Tuesday Scholarly Notes
12/17/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Eleven: Postscript: Infant Baptism Today?" In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 112-116). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
Aland attempts to evaluate current practices of infant baptism based on evidence from early Christianity. In the normal schemata, if the New Testament and ancient church supports a practice of infant baptism, it is necessary today. If the New Testament and ancient church does not describe infant baptism, only adult baptism should be practiced (Aland 1961, p. 112). Unfortunately, these may not be adequate categories. While the New Testament describes the purpose of baptism, it never provides instruction about the mode or timing of baptism (Aland 1961, p. 113). Aland finds a New Testament and early Christian concept of infants being holy if they are born of Chrsitian parents. Infant baptism seems to have been applied in conjunction with the conclusion that infants bore original sin. The grace of baptism should not be refused to any who bear sin.
The third interpretive option thus emerges. Infant baptism cannot be demonstrated clearly until about 200, but is expected to be continued today (Aland 1961, p. 113). The continuance of practices such as baptism and communion, even though they may have taken some time to reach their current form, remain appropriate (Aland 1961, p. 114). The theological understanding of sin and the nature of baptism militates for the continued practice of baptising infants. Aland quotes Luther's argument from To Two Clergymen about Rebaptism (WA 26, 152-173) at some length (Aland 1961, pp. 114-115). The force of the argument is that baptism and its effects must remain God's work rather than ours. This implies that it is perfectly reasonable for it to be applied to infants as those who bear sin requiring cleansing. For this reason, then, Aland endorses infant baptism, not because of a biblical instruction about the time of baptism, but because of the very nature of sin and salvation.
12/17/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Eleven: Postscript: Infant Baptism Today?" In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 112-116). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
Aland attempts to evaluate current practices of infant baptism based on evidence from early Christianity. In the normal schemata, if the New Testament and ancient church supports a practice of infant baptism, it is necessary today. If the New Testament and ancient church does not describe infant baptism, only adult baptism should be practiced (Aland 1961, p. 112). Unfortunately, these may not be adequate categories. While the New Testament describes the purpose of baptism, it never provides instruction about the mode or timing of baptism (Aland 1961, p. 113). Aland finds a New Testament and early Christian concept of infants being holy if they are born of Chrsitian parents. Infant baptism seems to have been applied in conjunction with the conclusion that infants bore original sin. The grace of baptism should not be refused to any who bear sin.
The third interpretive option thus emerges. Infant baptism cannot be demonstrated clearly until about 200, but is expected to be continued today (Aland 1961, p. 113). The continuance of practices such as baptism and communion, even though they may have taken some time to reach their current form, remain appropriate (Aland 1961, p. 114). The theological understanding of sin and the nature of baptism militates for the continued practice of baptising infants. Aland quotes Luther's argument from To Two Clergymen about Rebaptism (WA 26, 152-173) at some length (Aland 1961, pp. 114-115). The force of the argument is that baptism and its effects must remain God's work rather than ours. This implies that it is perfectly reasonable for it to be applied to infants as those who bear sin requiring cleansing. For this reason, then, Aland endorses infant baptism, not because of a biblical instruction about the time of baptism, but because of the very nature of sin and salvation.
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