BAPTISM IS FOR BELIEVERS ONLY
Acts 8:36-37

Don Fortner

A friend wrote to me the other day asking, 'Where is a single verse to be found in the Bible that forbids the baptism of infants?" immediately, I thought of a local fiasco in which men and women had their pets "baptized" at a special service held at one of the local "churches" called "a pet dedication service." So I wrote to my friend, "The baptism of infants is forbidden in the verse just below the one that forbids animal baptism!" Once men and churches allow the practice of anything not expressly forbidden in the Scriptures. There is no end to the inventions they will make and incorporate into the worship of God. It takes no more than a visit to a Roman Catholic or Episcopal Church to confirm that fact.

The basis of our faith and practice is not what the Bible does not say, but what it does say. It is as much a denial of the authority of Holy Scripture to introduce non-biblical practices into the worship of God as it is to openly deny the Scriptures (Rev. 22:18-19). Baptism (immersion) is to be administered to believers only (not believers and their children) for these two reasons:

1. The Scriptures forbid the baptism of any who are not believers (Acts 8:36-37).
2. All who were baptized in the New Testament were immersed as a personal profession of faith in Christ and identification with him, his people, and his gospel (Rom. 6:4-6).

There is absolutely no evidence in the Word of God that John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus Christ, or any of his disciples ever baptized any children. And baptism was always performed where there was plenty of water, by immersion. Baptism is a burial, or immersion; and it takes a lot of water to bury an adult.

Don Fortner is pastor of
Grace Baptist Church
Danville, KY