The Case for Believers’ Baptism
In the Nicene Creed, the Church confesses “one baptism.” Yet throughout history, the Church has held differing views on how, whom, and when to baptise—and even what baptism means.
In recent years, many who have joined Jubilee have come from denominations with different teachings on baptism. For that reason, it seems both wise and transparent to set out our own position, particularly in relation to infant baptism and the practice of later confirmation, as is common in some Christian traditions.
Our aim is not to criticise or diminish the practices of other churches, but to reaffirm what we, as elders of Jubilee, believe is taught by Jesus and the New Testament. Our intent is to offer a thoughtful understanding of baptism, so that new believers and members can seriously consider believers’ baptism for themselves.
Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, once said,
“There is on earth no greater comfort than baptism.”
When facing temptation, Luther was known to proclaim aloud, “I am baptised! I am baptised!” He wasn’t claiming salvation because of the act itself but rather taking comfort and strength in what baptism proclaimed: the visible sign of an invisible, inner reality—salvation in Christ.
For Luther, baptism was an objective, public declaration of faith in Jesus, something witnessed by both people and spiritual powers. Yet despite his high view of baptism, Luther himself was a paedobaptist (one who baptises infants). He was baptised as a baby not in response to personal faith, but on the faith of his parents, trusting that one day he would confirm that faith for himself, which he did.
So, with deep respect for Luther and countless others through history who have practised infant baptism, let us now consider why we believe believers’ baptism provides a more consistent and biblically faithful understanding of this sacrament.
Understanding Infant Baptism
Those who practise infant baptism generally base their view on three main arguments:
1. Infants were circumcised under the Old Covenant
In the Old Testament, circumcision was the outward sign of belonging to God’s covenant people, Israel. Male infants were circumcised at eight days old, marking their entrance into the community.
2. Baptism is the New Covenant equivalent of circumcision
If circumcision was the Old Covenant’s outward sign, baptism is viewed as the New Covenant’s outward sign. Therefore, if entrance into the covenant people once came through circumcision, it follows—so the argument goes—that infants should likewise be baptised as a sign of inclusion in God’s covenant people.
Colossians 2:11–12 is often used to support this idea:
“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands… having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.”
3. Household baptisms in the New Testament
Supporters of infant baptism also point to the New Testament references of “household baptisms,” such as:
Acts 18:8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptised.
· Lydia (Acts 16:14–15)
· The Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33)
· The household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:16)
They argue that these examples imply infants or children were included when entire households were baptised.
Believers’ Baptism (Credobaptism)
Let us now respond briefly to these three arguments before outlining five key biblical moments that support believers’ baptism.
The assumption that baptism should be applied to infants because circumcision was applied to infants relies on an external understanding of covenant membership. Yet in Romans 2, Paul makes it clear that true covenant membership is not about outward signs but an inward transformation of the heart.
In the Old Testament, people entered God’s covenant community by physical birth. In the New Testament, entrance is through spiritual birth. Through faith in Christ.
Thus, we are to see that the Old Testament external signs of being a covenant people like circumcision, manna, sacrifices, and the temple, are foreshadows of what God is looking to do in Jesus Christ. Under the New Covenant, we enter God’s family not by physical birth and signs, but by spiritual rebirth.
The key question when considering baptism, then, is simple: ”Has this person received saving faith in Jesus Christ?”
If yes, they should be baptised. If not, baptism cannot replace saving faith.
Five moments in scripture Supporting Believers’ Baptism
1. Baptism follows repentance and faith
Mark 1:5 – “All the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to [John] and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Without exception, in the New Testament, baptism is linked to repentance—a matter of the heart. Peter echoes this pattern:
Acts 2:38 – “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Acts 2:41 – “Those who received his word were baptised.”
Faith precedes baptism; it is the public expression of an inward conversion received through faith.
2. Household baptisms were households of faith
Acts 18:8 – “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptised.”
While “household” baptisms are mentioned, the text always emphasises belief. There is no record of anyone being baptised without faith, nor any explicit mention of infant baptism. Rather, these we are to understand there are moments when the whole household believed and was baptised together.
3. Baptism is for those who have faith in Christ
Galatians 3:26–27 – “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.”
Here Paul stresses that we become children of God through faith. Baptism is the outward expression of that faith, not a substitute for it.
4. True circumcision is spiritual, not physical
Colossians 2:11–12 – “In him you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands… having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith.”
Rather than comparing baptism directly with physical circumcision, Paul describes a spiritual circumcision—a work “made without hands.” Baptism, like circumcision of the heart, is a sign of faith and spiritual renewal, not merely an external ritual.
5. Baptism expresses an inward appeal to God
1 Peter 3:21 – “Baptism now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Peter is clear: it is not the physical act of washing that saves, but the heart’s appeal to God—faith expressed through baptism. The external act points to an internal reality.
A Joyful Invitation
As we said at the beginning, this is not a combative teaching or an attempt to “win” a two-thousand-year-old debate. It is an invitation to know and experience the gift of baptism more fully.
Consider the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.
“As they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptised?’… And they both went down into the water, and he baptised him.”
Here is faith in action—immediate, joyful obedience to the call of Jesus.
Let us be like this man: reading God’s Word, stirred by the Spirit, ready to respond in faith. When the gospel takes root, faith and baptism follow.
As Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19–20:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
In Summary
· Baptism is a public declaration of personal faith in Jesus Christ.
· It follows repentance and belief—it does not replace them.
· It is a celebration of new birth, not physical birth.
· It is a visible sign of an invisible grace.
May we, with joy and faith, behold the beauty of baptism—the outward testimony of an inward transformation won through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Let then baptism become a moment when we proclaim to the world, “I am His, and He is mine.”
