Tuesday Scholarly Notes
12/3/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Nine: The Blessing of the Children." In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 95-99). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
Mark 10:13ff and its parallels, describing Jesus blessing children, is regularly considered in discussions of infant baptism. Jeremias uses the passage to conclude that the early Church not only baptized the children of new converts but also the infants born to Christian parents (Aland 1961, p. 95). The reasoning is that children were not only led to Jesus, but also that it affirmed bringing them sm. While Aland sees that the passage would be understood as endorsing infant baptism when considered by those who already endorsed the practice, he questions whether it would be able to inspire the practice among others apart from a prior assumption of infant baptism.
Aland reviews the text closely. the verb κωλύειν, "to hinder," is later applied in regards to baptism, but as it is used in Mark 10 and other places, it simply references prevention of access to Jesus, not necessarily in relation to baptism (Aland 1961, p. 96). By the mid second century Justin refers (Apol. 1, 61:4) to Mark 10:13 or John 3:5 as an endorsement of infant baptism. However, this does not mean the passages initially implied such an endorsement (Aland 1961, p. 97). Aland simply considers the evidence too weak to be definitive. The concepts are not definitively parallel. A later interpretation may not necessarily be used to demonstrate original intent. The linguistic parallels are of relatively common words and phrases (Aland 1961, p. 98).
12/3/24
Aland, Kurt. (1961). "Chapter Nine: The Blessing of the Children." In Did the Early Church Baptize Infants? (Translated by G. R. Beasley-Murray). (pages 95-99). Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. (Personal Library)
Mark 10:13ff and its parallels, describing Jesus blessing children, is regularly considered in discussions of infant baptism. Jeremias uses the passage to conclude that the early Church not only baptized the children of new converts but also the infants born to Christian parents (Aland 1961, p. 95). The reasoning is that children were not only led to Jesus, but also that it affirmed bringing them sm. While Aland sees that the passage would be understood as endorsing infant baptism when considered by those who already endorsed the practice, he questions whether it would be able to inspire the practice among others apart from a prior assumption of infant baptism.
Aland reviews the text closely. the verb κωλύειν, "to hinder," is later applied in regards to baptism, but as it is used in Mark 10 and other places, it simply references prevention of access to Jesus, not necessarily in relation to baptism (Aland 1961, p. 96). By the mid second century Justin refers (Apol. 1, 61:4) to Mark 10:13 or John 3:5 as an endorsement of infant baptism. However, this does not mean the passages initially implied such an endorsement (Aland 1961, p. 97). Aland simply considers the evidence too weak to be definitive. The concepts are not definitively parallel. A later interpretation may not necessarily be used to demonstrate original intent. The linguistic parallels are of relatively common words and phrases (Aland 1961, p. 98).
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