Acts 2:39 and Infant Baptism

Those who practice infant baptism will quote the phrase, "for the promise is to you and to your children" and come to the conclusion that this means that infants of believing parents should be baptized. This is not proof texting- this is proof phrasing. It is taking these few words, completely divorced from the context and based upon a presupposition, and creating a doctrine. Or more accurately, this is starting with a presupposition and then looking for a portion of verse that has been divorced from the context to hang it on.

The problem starts whenever we have a tradition that drives our hermeneutic rather than hermeneutics informing our traditions. A plain reading of the text is the best way to clear up any presuppositions. And I must say, the totality of the text should be read in its context. It is very easy to extract a phrase and build a doctrine that the Bible as a whole could not support. Furthermore, we must apply consistent rules of hermeneutics (analogy of Scripture, analogy of Faith, the New Testament informs our understanding of the Old Testament, etc.).

Joel

Peter tells us that the occurrence that they have witnessed is the fulfillment of the promise made in Joel 2:28-32. It is important to note that Peter says that this is currently being fulfilled in their sight, and there is no mention of the future.

Let us see the broader context before we examine the phrase in question.

“But Peter, taking his stand with the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:’”

‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN WILL HAVE DREAMS; AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS, And they will prophesy...” (Acts 2:14-17)

The context is the preaching (“prophesying”) of Peter and the listeners hearing in their own dialects. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches. His preaching was a result of the reception of the Holy Spirit: “...as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.” What the crowd was witnessing, which some attributed to drunkenness (v.13), was the power of the Holy Spirit, as was promised by the prophet of Joel. The promise was that God would pour out His spirit on all mankind. This is in contrast to the Old Testament, where we see the Spirit functioning, often in a temporal way, in prophets, priests, and kings. In the New Covenant, the Spirit will be given permanently to everyone- male, female, young, and old.

“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;And your sons and your daughters will prophesy And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.”

What was the condition to receive the promise?

“Repent” (v.38)

What was the result of the promise?

The “forgiveness of sins” and the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (v.38).

Who was the promise to?

“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away” (v. 39)

Some read this verse and they stop short. The common way the verse is paraphrased by the paedobaptist is “the promise is to you and to your children.” However, there are not two groups in the passage but there are three:

1. “You”

2. “You children”

3. “And for all who are far away”

The natural question is who are those “far away.” Certainly, this is not in reference to house-hold baptisms, as those who are “far away” are not in the household. And I know of no paedobaptist who would order the sprinkling of children or adult family members who were residing outside the home. What then does this mean? It is actually not so complicated, if we take the verse as it was written.

The promise is to the immediate audience, to those generations who would be born after them, and even to the uttermost parts of the world. The promise will be given to anyone - “as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” The Gospel will go into the world through the pattern of preaching that Peter began after Pentecost. People of different dialects—of every tribe, tongue, and nation- will hear this message. Those who “repent” (v. 38) will be forgiven of their sins and will receive the promise of the Holy Spirit (v. 38).

The phrase “as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself” has two aspects. First, there is a universal aspect in that the gospel will go into the nations. No longer will the people of Israel and those who chose to sojourn with them have the exclusive revelation of God. Beginning with the Apostles and continuing through the church they will establish, the Gospel will spread throughout the world until the end of the age. But there is also a limiting aspect to the phrase. While the outward call is universal, the inward call of conversion is limited. The reception of the promise of the Holy Spirit will only be given to the elect (those to whom God has called to Himself).

Who were baptized?

“...those who received the word were baptized...”

Please note the simplicit of the passage.

- The Gospel will be preached to the nations who will hear in their own dialect.

- God will use the Gospel to call the chosen ones to Himself

- They will believe and they will repent.

- Those who believe and repent will receive the promised Holy Spirit.

- These are the very same ones who will be baptized.

There is no "interpretation" here. There is no trickery. All we have done is look at the text and read the text in its context. Nothing in the text has been ignored. The reading of the text is supported by the Analogy of Scripture. There is no mention of anyone who had not repented, not received the Word, and who had not received the Holy Spirit being baptized. If paedobaptism is a biblical practice, it is conspicuously absent from this text.