One of our evangelists, Nick, talked at length with a Protestant gentleman about being “Born Again” and the doctrine of infant baptism. This man said infant baptism was a heresy because infants were unable to have faith at that age and that you should only be Baptized after you have a “Born Again” experience. Nick showed him that Jesus said the way one becomes “Born Again” is through Baptism, when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:3-5, saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God,” and further explains Himself by saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Thus, being “born again” means being “born of water and the Spirit,” which is Baptism, as all the Church Fathers have taught. John even ends this dialogue by saying, “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing.”

Nick then showed this man that through a gift of grace, infants can have faith, as David trusted in God while he was just nursing (Psalm 22:9) and John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice (Lk 1:41). In fact, Paul says in Colossians 2:12 that Baptism corresponds to infant circumcision in the Old Testament, implying that Christian parents are responsible for bringing their children into the New Covenant as Jews were in the Old Testament times. This is why Peter said on Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children,” and why entire households were baptized when the Apostles converted the parents (Acts 2:38-39; 16:14-15, 33; 18:8).

The man left with a better appreciation for Catholicism, though he said he still wasn’t fully convinced and was going to think about this some more. Let us pray for him on his journey into eternity!