor an explicitly clear example of the baptism of infants that such a practice is erroneous, invalid, and unbiblical. However, the lack of explicit command or example alone should not be persuasive since other doctrines are embraced and practiced (by Baptists and others) without explicit commands or examples. On the other hand, many practices explicit in the Bible are not embraced by either Baptists and paedobaptists.
3. Examples of practices permitted in many evangelical contexts without an explicit New Testament command or example include: The baptism of believing children; the partaking of communion by women; the observance of the Christian Sabbath on Sunday as a day of rest; the recognition of Christmas and Easter as religious holidays; the use of musical instruments in New Testament worship; the church (corporation) owning property.
4. Examples of practices which have an explicit New Testament command or example, but are not practiced in many evangelical congregations: The baptism of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands; the charismatic/miraculous confirmation of the gift of the Holy Spirit; the immediate baptism of converts; the miraculous use of physical objects for healing (the handkerchief); speaking in tongues/other miraculous gifts; the use of (alcoholic) wine in communion; greeting each other with a kiss.
1. • Acts 8:16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
2. • Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came
3. •Acts 19:11 And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
4. •Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
5. • 1Co 11:21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
6. • Rom 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
5. Of course it is not my purpose at present to prohibit or promote any of the above practices. These practices are simply illustrations that mere express warrant, an explicit command or example, is often held as unnecessary in justifying a church practice. In fact, it is difficult to imagine how a church could use express warrant alone as the standard. To illustrate some principles involved, consider the case of the charismatic issues. The Pentecostals actually have express warrant on their side. Those who disagree with them find it necessary to address these issues in a broader biblical and theological framework. The charismatics have the clear New Testament examples of post-belief reception of the Spirit and non-charismatics invoke their systematic theology and comprehensive biblical reflection to explain the apostolic era. In all deference to my charismatic brethren, I believe that the apostolic era included at least some miraculous giftings which have ceased (like "apostle"). This "non-charismatic" conclusion is warranted from a biblically comprehensive, theologically systematic, and specifically exegetical study of what the Bible reveals about these issues. While trying to explain the comprehensive state of the question, a charismatic brother might say, "Look, they spoke in tongues." This is not unlike the Baptist saying, "Look, it says they believed and were baptized! What more do you need!"
6. It is also true and important to reflect on the fact that many areas of "first importance" theologically, such as the doctrines of the Trinity, the nature of Christ, etc., require such comprehensive biblical examinations. Such questions of doctrine cannot be settled by a mere express statement or example. The goal we should all agree on, therefore, is that our doctrinal positions are based on a biblically comprehensive, theologically systematic inquiry, as well as an exegetical study of the key passages involved. This is a gigantic task. It is hardly possible for most believers to do all of this study on each issue of the faith. So while defending this as the goal for ministers and theologians, many Christians are not called to this level of inquiry (Eph 4:11ff). Still, faithful brethren called to be truly the "salt of the earth" as doctors, lawyers, and Indian chiefs, may nonetheless benefit from the fruit of those that are equipped in this area. This is one of the goals of Christian scholarship.
7. I say all this just to conclude with the thoroughly biblical principle that explicit warrant is not a necessary and/or sufficient criterion for Christian belief and practice.
5. Objection: It is insufficient for a church practice, especially a sacramental practice, to be based on a theological deduction, a "good and necessary consequence" (in the language of the Westminster Confession 1:6).
1. This is really a restatement of the previous objection. However, to add to what is said above --
2. Consider the text of the Westminister Confession on this point: "The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture . . ." (1.6).
3. To illustrate a "necessary consequence," consider the following argument: (1) murder is wrong, (2) abortion is murder, (3) therefore, abortion is wrong. In this argument, premise 1 is virtually explicit in the Bible. Premise 2 is a conclusion based on the scientific knowledge of what abortion is and the biblical teaching regarding a human being in the womb. And the conclusion, logically-necessarily follows from the premises because of the logical form of the argument of the premises (i.e., it is a valid syllogism). Now I am sure no one in this discussion will object to this argument and its conclusion. Is there any defense for objecting to the application of the laws of thought (logic) to the exegetical and theological propositions we "deduce" from the Bible? There's simply no way to avoid doing it. We cannot think, reason, interpret, speak, apply, etc. without making logical inferences.
4. A necessary deduction, then, from biblically true premises is fully biblically binding. All theological reflections, exegetical conclusions, and practical applications depend on the validity of the application of necessary inferences. It is one thing to deny the logical necessity of a position (like infant baptism), it is quite another attack the principle of good and necessary inference.
5. This brings me to the point of needing to critique my brother and friend, Dr. Fred Malone on the matter of "good and necessary inference"⁽³⁵⁾ -- Dr. Malone describes the argument for covenantal infant baptism as pearls strung on the necklace of good and necessary inference. In his book, he addresses each "pearl." Now, I agree with this metaphor. Indeed, it is a beautiful metaphor. This metaphor could likewise be applied to other precious truths of the Christian faith: the Trinity, the dual nature of Christ -- almost any systematic theological conclusion is a string of pearls. In the case of baptism, the premises of infant baptism are, I believe, taught in the Bible and the coherence of these premises is a logically valid argument. What is necessary to refute the argument is (a) the demonstration that the crucial premises in the argument are false (the pearls), or (b) that the argument is logically invalid, that is, the form of the argument is not a reliable way of reasoning (the string has a knot, if you will).⁽³⁶⁾ Dr. Malone seeks to demonstrate that each pearl is really a sham pearl. If he has done this, then he has refuted paedobaptism, so stated. What I am concerned about at the moment, however, is his attack on the string. He attacks the principle of necessary inference. An attack on the principles of logical validity is, however, self-refuting since an argument against logic is an argument which purports to be logical. A self-refuting belief cannot be true.
6. The entire discussion comes in response to John Murray's comments, "One of the most persuasive objections and one which closes the argument for a great many people is that there is no express command to baptize infants and no record in the New Testament of a clear case of infant baptism . . . The evidence for infant baptism falls into the category of good and necessary inference, and it is therefore quite indefensible to demand that the evidence required must be in the category of express command or explicit instance."⁽³⁷⁾
7. Unfortunately, Dr. Malone confuses the authority of logical necessity with other distinct and separate questions of hermeneutics. He says of logical inference, "This is the principle of hermeneutics called 'good and necessary inference.'"⁽³⁸⁾ In Murray's citation, it is clear that he has in mind, not hermeneutics, but the implicit authority of Scripture. He says, "What by good and necessary inference can be deduced from Scripture is of authority in the church of God as well as what is expressly set down in Scripture. In other words, the assumption upon which this objection rests is a false assumption and one which cannot be adopted as the norm in determining what Christian doctrine or Christian institution is."⁽³⁹⁾ Dr. Malone binds it to the questions of continuity and discontinuity.⁽⁴⁰⁾ There is a clear, distinct separation between such questions of hermeneutics and the application and necessity of logic inference. One can be thoroughly convinced of radical dispensationalism "hermeneutically" and at the same time demand the logical consistency of "good and necessary consequence"⁽⁴¹⁾ -- yet be convinced that the earthly/heavenly inferences are "necessary." On the other hand, one can be fully theonomic in the issues of theological continuity between the testaments and likewise uphold "good and necessary consequence."⁽⁴²⁾
8. In the context of addressing necessary inference, Dr. Malone argues that dispensationalists, theonomists, Seventh Day Adventists, and covenantal paedobaptists all have the same hermeneutic, that the Old Testament interprets the New Testament.⁽⁴³⁾ It is unfortunate that Dr. Malone does not provide a more analytical critique of the principles used by each of these positions. It is quite insufficient to refer to their common hermeneutical principle as merely "deduction by good and necessary consequence" from the Old Testament. It really is not "good and necessary consequence" which is at issue in theonomy, dispensationalism, or Adventism. Dispensationalists are concerned with express statements of Old Testament prophecy/promise (not deductions per se), and the New Testament interpretation of them. The hermeneutical question relevant to them is whether the New Testament actually applies certain Old Testament promises to the present era and teaches that some Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in the present dispensation. It is "express" statements about the Old Testament Law, in light of no later abrogation that make for the theonomic thesis, combined with the fact that the moral law is the basis of the civil (or case) laws. The hermeneutical issue relevant for theonomists is whether the civil laws are inextricably bound to the nation Israel in the land and whether the New Testament expressly teaches that they are fulfilled and abrogated. The Adventists really are not concerned with "deductions" at all, preferring rather to emphasize the express statements of the moral law and the impossibility of ceremonial aspects of the 4^th commandment (sabbath). As it turns out, what these groups have in common is that some aspects of their beliefs and practices originate in the Old Testament. The fact is, however, that many of our beliefs as evangelicals (regardless of the present question) have Old Testament roots.⁽⁴⁴⁾
9. Dr. Malone pits "good and necessary consequence" out of chapter 1:6 of the Confession against the regulative principle of worship of chapter 21, without any recognition that necessary inference is from the very first chapter of the Confession (1:6).⁽⁴⁵⁾ Did the Westminster divines place two rather fundamental, but contradictory, principles in their Confession? There is no formal contradiction between the words "the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will [and He may not be worshiped in] any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture" (21:1). And "the whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture" (1:6). It is apparent that these two principles are not contradictory because (a) the "revealed will of God" includes not only express statements, but necessary inferences; (b) that which is prescribed by Scripture includes those things necessarily implied by the Word; and (c) one can hardly develop an application or theology of "regulative worship" without permitting necessary inferences. For example, the use of a piano in worship under the new covenant is an inference, the practice of taking up (in worship) an offering is an inference, the use of any liturgy (free, fixed, historic, or whatever) is an inference, etc.
10. Thus, a necessary consequence of a biblically true statement is a necessary inference and as such has to be binding or else a contradiction is at hand. Once one accepts a real contradiction somewhere in one's thinking, then why not resolve every problem with a contradiction? Why not say both views on baptism are right, they contradict each other and they are true -- this is nonsense in the most hallowed use of the word. Hence, Murray is on firm ground in answering his objection by pointing out the insufficiency of the requirement of explicit warrant.
6. Objection: Only regenerate people are "in the new covenant."⁽⁴⁶⁾ Since every child of a believing parent is not regenerate, it is improper to give the sign of the covenant to the children of believers until they credibly profess their regeneration.
1. The entire Old Testament precedents both legal relation to the covenant and spiritual relationship "in" the covenant. The children of believers have always been included in the administration of God's covenant.
2. The new covenant fulfillment passages, likewise, include the children (see the above 17a & b).
3. Specifically, however, if it can be proven that there are people under new covenant obligations (i.e., "in the covenant") who become apostates, then the claim that "all in the new covenant are regenerate," will be demonstrated to be false.
4. It is certainly true that the glorious promises of the new covenant are fulfilled in regenerate saints who have the law written on their heart and who have their sins forgiven, namely, the elect of God in the new covenant dispensation. The point of the dispute, however, is whether every person who is "in the covenant" and bound by it is regenerate. It is important to note here that the conclusion, "all that are in the new covenant are regenerate" is, in fact, a theological conclusion, and not an express statement of Scripture. To those who are convinced of this theological deduction, such a position may be argued as a necessary conclusion, a fully warranted conclusion, even an exegetically derived conclusion. It is, however, simply and truly, not an express declaration of Scripture. I say this because in so many recent discussions, often times, the difference between a declaration of the text of Scripture has sometimes been confused with the theological and interpretive conclusions of the exegetical process. There is an extremely important difference.
5. Several passages teach that there are people set apart in the new covenant (without the full blessings of salvation), who yet fall away. Thus there are unregenerate new covenant members. For example, Hebrews 10:29-30:

1. • Heb 10:29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1. Objection: Hebrews 10:29 is a disputed passage. It is an unsafe procedure to use a disputed text to establish a matter (like, there are unregenerate new covenant members).⁽⁴⁷⁾
1. A simple, but probably unpersuasive response might be, "OK, I'll use Hebrews 6:4-8."
1. • Heb 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

1. An objection would likely follow: "But Hebrews 6:4-8 is a disputed passage and it is an unsafe procedure to use a disputed text to establish a matter (like, there are unregenerate new covenant members). So I could say, "OK, I'll use John 15:2-6."
1. • "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

1. An objection would likely follow: "But John 15:2-6 is a disputed passage and it is an unsafe procedure to use a disputed text to establish a matter (like, there are unregenerate new covenant members). So I could say, "OK, I'll use Galatians 5:4."
1. • You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
2. Of course, after a while, it becomes apparent that the objector has a position on the covenant, a priori, that no biblical text may revise. Hence it follows that such a position is not a fully biblical position since it does not take into consideration all that the Bible has to teach on the subject.
3. In effect the objector is requiring an unbearable burden of proof on the one who holds that there can be apostasy from the new covenant. The objector is really saying, "You have to prove apostasy from the new covenant without depending on a disputed passage, and by the way all the apostasy passages are disputed." So one is left with the insurmountable task of proving new covenant apostasy without being able to use any passage which speaks of apostasy.
4. More than that, the objector does not permit the use of the Old Testament texts which teach covenant apostasy because allegedly "that's the difference between the previous covenant and the new covenant." So one is not permitted to appeal to the Old Testament nor the New Testament apostasy passages in order to prove covenant apostasy.
5. Remember, the precise dispute on such apostasy passages is not the question of covenant membership anyway--the issue relevant to the present study--but rather, the question of perseverance of the saints and the Calvinistic/Arminian debate. It seems to me that accepting a view of the new covenant which permits unregenerate membership (whether from a baptistic or paedobaptistic perspective) actually alleviates a great deal of Calvinistic stress. One can then see the legal, external, and obligatory connection to the new covenant, yet not have to maintain that such apostates are converted and afterward lose their salvation.
1. Objection: Unregenerate people can be "in the covenant" because men put them "in the covenant" but God has not put them "in the covenant."
1. This is an equivocation regarding the phrase "in the covenant." If those words mean the very same thing, when men do it or when God does it, then the unregenerate person who is "in the covenant" is simply "in the covenant."
2. In the specific case regarding Hebrews 10:29, the terms are perfectly consistent with the concept of the visible church being covenantally set apart, i.e., "the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified" (Exo 24:8, Mat 26:28, Heb 9:19-20, 12:24). God sets His people apart with the sacramental blood (in the Old Testament) which prefigured the blood of the cross and which is sacramentally present in communion (Mat 26:26ff).
3. As has been demonstrated, God's covenants with men have visible signs and when one receives the duly administered entrance sign, such a person is counted as "in the covenant."
4. Thus men should regard those that receive the sign of the covenant as "in the covenant."
5. It is the conclusion of previous argumentation that God has put the children of believers in covenant union with him.
2. Objection: Only males were circumcised in the Old Testament.
1. The very nature of the New Covenant is an expansion of the old beyond the boundaries of class role (slave or free), race (Jew or Gentile), and gender (see Gal 3:28, "neither . . . male nor female").
2. Moreover, we have an explicit basis for baptizing women (Acts 8:12).
3. Perhaps behind this objection lurks the premise that circumcision and baptism are radically different in their significance. The external ritual difference being granted, the meaning of these two rites, I maintain, must be determined by what God says they mean in Scripture (see the previous points on this). Since they signify the same spiritual reality, they are equivalent sacraments.
3. Objection: "You see 'covenant' everywhere, Yuk!" --
1. If I have used the biblical term and concept of "covenant" to import unbiblical content into the argument then I want to be corrected. I only want to be as covenantal as the Bible. But to the vague, often adolescent-sounding, objection of being "too covenantal," what can be said?
2. Perhaps a few biblical statistics will be relevant: The word "salvation" is used 160 times, "grace" is used 131 times, but the term "covenant" is used 321 times in the Bible, not counting its synonyms, like oath and promise, let alone its cognates (cf. the above outlines).
3. As has been demonstrated, the concept of "covenant" is biblically pervasive, theologically foundational, exegetically crucial, practically relevant, and revelationally illuminating.

 

A key area of dispute relevant to both ecclesiology and sacramentology is the "new covenant." In my own thinking this weighed heavily in rejecting infant baptism in the past years. If one can conclude that the new covenant is purely internal and that no external dimension of covenant relationship exists today, then the case for an ecclesiology and sacramentology of exclusively those who demonstrate their internal covenant realities, is all but granted. On the other hand, if the new covenant, like previous administrations of the covenant of grace, involves both an internal and an external dimension, then the Reformed view of the sacraments is all the more demonstrable.
 

Jeremiah 31:31-36 in Its Original Context

1. The locus classicus of the new covenant is Jeremiah 31:31-34:

1. The context of this prophetic word comes after Jeremiah has told of the post-exilic restoration of Israel (30:1) and of the joyful return of the captives (31:1). The beginning word of the chapter is the familiar formula: "At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people" (31:1; Gen 17:7, Ex 19:5, Deu 29:13). The prophecy follows a very "Palestinian" description of a joyful return to the land (31:4ff). In the immediate verses prior to the prophecy, we find the proper acknowledgment of individual retribution: "In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.' 30 "But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge" (31:29-30). This parallels the words of Ezekiel 18:2ff, where God says that the use of this proverb was disallowed in Israel since it represented a false and unjust standard. "'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore'" (Eze 18:2).
2. Jeremiah has a number of literary, theological, and prophetic allusions from Deuteronomy. The specific Deuteronomic passage which anticipates the new covenant is Deuteronomy 30:4-6: "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 "And the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live."
3. Jeremiah foretells a covenant which will be "cut"⁽⁴⁸⁾ with the people of Israel and Judah which will not be like "the covenant which I made with their fathers" (31:32). Jeremiah contrasts the Sinaitic covenant with "not like," and "But" (vv 32-33). The specific reference is to the wilderness generation after Sinai, "in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (v 32). Just as Deuteronomy 30 predicts this was "My covenant which they broke." Deuteronomy says, "they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt" (29:25). Jeremiah speaks of this, drawing upon a metaphor revealed earlier in the book, "although I was a husband to them" (v 32). "God says, 'If a husband divorces his wife, And she goes from him, And belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? But you are a harlot with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,' declares the LORD" (3:1).
4. In understanding the intent of the words, "this is the covenant," it will be important to study the prophet's use of the terms. Earlier in the book Jeremiah has used the terms "this . . . covenant."⁽⁴⁹⁾ In chapter 11, he speaks of "the words of this covenant" (v 2), heeding "the words of this covenant" (v 3), "which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt" (v 4), and "hear the words of this covenant and do them" (v 6). In verse 8 of that chapter 11 he says, "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not" (v 8). In verse 10 he says, "the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers." Especially from verse 8, it is evident that "covenant" has the sense of "treaty" which, at least in the case of chapter 11, has stipulations for covenant breakers.
5. The covenant which God will "cut" involves putting the stipulations of the covenant on the heart, i.e., "My law within them, and on their heart I will write it." Earlier Jeremiah had prophesied, "And I brought you into the fruitful land . . . The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know Me . . ." (2:7-8). The diatribe throughout the book has been that the people (collectively) did not walk in My law (6:19, 8:8, 9:13, 16:11, 26:4, 32:23, 44:10, 44:23).⁽⁵⁰⁾ This faithless disobedience will bring the imminent judgment of the Babylonian captivity with all its horrors.⁽⁵¹⁾ Moses had said, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you shall prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess" (Deu 32:46-47). Now God will cut a covenant with its stipulations on the heart, rather than in the ark of the covenant. Jeremiah teaches us, then, that this new covenant will not have a covenant law mediated through tablets of stone, but the stipulations will be immediate. Though the need for the external symbol of the covenant law will not be present, the same covenant promise is reiterated, "I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Gen 17:7, Ex 19:5, Deu 29:13). This basic understanding is confirmed from the parallel in chapter 3, Jeremiah similarly foretold,

 

1. In the days preceding the destruction of Jerusalem "those who handle[d] the law did not know Me" (2:7-8). But in that new covenant era, "they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." This phrase "least to the greatest" is found two other times in Jeremiah. In 6:13, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely." And in 8:8-10, in a precise parallel, he accuses "the lying pen of the scribes" and "wise men" who "have rejected the word of the LORD" "because from the least even to the greatest everyone is greedy for gain; From the prophet even to the priest everyone practices deceit." It would appear that the use of this phrase has special reference to those who "teach" and it seems to signify the breadth and depth of religious leadership, "prophet even to the priest." The phrase taken by itself might signify the full range of Israelite society, but given the context and prior usage in the book, it seems to denote highest to lowest position.⁽⁵²⁾
2. The next phrase, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" is introduced by an explanatory "for." This connects the knowledge of God with forgiveness of sins. This is intelligible given the quotation from 2:7-8, because it is "the priests" "who handle the law did not know Me." It was the work of the priest to sacrificially "administer" forgiveness. The Pentateuch stated many times, "So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven" (Lev 4:20, 26, 31, 35, 5:10, 13, 16, 18, 6:7, 19:22, Num 15:25, 28, etc.). This prophesied new covenant forgiveness would not come through priestly and sacrificial mediation. This statement looks forward to a time when there will be no need for sacrificial mediation since the knowledge of God will not be mediated through the (Levitical) priesthood.
3. The passage does not stop at verse 34