ANSWER: Some in the denominational world teach that infants are born with sin and are, therefore, candidates for baptism. Before dealing with the above passages, perhaps it would be wise to answer the question, “Should infants be baptized?”

There is no reference whatever in God’s Word to the baptism of infants! The purpose of baptism is to bring about the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Infants do not and cannot commit sin. Neither do they inherit sin! “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20). Since an infant neither commits, nor inherits sin, baptism would serve no scriptural purpose. Additionally, belief in Christ (John 8:24), repentance (Acts 17:30), and confession (Romans 10:10) are necessary before one’s obedience in immersion.

An infant, incapable of doing these things, cannot, for this reason, be a proper candidate for baptism! Again, given that an infant cannot sin and does not inherit sin, he or she obviously has no sin and is, therefore, not separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). It is of these that Jesus spoke when He said, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). For anyone to adopt and practice infant baptism and sprinkling, they must first assume that Christ either forgot to tell us about it in the scriptures, or that He just did not realize its importance! When man assumes such and legislates in the place of God, he is guilty of presumptuous sin! This is the case with sprinkling and infant baptism!

As well, sprinkling as a substitute for scriptural baptism (immersion) is a doctrine not of the Bible, but of men! Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins was the only practice commanded and practiced during New Testament times by the early church! See Matthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:35-38; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12. The first recorded case of other than baptism by immersion was performed on a man by the name of Novation in 251AD (Neander, Church History I, 325). Pouring water upon the candidate’s head in cases of an emergency was approved by Pope Stephen in 753AD (Edinburgh Cyclopedia III, 245-246). The council of Ravenna accepted either sprinkling or immersion in 1311AD. These men and their councils have sinned by binding their traditions on men, negating in their lives the very Word of God by which they will one day be judged! Immersion only is commanded of God. Immersion only is accepted by Him! Immersion only will put one in contact with the cleansing blood of Christ!

The verses in question: (Job 15:14, 25): Chapter fifteen has no reference at all to infants. The phrase in verse 14, “and he which is born of woman, that he should be righteous” is simply the way Eliphaz refers to the character of “man” generally, and to Job (a full grown man) indirectly! Note that throughout the chapter, and especially in verse ten, that men of age are under consideration, “With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father.” To single out a verse from the middle of a discourse about the character of mature men and apply it to infants would be improper. Also notice that the phrase “born of woman” is used elsewhere, e.g., Job 14:1-4; Job 25:14; Matthew 11:11; and John 7:28. Each time reference is to mature men! The one being spoken of in Job 14:25 is not an infant, but rather the “king ready to battle” in verse 24.

(Psalms 51:5): “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The “sin” referred to is not something that David did or inherited.

The passage says that David was born of a mature person who had sinned (his mother) and that his conception and birth took place in a sinful world! Note Psalms 14:3, David does not say here that men are born “aside” and “filthy,” but rather he says that they are all “gone” aside; they are “become” filthy! Clearly implied is: a moving from one state to another; that if one has “become” filthy, he must have previously been clean. So it is with all men, including David.

(Job 14:4): “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.” This passage in no way implies that an infant is born in sin! In context, we find in reading verse one of this chapter that just the opposite is true, Man that is born of woman is of few days (marginal reading: short of days) and full of trouble. Note that such was not true of man at birth, but, rather, short days (compared with all his days) after his birth!

(Psalms 58:3): “The wicked are estranged from the womb: They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” The second part of this verse explains the first part of the verse and means that man “goes astray” soon after birth, speaking lies! Note that he “goes” astray; not that he “was” astray! When does he “go” astray? When he speaks lies!! The person referred to in this passage is one who understands and tells lies! Such excludes infants!

(John 3:6): “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” This passage has absolutely nothing to do with infants, but is simply contrasting flesh and spirit.