Pages

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Jesus Loves the Little Children (Daniel Hyde)

In Jesus Loves the Little Children, Daniel Hyde explains why we (many denominations of Christianity) baptize children. He looks at:
  • Defining terms (understanding what baptism is)
  • Circumcision and baptism (and the similarities between this respective Old Testament and New Testament signs)
  • Covenant and baptism (understanding the nature of how God relates to His people and their children)
  • Baptism or dedication (looking at the differences between them)
  • The mode of baptism (immersion, pouring, or sprinkling)
  • A brief history of infant baptism from early church sources
Overall, this is a solid introduction. Believers can squabble over this doctrine, because there is no command in Scripture that explicit says baptize (or do not baptize) your children. I agree with Hyde that "infant baptism is a biblical doctrine because it is a "good and necessary consequence" of the entirety of scriptural teaching." And I think he does a reasonable job presenting his case, looking across the Scriptures in the above areas (especially in his discussion of original sin and how that doctrine applies here . . . that isn't always mentioned but should be). Sometimes, I think his arguments/proofs aren't quite as firm as he states (even though I agree with him), but this is a good introduction nonetheless. I would recommend it alongside R.C. Sproul's introduction to the topic.

Rating: A-

No comments:

Post a Comment