LARGE CATECHISM OF MARTIN LUTHER: THE BAPTISM OF

INFANTS

INTRODUCTION
It was in 1528 when Luther and his colleagues visited the congregations in Saxony, Germany,
to evaluate the spiritual health of the new Reformed congregations. Luther stayed
horrified to see the depressing and miserable spiritual situation of the congregations,
"Mercy! Dear God, what great misfortune I have witnessed!" Thus writes Luther in his
Preface in its Small Catechism. "Ordinary people, especially in the villages, do not have
any knowledge of Christian doctrine. And, unfortunately, many pastors are
completely incapable and unqualified to teach ... However, everyone says that
they are Christians, they have been baptized and receive the holy sacraments, although they cannot even
reciting the Our Father or the Creed or the Ten Commandments. They live like foolish and stupid pigs.
irrational ... Oh bishops! What answer will you give to Christ for having neglected so
shamefully to the people and not having fulfilled even for a moment with your duty [James 3:
1]? ”[1]
In the theological context, Luther writes his catechism at the height of the movement
Anabaptist, who was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525. By the time Luther writes this
catechism, the Anabaptists spread to Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia. The
Anabaptists were staunch enemies of infant baptism and rebaptized their adherents.
that came from Catholicism and Protestantism. The Anabaptists were very successful in their
conversions of the great mass of theological illiterates of Catholics and emerging Protestants who
they did not have a clear, well-articulated idea of baptism. It is within this historical context
religious that Luther uses nouns such as 'sects', 'fanatics', 'naive', 'ignorant'
sectarians

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XIIIA.- Fourth part-Of infant baptism.
Here arises a question for which the devil, through his sects, confuses the world, namely,
of infant baptism, if children also believe and are rightly baptized. Regarding this,
let's briefly say: Let the simple discard this question from their minds and it
refer to the scholars. But if they wish to respond, respond like this:

That the baptism of infants pleases Christ, this is sufficiently proven by His own
work, that is to say, that God sanctifies many of those who have been baptized in this way and gives them
the Holy Spirit has given; and that there are still many today in whom we perceive that
they have the Holy Spirit both through their doctrine and through their life; as it is also given to us by the

thanks to God that we can explain the Scriptures and come to the knowledge of Christ, which is
impossible without the Holy Spirit. But if God did not accept infant baptism, He would not give the
Holy Spirit nor any of his gifts to any of them; in summary, during this long time
Until today, no man on earth could have been a Christian. Now, given that God
confirms the baptism by the gifts of His Holy Spirit, as is clearly perceptible in
some of the church fathers, such as Saint Bernard, Gerson, John Hus, and others, who were
baptized in childhood, and since the holy Christian Church cannot perish until the end of
world, they must recognize that infant baptism pleases God. Because He can never oppose
neither support falsehood and evil, nor impart His grace and Spirit in vain.

In fact, this is the best and strongest proof for the naive and the ignorant. Because we do not
they will not remove or overthrow this article:

I believe in one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.

for this reason, baptism is not invalid; but everything depends on the Word and the commandment of
God. This might be something strong now but it is entirely based on what I have said, that the
Baptism is nothing more than water and the Word of God, which is in and with it; that is to say, when the
A word is added to the water, the Baptism is valid, even if faith is lacking. Because my faith does not make

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baptism, but rather receives it. Now, baptism is not invalidated even if it is received or used
incorrectly; since it is not linked (as it was said) to our faith, but to the Word.

Because even if a Jew comes today dishonestly and with bad intentions, and we baptize him.
in all good faith, we must say that your baptism is genuine. Because here is the water along with
the Word of God, and although he does not receive it as he should, like those who go unworthily to
sacramento, he receives the true sacrament even if he does not believe.
Thus you see that the objection of the sectarians is vain. Because (as we have said) although infants
they would not believe, which, however, is not the case; however, their baptism as it is now shown
it would be valid, and no one should rename them; just as nothing is removed from the Sacrament even though

someone approached him with an evil purpose, and it could not be allowed because of his abuse
to be baptized a second time at the same hour, as if one had not received the true one
Sacramento at the beginning; because that would mean blaspheming and profaning the sacrament in the worst way.

manner. How dare we think that the Word and the ordinance of God should be
Incorrect and invalid just because we misuse them?

That's why I say, if they didn't believe, then believe now and say this:

The baptism was genuine, but I, alas, did not receive it well. Because I too, and all the
baptized, I must speak like this before God: I come here in my faith and that of others, but not
I can rest in this, 'that I believe, and that many people pray for me;' but in this I rest, 'that
It is Your Word and commandment.

Just as I go to the sacrament not trusting in my faith, but in the Word of Christ; be strong or
weak, I commend that to God. But this I know, that He invites me to go, eat and drink, etc., and gives me
His body and His blood; may it not deceive me nor be false.

This is also how we do it in infant baptism. We bring the child with the conviction and the
hope that she believes, and we pray that God grants her faith; but we do not baptize her based on that,
only by the mandate of God. Why? Because we know that God does not lie.

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Me and my neighbor and, in short, all men, can err and deceive, but the Word of
God cannot err.

Therefore, they are presumptuous and foolish minds that draw inferences and conclusions like these:
Where there is no true faith, there can also be no true Baptism.
As if to say: if I don't believe, Christ is nothing; or like this: if I am not obedient, father, mother and

the government is nothing.

My dear, simply invert the argument and make this inference instead:
For this same reason, baptism is something and it is correct, because it has been poorly received. Because if not

If it were correct and true in itself, it could not be abused or sinned against.
The saying goes: Abusus non tollit, sed confirmat substantiam, abuse does not destroy the essence but
that confirms it.

For gold is no less gold, even though the harlot carries it in sin and shame.
Therefore, let us decide that baptism always remains true, retaining all its essence.
even if only one person should be baptized, and he, furthermore, does not truly believe. Because the

The ordinance and the Word of God cannot be modified or altered by men.

But these people, the fans, are so blinded that they do not see the Word and the commandment of God,
and they look at baptism and magistrates only as they see the water in the stream or in the jars, or
like any other man; and because they see neither faith nor obedience, they conclude that they must be
considered invalid. Here lies a hidden seditious devil, wanting to snatch the crown.
from the head of the authority and then trample it, and, moreover, pervert and annul all the works and
God's ordinances. Therefore, we must be attentive and well-armed, and not allow ourselves to be led or
to move away from the Word, so that we do not consider baptism as a mere empty sign, like
Imagine the fans.

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Finally, we must also understand what baptism means and why God has ordained such.
external sign and ceremony for the Sacrament by which we are received for the first time in the
Christian Church.

But the act or ceremony is this, that we are submerged under the water, that passes over us, and
Then we are taken out again. These two parts, which are submerged under the water and are extracted from
new, they signify the power and the operation of baptism, which is nothing else but to bring death to the
old Adam, and then the resurrection of the new man, which must take place in
us throughout our entire life, so a truly Christian life is no more
like a daily baptism, once begun it continues forever. Because this must be practiced
without ceasing, so that we may always continue to cleanse everything that belongs to the old Adam, and what belongs

the new man moves forward.

But what is the old man? It is that which is born in us from Adam, angry, hateful,
envious, wicked, stingy, lazy, proud, yes, unbelieving, infected with all vices, and that by
nature has nothing good in it. Now, when we arrive at the kingdom of Christ, these things
they must decrease daily, so that the longer we live, the kinder and more patient we become,
more gentle, and each time we move further away from disbelief, greed, hatred,
envy and arrogance.

This is the true use of baptism among Christians, which means to baptize with water.
Where this is not practiced, the old man is left unchecked, to become
ever stronger, fighting against baptism. Because those who are without Christ can only
become worse every day, according to the proverb that expresses the truth: "It always gets worse, as much as

more, worse. If a year ago one was proud and greedy, this year they are much prouder and greedier.
greedy, so that the vice grows and increases with him from his youth.

A small child has no special vice; but when he grows up, he becomes impure and ungodly, and
when maturity is reached, real vices begin to prevail the longer time goes by
worse.

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Therefore, the old man runs wild in his nature if not controlled and repressed by
the power of baptism.

On the other hand, where men have become Christians, it decreases every day until
finally the old man dies. That is truly to be buried in baptism and return
to go out every day. Therefore, the external sign is designated not only for an effect
powerful, but it is also what it truly means. Where, therefore, faith flourishes with its
fruits, there does not have an empty meaning, but is accompanied by the work [of mortifying the flesh];
but where faith is lacking, it remains merely an unfruitful sign.

And here you see that baptism, both in its power and in its meaning, also encompasses the
third Sacrament, which has been called repentance, since it is actually nothing more than the
baptism. Because, what else is repentance but a fervent attack against the old one?
man [so that his desires are restrained] and enter a new life? Therefore, if one lives
in repentance, one walks in Baptism, which not only signifies that new life, but
It also produces, initiates, and exercises it. Because in him grace, the Spirit, and power are given.
to suppress the old man, so that the new man can emerge and strengthen.
Therefore, our baptism remains forever; and although someone may fall from it and sin, not
nevertheless, we always have access to it, so that we can again submit the old man. But
It is not necessary for them to spray us with water again; because even if we were submerged a hundred times

times under the water, would nonetheless be a single baptism, although the operation and the meaning
continue and remain.

Repentance, therefore, is nothing more than a return and approach to baptism, the repeating and
to practice what we started before, but we abandoned it.
I say this so that we do not fall into the opinion we had for a long time,
imagining that our baptism is something from the past, which we can no longer use after
having fallen back into sin. The reason is that it is considered only according to the act
external once completed [and finished]. And this arose from the fact that Saint Jerome wrote
that repentance is the second plank by which we must swim forward and cross
after the boat breaks, on which we step and are taken to the other side when

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we enter the Christian Church. Therefore, the use of baptism has been abolished so that no longer
it benefits us. Therefore, such a statement is not correct or, in any case, is not understood.
correctly.

Because the ship never breaks because (as we have said) it is a decree of God, and not a
it is our work; but it happens, in fact, that we slip and fall off the boat. However, if anyone
falls, let him ensure that he rises and clings to it until he returns and lives in it, as
it had started earlier.
In this way, it is understood that baptism is something great and excellent, which frees us from the
mouths of the devil and makes us God's own, suppresses and removes sin, and then strengthens each
day to the new man, and it is and remains always effective until we pass from this state of
misery to eternal glory.

Therefore, each one should consider their baptism as a daily garment in which they must walk.
constantly, so that he may always be in the faith and its fruits, so that he may suppress the old man.
man and grow in the new. Because if we want to be Christians, we must practice the work for the
we are Christians. But if someone strays from Him, let them return. Because just as
Christ, the propitiator does not distance Himself from us nor does He forbid us to return to Him, even though we sin, thus

also remains all his treasure and his gifts. Therefore, if once in baptism we have
having obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as long as we live, that is,
while we wear it around our neck.

Caesar M Arevalo
Source: Martin Luther The Large Catechism (1529). Translated by F. Bente and W.H.T. Dau.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921) pages 565-773-Excerpt from
The provided link does not contain any text for translation.

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