I’ve heard a lot of people on twitter, reddit, and YouTube arguing for baptismal regeneration. What’s shocking is that many of these people call themselves Protestant, even Reformed. I’ve even heard claims that baptismal regeneration is part of Reformed Theology.
This doesn’t make any sense, however. Reformed theology sees baptism as the new circumcision. But circumcision wasn’t how people were saved, because if that were the case, then there would be no women who died under the old covenant in heaven. But the Bible distinguishes between circumcision of the flesh and circumcision of the heart. Remember that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised, just like someone like me who wasn’t baptized as a child is saved before their baptism. Water doesn’t save you, it points to what saves you, which is God’s grace given to us through faith in Jesus Christ.
If baptismal regeneration is true, then covenant theology makes no sense at all, not to mention that it contradicts Sola Fide.
Could you clarify exactly what they mean by “baptismal regeneration”?
They think that baptism saves you.
Lutheran here. I’ll say something which will probably confuse and enlighten things: I believe that baptism saves… by faith alone. Calvinists tend to see baptism as a symbolic covenant seal, while Lutherans see it as an actual, supernatural working of God (aka a “miracle”) to deliver the forgiveness of sins to those who believe (or “the elect” if you prefer). If you believe in monergistic salvation, it makes sense that there should be a specific point in time where God supernaturally creates saving faith in you. Luther argued that this happens in the waters of baptism, since the Word of God is present there with the water
Here’s the big kicker: pretty much all of this depends on what you believe concerning irresistible grace. Luther wanted to make it clear that although the action of baptism really does offer miraculous power, that power is only received by faith. In other words, Luther saw no contradiction between baptismal regeneration and Sola Fide. Baptism regenerates, but only for those who believe
Side note: I’m enrolled at a Lutheran pietist seminary and am therefore knee-deep in the tension between the objective reality of God’s saving work and the subjective experience of us converting. I’m starting my 3rd Systematic theology course in a few weeks, so I should be able to weigh in on this more after I finish that up
I think people like to troll with it.
I’m Reformed theology, the physical act of baptism isn’t what saves you. But the inward reality of baptism - that is, the baptism of the Spirit does save you.
What do the Protestant creeds and confessions have to say about it?
Neither Westminster nor London supports baptismal regeneration, I’m not very familiar with the other creeds and confessions.
My experience until very recently has been with churches in the believers’ baptism (Baptist) tradition. I am not sure that I fully understand the thinking of denominations that practice infant baptism. It seems to me that in those denominations infant baptism essentially is the same as what a baby dedication would be in a Baptist church. But how do they square that with the verses that relate to making disciples and baptizing them and baptism being symbolic of sins being washed away, dying to sin, and being raised in new life?
They justify infant baptism by saying that it’s the new circumcision, and circumcision was done on infants.
It seems to me that they cannot square that with the verses I referenced. You can tell lies if you omit context. The Bible says the fool says there is no God but if you only say what the fool said, claiming that the Bible teaches that there is not God, without noting that the fool said it, you are communicating a lie.
You uh, didn’t reference any verses. What are you talking about?
I referenced the verses by description in my reply above to @Knight@lemm.ee. If you need chapter and verse: [Mat 28:19-20 ESV] 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [Rom 6:3-4 ESV] 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
