Baptism Series Part 2: Who is Baptism For?

This will probably be my most controversial post yet, so I don't apologize in advance. Who is Holy Baptism for? Some people say infants, some say adults. Is this an either/or subject or a both/and subject? Lutherans say that this is a both/and subject. Baptism is for infants as well as for adults. How do we come to this conclusion, you may ask? It's simple. From Scripture. The first question we must ask is this: Is Baptism something we do or something God does? St. Paul says in Titus 3:4-7: "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness,
but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Something worth noting in this discussion is that in the original Greek which the New Testament was written in, all of the verses dealing with Baptism have passive verbs, indicating that the person being baptized did absolutely nothing in the act. Martin Luther, in his Large Catechism, said this regarding Baptism: "For to be baptized in the name of God is to be baptized not by men, but by God Himself. Therefore, although it is performed by human hands, it is nevertheless truly God's own work. Thus you see plainly that there is here no work done by us, but a treasure which He gives us, and which faith apprehends; just as the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross is not a work, but a treasure comprehended in the Word, and offered to us and received by faith."

Now that we have that answered, the next question is: What does Baptism do? Luther's Small Catechism says: "It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation..." Wait. Does that say "Give eternal salvation"? Are you saying that Baptism saves us? That's exactly what I'm saying? But someone will say, "That makes Baptism a work!" See my last point to clear up that misunderstanding. And although I believe, teach, and confess that, I am only affirming what Scripture says. St. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21: "Baptism now saves you..." It can't get clearer than that. 

If you like this, leave a comment or if you have a question, feel free to leave a comment as well!

God bless,
Manny