Did Early Christians Baptize Infants?
Early Christian writings do support infant baptism, especially in Cyprian and a third-century church order that speaks directly about baptizing infants. But the earliest writers are not all in one voice, and Tertullian warns against giving baptism too soon to little children. The Bible passages most often tied to the question are household baptisms and texts about baptism as repentance, new birth, and forgiveness. The strongest direct witness is Cyprian; the rest is mixed and partly indirect.
112 early-church witnesses · 235 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about infant baptism?
Early Christian writings give real support for infant baptism, especially in Cyprian’s strong defense that babies should not be delayed and can be baptized as soon as they are born. A third-century church order also asks, "Do you also baptize your infants," which shows the practice was known in church life by then. At the same time, the clearest early writers do not all speak the same way:
Tertullian warns against rushing baptism for little children, and much of the earlier evidence is indirect, coming from teaching about baptism as forgiveness, new birth, or household baptisms rather than a direct statement about infants. So the case is real but not uniform, and the strongest direct witness is Cyprian, not a broad line of agreement from the earliest generations.
Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Cyprian gives the clearest direct defense of baptizing infants as soon as they are born.
- A third-century church order asks about baptizing infants, showing the practice was known.
- Tertullian is a major early voice of caution, so the early record is not unanimous.
- Several Bible passages connect baptism with repentance, forgiveness, and whole households, but they do not directly name infants.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did any early Christian writer explicitly support baptizing infants?
Cyprian is the clearest direct witness in the supplied material. He says an infant should not be hindered from baptism and argues that baptism may properly be given as soon as a child is born.
-
Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching
But Keeping Most Firmly the Faith of the Church, for the Correction of Those Who Thought that an Infant Must Not Be Baptized Before the Eighth Day After Its Birth, He Decreed with Some of His Fellow-Bishops, that as Soon as It Was Born It Might Properly Be Baptized.
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
Do you also baptize your infants, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of God.
-
Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
Now concerning baptism, O bishop or presbyter, we have already given instruction, and now we say this: you shall baptize as the Lord commanded us, saying, “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19. Baptize in the name of the Father who sent, of Christ who came, and of the Comforter who testified. But first you shall anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterward baptize him with water, and at the end you shall seal him with the ointment. In this way, the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, the water the symbol of the death of Christ, and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there is neither oil nor ointment, water is enough for the anointing, for the seal, and for the confession of Him who is dead, or rather of the one dying together with Christ. But before baptism, let him who is to be baptized fast. For even the Lord, when He was first baptized by John and remained in the wilderness, afterward fasted forty days and forty nights. But He was baptized and then fasted, because He Himself had no nee
How did early Christians describe what baptism does?
The strongest supporting sources describe baptism as connected with forgiveness of sins, remission, regeneration, or new birth. These texts do not all speak about infants, but they explain why baptism was treated as spiritually significant.
-
Tertullian, On Baptism Direct teaching
Why does the innocent period of life hasten to the remission of sins?
-
Tertullian, On Baptism Supporting witness
principally, however, in the case of little children.
-
Tertullian, On Baptism Supporting witness
and they presume that the effect of their doing that is their regeneration and the remission of the penalties due to their perjuries.
Do the Bible sources give indirect support for infant baptism?
The Bible cards mostly point to baptism for repentance, forgiveness, or household settings. They do not explicitly command infant baptism, but they are often used as background in arguments about whether households or children were included.
-
Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching
But again, if even to the greatest sinners, and to those who had sinned much against God, when they subsequently believed, remission of sins is granted — and nobody is hindered from baptism and from grace— how much rather ought we to shrink from hindering an infant, who, being lately born, has not sinned, except in that, being born after the flesh according to Adam, he has contracted the contagion of the ancient death at its earliest birth, who approaches the more easily on this very account to the reception of the forgiveness of sins— that to him are remitted, not his own sins, but the sins of another.
-
Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness
...lso showed this. He taught that the Church is one, and that only those who are in the Church can be baptized. He said, “In the ark of Noah, few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water; the like figure to which even baptism shall save you.” 1 Peter 3:20-21 In this way he proves and testifies that the one ark of Noah was a type of the one Church. If, then, in that baptism by which the world was expiated and purified, the person who was not in Noah’s ark could be saved by water, then the person who is not in the Church, to which alone baptism is granted, can also now be made alive by baptism. Moreover, the Apostle Paul, showing this same thing even more openly and clearly, writes to the Ephesians and says, “Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water.” But if the Church is one, and it alone is loved by Christ and cleansed by His washing, how can someone who is not in the Church be either loved by Christ, or washed and cleansed by His washing?
-
Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching
...f He is not a man, then He was not seized. If He was not seized, then He did not suffer, nor was He baptized. If He was not baptized, then none of us is baptized. But if there is no baptism, then there will be no remission of sins, and every man will die in his own sins." Manes said: "Is baptism, then, given on account of the remission of sins?" Archelaus said: "Certainly." Manes said: "Does it not follow, then, that Christ sinned, since He was baptized?" Archelaus said: "God forbid! No, rather, He was made sin for us, taking our sins upon Himself. For this reason He was born of a woman, and for this reason also He came to the rite of baptism, so that He might receive the purification of this part, and so that the body which He had taken to Himself might be able to bear the Spirit, who had descended in the form of a dove."
-
Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching
in order that we may not remain the children of necessity and of ignorance, but may become the children of choice and knowledge, and may obtain in the water the remission of sins formerly committed, there is pronounced over him who chooses to be born again, and has repented of his sins, the name of God the Father and Lord of the universe;
-
Acts 2:38 Direct teaching
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
-
Titus 3:5 Direct teaching
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
-
Romans 6:3 Direct teaching
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
-
Mark 1:4 Supporting witness
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
-
Acts 16:33 Supporting witness
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
-
Matthew 3:6 Supporting witness
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
-
Mark 1:5 Supporting witness
And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Common Questions
Did the earliest Christians baptize infants?
Some early Christians did, and Cyprian gives a direct defense of it. But the earliest record is mixed, and Tertullian argues for caution with little children.
Is there an early Christian quote that directly mentions infant baptism?
Yes. Cyprian says an infant should not be hindered from baptism, and the Apostolic Constitutions asks, "Do you also baptize your infants".
Did Tertullian support infant baptism?
No clear support appears in the quoted passage. He asks, "Why does the innocent period of life hasten to the remission of sins?"
What Bible verses are used in this discussion?
Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, Romans 6:3-4, and the household baptisms in Acts are the main texts in this set.
Source Index for Infant baptism
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 160 ranked source links from 235 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 160 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 112
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
-
Unknown, Unknown Work
Bible Passages 80 shown of 123
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
Related Resources
Course Lesson
Is infant baptism biblical or merely tradition?
Open a related course lesson for more teaching connected with Infant baptism.
Course Lesson
Why Reject Infant Baptism If Early Christians Practiced It?
Open a related course lesson for more teaching connected with Infant baptism.
Site Page
Abandoning Infants
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.
Site Page
Anointing after baptism
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.
Site Page
Baptism
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.