Ligon Duncan Tells Me Where I'm Wrong on Infant Baptism
Dec 15, 2021
auto_awesome
Ligon Duncan, an expert in infant baptism, joins Russell Moore to discuss the importance of baptism and its historical context. They explore the significance of the Abrahamic covenant, the differences between Baptist and Presbyterian beliefs, and the distinction between baptism and the Lord's Supper. Duncan also shares his perspective on nominal Christianity and the challenges it poses.
Baptism is a passive rite of initiation into the family of God, while the Lord's Supper requires active participation and understanding.
Theological rationales behind admitting children to baptism but not the Lord's Supper relate to faith, covenant promises, and the role of providence.
Regardless of the theological view on infant baptism, it is crucial to prioritize ongoing discipleship and an active relationship with God to combat religious nominalism.
Deep dives
The Difference Between Baptism and the Lord's Supper
The conversation explores the distinction between the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. While baptism is seen as a passive rite of initiation into the family of God, the Lord's Supper requires active participation and understanding. The discussion highlights the nature of these sacraments and the theological rationales behind admitting children to baptism but not to the Lord's Supper. The importance of faith, covenant promises, and the role of providence in shaping a child's religious upbringing are also discussed.
The Continuity and Discontinuity of the New Covenant
The conversation delves into the significance of Jeremiah 31 in understanding the continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants. The theological perspectives of paedobaptism and credobaptism are analyzed in relation to the Abrahamic covenant and the promises made to believers and their children. The discussion emphasizes the belief that baptism symbolizes God's grace and our faith response, rather than presuming regeneration or salvation solely through the act itself.
Avoiding Nominalism and Cultivating Faith
The conversation addresses the challenge of avoiding religious nominalism, regardless of the theological view on infant baptism. It explores the importance of a child's exposure to the means of grace and the responsibility of families to nurture their children in the faith. It is noted that faith cannot be presumed solely based on a child's religious upbringing, but requires personal faith and conversion. The conversation highlights the need to prioritize ongoing discipleship and an active relationship with God in order to combat nominalism.
Children and the Passover Analogy
The conversation briefly touches on the participation of children in the Passover ceremony in the Old Testament, acknowledging that there may have been age-related limitations. The distinction between baptism and the Lord's Supper is reinforced, emphasizing the passive nature of baptism and the active participation required in the Lord's Supper. The different standards for these sacraments are based on theological reasoning and the specific roles they play within the church.
Praying for Future Generations
The conversation concludes by discussing the importance of praying for future generations, acknowledging the responsibility of parents and churches to pray for the spiritual well-being of children and grandchildren. This highlights the crucial role of intergenerational faithfulness and passing on the Christian faith to future generations.
Ligon Duncan and Russell Moore agree on a lot of things, but baptism isn’t one of them. While Moore comes from a believers’ baptism tradition, Duncan practices infant baptism.
On this episode of The Russell Moore Show, Duncan answers questions about the importance of baptism and how the Christian understanding of baptism has changed over time. He shares his perspective on the mode of baptism, the efficacy of the sacraments, and the importance of commitment regardless of denomination. He describes infant and adult baptisms within his Presbyterian context and explains how baptism is a passive rite and the Lord’s Supper is an active rite.
Listen in for great questions and a robust yet digestible discussion of one of our most dearly held Christian sacraments.
“The Russell Moore Show” is a production of Christianity Today
