Does the Bible talk about christening?

TL;DR:

The Bible never mentions christening. Dedications can be meaningful, but salvation comes only through faith in Jesus, not ceremonies.

The Bible never mentions christening, and while it may serve as a cultural or traditional practice, it is not a biblical teaching. Naming and dedication may be meaningful, but they were never connected to the forgiveness of sin, which always came through faith and obedience to God (Genesis 15:6; 1 Samuel 1:27–28). All are born sinful (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12) and only personal faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection can cleanse us from sin (Ephesians 2:8–9; John 3:16–21). Christ commanded baptism (Matthew 28:19–20), but it is a sign of repentance and new life in Him, not a ritual that saves (Acts 4:12; Matthew 3:14–16). Infants cannot yet understand sin or choose repentance, so christening as spiritual cleansing is unbiblical. However, dedicating children to God, as Hannah did with Samuel, can be a meaningful act of commitment for parents, pointing forward to the child’s future faith. Ultimately, salvation is always a personal decision, and only Christ—not ceremony—has the power to make us right with God.

from the old testament

The Old Testament does not talk about christening, but it records naming events, such as when God renamed Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel (Genesis 17:5; 35:10). Names carried spiritual meaning, but they were not tied to cleansing from sin.
Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:27–28), but that was an act of parental commitment, not a ritual that removed sin.
Forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament was always connected to faith expressed by obedience and following God (Genesis 15:6; Micah 6:8), not through ritual washings or naming ceremonies..

from the new testament

All of us are born sinful (Romans 3:23) and must turn to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing (Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16-21). Infants cannot understand sin, so they cannot repent of sin or even understand why they should. Parents cannot go through the process of repentance and salvation for their child; the child must come to terms with this on his own once he has matured enough to understand.
Baptism is an act of obedience after a believer has repented of sin and self-effort and trusted Christ as the only hope of salvation (Acts 4:12).
Jesus told His disciples to make other disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).
Baptism is not a means of salvation (even Jesus was baptized by John), but it is an important symbol of new spiritual life, of leaving the old way of sin and belonging to God (Matthew 3:14-16; Mark 1:5). It also symbolizes the believer's union with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8).

implications for today

In some liturgical traditions, infants and small children often go through a christening ceremony, during which they are given their "Christian" name and welcomed into the congregation of the church. Sometimes the ceremony is private, including only close friends and family; other times it happens in front of the entire congregation, at the church.

Christening is not in the Bible, and depending on how the ceremony is perceived, it is not scriptural. If the christening ceremony is a naming ceremony and represents the symbolic inclusion of the infant into his new community, there is nothing unbiblical about it. A baby dedication is similar. However, christening is often thought of and practiced as a spiritual cleansing–a sacrament that baptizes the child from original sin. In this way, this practice is unbiblical because cleansing from sin can only take place by placing one’s faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. No ceremony can do this and certainly not for an infant who cannot understand sin and repentance.

Because of its spiritual importance, baptism should not be taken lightly. Christening an infant is a tradition of the church and is not found anywhere in the Bible. Christening isn’t sinful, but it does not make a person right before God, nor does it bring about salvation. Those who believe they are saved because of their christening, might not realize the eternal consequences of sin later in life and fail to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. The Bible calls us to genuine faith in Christ, followed by baptism as an outward sign of that faith. While christening may serve as a cultural or traditional practice, it should never be mistaken for the saving work of Christ, who alone has the power to cleanse us from sin and bring us into God’s family.

understand

The Bible never mentions christening; naming and dedication were meaningful but not tied to forgiveness of sin.
Forgiveness and cleansing come only through faith in Christ, not rituals.
Baptism follows personal repentance and faith, making infant christening as cleansing unbiblical.

reflect

How does understanding that salvation only comes through faith in Jesus—not through ceremonies—shape the way you view your own salvation and relationship with God?
How do you understand the difference between doing a tradition or ritual for its meaning while trusting fully in Christ for forgiveness and new life?
How can you honor meaningful traditions, like baby dedications, without confusing them with salvation?

engage

Why have some church traditions developed practices like christening, and how do they compare with what the Bible teaches about baptism and salvation?
What dangers can arise when people believe a ceremony, like christening, guarantees salvation rather than personal faith in Christ?
How can we encourage one another to keep baptism and other church practices in their proper biblical place—important, but not saving?