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GREENLIGHT THEOLOGY SERIES 2009
 
The History and Practice of InfantBaptism in the Church Today
 
By Victor Chendekemen Yakubu
The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when heis old he will not depart from it” [Prov. 22:6]. This brief article on infantbaptism is an attempt to show that the practice has been in the Churchsince Apostolic times. But do the churches of today believe in it andpractice it accordingly? This makes the topic controversial as to who isright and who is wrong. However, The Catechism of the Catholic Churchsays that “children also have need of the new truth of Baptism to befreed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of thechildren of God, to which all men are called.” In Ps. 51: 3 we read,“Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my motherconceive me.” This makes baptism very important. But at which stage isthe person to receive it? At infancy or adulthood?
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2 Greenlight Theology Series 2009
The History and Practice of Infant Baptism in the Church
By Victor Chendekemen Yakubu
Introduction
The Early Church carried out faithfully the command of Christ, “Go into theworld and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and isbaptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” [Mk.16: 15 – 16]. The enabling Spirit empowered them and we are told the apostlesconverted 3,000 on Pentecost and baptized them. They began the gospelproclamation from Jerusalem to Judea and then to the whole world as Christcommanded [cf. Acts 1:8]. The spread of the gospel to other parts of the earthsymbolizes the universality of the Good news.The admission of new members into the Christian fold was through the rite of baptism. Scriptural analysis shows that the baptism of adults is undisputable.In Acts, Cornelius was baptized with his whole household and the Ethiopianeunuch was baptized by Philip. Today all Christian denominations practice adultbaptism. But what is disputed among denominations is “infant baptism.” Themajor Christian denominations –Catholic Church particularly – practice thebaptism of infants. But what is disputed among denominations is “infantbaptism”. Some major Christian denominations practice “infant baptism” todaywhile others reject the practice. This divergent position on this importantaspect of debate makes little differences whether scripture has any actualreferences to the practice of “infant baptism” or not. The scripture does notpossess explicit references. But references are recorded in the Bible thatindicate that whole “households” were baptized [Acts 16: 15, 33; 18: 8; 1 Cor.1: 16].
Victor C. Yakubu is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, Nigeria. He can bereached atviccheny@chendekemen.com 
 
3 Greenlight Theology Series 2009
By implication it means these biblical references support the practice of infantbaptism in the first and second centuries of the Christian era. I shall dwell onthese two sources: the Bible and Tradition to treat this “infant baptismcontroversy”.
Historical Overview of Infant Baptism Controversy
The practice of baptizing infants is considered a rule of immemorial traditionboth in the Eastern and in the Western Rites of the Church. Infant baptismdeveloped out of an entirely different circumstance in which Christianity founditself when society departed from pagan practices. In other words, the problemof infant baptism arose from the question of who should be baptized into thenew faith. At what age should a new convert be baptized into the Christian foldand become a full member?Baptism is the public ritual of receiving new members into the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. This requires a personal faith response, the willingness andreadiness of the new member to receive the sacrament accompanied by thegrace of God. There is evidence to show that infant baptism was practiced inthe Church in the third century. In the second, St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrnain about 177 A.D, was challenged to deny his Christian faith and rescue himself from martyrdom. He refused and answered, “For eighty and six years, I haveserved Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King whosaved me?”
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Let’s suppose that Polycarp lived for eighty six years, thisstatement would mean that he was baptized as an infant serving the Lord.However, opponents to infant baptism argue that Polycarp meant his biologicalage, the period he had been alive. And this makes the argument complicatedon both side.
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