The rule of the Church is Infant Baptism. She brings children even in their tenderest years within her Fold and there trains them up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” . . . That the Church of England had no form for the Baptism of Adults previous to the year 1661 is not only an interesting fact, but it is also one of those historic side-lights which brings into bold relief what was the custom of the Church from time immemorial.

“Adult Baptism” in American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

Ὁ . . . ποιοῦσιν is omitted in many mss. (Alexandrian and Western), though included by many too (SBLGNT; brackets in UBS). The prayer is not found in the other Gospels so that may be the reason for its omission by some scribes (and it may have been viewed as contrary to 23:28–31). Internal evidence, such as the sim. prayer [Lk, p. 365] by Stephen (Acts 7:60) and the Lukan theme of forgiveness, supports the original inclusion of the prayer (see Bock 1867–68; Bovon 3.307; Marshall 867–68; e.g., 6:28). Ἄφες, see 6:42 (here, “forgive”). The dat. αὐτοῖς may be a dat. of advantage or complement (BHGNT 721). Οἴδασιν, see 11:44. Ποιοῦσιν, see 6:33 (e.g., 23:31). Διαμεριζόμενοι (nom. pl. masc. of pres. mid. ptc. of διαμερίζω, “divide”) may be temp. (Nolland 1141), or express purpose (“cast lots to divide” NRSV, ESV; Bock 1841). Ἔβαλον, see 21:4. Κλήρους acc. pl. masc. of κλῆρος, -ου, ὁ, “lots” (most EVV; BDAG 548b; “dice” NLT, NET).

Commentary on Luke 23:34 (Alan J. Thompson, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Luke)

The world bears the Gospel a grudge because the Gospel condemns the religious wisdom of the world. Jealous for its own religious views, the world in turn charges the Gospel with being a subversive and licentious doctrine, offensive to God and man, a doctrine to be persecuted as the worst plague on earth. As a result we have this paradoxical situation: The Gospel supplies the world with the salvation of Jesus Christ, peace of conscience, and every blessing. Just for that the world abhors the Gospel.

From Luther’s Introduction (1538), Commentary on Galatians

The covenant promise affords the only certain and objective ground for the baptism of infants. But if the question is raised, how infant baptism can function as a means of grace to strengthen spiritual life, the answer is that it can at the very moment of its administration strengthen the regenerate life, if already present in the child, and can strengthen faith later on when the significance of baptism is more clearly understood. Its operation is not necessarily limited to the very moment of its administration.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

Infant baptism is not based on a single passage of Scripture, but on a series of considerations. The covenant made with Abraham was primarily a spiritual covenant, though it also had a national aspect, Rom. 4:16-18; Gal. 3:8-9, 14. This covenant is still in force and is essentially the same as the “new covenant” of the present dispensation, Rom. 4:13-18; Gal. 3:15-18; Heb. 6:13-18. Children shared in the blessings of the covenant, received the sign of circumcision, and were reckoned as part of the congregation if Israel, II Chron. 20:13; Joel 2:16. In the New Testament baptism is substituted for circumcision as the sign and seal of entrance into the covenant, Acts 2:39; Col. 2:11-12. The “new covenant” is represented in Scripture as more gracious than the old, Isa. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11, and therefore could hardly exclude children. This is also unlikely in view of such passages as Matt. 19:14; Acts 2:39; I Cor. 7:14. Moreover, whole households were baptized and it is unlikely that these contained no children, Acts 16:15; 16:33; I Cor. 1:16.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

The Church is commissioned to guard the truth, to hand it on faithfully from generation to generation, and to defend it against all forces of unbelief, I Tim 1:3-4; II Tim 1:13; Tit. 1:9-11. It must preach the Word unceasingly among all the nations of the world, Isa. 3:10-11; II Cor 5:20; I Tim 4:13; II Tim 2:15; 4:2; Tit 2:1-10, must draw up creeds and confessions, and must provide for the training of its future ministers, II Tim 2:2.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

The expression “creation out of nothing” is not found in the Bible, but in one of the apocryphal books, II Macc. 7:28. However, the idea is clearly taught in such passages as Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:9; 148:5; Rom. 4:7; Heb. 11:3.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

The proper conception of inspiration holds that the Holy Spirit acted on the writers of the Bible in an organic way, in harmony with the laws of their own inner being, using them just as they were, with their character and temperament, their gifts and talents, their education and culture, their vocabulary and style. The Holy Spirit illumined their minds, aided their memory, prompted them to write, repressed the influence of sin on their writings, and guided them in the expression of their thoughts even to the choice of their words. In no small measure He left free scope to their own activity. They could give the results of their own investigations, write of their own experiences, and put the imprint of their own style and language on their books.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

This special revelation of God is a revelation of redemption. It reveals the plan of God for the redemption of sinners and of the world, and the way in which this plan is realized. It is instrumental in renewing man; it illumines his mind and inclines his will to that which is good; it fills him with holy affections, and prepares him for his heavenly home. Not only does it bring us a message of redemption; it also acquaints us with redemptive facts. It not only enriches us with knowledge, but also transforms lives by changing sinners into saints. This revelation is clearly progressive. The great truths of redemption appear but dimly at first, but gradually increase in clearness, and finally stand out in the New Testament in all their fullness and beauty.

Berkhof’s Summary of Doctrine

Even if we had the apostolic autographs, there would be room for verbal criticism, since they, like other ancient books, were written as a continuous whole, without accents, without punctuation, without division of sentences or words, without titles and subscriptions, without even the name of the author unless it was a part of the text itself.

FROM “INTRODUCTION” BY PHILIP SCHAFF IN AMERICAN EDITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK, EDS. B. F. WESTCOTT AND F. J. A. HORT (NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, 1881), XIII.