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FOUNDATIONS**105*in* the* world,* or* underestimated* the* maturity* needed* for* responsibility*within*the*church.**Objections%anticipated%*Are%we%being%just%plain%disobedient?%*Our*wisdom*falls*woefully*short*of*God’s*wisdom.*If*it*seems*wise*for*us*to*prevent* children* from* receiving* baptism,* whereas* the* word* of* God* com:mands*it,*our*wisdom*is*foolishness*indeed.*Are* we* like* the* disciples* preventing* children* to* come* to* Jesus* (Luke*18:15:17)?* Are* we* leading* children* into* disobedience* because* they* are*commanded*to*repent*and*be*baptised*upon*their*profession*of*faith*(Acts*2:38:39)?* Are* we* ourselves* being* disobedient* to* the* Great* Commission* of*Jesus*in*failing*to*baptise*children*as*soon*as*they*become*disciples?*As*one*blogger*has*put*it,***Refusal*of*baptism*is*a*sin.*If*I*refuse*to*baptize*a*genuinely*converted*child,*I*am*forcing*them*not*to*do*what*Jesus*has*commanded*them*to*do.*Nay,*all*the*worse,*I*am*refusing*to*do*what*Jesus*has*commanded*me*to*do*in*the*Great*Commission. 26 **Or,*as*Ted*Christman*argues,**In* short,* it* regrettably* “forbids* the* children”* who* are* truly* converted* to* obey* the* Great*Commission.* It* forbids* them* membership* in* the* church.* It* forbids* them* the* Lord’s* Table.* It*forbids* them* the* pastoral* oversight* that* rightfully* belongs* to* all* members* of* the* church.* It*forbids*them*the*sense*of*belonging*to*the*family*of*God,*even*though*they*do*in*fact*belong*to*Christ. 27 **Luke%18:15,17 28 %*The* first* text* proves* either* too* much* or* too* little:* it* is* often* used* by*paedobaptists* and* will* be* of* no* use* for* those* who* argue* for* believer’s*baptism*of*children,*because*there*were*not*just*young*children,*but*babies*present.* Whereas* Matthew* and* Mark* use* only* the* word* τὰ* παιδία* in* their*accounts* Luke* uses* two* Greek* words* τὰ* βρέφη* and* τὰ* παιδία* suggesting*that*Luke*was*“thinking*especially*of*babies” 29 .**********************************************************************26*Bart* Barber,* “On* Mandatory* Age* Thresholds* for* Believer’s* Baptism”* http://praisegod*barebones.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/on:mandatory:age:thresholds:for.html*accessed*15/8/2012.*27*http://www.hbcowensboro.org/mediafiles/forbid:them:not:pdf.pdf*accessed*16/10/2012.*28*Cf.*also*Matt*19:13:15;*Mark*10:13:16.*29*Colin* Brown,* “Child”* in* Colin* Brown* (Ed.),* The% New% International% Dictionary% of% New%Testament%Theology,*Volume*1*(Carlisle:*Paternoster,*1986),*283.*!