Can infants believe?
On p.
174 C. in Luther’s Small Catechism, he states. “Because infants, too, can
believe.” Then he quotes as his support Matthew 18;6, which states: “But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it
were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he
were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Notice the words “these little ones which believe.” The Greek word for “little” here is “MIKROS,” an adjective meaning “little or small,” NOT an infant. Furthermore, nowhere in this verse do we find anything about baptism; yet, Luther wants you to believe his philosophy about infant baptism, which is absolutely contradictory to this verse. This was not an oversight by Luther; but, purposely done to deceive his followers. One must remember that Luther knew the Greek language well in order to translate the Bible into the German language. Therefore, he knew the word “MIKROS” means “little or small,” and is never translated “infants” in the Bible.
Why, Mr. Luther, were you not honest and tell your followers about the meaning of the word “mikros” in your catechism? You purposely lied to all to all who follow your teaching instead of the Word of God. You were indoctrinated by the Roman Catholic organization and carried this lie of infant baptismal regeneration with you to your death in 1546. You have led people by the thousands to believe that their infant child is now going to heaven because your preachers have sprinkled a few drops of water on their head. What an insult to God! In other words, if a baby (infant) isn’t baptized, then it will go to Hell.
In talking to hundreds of Catholics and Lutherans, it is unthinkable that they actually believe that God would send an infant to Hell! Let me give you just one example out of thousands.
A man and his wife came to our church on several occasions. We were invited to their home to visit. This was a nice young couple who were expecting their first child shortly, and her parents were Lutherans. The subject of the baptism of babies came up in the conversation. I related to her that nowhere does the Bible say that babies are ever to be baptized. I will never forget her statement, “Oh, my mother will throw a fit.” Here, Grandmother wanted to make sure the baby would go to Heaven by being baptized. Where did this false teaching originate? From a dead man’s writings, by the name of Luther, some 460 years ago in his catechism. The end of the story is this. They never came back to church again. Why? All because of the heresy of Luther’s damnable doctrine of infant baptism passed on down from one generation to another.
Nowhere in the Bible do you ever find that God puts infants in Hell if they are not baptized. Don’t you think that if God sent infants to Hell, He would at least put ONE verse in the entire Bible stating, “Be sure and have your infants baptized or I will send them to Hell!” How absurd!
Remember, Luther knew the Hebrew and Greek languages well, in order to translate the Bible into the German language. Therefore, when he used Matthew 18:6, he knew “BREPHOS,” the Greek word for “infant” was not in this verse. This was premeditated deceit by Luther in an attempt to align your thinking with his philosophy. I might say, he has been very successful over the last 460 years. God describes how Luther and every false teacher accomplishes this in Romans 16:18, “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, (although they pretend to) but their own belly (i.e., their own thoughts and desires); and by GOOD WORDS and FAIR SPEECHES deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Luther’s use of Matthew 18:6 to support his philosophy of infant baptism would constitute his fourth lie of deception. In a criminal court of law, the guilty (Martin Luther) would be considered a repeat offender, or as an habitual law breaker. In Ephesians 4:25 God states His law about lying, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor...” Therefore, Luther will have to be indicted and face charges of breaking God’s law of lying; perverting God’s word by deception, and being a habitual offender along with premeditation. The verdict is guilty.
The sentencing is as follows. The public should be notified of the charges against him as a result of his attempt to deceive the simple (i.e., those that are innocent and unsuspecting of Luther’s devices). He will bear publicly the title he deserves, “The Master of Deceit.”
The decision a person is faced with is, “Will I believe the philosophy and words of Luther, a man who has been dead for 460 years; or, the words of God who is alive and well today?” The One who is your Creator, and the One who loves you and gave His only begotten Son to pay for your sins and mine on the cross, states in Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their TRUST in him.” (Not, Martin Luther!).
One must remember that Luther did nothing more than follow the tradition of the Roman Catholic organization. In the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, p. 319, par.1252, they state, “The practice of Infant Baptism is an immemorial TRADITION of the Church.” Luther has followed a tradition of the Roman Catholic organization and now his “puppet” preachers have perpetrated this same traditional lie for some 460 years upon the innocent and unsuspecting.
B. Does God ever send infants to Hell?
We have no record in God’s word that infants ever are sent to Hell because they are not baptized. In talking to many Lutherans, over the years, I have asked them, “Why did you have your baby baptized?” Most usually, I received one or more of the following answers: 1. “I don’t want my baby going to Hell.” 2. “I want to make sure my baby is going to Heaven.” 2. “I am not taking any chances. It is better to do it, than not to do it.” 3. “This is what our church believes.” 4. “Our pastor wouldn’t tell us to do it if it wasn’t in the Bible.” And it goes on an on.
The root of this heresy comes from their “god,” the founder of their sect, Martin Luther. By the way, “heresy” in the Bible comes from the Greek word, “hairesis,” and means “an opinion, especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects.” Vines Expository Dictionary of Greek New Testament Words.
B. Continued examination of Luther’s false teaching of infant baptism.
Here are Luther’s own words in his Catechism, “Because Holy Baptism is the only means whereby infants, who, too, must be born again...” (Small Catechism, p.173 B). In support of this on p.174, par. 626, he quotes John 3:5,6, “...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God; that which is born of the flesh is flesh...” Very simply put, Luther believes that infants must be baptized; or they cannot enter the kingdom of God. If an infant is not baptized and it cannot enter the kingdom of God, according to Luther; then, Hell is the only other destination. When people follow Luther, is it any wonder that I received the answers I did as to why people wanted to have their babies baptized?
Did you ever wonder why Luther did not come right out, in a straightforward manner, and plainly say, “Un-baptized babies will go to Hell?” The reason is, he knew it was not true, as there is no Scripture to support such an accusation against God. Only by inference could Luther inject this into the minds of his followers. Therefore, if only baptized infants go to Heaven; then, it is inferred by inductive reasoning that un-baptized babies go to Hell, and Luther did not have to come out and say so directly. Pretty slick!
Before I continue, I want to bring out a few things concerning this false teaching to stimulate your thinking:
(1). Read all of John, Chapter 3, and you will find there is nothing about water baptism.
(2). The “kingdom of God” and “everlasting life” are synonymous words. Both are conditioned upon believing, not being baptized! “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” (Psalm 145:13).
(3). Almost every time Luther sees the word “water,” his brain “computes” it into baptism; thus, disregarding the context.
(4). The word “water” in John 3:5,6 has reference to the Word of God, not baptism. (Ephesians 5:26; John 17:3). “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (I Peter 1:23).
(5). Luther says that infants receive the Holy Spirit at baptism. Here are Luther’s words: “Now, if God did not accept the Baptism of infants, he would not have given any of them the Holy Spirit, nor any part of him.” (Large Catechism, pp. 86,87, par. 49,50). This is an outright lie, meant to deceive! According to the Bible, only those capable of believing are given the Holy Spirit. Infants are incapable of this.
Let us go to the Bible and see God’s refutation of Luther’s lie. In Ephesians 1:13b we are told that “...the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” So...how can an infant receive the Holy Spirit when they are incapable of believing.
(6). Nowhere are infants included in John 3:5,6. Christ is talking with an adult man, the Pharisee, Nicodemus. Infants are not mentioned.
(7). In Luther’s Large and Small Catechisms, within the “Baptism” sections, notice how many times Luther uses the words “Holy Baptism” to deceive you. This is found NOWHERE in the Bible. Luther has gone to great lengths to deceive his followers concerning infant baptism. He should be “recognized” for his achievements by the title he deserves, “THE MASTER OF DECEIT.”
We will expound on John 3:1-8 later on, in examining Luther’s lies concerning baptismal regeneration for adults.
C. Babies (infants) that die, immediately enter the kingdom of God, entering into the presence of Jesus Christ in Heaven.
When a child is born, it is born with a sinful nature. As the body, soul, and spirit of that infant grow together, the child will reach the time when it can reason, understand, think for itself, and make decisions concerning what is right and what is wrong. At that time, the child will be responsible for those decisions. This mental awareness can vary a great deal from child to child. When that child becomes accountable to the Lord is determined by God, Himself, who is omniscient, or all-knowing. God is the only One who can look into the minds of every one in His creation and determine when that person is of age, mentally, to give an account of themselves.
Notice in I Samuel 16:7b, “For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the HEART.” The word of God in Hebrews 4:13b states that the Lord is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This is God’s judgment and we can rest assured, it is without error!
(1). Death of an infant. Now let us go back and center our thoughts on an infant who has died. Since that infant is incapable of knowing anything, let alone committing a sin; therefore, we can conclude that the infant is innocent and free from committing any sin at all. Christ, Himself, makes it perfectly clear that this infant will be carried by the angels into the presence of the Lord, in the kingdom of God.
You will recall, in Luke 16:22, we have recorded the death of Lazarus, the beggar. “And it came to pass, that the beggar died (Lazarus), and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom... (i.e. another term for “Paradise).” When one considers the thousands of deaths that occur all over the world in just one day, it gives an idea of how busy some of God’s angels are. However, we can rest assured they are equal to the job, as God’s Word says they are “innumerable.” (Hebrews 12:22).
Christ lets us know that all infants, because they have never sinned, are part of the Kingdom of God. Christ, Himself, gives us the absolute assurance of this in Luke 18:15,16, “And they brought unto him (Christ) also INFANTS (Greek “brephos”), that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.” (V.15). “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer (i.e. allow) little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” (V. 16).
This assurance is from the lips of our Wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself!
Should a baby die due to some disease; such as crib death or as the result of an accident of some sort, that would be heartbreaking to the parents and almost unbearable. Christ’s assurance to the parents and loved ones is that their baby, upon death of the body, is itself carried by God’s angels into the very presence of Christ, Himself, in the Kingdom of God.
Yes, there is great sorrow; but, having the peace of knowing their child is in Heaven with the Lord is a great consolation and comfort. As Christian parents, they know they will see and be with their child again. It is not “Good Bye,” BUT, only, “So long for a while.”
(2). David’s Son. In II Samuel 11 and 12, God records the tragedy of King David having Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, killed. David did this to conceal the fact that he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and she was now “with child.” God’s judgment is recorded in II Samuel 12:14. “Howbeit, because by this deed thou (David) hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”
Verse 18 tells us that the child was only seven days old when it died. “And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.” This baby had not been baptized; yet, it went to Paradise, which was within the Kingdom of God. Notice David’s steadfast assurance that he would see his son again, as stated in Verse 23, “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
Most all Christians are well familiar with the 23rd Psalm, written by King David. Notice carefully Verse 6, which is the last verse. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.”
David knew that, when he died, he would dwell in the “house of the Lord” forever. The only way David could make the statement in full assurance, that “ I shall go to him” in Verse 23 is, he knew his son would be in the “house of the Lord,” i.e., the same place David would go upon his death. Therefore, the only way he could go to be with his son is, if they were both in the same place!
May I draw your attention back to Luke 18:15,16, where INFANTS were brought to Christ and He assured the parents, and all present, that “for of such is the kingdom of God.” David’s son of seven days old, died; but, went to dwell in the “house of the Lord,” this being synonymous with “the kingdom of God.”
David’s infant of 7 days old was never baptized. Neither were the infants in Luke 18. Nowhere in the whole Bible can you find one case where an infant was ever baptized. How seductive the power of Satan is seen in the Catholic organization, and in Martin Luther and his “puppet” preachers in setting up a false “savior” of baptismal waters; instead, of the blood sacrifice of Christ, “who liveth and abideth forever.”
Remember, the difference between believing Martin Luther or Jesus Christ is Heaven, or Hell! “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8).
SOURCE: A portion of Chapter two, INFANT BAPTISM, from Dr. Max Younce's excellent work titled, MARTIN LUTHER, MASTER OF DECEIT.
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