Relationship Betw. Circumcision/Infant Baptism #2

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the paedobaptist argument for infant baptism based on Genesis 17, Romans 4:11, and Colossians 2:11, then outlines three main positions on the relationship between…

Martin uses diagrams to visually represent the paedobaptist understanding of continuity between Old Covenant Israel (marked by circumcision) and New Covenant Israel (marked by baptism), both considered the Church, including believers and their children.

Then in the paedobaptist position, there's a recognition of the truth of continuity between the Old Covenant Israel, which they would also call the Church, and the New Covenant Israel, which they call the Church as well, of course. And this New Covenant Israel. This New Covenant Israel was marked out by baptism in water, H2O. Baptism in water, even as the original Israel was marked out by circumcision of the body.

5:18 - 5:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the paedobaptist argument for infant baptism based on Genesis 17, Romans 4:11, and Colossians 2:11, then outlines three main positions on the relationship between…

He illustrates the dispensationalist view with a 'big iron wall' separating Israel and the Church, emphasizing their distinctness and the national vs. spiritual significance of circumcision and baptism, respectively.

Now the dispensationalist perspective, now, there may be, I'm speaking now, I recognize that there are all shades of dispensationalists. And so some of them may hear what I'm saying this morning and say, that's not my position. Well, I'll admit that that's true. Probably there are some who would say, this is definitely not my position.

6:52 - 7:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the paedobaptist argument for infant baptism based on Genesis 17, Romans 4:11, and Colossians 2:11, then outlines three main positions on the relationship between…

Martin presents the Reformed Baptist perspective, showing Old Covenant Israel (Jews circumcised in body) and New Covenant Israel (the Church, disciples of Christ, Abraham's seed, characterized by circumcision of heart symbolized by baptism).

It's a reformed baptism. It's a reformed baptism. And the difference is here that Old Covenant Israel, of course, equals the Jews and their children, or just the Jews. And we'll deal later with the covenant idea.

8:52 - 9:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He identifies the recipients of this spiritual circumcision as the church at Colossae, whose distinguishing trait is circumcision of heart. Martin then addresses the complex…

He highlights the difficulty of interpreting Colossians 2:11-12 by reading different translations (ASV, KJV, RSV) to show how they handle the grammatical connection between the verses, underscoring the complexity of the Greek participle.

And this can perhaps be underscored by the fact that the RSV, the KJV, and the ASV, three generally regarded as pretty reliable translations, all translate this text differently. I've already read to you from the ASV. Now I'd like to read to you from the King James. And some of you who have a King James may have already said, that's not what my Bible said.

18:45 - 19:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He presents the paedobaptist position, exemplified by Warfield, which equates the circumcision in Colossians 2:11 with baptism. Martin refutes this, arguing that baptism, being…

Martin quotes B.B. Warfield to represent the paedobaptist position that baptism is the 'Christ-ordained circumcision' and replaces physical circumcision, serving as a direct counterpoint to his own exegesis.

I've selected him because he's writing on the polemics of infant baptism. I've selected Warfield, selected shorter writings. And because he's generally recognized as a responsible exegete and proponent of infant baptism. Now here's what he says.

31:29 - 31:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Human hands are the agency in baptism. No one was baptized yet, as far as I know, without the agency of human hands, any more than anyone was circumcised without the agency of human hands.

He quotes Jewett to acknowledge the element of truth in the paedobaptist view: that baptism and circumcision symbolize the same inner reality and that baptism is the Old Testament counterpart to Christian baptism, thus finding common ground before making distinctions.

And Jewett on page 89 of Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace makes the following statement. He says in commenting on this, The only conclusion we can reach is that the two signs, baptism and circumcision, as outward rites symbolize the same inner reality in Paul's thinking. Thus circumcision may be fairly said to be the Old Testament counterpart of Christian baptism. So far, the reformed argument in our judgment is biblical.

34:58 - 35:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Circumcision was a type of what should come, Christ being cut off and also of regeneration, Colossians 2.11. Whereas baptism is not a type of what is to come, but is an outward sign or manifestation of what is inwardly w…

Martin quotes Isaac Backus to articulate the Reformed Baptist distinction: circumcision was a type of what *should come* (Christ, regeneration), while baptism is an outward sign of what is *already inwardly wrought*.

Now, what I'm saying is nothing new. It's been around in Reformed Baptist circles for several hundred years. And I would like to now quote from Isaac Bacchus. And I'm indebted to one of the members of our congregation for giving me this book.

39:59 - 40:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But baptism is not a type that the subject shall be converted, but an open sign or witness that he is so.

He quotes Pierre Marcel's assertion that Baptists teach circumcision has a purely national significance, using it as a disclaimer to clarify that not all Baptists (specifically Reformed Baptists) hold this view.

And thus, the worthy subject in attending that ordinance declares that he is and he has been crucified with Christ and is made dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, I would just like to conclude this morning and to conclude this teaching or conclude this consideration of the relation between baptism and circumcision by saying the following. I want to make a disclaimer. It is often said, and I believe rightly so, and this is one of the things that's said by Pierre Marcel in his book on the Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, page 82 and other places. He says that Bap...

42:47 - 43:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid being narrow-minded Baptists and recognize the broader theological implications of doctrinal questions like infant baptism.

Martin quotes Charles Hodge to emphasize that the debate over infant baptism is fundamentally about the conception of the church, requiring a view that includes believers and their children, thus broadening the scope of the discussion.

I hope this doesn't bore you because I hope you can see that there's a lot more to the question. Now Charles Hodge makes the following point. He says that if we're to justify infant baptism, we must be able to come up with such a conception of the church that will include believers, believers and their children. So that there's much more at stake here than simply the Biblical teaching concerning the subjects of baptism and the significance of baptism and the sacraments.

45:04 - 45:33 Read in full sermon