On a related issue (and as further illustration of my point here)...is the Lord's Supper an ordinance for believers? I think yes (as only they can participate worthily). Do unbelievers sometimes participate? Yes (through poor church practice and teaching and diffrent theological stance). But...and this is my point..the fact that error does occur in no way takes away from the true application and use of the ordinance which is for believers only.
No scripture. The Bible shows baptism is for professors and their households. The question is whether the entire household believed, and if any children were present. I have seen you and SemperReformanda continually put forth that baptism is the same as the Lords supper. However, I have yet to see scripture equivocating this. This is simply a notion, an ideal, not found in practice in the NT.
On your dealing with OIKOS. I do not believe the language requires believing to mean every individual in the OIKOS. I do however notice nothing that would explain such a radical departure from OT covenant understanding, especially since some of these passages are couched in just such an understanding. Your definition of OIKOS, is nowhere to be found outside baptist hermeneutics. It's also nowhere to be found for the first 1500 years of Church history. Here is a quote showing exactly what I mean.......
Quote
"The phrase 'he and his (whole) house' denotes the complete family; normally husband, wife and children. In no single case is the term 'house' restricted to the adult members of the house, though on the other hand children alone may be mentioned when the whole house is meant. Whilst slaves are very often not reckoned as part of the 'house,' the inclusion of the children is taken for granted. Indeed, the Old Testament repeatedly lays special emphasis on the very smallest being reckoned in. Since the primitive Church takes the phrase over as a firmly established biblical expression, the statement 'it includes small children as well as others' applies to its employment in the New Testament as well" (Jeremias, p. 24).
