Sudden realization of paedo conversion!!

[MRC]

My mother-in-law has not ever been baptized, even though she is a confessing believer. At times in the 6 years I have known her I have tried to teach her the doctrine of baptism (antipaedobaptism that is), but something continues to stop her. Yesterday, we were having a little discussion about her getting baptized (last time was over a year ago) when she tells me she was in a Lutheran church for the first four years of her life. It occurs to me she might have been baptized as an infant and so I told her to ask her Dad if she was. I told her that if she was then she was baptized properly according to my understanding of the scriptures. Now, both she and I are antipaedobaptists and so she did not think that I was right. So, I started teaching her why I thought baptizing infants was biblical. After some talking, the conversation moved on with me encouraging her to ask her Dad if she was baptized as an infant.

Then it hit me: I was teaching paedobaptism like I believed it. Then it really hit me: I do believe it! That must mean I am a paedobaptist!! How did that happen? Well, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, articles written by godly teachers from seminaries and a number of conversations with some of you folks (you know who you are). Praise God for your willingness to engage a brother with questions, and pray that the Lord would continue to deepen my understanding, appreciation and obedience to His glorious doctrine of baptism.

The only issue left for me to resolve is: I have an unbaptized 3 yo boy, nearly 2 yo boy and another on the way in June, and we are currently active members of an antipaedobaptist church. This is going to require some prayer...

 

[Grace Alone]

Mike, that is very exciting!

I am replying because a man in our church is currently in seminary, but he became reformed while a Baptist. When he and his family joined our ARP church, they had their two youngest children baptized (elementary school age) as he also came to a paedobaptist understanding. Obviously that made it easier for him since he was changing to a presbyterian church. I'll be interested to hear the responses to your question!

 

[MW]

Thankyou for the news. As you note, this is just the beginning, and many challenges lay ahead. May our gracious God grant you wisdom and strength as you move forward in obedience to this convction, and also as you continue to help your mother-in-law.

 

[Iconoclast]

???

My mother-in-law has not ever been baptized, even though she is a confessing believer. At times in the 6 years I have known her I have tried to teach her the doctrine of baptism (antipaedobaptism that is), but something continues to stop her. Yesterday, we were having a little discussion about her getting baptized (last time was over a year ago) when she tells me she was in a Lutheran church for the first four years of her life. It occurs to me she might have been baptized as an infant and so I told her to ask her Dad if she was. I told her that if she was then she was baptized properly according to my understanding of the scriptures. Now, both she and I are antipaedobaptists and so she did not think that I was right. So, I started teaching her why I thought baptizing infants was biblical. After some talking, the conversation moved on with me encouraging her to ask her Dad if she was baptized as an infant.

Then it hit me: I was teaching paedobaptism like I believed it. Then it really hit me: I do believe it! That must mean I am a paedobaptist!! How did that happen? Well, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, articles written by godly teachers from seminaries and a number of conversations with some of you folks (you know who you are). Praise God for your willingness to engage a brother with questions, and pray that the Lord would continue to deepen my understanding, appreciation and obedience to His glorious doctrine of baptism.

The only issue left for me to resolve is: I have an unbaptized 3 yo boy, nearly 2 yo boy and another on the way in June, and we are currently active members of an antipaedobaptist church. This is going to require some prayer...

Hello ,
You stated this;Now, both she and I are antipaedobaptists and so she did not think that I was right.
?????
So as an "antipadeobaptist" she refused to believe Jesus command to believe and be baptised,for all of these years??? Sounds like she was more of an "anti-credo baptist "also!
So rather than confront her on why she refuses to obey the command of scripture, you find a solution in a theological construct that she had not really laid claim too.
You might hold to that teaching now, but this seems like an odd way to come to this conclusion. I could understand if you are liking the logic,and historical position offered by some of the reformers and brothers in here.
what was her reason for not wanting to be baptized?

 

[MRC]

Hello ,
You stated this;Now, both she and I are antipaedobaptists and so she did not think that I was right.
?????
So as an "antipadeobaptist" she refused to believe Jesus command to believe and be baptised,for all of these years??? Sounds like she was more of an "anti-credo baptist "also!
So rather than confront her on why she refuses to obey the command of scripture, you find a solution in a theological construct that she had not really laid claim too.
You might hold to that teaching now, but this seems like an odd way to come to this conclusion. I could understand if you are liking the logic,and historical position offered by some of the reformers and brothers in here.
what was her reason for not wanting to be baptized?

I used a narrative approach as I wanted to share with people on this board an unexpected way that I realized I agreed with the doctrine of paedobaptism. I was, by default, not just a credobaptist, but an antipaedobaptist, since the time the Lord gave me faith. The point of this story was not to discuss the conversation I had with my mother-in-law, but to share how I came to realize I no longer held to an antipaedobaptist perspective.

To answer your question: I would suggest that credobaptists are generally by default antipaedobaptists (I was) so by default (having not thought it through but accepted what our baptist teachers told us early in our faith) both of us were antipaedobaptists. I was surprised that my argument for paedobaptism for her was not "a solution in a theological construct that she had not really laid claim too", but I was genuinely trying to show her why I was convicted that paedobaptism was a biblical doctrine and, therefore, if she was also convicted of paedobaptism she could understand herself as already having fulfilled the command to be baptized.