A String of Pearls Unstrung

A Theological Journey into Believers' Baptism

by
Fred A. Malone

Copyright © 1998 Founders Press. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form. If you would like a print version of this pamphlet, copies can be ordered from Founders Press.

Dr. Fred Malone is the Pastor of First Baptist Church, Clinton, Louisiana. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary and the PhD from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Malone also serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.


To ensure I do not trespass, I have not included any 'taste' (paragraphs) here.  To read the entire article, you may contact the Founders Press (link above) or read more -->HERE.


This article is well written and worth sharing with others who may be questioning the difference between paedo (infant) or credo (believer) baptism.

His blessings to the beloved family of God.

Should We Allow Children Into the Membership of the Church?

by admin

Should we allow minors into the membership of the church? Most evangelical churches would, without hesitation, answer this question affirmatively. Those that practice infant baptism believe the Bible warrants the inclusion of the children of believers into the membership of the church de jure. On the other hand, many Baptist churches today pressure young children to “make a decision for Christ” and accept such decisions or professions of faith without careful reflection on credibility.


On the One Hand …

In response to these two common evangelical views, Reformed Baptists have rightly stressed the need for a profession of faith as a prerequisite for baptism and church membership (contra paedobaptism) and appropriately questioned the often superficial decisionalism that characterizes far too many Baptist churches (contra decisionalism). They have, I think rightly so, highlighted the need to be cautious about hastily accepting as genuine a child’s profession of faith in light of several factors. These include a child’s lack of intellectual maturity (1 Cor 13:11; 14:20; Heb 5:11-14; 11:24-26), a child’s tendency to be changeable in his/her opinions and commitments (Isa 3:4; Matt 11:16-17; Eph 4:13-14), and a child’s proneness to self-deception (Jer 17:9; Ps 58:3; Prov 1:1-4; Eph 4:13-14).1 It is also pointed out that Luke, in Acts, refers to adult males and females being added to the church but doesn’t explicitly refer to children (Acts 5:14; 8:3, 12; 9:1-2; 17:4, 34).2 Accordingly, some Reformed Baptist churches are hesitant to baptize children and, in some cases, require an individual to reach adult status before he/she may become members of the church.

Read more -->HERE.

Baptism and the Relationship Between the Covenants

"What has brought about this change? Ultimately the answer is rooted in Christology. The person and work of Jesus, the new covenant head, requires a change. As we progress across the canon, we move from type to antitype, from covenant heads such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, and David to Christ; and with Christ, we have change. This is the reason why it is not correct to view the church, as paedobaptists do, as simply the replacement of Israel, a kind of “renewed” instantiation of it."

For those who are wrestling through and/or would like to better understand the issue of paedo or credo baptism, this gives a wonderful explanation.

Written by Stephen J. Wellum, Baptism and the Relationship Between the Covenants.