📖 Biblical Definition
The Baptist sacramentological position that only professing believers (those who can credibly profess personal faith in Christ) are proper subjects of baptism. The term combines Latin credo (I believe) with Greek baptizo (to baptize): baptism on profession of faith. Distinguished from paedobaptism (Greek paidion, child, + baptizo): the Reformed-confessional position that the infant children of believing parents are proper subjects of covenant baptism. The Baptist arguments include: (1) NT pattern of believer's baptism: the Acts narrative regularly records baptism following profession of faith (Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 36-37; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:31-33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16); (2) no explicit NT command or example of infant baptism: the NT contains no clear case of an infant being baptized; (3) the substantive break between Old and New Covenant signs: circumcision is replaced not by infant baptism but by adult-believer baptism; the New Covenant is structured around personal faith in Christ; (4) regenerate church-membership ecclesiology: the visible church should consist of professing believers, not of indiscriminately-baptized infants who may or may not be regenerate. The Reformed-confessional paedobaptist response holds: (1) substantive covenant continuity: the Abrahamic covenant of grace is administered to believers and their children alike (Genesis 17; Acts 2:39, the promise is unto you, and to your children); (2) household baptisms in Acts (Cornelius, Acts 10; Lydia, Acts 16:15; Philippian jailer, Acts 16:33; Stephanas, 1 Corinthians 1:16) presuppose substantive household-as-covenant-unit theology; (3) baptism as the New Covenant sign replacing circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12). The debate has been substantively conducted within the broader Reformed-confessional tradition for four centuries. The patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the substantive Reformed-confessional paedobaptist position while engaging Reformed Baptist credobaptists with appropriate ecumenical care.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Baptist sacramentological position: only professing believers are proper subjects of baptism; infants not proper subjects; distinguished from paedobaptism (Reformed-confessional position that infant children of believing parents are proper subjects of covenant baptism).
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CREDOBAPTISM, n. (Baptist sacramentology; Latin credo [I believe] + Greek baptizo [to baptize]) Only professing believers are proper subjects of baptism. Distinguished from paedobaptism (Reformed-confessional position; infant children of believing parents are proper subjects of covenant baptism). Baptist arguments: (1) NT pattern of believer's baptism (Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 36-37; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:31-33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16); (2) no explicit NT command or example of infant baptism; (3) substantive break between Old and New Covenant signs; (4) regenerate church-membership ecclesiology. Reformed paedobaptist response: (1) substantive covenant continuity (Genesis 17; Acts 2:39); (2) household baptisms in Acts (Cornelius, Lydia, Philippian jailer, Stephanas); (3) baptism as NT covenant sign replacing circumcision (Colossians 2:11-12).
📖 Key Scripture
Acts 2:38-39 — "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
Acts 16:31-33 — "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house... And he was baptized, he and all his, straightway."
Colossians 2:11-12 — "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God."
Genesis 17:7 — "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Credobaptism vs. paedobaptism is a substantive intra-Reformed-confessional debate; both positions are held with substantive theological-pastoral integrity by branches of the broader Reformed tradition.
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The substantive credobaptist vs. paedobaptist debate is one of the longest-standing disagreements within the broader Reformed-confessional tradition. Both Reformed Baptists (the Particular Baptist tradition; the Second London Baptist Confession 1689 is substantively the Westminster Confession revised on baptism and church-government questions) and Paedobaptist Reformed (Presbyterian, Continental Reformed, Anglican, Lutheran) hold the substantive Reformed-confessional gospel and the doctrines of grace; both differ specifically on the subjects of baptism. The patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the substantive paedobaptist position (Westminster XXVIII; the substantive Reformed-confessional covenant theology) while engaging Reformed Baptist credobaptists with appropriate ecumenical care. The substantive debate is not one of gospel-essential disagreement but of substantive sacramentological-ecclesiological disagreement within the broader Reformed-confessional tradition.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Latin credo + Greek baptizo; Baptist position; only professing believers are proper subjects; distinguished from paedobaptism.
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['Latin', '—', 'credo', 'I believe']
['Greek', 'G907', 'baptizo', 'to baptize']
['Latin', '—', 'fides quaerens intellectum', 'faith seeking understanding (the underlying epistemology)']
Usage
"Credobaptism: Baptist position that only professing believers are proper subjects of baptism."
"Distinguished from paedobaptism (Reformed-confessional position)."
"Substantive intra-Reformed-confessional debate; both positions held with substantive integrity."