Infant Baptism Part One - As a Spiritual Covenant

The first argument, or the first premise, for our admonishment to baptise infants is that God's covenant made with Abraham is primarily a spiritual covenant. This is the place I will argue from. So when connections are made from circumcision to baptism it is the spiritual aspect I am talking about. In this respect the physical act of circumcising an infant was as a sign and a seal that these children belonged to God. Berkhof points out that it is an "unwarranted procedure of the Baptists to split this covenant up" as they do, into several different covenants. Therefore we must understand God's covenant to Abraham is still in force and is, as is believed by Berkhof, "essentially identical with the New Covenant (NC)." In other words, we must hold that the OC (Old Covenant) is one and that the NC is virtually the same as God has never replaced one for the other. As regards to the words of Christ we read that he did not come to abolish the law or prophets but to fulfill them; and that not one iota would disappear until all is accomplished. Therefore God's covenant of old is still alive and well in this present dispensation. By way of evidence Berkhof gives us a few: First, he points to the fact that the scriptures talk about the Abrahamic covenant several times but it is always in the singular. No exception to this rule is found. Psalms 105:8 for instance states that God remembers his covenant forever; and verse 9 specifies that it is the very covenant he made to Abraham. Just what does this mean? Well since the covenant is always in the singular, the Baptists have a difficulty trying to tag an "s" on the end. Second and last for this post the evidence for the spiritual nature of the covenant is demonstrated by how it is interpreted and understood by the New Testament authors. Romans 4:16-18 is one example of many more I am staring at before me. Here we have Abraham receiving the promise that he would be the father of many nations. We have no doubt that clearly this is spiritual as Paul states in no uncertain terms in verse 13, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith". Other verses can be shown to bolster this point emphatically. -Joe