03-01-2008, 02:02 PM
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 | PCA Pastor | | Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Katy, Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Presbyterian Deacon  Quote:
Originally Posted by fredtgreco Every PCA church should use discipline with its members with respect to infant baptism. The question is how that discipline should be carried out. Discipline takes many forms - from the informal to the formal. From counsel to excommunication.
My personal opinion would be to permit a non-paedobaptist to join (in light of the PCA's sole requirement of a credible profession of faith, and not confessional subscription by members) and to exhort, counsel and encourage (pastoral discipline) families to not neglect infant baptism.
More often than not, a family that stays committed to a PCA church for a length of time where tolerance is exhibited, but the truth of the Scripture is consistently and unashamedly proclaimed from the pulpit and in education classes, will come to adopt paedobaptism. | Pastor Greco:
I agree, and have seen this to be true in my own experience. When I joined the Presbyterian Church in 1996, I was still a craedo-baptist. By the time my son was born a year later, through much personal study and pastoral teaching and counsel, I had become convinced of the truth of covenant baptism of infants. So much so, that I had my son baptised on the 8th day.
A wonderful book, instrumental in my understanding and adopting the paedo position is: Children of the Promise: The Biblical Case for Infant Baptism, by Robert R. Booth (P&R Publishers) 1995. | Sterling,
I agree. My experience was similar. We joined a PCA church in 1996 as well. I distinctly remember telling the pastor that "He would never baptize my kids." We found out a couple of months later that my wife was expecting. I did a comprehensive study on the topic, reading just about everything that there was (including several resources not in print) and became a paedobaptist. A couple of years later I was ordained an elder. Now I am a pastor, and more convinced than ever. But I realize that not everyone sees the doctrine, and I seek to teach them with patience.
__________________ Fredrick T. Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX) Christ Church Blog "The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle) |