Deep Dive into Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry by John Piper - Brothers, Magnify the Meaning of Baptism
The foundational arguments for believer baptism, as articulated by John Piper, develop through a progressive understanding that ultimately contrasts sharply with the views supporting infant baptism. The core differences lie in the mode and recipients of baptism. While the Westminster Confession allows for pouring or sprinkling and mandates infant baptism for children of believers, Baptists define baptism as the immersion of a believer.
Piper's initial reasoning (first stage) was observational. He noted that every baptism recorded in the Bible involved a person who had professed faith, with no explicit instances of infant baptism. Even "household baptisms" seemed to imply that all in the household had heard and believed the "word of the Lord" before being baptized. The command "Repent and be baptized" also suggested repentance precedes the rite. However, he later deemed these observations "suggestive, not compelling," as an absence of evidence doesn't negate existence, and commands to adults don't automatically exclude infants.
His second stage moved to the theological meaning of baptism. Passages like Colossians 2:12 (being "raised with him through faith in the working of God") suggested to Piper that baptism is an expression of the individual's faith. Even more powerfully, 1 Peter 3:21 describes baptism as an "appeal to God for a good conscience," which Piper interprets as a conscious "cry of faith to God." Since infants cannot yet exercise faith or make such an appeal, these texts presented significant challenges to infant baptism.
The most profound argument, Piper's third stage, centers on covenant theology and the discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants. While acknowledging baptism's continuity with circumcision as a covenant sign, Piper emphasizes a crucial "undervalued discontinuity." Under the Old Covenant, membership in God's people was determined by physical birth, and circumcision was applied based on physical descent. However, under the New Covenant, to be a member is to "know the Lord" (Hebrews 8:11), meaning entry is by spiritual birth and faith in Christ (Galatians 3:7: "those of faith who are the sons of Abraham"). John the Baptist's ministry underscored this shift, indicating that physical lineage no longer guaranteed one's place in God's family, and baptism replaced circumcision as a sign of a spiritual relationship. Therefore, the sign of the New Covenant, believer baptism, is reserved for those who demonstrate this new birth and personal faith. Romans 6:1-11, depicting believers being "buried with him" through baptism, also reinforces immersion as the normal mode.
Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian
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