Some Christian Churches believe that it is not right to baptise Children, to them baptism ie a conscious engagement to follow Christ so Children and babies are too small to take an engagement to follow Christ.
Baptism is also an admission to the family of God Jn 3,5." I am telling you the truth said Jesus "No one can enter the Kingdom of water and the Holy Spirit..."
To better understand that Children most be Baptised we need to know what represented Baptism in the Old Testament.
Corintians. 10;2-4 I want you to remember, my brothers and sisters , what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses , they were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red sea .In the Cloud and in the sea they were all baptized as folllowers of Moses........" They crossed the red sea with babies who were also baptised.
Saint Paul also compares Baptism with Cicumcision. Romans 4,9-12 "..... Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous ....He was circumcised latter, and his circumcision was a sign to show that because of his faith God has accepted him as righteous before he had been circumcised....."
Abraham was circumcised at 99 Genesis 17,10 -24.His descendant are circumcised 8 days after birth. Gen.11-12,Lc 2,21, Lc 1, 59-60.
The word Israelites means People of God and the word Christian means Children of God (Spiritualm Israelites) through Christ..
Through circumcision we become an Israelite and Through Baptism we are born again into the Family of God through Christ (Spiritual Israelites). Jn 3,5
We become part of God's people like Abraham through circumcision.When we conciosly accepts this our Children automatically access to this Ex 12,48.
When we conciously accept Christ we are given a new birth Jn 3,5 and like Abraham our Children must be Baptized.
See the the similar message in the folowing: Act 16,31-34, act1,38-39, Act16,15, Ex.12,48-49.
Presentation of a Child in the temple didnot replce circumcision. It was done after a child had been circumcised that is admited ito the Israeli family.That was reserved principally to the first born Lc 2,22-23.Ex 132-12
Presentation of a Christian Child in the Church is not Baptism.The baby should first be Baptised and if the parents want to dedicate him to the service of God then it is another Story.
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