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48**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*and*Its*Relationship*to*Evangelism*In* sum,* a* covenantal* view* of* baptism* as* taught* in* the* Westminster*Standards* constantly* appeals* to* the* whole* of* Scripture* for* its* support.* We*agree* with* the* Apostle* Peter* who* preached* on* the* Day* of* Pentecost* that*baptism* signifies* the* “forgiveness* of* sins”* and* the* “gift* of* the* Holy* Spirit”.*Furthermore*the*promise*in*the*gospel*is*“for*you*and*your*children”*(Acts*2:38:39).*The*waters*of*baptism*replace*the*rite*of*circumcision*for*visible*membership* of* the* new* covenant* community.* Herman* Bavinck* rightly*instructs*that*“circumcision*pointed*forward*to*the*death*of*Christ,*baptism*points*back*to*it.*The*former*ends,*the*latter*begins*with*that*death.” 11 *The*NT’s* “instruction* about* washings”* (Heb* 6:2,* “washings”* is* baptismōn)* is* a*rich* teaching.* The* waters* of* baptism* are* waters* of* promise,* that* being*covenant*promise.*We*look*to*the*Triune*God*expectantly*for*the*fulfilment*of* these* promises,* while* also* seeking* to* carry* out* our* covenant*responsibilities*as*disciples*of*Christ.**Answering!three!common!exegetical!fallacies!concerning!a!Westminster!Standards’!view!of!baptism!*This*section*is*mainly*directed*at*handling*objections*to*paedobaptism*that*arise*from*the*credobaptist*church*community*in*England*and*Wales.*Their*primary* arguments* also* provide* a* suitable* platform* to* exegetically* defend*the*Westminster*Standards’*doctrine*of*baptism.*Simultaneously,*engaging*in*this*pursuit*also*exposes*large*gaps*within*a*Baptistic*hermeneutic,*not*only*for*baptism,*but*for*the*gospel,*and*the*credobaptist*approach*to*the*unity*of*Scripture.* Within* the* scope* of* this* essay,* I* intend* to* respond* to* the* three*most*common*arguments*that*I*have*personally*encountered.*These*form*the*basis* of* what* I* would* deem* to* be* three* common* exegetical* fallacies* con:cerning*a*Westminster*Standards’*view*of*baptism.**The!New!Testament!is!silent!concerning!the!baptism!of!infants/children!!The*Baptist*theologian,*Stephen*J.*Wellum,*contends*that*“it*does*not*seem*to*bother* them* [Reformed* Presbyterians]* that* in* the* NT* there* is* no* express*command* to* baptise* infants* and* no* record* of* any* clear* case* of* infant*baptism” 12 *(Spurgeon*makes*the*same*charge).*Considering*that*the*Book*of*Acts*was*a*missionary*situation,*the*practice*of*baptism*was*not*restricted*to*newborn*infants*but*also*to*the*children*of*believers.*It*would*be*unlikely*for*********************************************************************11*Herman*Bavinck,*Reformed!Dogmatics:!Holy!Spirit,!Church,!and!New!Creation,*Volume*Four,*ed.,*John*Bolt,*trans.,*John*Vriend*(Grand*Rapids:*Baker,*2008),*527.*12*Stephen*J.*Wellum,*“Baptism*and*the*Relationship*Between*the*Covenants”*in*Believer’s!Baptism:! Sign! of! the! New! Covenant! in! Christ,* eds* Thomas* R.* Schreiner* and* Shawn* D.* Wright*(Nashville:*B*&*H*Publishing,*2006),*97.*