This is the second of three posts exploring the inclusion of children within the New Covenant people of God. You can find the first post here.
Here are two more points that suggest Paul presumes the inclusion of children in the covenant community.
3. Children are to live in way that pleases the Lord
When Paul addresses various groups within the Colossian church, he includes children and encourages them to exhibit behaviour that ‘pleases the Lord’. Just like his letter to the Ephesian Church, Paul addresses the Christian community in Colosse as “the saints” (hagioi) and “faithful” (pistoi) in Christ:
“To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ . . .” (Col. 1:2)
In the body of the letter, Paul again addresses various groups who obviously constitute the believing community to which he is writing. It includes instructions to wives (who are to submit to their husbands “in the Lord,” 3:18); husbands (3:19), children (3:20) and slaves (vv. 22-25).
To the children in this community he says:
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (en kuriw) (Col. 3:20).
As in the case of Ephesians, we can only conclude that: (1) Paul considers the entire body of believers in Colossians as “holy people” (hagioi) and “faithful” (pistoi) in Jesus; (2) whole households are considered part of this believing community; (3) children are just as much a part of this believing community as the husbands and wives, because the ethical injunctions given are grouped together; and (4) the children are to behave in a way that pleases God. Can we really see children in the context of believing families as outside the New Covenant community? Paul doesn’t seem to think so.
Taken in light of Ephesians, Colossians brings a third line of evidence from Paul which supports paedobaptistic teaching (and not credo-baptist assumptions) about who really constitute the New Covenant people of God. At this point, we are not to push the evidence any further than to simply observe that Paul implicates children of believing families, and considers then in some way to be little “saints” (hagioi ) and “faithful” (pistoi) in Christ Jesus. That’s kinda weird if they are to be regarded as non-Christians.
4. Children are actively involved in the churches founded by Paul
While the following quote isn’t from the Pauline corpus, it does recount (from the book of Acts) a scene from Paul’s ministry recorded in the book of Acts.
“We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. (Acts 21:4-6; NIV)
The children (teknoi) were there. Whole families were praying on the beach together. But wait a minute – why are they letting non-Christians join their prayer meeting? Because the children of believers are not to be regarded as non-Christians. They are not to be regarded as outside, but inside the definition of what the visible church is.
As Francis Schaeffer once said, Christianity is essentially Jewish. It could be described as fulfilled, Messianic Judaism. In keeping with the historic practice of God’s Old Testament people – from Abraham onwards – the children born into the covenant community are to be given the covenant sign and raised as though they are naturally part of that community. They are to be raised and treated as ‘little Christians’. Not unbelievers. Not a third, ill-defined category of humans.
Paul knows what an unbeliever is. The babies and young children are not described like them. Instead, the little ones born to Christians are presumed to be in the Christian community. Part of the community. Just like the adult believers.
Since the church has the authority to baptize those it considers to be disciples of Christ, babies may receive the covenant sign of baptism. In fact, I would suggest they must receive it.
spes clara 