譯自Ligonier Ministries Devotionals
譯者/校對者: Maria Marta/誠之
「這應許原是給你們和你們的兒女，以及所有在遠方的人，就是給凡是我們主 神召來歸祂的人。」（徒2:39，新譯本）
——徒二38-39
對於洗禮引發的爭議，在論到誰可以領受聖禮這個議題時，其分歧會變得最為明顯。大多數美國福音派只給那些口頭上認信的人施洗。然而，許多基督徒遵循教會歷史上大多數人的慣例，給成年人和他們的嬰孩施行這個儀式。
新約聖經中找不到任何一條命令, 吩咐我們要為嬰兒施洗，但也找不到任何禁令。認識到這一事實，我們會提供一個嬰兒洗禮的簡短證明，希望大家能明白為什麽許多基督徒會為嬰兒施洗。
首先，在舊約聖經中, 信心和割禮之間沒有一定的時間順序。亞伯拉罕受割禮是在宣認信仰之後（創十七22-27），但以撒受割禮是在認信之前（創廿一4）。在這兩個例子中，受割禮者都必需信靠上帝，才能領受割禮所應許的一切好處，但（恩約）記號和印記（割禮）的施行與他們歸信的時間並沒有任何關聯。割禮和洗禮是連在一起的（西二8–15），所以洗禮也和割禮一樣, 與認信的時刻沒有關聯。
其次，舊約的應許是給成年人和他們兒女的，割禮描述了這點。因此，很難想像新約更大的應許和記號不應該給成年信徒的嬰幼兒。在今天的經文中，彼得實際上告訴我們，新約的應許也是給信徒兒女的禮物（徒二38-39）。在新約中找到的洗禮，百分之二十五是全家受洗，這些家庭大有可能包括兒童。
最後，保羅說，基督徒父母的孩子是分別出來歸給上帝的（林前七12-14）。在舊約，割禮明顯地把信徒的兒女分別出來，因此，猶太歸信者很難相信，上帝不會把恩約記號施行在新約孩童身上， 將他們分別出來，成為聖約有形群體的一分子。和割禮一樣，沒有個人信心的洗禮就沒有任何價值。但洗禮標誌著孩童成為有形教會的一分子，如果接受洗禮者從來不信靠上帝, 將來必要承受更嚴厲的審判（路十二41-48）。
無論我們是否給嬰兒施洗，哥林多前書第七章12至14節都揭示了信徒兒女與上帝的關係, 這是不信主父母的後代所無法享有的。信徒的兒女在有形教會裏, 歡喜聆聽上帝話語的宣講。儘管教會確實參與教導孩童們認識基督的工作，但教會的工作不應該無所不包。我們作為父母、家人、朋友，必須把耶稣的教訓刻印在我們所認識的孩子們身上。
延伸閱讀：
詩八2 ；箴十四26；路十八15-17 ；徒十六11-15、25-34
Infant Baptism
“For
the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39).
-
Acts 2:38-39
The
divisions over baptism become most evident when discussing the proper
recipients of the sacrament. Most American evangelicals only baptize those who
have verbally professed faith. Yet many Christians follow the majority practice
of church history and administer the ordinance to adults and their infant
children.
The
New Testament nowhere commands us to baptize infants, but neither does it
anywhere forbid it. Recognizing this fact, we will offer a brief case for
infant baptism in the hopes of understanding why it is practiced by many
Christians.
First,
in the Old Testament, there is no standard chronology for faith and
circumcision. Abraham was circumcised after professing faith (Gen. 17:22–27),
but Isaac was circumcised before his confession (21:4). Faith in the Lord was
necessary in both cases to appropriate all the benefits that circumcision
promises, but the administration of the sign and seal was not tied to the
timing of their faith. Circumcision and baptism are linked (Col. 2:8–15), and
so baptism, like circumcision, need not be tied to the moment of profession.
Second,
the old covenant promises were given to adults and their children, and this was
depicted in circumcision. Thus, it is hard to imagine that the greater new
covenant promises and signs should not also be given to the infant children of
believing adults. In today’s passage, Peter actually tells us the new covenant
promises are gifts for the children of believers (Acts 2:38–39). Twenty-five
percent of the baptisms found in the New Testament are of entire households,
and these homes likely included children.
Finally,
Paul says the children of a Christian parent are set apart to God (1 Cor.
7:12–14). Circumcision visibly set a child of believers apart under the old
covenant, and so it would be hard for Jewish converts to believe the Lord would
not include new covenant children in the seal that sets people apart as part of
the visible community. Like circumcision, baptism without personal faith avails
nothing. But baptism does mark the child as part of the visible church and
liable to stricter judgment if the recipient never trusts God (Luke 12:41–48).
Coram
Deo
Whether
or not we baptize infants, 1 Corinthians 7:12–14 reveals that children of
believers have a relationship to the Lord that the offspring of non-believers
do not share. They are in the visible church where they enjoy hearing the
preached Word of God. But while the church does play a part in teaching
children about Christ, the church is not to do all the work. We as parents,
family, and friends must impress the teachings of Jesus upon the children we
know.
Passages
for Further Study
Ps.
8:2
Prov. 14:26
Luke 18:15–17
Acts 16:11–15, 25–34
