Page 5 - lesson28.vp

Lesson 28 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

inspired by pagan Egyptian beliefs and characteristic of energetic, dynamic, reckless,
practices! excitement-craving youth in the blossoming
flower of sex appeal. Experience shows that
Why Infant Baptism Is Not Commanded perhaps not one in a hundred can be truly
“converted” prior to this age and still remain
It is actually a mockery of YEHOVAH’s converted and constantly growing spiritually
Word to submit newly born infants to water closer and closer to the Messiah and
baptism. Infants cannot even begin to think for YEHOVAH’s Kingdom through these trying
themselves, let alone REPENT OR BELIEVE! years.
YEHOVAH God reveals in His
divine Word that before one may be
baptized, he must fully repent of having
broken YEHOVAH’s laws. He must
thoroughly ABHOR, be sorry for, his past
sinful life! Then he must BELIEVE the
true GOSPEL of the KINGDOM OF
YEHOVAH GOD and believe on Yeshua
the Messiah as his personal Saviour. Even
older children have not reached the
maturity and stability of judgment where
they have the self-discipline to fully
repent, and believe. The average mind
does not mature until about age 25 --
though there are exceptions. Only a very
few mature and become sober and serious
These children, about to be baptized in Tennessee, are
in outlook by age 16.
not ready for baptism. Repentance and baptism require
An immature mind may
a mature mind!
experience an emotional feeling of TEM-
PORARY remorse. This may often be Some present the argument that the
falsely construed as repentance, when it is only infants and older children of Cornelius’
momentary, and soon forgotten. It is much like household were baptized by Peter (Acts 10).
“puppy love.” How many youngsters, 13 to 18, This is merely an ASSUMPTION. The
have a number of temporary emotional Scriptures nowhere indicate whether or not
experiences of feeling sure they are “in love” Cornelius’ “household” included any children
and cannot be talked out of it. They usually grow under adult age. Those baptized in Cornelius’
out of it, but in rare cases, of course, they may house must have been MATURE ENOUGH TO
really “know their minds" -- though this is the UNDERSTAND the conditions of salvation and
rare EXCEPTION, and NOT the rule. So it is able to truly repent and believe! Children, if any
with repentance and belief. were present, would NOT have been baptized.
The immature child baptized around age The same explanation applies to the baptism of
12 to 15 may be ever so serious about it at the the Philippian jailor’s “household” (Acts
time. But when the child reaches the age 16:31-33)
between 16 and 20, he or she comes under
“teenage” influences which are quite different Hope of Israel Ministries -- Preparing the Way
today than one or two generations ago. The for the Return of YEHOVAH God and His
young adult must meet many temptations Messiah!

Avoid a Counterfeit Baptism!