Quote From Australia
Do household baptisms include infants? The reply is well put by our Australian brother, Roland McDowell; in CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, Jan. 1973. (P.O. Box 136, Bundaberg, Qld. 4670)
CORNELIUS AND HIS HOUSE, Acts 10:1-f.
...a devout man and one that feared God WITH all his house, (v. 2). God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him and WORKETH righteousness, is accepted with him, (vs. 34-35)...to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever BELIEVETH in him shall receive remission of sins, (v. 43). ...then hath God also to the Gentiles granted REPENTANCE unto life. (Acts 11:18).
We observe that Cornelius house was able to fear, work righteousness, and repent. Infants are definitely excluded in this context.
LYDIA AND HER HOUSEHOLD, Acts 16:13-f.
And a certain woman named Lydia.. .of the city of Thyatira... was baptized and her household.
Lydia and her household were from Thyatira, approximately 450 km. away from Philippi. There are some assumptions which must be made to get infants even with her at this time, let alone having them baptized: (a) That she was married, (b) That she had children, (c) That if she was married and had children, her children were infants, (d) That she would take her infant children with her on this long and dangerous journey. Too many assumptions indeed.
THE JAILOR AND HIS HOUSE, Acts 16:27f. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And they SPAKE unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house And he was baptized, he and all his straightway and REJOICED, BELIEVING in God WITH all his house.
The same requirement of faith was expected of both the Jailor and his house; consequently the word of the Lord was preached to all in his house. Did Paul preach to infants? Ridiculous! Note also that his house rejoiced with him.
CRISPUS AND HIS HOUSE, Acts 18:8.
And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, BELIEVED on the Lord WITH all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
In this context Crispus house is said to have believed WITH him. The Corinthians who were baptized first heard, then believed. No infants here.
THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANUS, 1 Cor. 1:16; 16:15 (Cf. Acts 18:8, above..)
These were the first converts in Achaia, of which Corinth was a principle city. Crispus was among those converted, and both Crispus and Stephanus and their households were among the many Corinthians who heard, believed, and were baptized. The household of Stephanus is here reported as having ADDICTED THEMSELVES to minister an action which could never be attributed to infants.