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The following link goes to my response to Greg Welty’s critique of paedobaptism. The reason why I have not ever refered Theologia readers to this, one of my earlier works, is that I have come to dislike my tone. When I wrote it, I allowed myself to be irritated at Greg. I don’t dislike him (and I appreciate a great many of his other writings) but I did not respond well to his essay on this subject. At the time I was simply a seminary student and hadn’t really considered what sort of tone is congenial to a person with pastoral responsibilities. Knowingly expressing oneself in a way that will make people mad, when one could say exactly the same thing without doing so, does not seem compatible with my vocation. As a result, I have rarely ever referred anyone to the essay.
I am making my essay an official offsite link of Theologia now for reasons having very little to do with Greg or with paedobaptism per se. My reason in posting this is a result of the recent brouhaha over the 2002 Auburn Avenue Pastor’s Conference. I think there is historical interest in this paper of mine, which was written before I had read anything by N. T. Wright or even heard of “the new perspective” as a concept. Indeed, if memory serves, I had only heard of Norman Shepherd indirectly when I wrote this essay (even if I am wrong, I attest the views expressed in this essay predate my reading of him). In any case, with the noted exception of paedocommunion, this essay argues closely from the Westminster Confession and Cathechisms.
In light of recent hostilities, I must say that I don’t even understand why Greg ever irritated me the way he did. He is every bit a gentleman, a fact all the more obvious in light of how some paedobaptists are behaving in recent months. He never called me a heretic for arguing from the Westminster Standards, though various Presbyterians are now using such slanderous words for allegiance to Reformed Theology. He is, in short, a good guy and I’m sorry I may not have realized that as I should have when I was writing this response.
FOR FURTHER READING
The Call of Grace by Norman Shepherd
“Reformed” is Not Enough by Doug Wilson
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