So I’ve been looking all day for a verse I believe to be written by Paul that basically says that that baptism is to replace circumcision. I think it would be in ACTS or COL but unsure. Is there anything that says explicitly that baptism is to replace circumcision?
Colssians 2:11-12 maybe?
" In Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead."
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I think this would have to be the closest thing to it. I thought it was a bit more specific then than that. I’m trying to make a point for infant baptism by tying it to the old testament tradition of circumcision.
I guess to reinforce what Paul is saying here is to point out what the purpose of circumcision is and what the purpose of baptism is. Both are to cleanse the sinful nature of the person unifying them into god. And if we turn to Leviticus 12:3 it states that we are to circumcise the boy on the eighth day. Which is an obvious example of the Bible prescribing infant baptism considering the context of these two practices. Not to mention all of the old first and second century Christians who wrote about infant baptism.
Your best resource will be to buy Joachim Jeremias’s 2 books on infant baptism and Kurt Aland’s counterargument to book 1. Jeremias has an amazing defense of the historicity of the practice.
Here are some other resources and thoughts:
Infant faith can be proven with 2 Timothy 3:15, Psalm 8:2, 22:10, 71:6, Matthew 21:15-16, and Luke 1:13-15, 39-45.
Psalm 8:2 uses the words “`owlel” and “yanaq” which mean “child” and “suckling” respsectively.
Psalm 22:10 uses the words “rechem” and “beten” which mean “womb” and “belly” respectively
Psalm 71:6 uses the words “beten” and “me`ah” which mean “belly” and “internal belly” respectively.
Matthew 21:15-16 cites Psalm 8:2 with different wording. “Nēpios” and “thēlazō” mean “infant/child” and “suckling” respectively.
Note that the Greek word “brephos” means infants in 2 Tim. 3:15. Some translations say “child,” but this is incorrect.
A video on infant faith:
A video on how the Bible speaks of baptism and why it applies logically to infants as well:
Refuting common counter arguments:
“Infants are not old enough to understand the Gospel, so they can’t ‘believe’ it.”
Romans 10:8-10 explain that belief that saves comes from the heart not from the mind. The intellectual understanding is not the stress, rather belief from the heart is true faith.
“Baptism is a public profession of faith. Infants cannot profess their faith.”
See the argument in the YouTube video. Furthermore, where is baptism spoken of as a “profession of faith?” The Greek word for “profess” is “homologeō” which can also mean agree, concede, or confess. This word appears 26 times in 21 verses in the New Testament. None of the occurrences ever seem to speak about baptism. In the only spot that “homologeō” translates cleanly as “profess” as opposed to “confess,” 1 Tim. 1:16, it is written, “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” Clearly the profession itself is without value in this passage.
In addition, in Acts 8:36 the Ethiopian eunuch asks Philip “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Acts 8:37 is not found in the oldest and best manuscripts of Acts; its earliest occurrence is from the late sixth or early seventh century in the manuscript “Ea/E2.” In Acts 8:38, no answer is given, and the eunuch is baptized, implying that no specific profession was needed. Furthermore, if verse 37 is authentic, the context of the passage is descriptive of the baptism of an adult, not prescriptive for all baptisms. Every denomination requires a profession of sorts prior to baptism; in the case of infants, this is given by sponsors.
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THANK YOU! Wow this is a great source of info here. I think I’m gonna save your response in my notes for future reference. I’ll start watching those videos. Once again thank you!
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