Credobaptism and Circumcision: Continuity and Movement
The debate is familiar: some appeal to continuity between Old-Covenant circumcision and New-Covenant baptism to support infant baptism, while others argue for credobaptism—baptizing those who credibly profess faith. This article surveys the continuity claim, summarizes the standard credobaptist reply (“too much continuity”), advances a further question (“why not grandchildren?”), anticipates replies, and notes historical precedent. The goal is clarity without rancor; this is not a salvation boundary.
1. Paedobaptist Continuity Claim
A common Reformed argument (one among several) reasons like this:
Same covenant family line: God placed children inside the visible covenant in Abraham’s day.
No explicit removal: The New Testament nowhere expels children from covenant standing.
Analogous rite: Baptism stands in the place of circumcision in the new economy.
Practical inference: Therefore, children of believers should receive baptism as covenant members.
Representative expressions of this view stress strong similarity—sometimes “identity” or “essential identity”—between the meaning of circumcision and the meaning of baptism. Historic catechisms and confessions often assume this “replacement” logic (circumcision → baptism).
2. Credobaptist Reply: Continuity with Movement
Credobaptists typically respond, not by denying continuity, but by insisting on movement within continuity:
Typology and fulfillment: Old-Covenant signs point forward; the New Covenant tightens focus to a regenerate community (Jeremiah 31:31–34).
People definition: “Children of Abraham” in the New Testament are defined by faith in Christ (Galatians 3), not by lineage.
Rites compared: As with Passover → Lord’s Supper, there is real continuity without a one-to-one carryover of recipients.
Thus, circumcision and baptism are similar but not identical; flattening the storyline risks importing Old-Covenant breadth (national, intergenerational) directly into New-Covenant community (confessing, regenerate).
3. Additional Credobaptist Challenge: The “Why Not Grandchildren?” Question
Even granting maximal similarity, a further question arises from Genesis 17:
Stated recipients: “You and your seed after you, throughout their generations.”
Scope: The sign attached to Abraham’s intergenerational descendants (national family), not merely to the immediate children of an individual believer.
Implication: If baptism straightforwardly replaces circumcision in scope, why restrict baptism to one generation (believers and their children) rather than including grandchildren and beyond?
Concrete scenario:
John Sr. believes; John Jr. does not; John III is an infant.
On a strict circumcision-continuity model, what excludes John III?
Historically, many early Reformed leaders did advocate an intergenerational application; modern practice often does not. Hence the question: Why not grandchildren?
This presses an ecclesiological point: children of Abraham (intergenerational nation) is not conceptually identical to children of current believers (immediate household). If the warrant is “continuity with circumcision,” limiting baptism to one generation appears to introduce a new gate, not derived from Genesis 17.
4. Anticipated Replies and Brief Responses
Reply A: “Excommunication and Gentile engrafting align the systems.”
Yes, Israel practiced excommunication and welcomed proselytes.
But eligibility for circumcision in Genesis 17 is not conditioned on parental faith; it is tethered to Abrahamic descent across generations. Occasional excommunication for high-handed sins does not equal an every-household faith-gate.
Reply B: “Children of Abraham entails children of believers.”
Perhaps there is overlap, but overlap does not specify limits. Why stop at one generation? On what textual basis does “continuity” yield “believers and their children only,” excluding grandchildren (or nieces, nephews) when parents are nominal?
These replies can be developed further, but the basic tension remains: if circumcision’s scope is the template, why narrow the scope to one generation?
5. Historical Notes
Early Reformed practice often reflected the intergenerational logic:
Genevan counsel to Knox (16th c.): baptized status attached to descendants within the wider Christian commonwealth; provision was made via sponsors even when immediate parents were errant.
Broader Reformed voices (continental and British) echoed this: infants “born within the church” could be baptized even if nearest parents were wicked—so long as there was ecclesial provision to raise the child in the faith.
Later developments in various traditions narrowed practice toward immediate parental faith as the operative gate—creating space for today’s prevalent model (believers and their children), which is not the only historic Reformed arrangement.
This history does not settle the debate; it shows the “why not grandchildren?” question is neither novel nor trivial.
6. Pastoral Posture and Unity
Not a Gospel boundary: Christians may disagree while embracing one another in Christ.
Dual-practice contexts can foster peace where leaders uphold Word, sacrament, and discipline while permitting conscientious difference.
“Pascalian” prudence: Parents wrestling with uncertainty may weigh stakes and timing charitably, avoiding both indefinite delay and unthinking ritualism, and honoring Jesus’ welcome of children with meaningful catechesis and sincere profession.
Bottom line: Seek the mind of Christ with open Bibles, generous hearts, and a shared desire to honor the Gospel sign as the Gospel itself defines the Gospel people.
Bible verses about circumcision, baptism, and covenant
“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” (Genesis 17:7)
“He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations… shall surely be circumcised.” (Genesis 17:12–13)
“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit…” (Romans 2:28–29)
“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7)
“For this is the covenant that I will make… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts… And they shall all know me…” (Jeremiah 31:33–34)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)
“Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God…” (Colossians 2:12)
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14)
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)
“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:39)
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
