Are Infants Eligible? (2)

Yesterday, we began to see if infants are eligible. Earlier on we already considered the second passage that describes the baptism of a whole household – that of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16.

“And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.”

From this passage we learn the following three facts:

1. Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to the jailer and all who were in his house (v. 32).
2. He and all his family were baptised (v. 33).
3. He and his whole household believed (v. 34).

This shows us that all could meet personally the New Testament conditions for baptism and that there were no infants among them.

Neither in the household of Cornelius nor in the household of the Philippian jailer nor anywhere else in the New Testament is there any suggestion that infants were ever considered eligible for baptism.