Faith and Household Baptism

Infant baptism is supported by Catholics with verses where households were baptized. We would respond that the households contextually referred to people old enough to fear God and be taught, and old enough to worship. Household baptism could include Noah's family where no babes were in the context.

Even the Catholic versions of scripture point out the context is people of a little age, not infants.

House of Cornelius

Douay Rheims version

Act 10:2  A religious man, and fearing God with all his house, giving much alms to the people and always praying to God. 

Notice his household feared God, not infants.

House of Jailor

Act 16:34  And when he had brought them into his own house, he laid the table for them: and rejoiced with all his house, believing God. 

The whole household feared, rejoiced, and believed.-  "with all his house"

House of Stephanas

1Co 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

This begs the question, were there infants among those families and if so it would appear they were contextually left out of the story,it mentions those who feared, rejoiced, and believed.

It was common for the term house or whole house to exclude infants.

Pentecost

Acts 2:36 let all the House of Israel Know assuredly God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ

Context is those old enough to" know assuredly" or understand who Jesus is.

Your Children

Baptism was for those called

Acts 2:39

as many as the Lord our God shall call....

The word children here is used of those adopting the parents faith. The word can be used of child of God, child of the devil, or a child following a parents spiritual teaching. The word doesn't imply infant at all. It doesn't imply a child who turns from the faith.

Stephanus

1Co 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

Old enough to addict themselves to ministry.

Abraham

Abraham was to command his children, meaning they had to be old enough to learn

Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

The term house or household is often used of those old enough to learn and execute commands.

House of Israel

Old enough to offer an oblation and take a vow. Old enough to bring a "free will" offering.

Lev 22:18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;

The term house, household, House of Israel often leaves babies out of the context

Lev 10:6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

Those old enough to bewail...

Just do a search for house of Israel and see how many verses refer to those older, not the infants.

Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Old enough to have Laws in their minds and recipricate in the covenant,

If you can teach others the term house or household did not imply infants you will do well. People need to be educated using Acts 10:2 and similar verses.

Also the word many scholars say only means infant is used of Timothy knowing the scriptures. Brephos

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

It could be a child old enough to know the scriptures were from God.

This is common in scripture where common sense is used to leave out subsets of a group that do not apply contextually. It is obvious that infants aren't in mind in these passages.

Consider Matthew 28:18-20

Mat 28:19  Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. 

It seems the nations baptized were those taught. Another verse that is more conclusive is Mark 16:15-16

Mar 16:15  And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. 

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall he condemned. 

Notice "every creature", it could not include infants because they can't be taught until old enough. You can teach every creature as they age to maturity. You can preach to them but they can't understand yet. Those taught and  baptized were those who could believe. To fulfill the context of teaching every creature you would have to wait until they are old enough to understand.

This is similar to Genesis 18:19 where Abraham was to command his children and his household. Commands aren't possible till the person is old enough to obey.

Thus, in scripture whether dealing with the great commission passages or the household passages it is not contextually applying to infants who can't be taught,, fear, believe, or rejoice.

Thus, we do not teach faith only without baptism, nor do we teach a baptism without faith as do Catholics and some protestants.

We teach baptism is after faith in the Gospel. It corresponds to the new birth, not physical birth like circumcision.

Every creature must achieve faith before baptism in Christ's commission. No exceptions are considered in these passages

Mar 16:15  And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to "every creature". 

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved:

There is one other verse to be covered.

I Corinthians 10:1-4

All were baptized in the cloud and the sea...

Catholics take this to include infants, but the Greek word "all" is referring to those Fathers who were then alive, who some sinned. Not referring to the infants.

"But with many of them God was not well pleased..."