Baby Dedications and the Regulative Principle of Worship
Reviewed past Fred Chiliad. Zaspel
Brian Najapfour grew upwardly in a Baptist church building that observed the common practice of "child dedication," and at present as a paedobaptist pastor (Dutton United Reformed Church building in Caledonia, MI) he writes to expose the lack of biblical support for that practise. His approach is elementary and straightforward: starting time, he defines kid dedication co-ordinate to those who observe it (chapter ane); side by side, he traces its historic origins (chapter 2); then he examines its proposed biblical support (chapter 3); and then he concludes with some pastoral observations and counsel.
It is not likely than anyone volition always have the "last word" on this sensitive subject – this side of the parousia, anyway – but overall Najapfour does provide a cursory but helpful examination of the subject, particularly as it relates to its proposed biblical support and origins.
The Question of Definition
In affiliate one Najapfour is careful to define the exercise of child dedication every bit per the understanding of Baptists who observe it. This is only off-white, of form. Even so I doubtable that there would be many Baptists who would be surprised at some of the details Najapfour provides (from Baptists). For example, I myself do not find the practice, but in witnessing it I accept never heard it described in covenantal terms that Najapfour highlights, although the ideas of "vow" and "hope" practice certainly come up shut.
More than seriously, I doubt there are many Baptists at all who would utilize the language of "incorporating [the baby] into the family of religion," even though Najapfour cites these as the words of a Baptist pastor. This is linguistic communication Baptists are usually very careful to avoid – certainly language I have never heard in Baptist churches. And in any instance, the general tenor of child dedications, equally I have observed them, at least, is simply that of a promise of parents to bring up their children for Christ as God enables them.
I'thousand not sure my concern here affects Najapfour's case at all – his larger concern is to examine the biblical warrant for the practice. But the "Baptist" definitions he provides do strike me every bit more "Presbyterian" in language and in tone than most Baptists would be comfortable with.
Historical Origins
The verbal origins of child dedication are probably impossible to determine with exact precision, as Najapfour recognizes, merely he is probably correct to say, as he seeks briefly to demonstrate, that the exercise arose both every bit an "alternative" to infant baptism and out of Christians' "instinctive" want faithfully to present their children to God. However, as he briefly establishes, information technology is a rather new practice in the church.
Biblical Roots?
Najapfour rightly notes that Baptists who practice child dedication would not argue that Scripture commands the practice, but that in places information technology may commend it. Passages that are nigh unremarkably offered to this effect are i Samuel 1 (Samuel) and Luke two (Jesus), and perhaps sometimes Matthew xix:13ff (Jesus' approval the children). Najapfour establishes that the differences in details betwixt these and the modern do of infant dedication are significant, forcing us to conclude that they really say aught about today's practise. Surprisingly, what he does not address here is how these passages might reflect the "instinctive" desire of Christian parents to nowadays their children to God, a question he had raised earlier.
Pastoral Conclusions & Counsel
Najapfour concludes that although Scripture does not explicitly commend the practise of child dedication, neither does it preclude information technology. And and then he allows information technology. But he proposes ii restrictions. First, "parents must non make child dedication as a substitute for the ordinance of infant baptism." Given his paedobaptist commitments, this is fair enough. Of course Baptists will chop-chop respond here with the simple question, "What ordinance of babe baptism?" But Najapfour leaves the thing here.
Second, Najapfour counsels that baby dedication should not be practiced equally role of the church building corporate worship service. Hither he appeals to the Regulative Principle of Worship which allows elements of corporate worship only that are specifically prescribed in the New Testament. Calvin famously summed up the Regulative Principle with the words, "God disapproves of all modes of worship non expressly sanctioned by his Word." Of course Baptists want to employ this rule to the practise of babe baptism, and at present Najapfour argues they should apply it to their own practice of infant dedication.
Assessment
The inflow of a new baby in the life of a congregation is a happy thing and difficult indeed to ignore. Although (for many of the reasons Najapfour points out) at our church we have no formal do of baby dedication, I practice wonder if his arguments are sufficient to rule out any kind of public recognition of a new-born and a corresponding public prayer for the family. I don' retrieve so. Still, his arguments present a healthy challenge to the practise itself. And even if they fall short of ending the practice, they will at to the lowest degree force Baptist pastors to reconsider whether their practise is consistent with their larger profession.
Fred G. Zaspel is one of the pastors at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA, adjunct professor of Bible at Lancaster Bible Higher – Middle for Urban Theological Studies (CUTS) in Philadelphia, and executive editor hither at Books At a Glance.
Purchase the books
Child Dedication: Considered Historically, Theologically, And Pastorally, Brian Grand. Najapfour
blaylockneloseling.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.booksataglance.com/book-reviews/child-dedication-considered-historically-theologically-and-pastorally-brian-g-najapfour/
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