Head coverings

[Guest]

I was not aware that infant baptism could be demonstrated to have apostolic origins. Since the apostles' writings never suggest any knowledge of the practice, it would seem impossible to show that they believed in it. I am interested in seeing the evidence, however.

[Guest]

Infant baptism can easily be associated with the first century of Christianity. It is alluded to in several places like the martyrdom of Polycarp. Additionaly the fact that it was undisputed and the mainstream practice of second century Christianity implies that debate was significantly prior to then.

[Guest]

Infant baptism can easily be associated with the first century of Christianity. It is eluded to in several places like the martyrdom of Polycarp. Additionaly the fact that it was undisputed and the mainstream practice of second century Christianity implies that debate was significantly prior to then.

If I remember correctly, Tertullian in A.D. 200 condemns both the baptizing of the dead and of infants.

[Guest]

British Monks in the 6th century delayed baptism until people professed faith.

2 centuries later Paulicians said that anyone who is baptized, it should be upon his request.

[Guest]

I didn't intend to turn this thread into a discussion of infant baptism (which I don't mind discussing elsewhere in a thread devoted to it), and I only used this as an example of a practice that was essentially universal in the church for most of its history, but not demonstrably of apostolic origin.

If there are allusions to infant baptism in Polycarp, this still only takes us back to post apostolic times. The fact that the church a generation or two after the apostles taught and practiced a thing does not tell us whether the apostles themselves taught or would have approved of the practice.

The Galatian Christians defected into Judaistic legalism, only weeks after Paul had left them. The Corinthians, within a similar period after Paul's departure, had antinomians and those who denied the doctrine of the resurrection in their midst. Some of the churches in Asia had serious errors in their practices during the lifetime of John (as per Revelation 2-3).

If these things all entered the churches while the apostles were alive, it is impossible to know which practices originated in the churches a generation later, when the apostles were dead and unable to bring further correction—except by appeal to their writings. We see, for example, monarchial bishops in the time of Ignatius (115 AD), shortly after John's death, but they certainly represent a significant departure from the apostles' teaching about overseers (bishops).

If something as fundamental as the paradigm of church leadership underwent such a corruption in a decade or two after the death of the last apostle, then there is every reason to believe that something like infant baptism, which lacks any basis in the apostolic writings, could have crept in during the same period.

Therefore, I think my original statement, that this practice cannot be shown to have apostolic sanction, remains valid.

[Guest]

Xerocracy, would you please give the references to infant baptism in "The Martyrdom of Polycarp". I have been unable to find any. Please share with us any other references to infant baptism in either the first or second century. In all of my reading, I have never encountered even one.

[Guest]

Paidion,
The allusion to infant baptism in The Martyrdom of Polycarp is
" Polycarp said, "Eighty-six years have I been His servant, and He has done me no wrong."
Nowhere in ancient Christianity was this idea that our life as a Christian started somewhere with an 'age of accountability' as is the popular modern custom.
Tertullian was not an orthodox voice on the subject as he was involved in what was deemed a heretical sect aka the montanists so i would not base christian practice of that period on his perspective.
Ill refrain from a more lengthy comment as I did not intend to hijack this post and redirect the topic, i just didnt want to miss the opportunity to respond to Steve's comment on the subject. Perhaps it is enough of a topic of interest to create a post to further develp this thread.