And the first-century Christians followed these teachings. To evaluate the practices of the early church, though, we will also be examining statements from a variety of sources outside the Bible. None is an authority on spiritual matters. We are only looking at what has been said as a result of study of history and the Greek language as well as the Bible. Only the Bible can be our guide for spiritual matters.
Baptism is, justly, a focal point of most discussions deal ing with salvation.
There are three things that we must consider concerning the views of the early church toward baptism. Indeed, the New Testament requires that a person believe before being baptized. The concept of a person being baptized and then taught as he or she grows up is totally contrary to the Bible. Hearing, believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized are all associated with salvation. There is no question that an infant can do none of the first four.