Answer
The term infantilization cannot be found directly in the Bible, but the concept can be explored in the light of Scripture. Infantilization is a relatively modern word. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary dates its first known use to 1943. To infantilize a person is to make that person immature or keep him baby-like.
In modern usage, infantilization refers to the act of treating someone capable of more mature behavior or understanding as if he or she is a child. When adults are coddled, babied, kept in a dependent state, regarded as if they’re helpless, and not given responsibilities they are fully able to handle, they are victims of infantilization.
The Bible does not support infantilization but encourages growth and maturity. The writer of Hebrews issues a warning to immature believers and calls them to spiritual adulthood. At first, he acknowledges that the Hebrews are behaving like infants: “There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:11–14, NLT).
Then, the author calls the Hebrews to grow up in their spiritual understanding and application of God’s Word: “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding” (Hebrews 6:1–3, NLT).
Spiritual infantilization is when we insist on treating mature Christians like babies, only giving them basic-level teachings. The Bible compares this to feeding them milk or baby food when they should be advancing to heartier, more challenging instructions (1 Corinthians 3:2).
The believer’s ultimate ambition is to grow up into full spiritual stature (Ephesians 4:13–15; Colossians 1:28; 2:2, 6–7; 4:12; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 13:11; James 1:4). The apostle Paul continually pressed himself and others toward Christian maturity (Philippians 3:12–14; Galatians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Timothy 6:11).
“Brothers and sisters,” counseled Paul, “Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Corinthians 14:20). He never shied away from rebuking churches when they were acting immaturely: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature” (1 Corinthians 3:1–3, NLT).
One of Paul’s ministry goals was to help his spiritual children grow up in their faith and not stay in spiritual infancy: “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me” (Colossians 1:28–29, NLT). He urged believers to “no longer be immature like children . . . tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching,” and to “not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, . . . speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:14–15, NLT).
Infantilization—stunting someone’s growth or treating him as less capable than he is—is contrary to our calling in Christ. We are never to hold anyone back, but always to build up ourselves (Jude 1:20; Colossians 2:6–7; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:5–8) and others in the faith (Romans 14:19; 15:2; 1 Corinthians 14:1–5; Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 3:13). We are to nurture fellow believers (1 Corinthians 3:2; 1 Peter 5:1–3) until we all “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
