Martin Luther on Baptizing Babies


“You say you don’t baptize children because they don’t believe. Why do you preach the Word to adults who don’t believe, unless perhaps in the hope that they may believe? You do it on the strength of God’s command alone. For if you baptize me because I say I believe, then you baptize on account of me and in my name. Therefore, since you don’t know whether I believe or don’t believe, you do it only because of God’s command. It isn’t necessary to exclude children, since as a rule you baptize all, whether they believe or not. It would be a terrible thing if I were baptized on the strength of my confession.”

– Martin Luther (Table Talk No. 549) on paedobaptism

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4 thoughts on “Martin Luther on Baptizing Babies

  1. In my church tradition, infant baptism is the norm. We see it as an adoption of the individual into the community of faith – a community who takes on the responsibility to nurture and guide that individual’s faith as they grow.

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  2. Pingback: Luther on the Estate of Marriage. Part 1 | De Profundis Clamavi ad Te, Domine

  3. Я не крещёный и скорее атеист. Но атеистские взгляды приобретены в процессе жизни. Сейчас я осознанно поверить в Бога не могу. Как же быть с младенцем? Или нужно говорить о крещении младенцев, как о Божьей защите до взросления и осмысленное принятие Бога (крещение) ставши взрослым?

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