Infant Baptism (Pt. 1): Handout Theology with John Gerstner

According to Dr. Everett Ferguson's magisterial work on baptism in the early church, the early church was explicitly credobaptistic and considerations for infant baptism arose because of the danger of impending deaths for the sick and especially children and infants. Coupled to this was the belief that baptism was literally the washing away of sins and that it was necessary for salvation. The covenantal argument was not the argument made by the early church nor the parallel between baptism and circumcision.

Great to See Dr Gerstner. Stanley and Mariann Big Island Hawaii

Do you understand what mikvah is?

Based on Luke 3:16, and John 1:33, and Acts 11:15-16, the most important thing about the word "baptize" in the New Testament has nothing to do with water. The Holy Spirit is the master teacher promised to New Covenant believers in Jeremiah 31:34, and John 14:26, and found fulfilled in Ephesians 1:13, and 1 John 2:27. What is the one baptism of our faith found in the passage below?

Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

The term "New Covenant" is not found in the Westminster Confession of Faith, or in the 1689 LBCF. We are not come to Mount Sinai in Hebrews 12:18. We are come instead to the New Covenant of Mount Zion in Hebrews 12:22-24.

RUBBISH!

If circumcision and baptism are the same, how would female babies fit into this construct?

The problem with infant baptism is that a large number of Believers children are not believers and become big sinners when they become adults. Infant baptism implies that the children of Believers are automatically saved. I think it's evident that that's not the case by observation. So some raunchy unbelieving sinner can say "hey my parents were Christians, they baptized me, I'm saved!!! Best of both worlds!!!" Or it's unfair to them because they falsely are led to believe that they're saved and they look at their lives and know that that's not true so it alienates them from the faith altogether

And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
-Jeremiah 29:13

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
-John 3:16

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.
-Acts 3:19

If you are in North America, please go check out any of the churches available to you: PCA, OPC, Rpcna, Urcna, or a canrc church
(These are conservative and actual Presbyterian/Reformed churches)

If you can’t find one of the conservative presby churches then, maybe an Lcms Lutheran church.

If you’re Scottish, I recommend the Free Church of Scotland and the APC.
(Different from the Church of Scotland)

If you’re English I recommend the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England & Wales and the Free Church of England
(Different from the Church of England)

Also online you can look up church finders for each of the groups, it will show you locations.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
— Hebrews 10:24-25

Baptism for the remission of sins is certainly necessary to salvation (Acts 2:38), and every case of conversion in Acts specifically records that they were baptized. Baptism is the event in which a penitent believer completes the obedience necessary to be saved (see Heb. 5:9). The Scriptures clearly show that baptism stands squarely between the sinner and the forgiveness of sins. But the practice of infant baptism is not authorized in the New Testament. Its origin is with men, not God. And there is no evidence in the New Testament to show that the apostles ever baptized anyone who was too young to hear the gospel, believe it, and repent of his sins.

Babies are not subject to God's command for baptism because no command was given to them, they could not understand the need nor meaning, they could not comply (perform the necessary actions nor hold the proper attitudes) and they have no sin to be washed away. One cannot obey God by proxy; no parent can obey God for a child; no child can make peace with God for a parent (Ezekiel 18:4,20).

I'm glad you pointed out the two pillars, most preachers are not so clear.
The two pillars crumble when tested by Scripture.
To address one, circumcision and baptism are not counterparts.
( The Bible uses visible, earthly, physical things to illustrate invisible, heavenly, spiritual things. For an Old Testament teaching to be a type of a New Testament teaching there must be common elements. There are no common elements between circumcision and baptism, plus both are physical, visible , outward things, It makes no sense to replace or use one visible thing to replace another.)
The physical operation of circumcision is a picture of the spiritual circumcision of the New. The Old was an operation made with hands (of another), the New is an operation made without hands (by another), the Old, cutting away of flesh, the New, a spiritual cutting away, the Old, involves the secret part, which is hidden,
the New involves the secret hidden part which can't be seen, (except by God).
The Old is performed on a baby born after the flesh, the New is performed after the new birth in Christ.
The church of the New was a mystery not known until revealed to the Apostle Paul, a body composed of both Jew and Gentile.

Those who don't believe in infants' baptism are cutting off the Old Testament. Everything is pointed to John Baptist. They could never understand the whole concept of Baptism