House Church Talk - house baptisms

[Bruce Woodford]

Hi Terra,

You wrote:"We have been reading the texts about houses, house churches, etc 
and have come across several house baptisms. Why don't we see baptisms of 
households or do we? I have not."

Good question!

There are quite a number of baptisms recorded for us in the scriptures. Some 
were large groups (Acts 2), some were lone individuals (Acts 8) and some 
were households, as you have pointed out.
(Cornelius' house in Acts 10, the jailor's house in Acts 16, Crispus' house 
Acts 18:8 and the house of Stephanus in I Cor.1:16)

Because baptism is only for believers or disciples, the factor that decides 
what kind of group should be baptized is the kind of group which has 
believed on the Lord Jesus. If an individual has believed, baptize an 
individual. If a large group has believed, baptize the large group. And if 
it is an entire household which has believed, baptize the entire household. 
But ONLY baptize believers!  Since infants cannot believe, we know that no 
infants were included in the household which were baptized.

Re. Cornelius' household, scripture assures us that they were all saved.
Acts 11:14  Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall 
be saved.

Re. the Philippian jailor's household, we read in Acts 16:34:  "And when he 
had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, 
believing in God with all his house."

Acts 18:8 tells us the same thing about Crispus' house: " And Crispus, the 
chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and 
many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized."

Re. the house of Stephanus whom Paul baptized (I Cor.1:16), we read in I Cor 
16:15,16: "I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it 
is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the 
ministry of the saints,)  That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every 
one that helpeth with us, and laboureth."

Thus, these people were also able to "addict themselves to the ministry 
(service) of the saints", so there were obviously no infants among them.

Over the years, I have witnessed a few household baptisms after entire 
families had been converted to Christ.

Trust this sheds some light on the subject for you.

Your servant for Jesus' sake,
Bruce

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