Understanding Child Baptism (የሕጻናት ጥምቀት): Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Perspective

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, baptism is a vital sacrament that ensures all believers, including infants, are incorporated into God's grace. The Church practices child baptism based on Scripture, emphasizing its importance for spiritual inclusion and salvation. By baptizing infants, the Church follows biblical teachings to safeguard eternal life for all, ensuring they are not excluded from God's kingdom. This essay explores the theological foundations behind baptizing children at 40 or 80 days, a practice rooted in Scripture.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church carefully maintains the practice of baptism, ensuring that all receive its grace. In accordance with the Holy Scriptures, the Church baptizes infants at 40 or 80 days to prevent anyone from dying unbaptized.

In the Book of Jubilee (ኩፋሌ) 4፡9, it is written: “በተፈጠረባት ምድር ለአዳም አርባ ቀን ከተፈጸመለት በኋላ ያበጃትም ይጠብቃትም ዘንድ ወደ ኤዶም ገነት አስገባነው። ሚስቱንም በሰማንያ ቀን አስገባናት።” Just as Adam and Eve were granted the grace of sonship through the Holy Spirit and entered Paradise at 40 and 80 days, the Holy Church, following God's divine work, baptizes male infants at 40 days and female infants at 80 days to restore the sonship lost through Adam's disobedience.

Similarly, as recorded in Leviticus 12:18, to affirm their identity as God's people and receive His blessing, parents would bring a male child on the 40th day and a female child on the 80th day to the temple (ቤተ መቅደስ) with a sacrifice. The priests would offer the sacrifice, bless the children in God's name, and register their names. In the same manner, the Church baptizes children on the 40th and 80th days, consecrating them as God's people.

The ultimate desire of parents and the Church for children is to grant them eternal life. In John 3:5, it is written: “ኢየሱስም መለሰ፥ እንዲህ ሲል፦ እውነት እውነት እልሃለሁ፡ ሰው ከውኃና ከመንፈስ ካልተወለደ በቀር ወደ እግዚአብሔር መንግሥት ሊገባ አይችልም።” For this reason, children are baptized in infancy, ensuring that they are not excluded from God's kingdom by embracing their parents' faith as their own. The Lord’s teaching makes it clear that if a child dies unbaptized, they cannot see the kingdom of God. This command applies to everyone, both children and adults, without exception: “ሰው ከውኃና ከመንፈስ ካልተወለደ በቀር ወደ እግዚአብሔር መንግሥት ሊገባ አይችልም።” Anyone who carefully reflects on the Lord's words understands this truth with ease.

Through baptism, children are united with the Church, becoming partakers of God's grace and embracing the Church's life from an early age. In contrast, growing up without God's grace may direct them toward a life of spiritual struggle and difficulty.

The Bible not only permits infant baptism but also supports it. In Mark 10:14–16, it is written: “ኢየሱስ ግን አይቶ ተቈጣና፦ ሕፃናትን ወደ እኔ ይመጡ ዘንድ ተዉ አትከልክሉአቸው፤ የእግዚአብሔር መንግሥት እንደነዚህ ላሉት ናትና። እውነት እላችኋለሁ፤ የእግዚአብሔርን መንግሥት እንደ ሕፃን የማይቀበላት ሁሉ ከቶ አይገባባትም አላቸው። አቀፋቸውም እጁንም ጭኖ ባረካቸው።” In obedience to the Lord's command, “ወደ እኔ ይመጡ ዘንድ ተዉ አትከልክሉአቸው,” the Church baptizes infants, granting them God's sonship and entry into His kingdom. Opponents of infant baptism often refer to Mark 16:16, which states: “እንዲህም አላቸው፦ ወደ ዓለም ሁሉ ሂዱ ወንጌልንም ለፍጥረት ሁሉ ስበኩ። ያመነ የተጠመቀም ይድናል፥ ያላመነ ግን ይፈረድበታል።” This verse underscores the necessity of both faith and baptism for salvation, not faith alone. Surprisingly, while citing this verse, they simultaneously deny the essential role of baptism, claiming it is unnecessary for salvation. How, then, can such individuals reconcile their views? Do they lack compassion for infants and children, particularly for those who may pass away before baptism? And what of Christ's teaching in John 3:5: “ሰው ከውኃና ከመንፈስ ካልተወለደ በቀር ወደ እግዚአብሔር መንግሥት ሊገባ አይችልም።”? Are we to assume that Christ’s words are untrue? In opposing the baptism of infants, these individuals, perhaps unknowingly, stand against Christ and His teachings. Our Lord said, “ያመነ የተጠመቀም ይድናል,” to address those who were doubtful or had not yet believed when the Gospel was first preached. Pay close attention to the full verse: “እንዲህም አላቸው፦ ወደ ዓለም ሁሉ ሂዱ ወንጌልንም ለፍጥረት ሁሉ ስበኩ። ያመነ የተጠመቀም ይድናል፥ ያላመነ ግን ይፈረድበታል።” (Mark 16:16). Our Lord directed these words to individuals who had lived without baptism and needed faith to receive it. The context clearly indicates that this verse refers to individuals who grew up without baptism. Therefore, this verse can not be used as an argument against infant baptism.

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught that children should be considered children of God: “ሕፃናትን ተዉአቸው፥ ወደ እኔም ይመጡ ዘንድ አትከልከሉአቸው፤ መንግሥተ ሰማያት እንደነዚህ ላሉ ናትና።” (Matthew 19:14). In accordance with Christ’s teaching, the Church joyfully accepts children brought by their parents for baptism, making them children of God and members of the Church. The Lord calls them to come and receive sonship, grace, and blessing. Furthermore, since children possess pure hearts, the Lord taught that unless we become like them, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who oppose infant baptism dishonor this direct command of Christ.

The Holy Bible teaches that infants were baptized in several instances.

As recorded in Acts 16:33, the jailer, who was amazed by the miracle in the prison and drawn to the Christian faith, was baptized along with his household after being taught and converted by Paul and Silas. “በሌሊትም በዚያች ሰዓት ወስዶ ቍስላቸውን አጠበላቸው፥ ያን ጊዜውንም እርሱ ከቤተ ሰዎቹ ሁሉ ጋር ተጠመቀ።” (Acts 16:33). It is important to note that although the jailer was the one who heard and believed the message, his entire family, including the children, were baptized.

Similarly, as stated in Acts 16:15, Lydia, who believed and gave her life to Christ after the Lord opened her heart to His word, was baptized not alone but with her entire household. “እርስዋም ከቤተ ሰዎችዋ ጋር ከተጠመቀች በኋላ፦ በጌታ የማምን እንድሆን ከፈረዳችሁልኝ፥ ወደ ቤቴ ገብታችሁ ኑሩ ብላ ለመነችን፤ በግድም አለችን።” (Acts 16:15). The phrase "ከቤተ ሰዎችዋ ጋር" indicates that Lydia was baptized along with her entire family, including children.

In 1 Corinthians 1:16, Saint Paul mentions baptizing the entire household of Stephan, which clearly implies more than just adults. Can we then assume that all of Stephan’s family members were adults? Were there no children? Is the term “household” used exclusively for adults?

As recorded in Acts 2:41-42, Saint Peter preached to no fewer than 3,000 people at Pentecost, and many were baptized. “ቃሉንም የተቀበሉ ተጠመቁ፥ በዚያም ቀን ሦስት ሺህ የሚያህል ነፍስ ተጨመሩ፤በሐዋርያትም ትምህርትና በኅብረት እንጀራውንም በመቍረስ በየጸሎቱም ይተጉ ነበር።” (Acts 2:41-42). However, the text does not suggest that only adults, excluding their children, were baptized.

Nowhere in the Bible condemns infant baptism. As mentioned earlier, the Bible does not oppose infant baptism, and those who claim it is unnecessary today are asserting something that the Bible does not state.

There are Old Testament practices that serve as symbols (ምሳሌዎች) of baptism. Examining these symbols further strengthens the case for the correctness of infant or child baptism.

Old Testament circumcision (ግዝረት) was a symbol of baptism (Colossians 2:11-12). In the Old Testament, babies were circumcised on the eighth day after birth: “የስምንት ቀን ልጅ ይገረዝ፤ (ዘፍ 17፡12).” The children were circumcised based on their parents' faith, not their own conscious decision. The same principle applies to infant baptism in the New Testament.

Israel's crossing of the Red Sea is a symbol of baptism, as described in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2: “ወንድሞች ሆይ፥ ይህን ታውቁ ዘንድ እወዳለሁ። አባቶቻችን ሁሉ ከደመና በታች ነበሩ ሁሉም በባሕር መካከል ተሻገሩ፤ ሁሉም ሙሴን ይተባበሩ ዘንድ በደመናና በባሕር ተጠመቁ።” It was not only adults who crossed the sea but also children. These children were also freed from slavery under Pharaoh’s (ፈርዖን) rule. Likewise, children are entitled to the freedom of God's sonship through baptism, as this is the will of God, as described earlier.

Exodus 12:5 reveals that the lamb, which saved Israel from the plague (መቅሰፍት) of the firstborn's death, symbolized the Lord. Similarly, Exodus 12:23 shows that it was not only adults but also children who were saved by the lamb's blood, emphasizing that the children were saved through their parents' faith.

In 1 Peter 3:20-23, the ark that saved Noah from destruction is described as a symbol of baptism: “ጥቂቶች ማለት ስምንት ነፍስ በውኃ የዳኑበት መርከብ ሲዘጋጅ፥ የእግዚአብሔር ትዕግሥት በኖኅ ዘመን በቈየ ጊዜ ቀድሞ አልታዘዙም። ይህም ውኃ ደግሞ ማለት ጥምቀት ምሳሌው ሆኖ አሁን ያድነናል፥ የሰውነትን እድፍ ማስወገድ አይደለም፥ ለእግዚአብሔር የበጎ ሕሊና ልመና ነው እንጂ፥ ይህም በኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ትንሣኤ ነው፤” (1 Peter 3:20-23). Just as Noah entered the ark with his family, the Holy Church teaches that parents today must follow his example by baptizing their entire family, including their children.

Therefore, as revealed in the Words of God above, opposing infant or child baptism is a clear mistake. The exploration shows that baptism is not reserved for adults alone, as suggested by opponents' unbiblical or human-made claims, but is rather God’s grace extended to all humanity. God chooses man, as the Lord Himself declared: “እኔ መረጥኋችሁ እንጂ እናንተ አልመረጣችሁኝም፤” (John 15:16). Baptism is a divine gift, not a privilege restricted by human decisions. Thus, it is essential to understand that the Church baptizes infants based on the biblical teachings preserved by the Fathers.

In conclusion. the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church firmly believes that infant baptism is not only biblically supported but also essential for salvation. Following the teachings of Christ and the Apostles, the Church continues the practice of baptizing children as a means of granting them sonship, grace, and eternal life. As the Church welcomes children into God's family, it maintains the spiritual importance of baptism as a foundational act for every believer, regardless of age.