Ac:2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Ac:2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Ac:2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ac:2:39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The original recipients of the New Covenant was of course the Old House of Israel, the Jews. During the first years, the members of the Church were exclusively Jewish. The Jews practiced infant circumcision, as mandated to Abraham (Gn 17:12), reaffirmed in the Mosaic Law (Lv 12:3), and demonstrated by the circumcision of Jesus on his eighth day (Lu 2:21). Without circumcision no male was allowed to participate in the cultural and religious life of Israel.

When Peter preached under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost he was speaking to a Jewish audience (Ac 2:5-35). Peter announced, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children" (Ac 2:38-39). The Jews would have been dismayed had the New Covenant not included their children, especially since it was promised to them, and the New Covenant was to be an improvement over the Old in which they were included.

If the practice of Infant Baptism had been illicit or prohibited it would surely have been explicitly forbidden, especially to restrain the Jews from applying Baptism to their infants as they did circumcision. But we find no such prohibition in the New Testament nor in the writings of the Fathers-a silence that is very profound.

Ac:2:33: Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Ac:2:34: For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Ac:2:35: Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Ac:2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Ac:2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Ac:2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ac:2:39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Peter here addresses ‘all the house of Israel’ reminding of ‘the promise’ and how to get forgiveness of sin. The NT preacher Peter, in his Spirit-inspired sermon to the OT Jews reiterates that the promise was to them and their children. What is the promise in regards to salvation? The promise of the Father of our Faith, Abraham (Rom. 4, Gal. 4). We see that this promise that was made to Abraham is now made to the believers in the New Covenant. Who does this promise include? Only those who are of an age of reason? No, according to Peter it is to you and your children, i.e. the Jews and their children. In the Old Testament as well, the promise includes children from the age of 8 days old.

De:1:39: Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

And Paul in Ga:4:28 says, Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Isaac was heir to the promise as an infant from 8 days old or even before he was born. Children are thus included in this promise like Isaac was as Paul says in Gal 4:28. Peter confirms this idea, all the more, when he says this promise is for you, and your children. When they heard Peter give this promise, they no doubt brought their children to be baptized. If the children were not to be included, there would have been a great controversy, and Peter would have had to have said, “Well, even though I said the promise included children, this baptism can only come when we reach this age of reason, that they could choose for themselves.” There was no controversy only because children were not to be excluded in the New Covenant. The word 'children' (in Greek tek'non') is used in Luke 1:59, when John, obviously an infant, is circumcised. In fact, in Acts 21:21, that same term, (which is used of baptism and children in Acts 2:39) which is, tek'non, is again used in reference to infants being circumcised. Thus, they also would be baptized, and their parents would be the ones believing for them. In the Old Testament the infants were circumcised not after reaching the age of reason, but at 8 days old on the belief of their parents, The term tek'non' is used, in Luke 1:59 and Acts 21:21 to refer to infants. Yes, that term may be used for older children as well, but the use of this term includes infants, and by implication others who have not reached the age of reason. Of course, these Jewish people who are spoken to in Acts 2, have not been brought up in the faith, and as of yet, none of their children have been baptized. So thus, the fact that Peter mentions children, it naturally would include children who have not yet reached the age of reason, and would thus be baptized according to the promise.

How are we to come to Jesus in the New Covenant? Jesus proclaimed that we must come to him as children, Matthew 18:2-5:

2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

Notice that we must come to Jesus in the New Covenant, as children. It would be strange to say that we must come to him as children, but then exclude the very children he proclaims that we must be like, from entering communing with him through baptism!!! This definitely has baptismal implications, especially since he says in my name. When Jesus uses the phrase to welcome the children in my name, he definitely has in mind, that this would be a reference to baptism.

In M't:18:10: Jesus says, children have ‘their angels’  who always behold the face of His Father which is in heaven.

Matt 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Later on in Hebrews 1:14 St Paul explains angels as ‘ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation’.

Heb:1:13: But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Heb:1:14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Children who have their angels in heaven facing the Father in heaven always aren’t they also heirs of salvation being ministered unto by their angels?

In the New Testament the ‘guarantee of heirship is on receiving the Holy Spirit on baptism.

The guarantee of heirship or inheritance is the Holy Spirit in the New Testament

Eph:1:13, 14: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ga:4:6: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Ga:4:7: Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Ro:8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Ro:8:8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Ro:8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Ro:8:10: And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Ro:8:11: But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Ro:8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Ro:8:14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Ro:8:15: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Ro:8:16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Ro:8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Ga:3:27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.Ga:3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.Ga:3:29: And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The promise is to the children of believers as well just like in the Old Testament.

Isa:44:3: For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Isa:48:19: Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

Isa:61:9: And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

Isa:65:23: They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

The Gentiles as the Bible says ‘aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise’ in the beginning of the New Covenant..

Eph:2:11-13: Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The Old Testament Symbols of Salvation and Baptism Include Infants-

De:29:9: Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. De:29:10: Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, De:29:11: Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: De:29:12: That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day: De:29:13: That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. De:29:14: Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; De:29:15: But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:

Moses' leading his people through the Red Sea is seen as an Old Testament foreshadowing of

Christian baptism. The following New Testament passage clearly points to this: "For I do not

want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all

were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same

spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ." (I

Corinthians 10:1-4).

It is worthwhile to note that "all were baptized" through Moses' leadership in crossing over the Red Sea. He did not leave the infants or children on the shores of Egypt to become prey to the angry armies of Pharaoh because they were not old enough to believe in the promise of the Old Covenant. Rather, entrusted to the arms of their parents' faith, they were carried through the "baptism of Moses."

Saint Peter, in turn, noted that Noah and his family  "were saved through water,"  and that  "this prefigured baptism, which saves you now"  (1 Pt 3:20-21).  Peter's word translated as  "prefigured"  is actually the Greed word for  "typify,"  or  "make a type."   The apostle Paul, for his part, described Adam as a  "type"  of Jesus Christ (Rom 5:14).

The saving of Noah's entire family by the ark can also be seen as a prefigurement of a baptism

which includes infants. All that needs to be said, as in the case of Moses' passing through the

Red Sea, is that the entire family was on board the ark. Why should we leave infants out of the

ark of baptism?

In the letter to the Hebrews, the Old Testament tabernacle and its rituals are described as  "types and shadows of heavenly realities"  (8:5), and the law as a  "shadow of the good things to come" (10:1). 

1 Corinthians 10:1-2, "... our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The understanding that infants were to be baptized enabled Paul to speak of "passing through the sea" as a type of baptism. Therefore, it prefigured the New Testament baptism. And just as "All of them" passed through the sea, so then, it also follows that "all of them" - including infants - are to be baptized.

As the chosen people were saved by God's power in their passage through the Red Sea and so came to the promised land, so too must all who would come to God's Kingdom pass through the waters of baptism "stirred up" by the Holy Spirit (Jn 5,7).

Christ Reigns!!