Bible Questions Answered:
“...the Bible proof of infant
baptism, is the story of Lydia!....”
Cort/ Berlin, Germany
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Acts 16:11-15 NLT (Philippian
convert, Lydia and her household.)
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and
sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day
we landed at Neapolis.
12 From there we reached Philippi, a
major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we
stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went a little
way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be
meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had
gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant
of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to
us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and
she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true
believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.”
And she urged us until we agreed.
Lydia, was a
Gentile convert to the preaching of the Apostle Paul. She “worshiped
God,” but did not know about the Savior, Jesus Christ.
She accepted the
Lord Jesus, and “she was baptized along with other members of her
household.”
Lydia, many
believe, was a widow. Why, because she was involved in the industry
of selling Purple cloth. This she no doubt, dyed herself, and sold.
This was not, by her choice, but of necessity, because she was
without a husband. This was how she feed herself and her family.
Being that as it
may, the members of her household, were not infants, in the
First Place, we are not told that they were, and in the Second
Place, no Godly mother would forsake her infants to work down
at the riverside dying cloth, not knowing how her babies were. And
in the Third Place, because of the Apostle Paul's
formula for salvation!
Her children must
have been of some age, perhaps in their teens.
HERE IS THE APOSTLE
PAUL'S SALVATION COMMAND, THE VERY SAME MAN, THAT
BAPTIZED LYDIA:
Romans 10:9,10
KJV (The Apostle Paul, tells us who are SAVED.)
9 That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
What Christian, can
say before the risen Lord Jesus, “Oh yes, an infant can do these
things?”
It is the “saved,”
that are baptized, any speculation here? Of course not!
Lydia, and her
household, believed, and were baptized.
Now all that is
true in Lydia's story, is also true of the Jailer and his household!
Acts 16:25-34
NLT (Be sure to read the whole story, verses 16-31.) (The Apostle
Paul speaks again!)
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas
were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were
listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive
earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the
doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell
off!
27 The jailer woke up to see the
prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he
drew his sword to kill himself.
28 But Paul shouted to
him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and
ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and
asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”(Young
and old-ed.)
31 They replied, “Believe in
the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your
household.” (Salvation
Formula.)
32 And they shared the word of
the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.
33 Even at that hour of the night,
the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and
everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
34 He brought them into his house
and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced
because they all believed in God.
First:
The Word of God, Second: Belief, Third:
Baptism (Outward confession of their faith.)
See also the blog posting: ... Baptism-Infant
