A Refutation of Infant Baptism

By Robb Brunansky

Published May 26, 2026

Scripture consistently promotes a teaching of believer’s baptism – a truth that is recognized even by proponents of infant baptism.

Theologian G.K. Beale, a prolific New Testament scholar holding to infant baptism, writes, “Baptism connotes the believer’s identification with Christ’s death and resurrection: the old self or ‘old man’ (positioned in Adam) was crucified with Christ, and Christians have risen with him in ‘newness of life.’” Beale is right! Baptism is the believer’s public identification with Christ’s death and resurrection, which demonstrates we are new creatures through faith in Him.

Another regarded paedobaptist scholar, theologian Robert Reymond, stated, “I do not mean to suggest that baptism simply as an institution effects discipleship. I am thinking of baptism here as the ceremony in connection with which Christians normally and formally publicly declare for the first time their commitment to Jesus Christ.” And all the Baptists said, “Amen!”

Calvin also wrote, “But baptism serves as our confession before men. Indeed, it is the mark by which we publicly profess that we wish to be reckoned God’s people; by which we testify that we agree in worshiping the same God, in one religion with all Christians; by which finally we openly affirm our faith.”

It is, therefore, amazing that people who understand baptism to be the believer’s public confession of faith, identification with Christ, affirmation as Jesus’ disciples, and initial act of obedience demonstrating their commitment to follow Him, would ever conclude that infants should be baptized. Everything baptism is by its very nature in the biblical teaching is outside the realm of possibility for babies. Infant baptism, then, ought to be a sheer impossibility for men like Beale, Reymond, Calvin, Sproul, and others who hold (or held) to infant baptism. Yet belief in infant baptism persists, and we regularly see people who have held to believer’s baptism change their view to paedobaptism.

This is a serious issue. On one hand, baptism is an act of obedience to Christ. Because of the rampant belief in infant baptism throughout the church, there are millions of Christians who have never been baptized, living in disobedience to the most basic New Testament command. On the other hand, we have billions of people who are unbelievers, thinking they are assured of salvation because they were baptized as babies.

Additionally, paedobaptists believe it is a great sin not to baptize infants. To withhold baptism to infants, Reymond and the Westminster Confession assert, is to sinfully deny infants their God-ordained rights and status in the Lord’s kingdom. So, both groups accuse the other of being in great sin, which is why baptism is not a minor issue we can ignore. Obedience matters. All Christians must ensure we are obeying God’s Word.

To that end, we now must directly engage in the arguments from paedobaptists. The first argument to consider is that from church history.

Whenever the issue of baptism arises, many paedobaptists argue that infant baptism enjoys the weight of church history. The power of these arguments is that most Christians are not historians, and so they cannot tell us who the early church fathers were, let alone what they taught about baptism or why it matters. However, when someone comes along with a bag of church fathers who allegedly shared their view, it can be a powerful and intimidating argument.

There are three points in response to this argument. First, we should not expect the early church to have understood everything correctly. Like us, the church fathers were fallible men, and we can learn from their writings – but they are not the standard of truth. Second, the only authority we recognize for church doctrine is Scripture. Where Scripture rules, Christ rules; and where traditions, church fathers, popes, priests, liturgies, and another other human contrivance rules, Christ’s rule is assaulted by hell’s minions. To put men’s writings and traditions equal to or above Scripture is demonic and deadly. Third, church history does not show infant baptism was the church’s established practice. Infant baptism developed over time in the first centuries of church history, especially over the issue of original sin and the increased fear of child mortality, not because of covenant theology, which did not formally exist yet.

A second argument is the continuity with circumcision.

Circumcision is, in a sense, the linchpin of the case for infant baptism, and all paedobaptists appeal to this argument. However, this argument is not found in Scripture. Baptism is nothing like circumcision because it is a new covenant ordinance during the time of fulfillment, not an old covenant ordinance from the time of promise. The gift of the Spirit and the circumcision of the heart shine more brightly than anything that happened under the old covenant. The sign and seal of the new covenant is not baptism, but the Spirit (see our previous post on baptism and the new covenant for more).

The third argument paedobaptists like to argue with is the case from silence.

All Christians, regardless of their view of baptism, agree that the New Testament nowhere mentions infant baptism – nor gives any examples or instructions of it. When baptists see the New Testament’s silence about infant baptism, when it has much to say about baptism, that’s a strong argument against infant baptism. However, for paedobaptists, it’s an occasion to concoct arguments on what Scripture does not say to defend a practice it never illustrates or commands.

This argument from silence is compelling to many. However, Scripture does, in fact, reject infant baptism explicitly. God told Jeremiah a change is coming in a new covenant, where each person will stand accountable before the Lord in a different way than under the old covenant (Jeremiah 31:29-30). John the Baptist, picking up on this theme, makes a similar point, informing the crowds that being physical children of Abraham is not grounds for baptism, but that baptism is only for those who repent, confess their sins, and commit to obey the Lord (Luke 3:8). If being a physical child of Abraham the believer does not qualify one for baptism, then being a child of any other believer does not qualify someone for baptism.

A fourth argument to consider is that of covenant children.

Paedobaptists turn to Acts to make this argument, where Peter says the promise is for the people and their children (Acts 2:39). This promise is that of the Holy Spirit, which is only given to believers, not outright to their children. Peter uses this language in this context because he is preaching to those who invoked Christ’s blood on their children in the mob before Pilate (Matthew 27:24-25). Knowing what they said previously to Pilate, and seeing their transformation before him now, Peter offers salvation to them and their children, if they and their children would repent and believe Jesus is the Christ. They and their children will not stand under Christ’s curse if they come to faith in Him. This passage is not about covenant children, then, but God’s grace being extended to all whom the Lord calls to Himself. If God is willing to forgive those who said Jesus’ blood would be on them and their children, then He will forgive all who come to Him in faith.

This truth is the good news of the gospel, that God’s promise is not found in baptism but in the gospel. What washes away our sins is not the water of baptism but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7). God saves all who call on Christ in faith, turn from their sins, and put their trust in the Savior.

Scripture’s teaching from beginning to end is that baptism is an act of obedience to Christ’s commands. Those who have repented and trusted in Christ are to be baptized in water by immersion as a public identification with Him and a declaration of commitment to follow Jesus as His disciples. In baptism, we confess that we deserve Jesus’s death, but that God had mercy on us and raised us up to life in Christ. Baptism is a public proclamation that though we are great sinners, God is a greater Savior.