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What is the biblical case for believer’s baptism? What biblical support do paedobaptists point to for their belief in infant baptism? What is the relationship between the old and new covenants? What did Alexander Campbell, one of the first voices of the Restoration movement, actually think about baptism?

These questions and more are answered splendidly in Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. A host of well-known Baptist scholars have collaborated to provide a resource for all who seek to better understand the biblical underpinnings for believer’s baptism.

The book begins with three important New Testament scholars mapping out the New Testament teaching on baptism. Andreas Kostenberger writes about baptism in the Gospels; Robert Stein describes baptism in Luke and Acts; Tom Schreiner treats baptism in the epistles. Throughout the summary chapters, the authors maintain a steadfast commitment to taking the text seriously and demonstrate a willingness to question popular assumptions about believer’s baptism.

Steve Wellum writes a chapter on baptism and the relationship between the covenants that is well worth the price of the book. The force of the paedobaptist argument comes from a misunderstanding of the nature of the two covenants. Wellum persuasively argues against infant baptism and shows how the practice stems from a misinterpretation of the different covenants.

Steven McKinion shows that infant baptism was not accepted as commonly and widespread in the early church as has been assumed. Archeological evidence shows that most early baptisms were by immersion. Many of the church fathers argue against infant baptism. Others argue for it, demonstrating that the issue was debated, not settled in the first few centuries. This chapter takes away one of the main arguments of paedobaptists for infant baptism: the historical practice.

Shawn Wright tackles the logic of Reformed paedobaptists and pokes holes in the Reformational view, showing how Zwingli’s divorcing of faith from baptism was an innovation, never believed by anyone before that period in history. A.B. Caneday offers a helpful summary of the Stone-Campbell doctrine of baptism. The churches of Christ and the Christian Church are less united on baptism than one might think. Finally, Mark Dever ends the book with helpful suggestions on practicing baptism in the local church.

There are times when the authors disagree with each other (appropriate age, immediate baptism, etc.), but each writer seeks to filter his understanding of baptism through a rigorous study of Scripture. Believer’s Baptism is one of the most important books on the subject to come out in recent years. It belongs on every pastor’s library shelf.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2007 Kingdom People blog

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