Infant Baptism Reason

It is pretty certain infant baptism was added in Christianity after the Apostles passed. It was not an original doctrine. Augustine gives some insight into the reasoning behind its adoption.

Augustine saw adults being baptized who were spiritual babes, they were ignorant of much of the Gospel.

In his mind, if God could baptize the partially ignorant adult he could baptize the fully ignorant infant. In his mind grace would be necessary and able over both.

The problem is that partial ignorance implies partial knowledge, so that the adult is taught the basics of the Gospel before baptism. A person doesn't have to know the entire Bible to be baptized. Grace did not cover that ignorance as if ignorance was a sin, but grace made sure the basics were revealed first.

Pelagius saw baptism as a necessary act with obedience.

There can be no doubt, he says, that not all men are sanctified by the righteousness of Christ, but only those who are willing to obey Him, and have been cleansed in the washing of His baptism.

Augustine countered that Christ justified all men, but the chapter he quoted was justification through faith.It actually proves Pelagius' point. Augustine quoted,

As by the offense of one, he says, upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One, upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:18

If you notice the justification in Romans 5 is justification by faith.

Rom 5:1  ThereforeG3767 being justifiedG1344 byG1537 faith,G4102 we haveG2192 peaceG1515 withG4314 GodG2316 throughG1223 ourG2257 LordG2962 JesusG2424 Christ:G5547

It isn't justification for infants, even though it says "all men" since it was unto all and not completed in all. Also, the Greek word upon is eis, which means toward.

"toward (upon) all men", the Gospel is preached to men at the age they are ready to hear and believe, therefore it is toward all but not necessarily at the age of infancy. Augustine used Romans 5:18 as completed in all while Pelagius realized it only said toward all.

Compare Acts 2:39, it is toward those hundreds or thousands of years in the future, as many as God calls.

Act 2:39  ForG1063 theG3588 promiseG1860 isG2076 unto you,G5213 andG2532 to yourG5216 children,G5043 andG2532 to allG3956 thatG3588 are afar off,G1519 G3112 even as many asG3745 G302 the LordG2962 ourG2257 GodG2316 shall call.G4341

As you can see Augustine twisted the scriptures to include infant baptism, Pelagius believed in grace, justification by Christ, and sanctification; but showed not all men are justified, only that it was toward all men.

To be completed men must seek obedience and baptism.