Spring Warrior Church of Christ
7432 S. Red Padgett Road
Perry, FL 32348
584-5176 Prove All Things Vol. 1 No. 34 | 
| “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21 |
Tarzan Underwear is Dangerous
by Bill Blue 9/26/01Only a parent knows the mind of a child, especially a parent who has tried to potty-train a two-year old boy. Lori and I are currently trying to potty-train William. We have tried everything. Currently we are simply putting underwear on William and hoping for the best. Should the worse occur, we hope that discomfort will (eventually?) persuade him that going in the potty is preferable to going in his undies. If parents are born as opposed to made, I clearly lack the potty-training gene. When Lori and I attempted to entice – persuade – order William to wear a pair of briefs adorned with the Lord of the Jungle, we were rebuffed with the wild and dramatic cry, "I can’t wear them; they’re dangerous!" I am presently searching the Internet to see if Depends makes sizes appropriate for little people. William does not understand the necessity of potty training. After all, everything has worked well for him so far. He goes. We change him. He goes again. What could possibly be easier and more convenient for him? Clearly, William is thinking as a child. One day, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, William will believe that he should use the potty. The Bible understands that people mature, and grow in knowledge (Heb. 5:12-6:2). The Bible describes those in need of instruction as "babes" (Heb. 5:13; 1 Cor. 3:1). Paul and the writer of Hebrews (quite possibly Paul again) use our familiarity with children as an illustration to describe new converts because we understand that babies are ignorant of many things they must learn to survive in this world such as walk, avoid hot stoves, and (hopefully) how to use toilets. Nonetheless, there are those who believe and teach that unless a baby is baptized, it will not go to heaven even if it dies as a baby. Thus, uninspired men have created the unbiblical doctrine of infant baptism. | Proponents of infant baptism argue: | The Bible says: | The Greek text of John 3:5, reads "Unless one is born of water and spirit…" not "unless a man is born of water and spirit." [Thus, because] A child is "one," [infants should be baptized.] | Acts 8:12, reads: "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." Does this mean that no babies were baptized because no babies believed? | "[N]owhere in Mark 16 does it say that believing and Baptism have to occur at the same time." | The Bible says belief must occur before baptism. "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may’" (Acts 8:36-37). The first converts, Simon and the other Samaritans, the Philippian Jailer, Crispus and the other Corinthians all believed before baptism (Acts 2:37-41; 8:12-13; 16:30-33; 18:8). Lydia also appears to have believed before baptism (Acts 16:14-15). | "Mark 16:15 states ‘Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature’ or ‘to all nations.’ That would certainly include children." | Read out of context it would also include dogs and cats, but we do not baptize them either (note the word "creature" in verse 15). The next verse, 16, concludes that, "he who does not believe will be condemned." Assume an infant is baptized, but does not believe. Will the infant go to hell, or should the text read, "He who believes not and is baptized will be saved?" | "Read Acts 16:15, 33, 18:8, 1 Cor. 1:16, where ‘whole households’ and ‘all of his family’ were baptized." | Nowhere in the Bible does one read that an infant or anyone incapable of understanding God’s word has been, or must be, baptized. Is it safe to assume that the word household necessarily includes children? Is it possible that these household did not include children? If that possibility exists, should we assume that children are present? | "For sure there is no biblical record that children were not baptized. …" | You cannot infer positive authority (i.e., a command) from Biblical silence (Heb. 7:14). For example, there is no Biblical record that children were given miraculous abilities like the Apostles, or divine inspiration like many other Christians. Are we free to assume from this silence that children received these abilities? | "St. Paul tells us that Baptism for Christians replaces circumcision, yet circumcision made even children God’s chosen people." | In the Old Testament, only males were circumcised. Does this mean that only males should be baptized, and that only males are going to heaven? Furthermore, there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that Baptism alone (with belief, confession, and repentance) accomplishes anything. |
The Bible describes baptism as an "elementary principle" that must be taught (Heb. 6:1-2). Philip undoubtedly explained baptism to the Ethiopian Eunuch because Philip had to explain the necessity of belief before baptism (Acts 8:36-37). William is having a difficult time understanding the necessity of toilet training and wearing underwear. As his father, I am confident he cannot appreciate the necessity of baptism, what it accomplishes, or why. William believes wearing Tarzan underwear is dangerous, but he will survive this. However, teaching people that infant baptism saves children, now that is dangerous. | |
