This is the final post, concluding Bob Vincents’ “A Biblical Response to John MacArthur, Jr’s – ‘Baptism, A Matter Of Obedience” I will then post (on Wednesday) our teaching position and practice regarding baptism at Grace.

John MacArthur, Jr.’s Assertion Number 1. “Point number one, and this ought to end the argument: infant baptism is not in Scripture.”

If what I have written above is true—and before God, as a student of Scripture for over forty years, I believe that it is—then when one examines the cases of baptism in the New Testament, he comes with a different bias than does Mr. MacArthur and assumes that there were sometimes infants and small children present in those houses, infants who are part of the visible church, just as much as they were under the Old Testament, and in a judgment of charity like that Paul made of some of the notorious sinners at Corinth, these little ones are called believers.

It is important to remember that we all have biases that shape how we look at things. If Mr. MacArthur doesn’t acknowledge that about his views, he is simply naive. That doesn’t mean that he’s dishonest, but one should not forget that Mr. MacArthur is part of the Independent Fundamental Churches of America, and those roots in Fundamentalism, with its unbalanced view of the discontinuity of the two Testaments, color his approach to biblical texts every bit as much as do mine.

God instituted the family, and it is God’s purpose to save not only individuals, but families as well. As we have seen above in dealing with Mr. MacArthur’s misunderstanding regarding baptism and circumcision, this was not only true in the Old Testament, it is also true in the New. Paul said to the Philippian jailer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 .) That is why circumcision was placed not only on those who professed faith, but on their descendants as well. That is why we read in the New Testament—not only of individual, adult believers being baptized, but of their households being baptized, too. Thus we find that the Holy Spirit recorded the baptism not only of the Philippian jailer, but of his entire family as well. (Acts 16:33 .) And concerning Lydia we read, “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.” (Acts 16:15 .) Paul, in mentioning the matter of baptism and its relative unimportance in comparison to the preaching of the gospel, remembers Stephanas’ family: “Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.” (1 Corinthians 1:16.) Since we have seen that Scripture teaches that circumcision and baptism are essentially the same ordinances, how can anyone teach that there were no infants present in these households?

What does it mean to have the mark of God’s ownership placed on a child? Does it mean that he is automatically a believer? No, it means that God has promised to call his people from among our descendants. We express our faith in God’s promise by presenting our little ones for baptism. God commanded Abraham to circumcise both Ishmael and Isaac in Genesis 17, yet Ishmael remained a lost man; it was with Isaac alone that God established his covenant. (Genesis 17:19.) Isaac in turn had two sons, Jacob and Esau; both received the sign of God favor, and yet God’s favor was on Jacob alone.

Paul’s comment on this is striking: ‘Rebecca’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”’ (Romans 9:18.)

In Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, we find him stressing that the glorious Old Testament truth remains in effect, that it is still God’s purpose to save not only individuals, but families as well. Yet Peter reminds his hearers that God’s sovereign purpose is always the deciding factor: “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39 .)

God makes his gospel covenant with Abraham and his descendants ultimately with only one descendant of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ. “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16.)

No one, therefore, is a child of Abraham and heir of the divine, covenant promises but the one who has been united with Christ by faith. If we know the Lord Jesus, we are Abraham’s descendants: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28, 29.) “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” (Romans 4:16.)