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106* “Let*the*little*children*come*to*me…”*But*should*we*baptise*them?**In* any* regard,* there* is* little* to* connect* this* account* with* baptism.* As*Spurgeon* once* put* it,* “There* is* no* line* of* connection* so* substantial* as* a*spider's*web*between*this*incident*and*baptism,*or*at*least*my*imagination*is*not*vivid*enough*to*conceive*one.”**He*backs*this*claim*up*with*three*arguments.***It*is*very*clear,*Dear*Friends,*that*these*young*children*were*not*brought*to*Jesus*Christ*by*their*friends*to*be*baptized.*“They*brought*young*children*to*him,*that*he*should*touch*them,”*says*Mark…*In*the*next*place,*if*they*brought*the*children*to*Jesus*Christ*to*be*baptized,*they*brought*them*to*the*wrong*person;*for*the*Evangelist,*John,*in*the*fourth*chapter,*and*the*second*verse,*expressly*assures*us*that*Jesus*Christ*baptized*not,*but*his*disciples:*this*settles*the*question*once*for*all,*and*proves*beyond*all*dispute*that*there*is*no*connection*between*this*incident*and*baptism.**But* you* will* say,* “Perhaps* they* brought* the* children* to* be* baptized* by* the* disciples?”*Brethren,*the*disciples*were*not*in*the*habit*of*baptizing*infants,*and*this*is*clear*from*the*case*in*hand.*If*they*had*been*in*the*habit*of*baptizing*infants,*would*they*have*rebuked*the*parents*for*bringing*them?*If*it*had*been*a*customary*thing*for*parents*to*bring*children*with*such*an*object,* would* the* disciples,* who* had* been* in* the* constant* habit* of* performing* the* ceremony,*have*rebuked*them*for*attending*to*it? 30 **Acts%2:38,39%*Again* a* classic* text* in* the* conversation* between* credobaptists* and*paedobaptists,* Peter’s* command* to* “Repent* and* be* baptised”* is* applied* to*“you*and*your*children*and*for*all*who*are*far*off*–*for*all*whom*the*Lord*our*God*will*call.”*Credobaptists*have*traditionally*emphasised*the*facts*that*the*promise*is*not*for*all*children,*but*those*who*repent,*those*who*are*called,*and* that* this* excludes* infants.* Can* it,* however,* also* exclude* children* old*enough* to* repent* and* to* profess* faith?* Are* we* stopping* children* from*obeying*Jesus’*commands*by*refusing*them*baptism*when*they*themselves*request*it?**We*should*firstly*ask*what*is*meant*by*“children”*in*Acts*2:39.*The*Greek*phrase* is* “τοῖς* τέκνοις* ὑμῶν”.* This* “denotes* the* child* in* relation* to* his*parents* and* forefathers” 31 *not* children* as* opposed* to* adults.* Therefore,*many*times*the*word*τέκνον*is*used*in*the*New*Testament*to*refer*to*adults.*The*point*being*made*is*not*that*this*is*for*children*as*well*as*for*adults,*but*that* this* is* for* people* from* every* generation* and* from* every* nation.* Each*generation*of*believers*in*every*nation*must*come*to*repent*and*be*baptised.*The*fact*that*this*is*a*command*does*not*automatically*imply*that*it*is*a*command*that*children*must*obey*if*they*are*to*be*faithful*disciples*of*Jesus.*There* are* many* other* commands* in* the* New* Testament* given* to* disciples*which*we*infer*do*not*apply*to*children,*and*that*in*no*way*is*their*disciple:********************************************************************30*Charles* Spurgeon,* Children%Brought%to%Christ,%not%to%the%Font%http://www.spurgeon.org*/sermons/0581.htm*accessed*15/8/2012.**31*Colin*Brown,*“Child”*285.*