What is the Age of Accountability?

TheSeabass said:

--The idea of 'age of accountability' is found in Romans 7:8-9.
--Man becomes a sinner in his 'youth' not at birth, Genesis 8:21
--Children are taught right from wrong Deuteronomy 1:39; Isaiah 7:15-16. Therefore there is no set age for children mature and learn at different speeds/levels.

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We cannot say that "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" rules out Original Sin. Infants are not being described by "the imagination of one's heart."

Age of accountability to what...?

Being more sinless or loving more...?

God Bless!

birth. If that was not true, then why would David say:

Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

So, basically, no one knows for certain. Maybe this, maybe that, maybe not at all.

That's a GREAT way to sow all kinds of doubt and uncertainty doncha think?

Maybe if you actually made your doctrine based on the clear witness of Holy Scripture, and stop reading your doctrine eisegetically into isolated and unclear texts, you could have the comfort and assurance that comes from the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just baptize your babies, people! Stop letting human arguments and sinful doubting of the clear word of God cloud your minds.

Age of accountability to knowing and having the possibility of rejecting the truth, maybe...?

Age of accountability to "what" I ask...?

There probably is not a clear answer because it is likely that the age of accountability will differ from person to person.

-Luca said:

There probably is not a clear answer because it is likely that the age of accountability will differ from person to person.

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Do you think any other man can judge another man in this...?

Albion said:

We cannot say that "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" rules out Original Sin. Infants are not being described by "the imagination of one's heart."

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Yes, it does rule out original sin for if original sin were true then imagination of man’s heart is evil from conception/birth, evil right from the very beginning.

98cwitr said:

birth. If that was not true, then why would David say:

Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

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David did not say he was sinful at birth.

KJV ‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

NKJV ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”

NIV “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful at the time my mother conceived me.”

The KJV & NKJV puts the sin on the mother while the NIV changes the original language putting the sin on David.

In sin did my mother conceive me.
In a drunken rage a husband beat his wife.

Who was in a drunken rage? the husband
Who was in sin? the mother

David is saying he was born into a sinful world by sinful parents.

Psalms 139:14 David was NOT praising God for God having made him a vile, depraved sinner, a lost reprobate.

98cwitr said:

birth. If that was not true, then why would David say:

Psalm 51:5
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

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Yes, we are sinful from birth..... Just that we are not accountable for our actions until we are mentally capable or mature enough to be responsible for the decisions we make.

Tangible said:

So, basically, no one knows for certain. Maybe this, maybe that, maybe not at all.

That's a GREAT way to sow all kinds of doubt and uncertainty doncha think?

Maybe if you actually made your doctrine based on the clear witness of Holy Scripture, and stop reading your doctrine eisegetically into isolated and unclear texts, you could have the comfort and assurance that comes from the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just baptize your babies, people! Stop letting human arguments and sinful doubting of the clear word of God cloud your minds.

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I am certain there is no such thing as original sin and verses as Mark 16:16 prohibits baptizing infants further proving there is no original sin that infants have to have remitted by being baptized.

Tangible said:

So, basically, no one knows for certain. Maybe this, maybe that, maybe not at all.

That's a GREAT way to sow all kinds of doubt and uncertainty doncha think?

Maybe if you actually made your doctrine based on the clear witness of Holy Scripture, and stop reading your doctrine eisegetically into isolated and unclear texts, you could have the comfort and assurance that comes from the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just baptize your babies, people! Stop letting human arguments and sinful doubting of the clear word of God cloud your minds.

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Everyone will be accountable..... it is not up to us to set a date or age..... God's way is not man's way.

Man sets an age... say a person is not tried as an adult until age 18.... sooooo at age 17 they go kill someone, being perfectly knowledgeable of the fact that it is murder but also knowing they will be tried as a youth....

Would you not say that this youth is, then, at a mental age where they are accountable?

With God, He knows you. He knows everyone..... when you get to a point of knowledge and cognitive ability to be aware of right and wrong and responsible for your actions....you are at the age of accountability.

You will not argue with God... You will not say "but,,,, but,,,, but... I was only 15 years old. Or 17 or 20 or whatever.....

Nope. God will state that you were aware and you will have no leg to stand on.


In the end..... what does it matter? really? This unknown "age" men want to put a mark on the wall and say "this is when"... or "At this age"...... why? What do we gain?

If we can understand that we have sinned.... for goodness sake, repent.... don't cling to some alibi that you were not at the "AGE" of accountability.

-Luca said:

There probably is not a clear answer because it is likely that the age of accountability will differ from person to person.

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BINGO

TheSeabass said:

I am certain there is no such thing as original sin and verses as Mark 16:16 prohibits baptizing infants further proving there is no original sin that infants have to have remitted by being baptized.

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Well, you might want to re-read the bible. I could give you at least five scripture passages (not just verses, and within the whole context of Holy Scripture) that clearly state that mankind is conceived in sin and that sin is inextricably bound up in the fallen flesh we all inherit from our father Adam.

I could give you at least five more scripture passages that clearly state exactly what God gives to the baptized through his gift of Holy Baptism, without any merit, worthiness or age restrictions on our part, solely for the sake of Jesus Christ alone.

TheSeabass said:

Yes, it does rule out original sin for if original sin were true then imagination of man’s heart is evil from conception/birth, evil right from the very beginning.

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The verse doesn't indicate one way or the other what the starting point is except that it's from very early in life.

TheSeabass said:

David did not say he was sinful at birth.

KJV ‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

NKJV ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”

NIV “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful at the time my mother conceived me.”

The KJV & NKJV puts the sin on the mother while the NIV changes the original language putting the sin on David.

In sin did my mother conceive me.
In a drunken rage a husband beat his wife.

Who was in a drunken rage? the husband
Who was in sin? the mother

David is saying he was born into a sinful world by sinful parents.

Psalms 139:14 David was NOT praising God for God having made him a vile, depraved sinner, a lost reprobate.

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Such a translation sows the mother in dishonor, which would be against the commandments. This may be a reason the NIV translated the verse the way it did.

Verse 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, etc. We are not to suppose that David here reflects upon his parents as the medium of transmitting to him the elements of moral evil; and that by the introduction of the doctrine of original sin he intended to extenuate the enormity of his own crimes. On the contrary, we are to regard him as afflicting himself by the humbling consideration that his very nature was fallen, that his transgressions flowed from a heart naturally at enmity with God; that he was not a sinner by accident, but by a depravity of purpose extending to the innermost desires and purposes of the soul; and that there was "a law in his members, warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin and death" Romans 7:23 ; and that he was one of a race of guilty beings, none of whom could plead an exemption from an evil heart of unbelief, ready at all times to depart from the living God. Till we see sin in the fountain of the heart, we shall never truly mourn over it in the life and conversation. John Morison.

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Psalm 51:5 Commentary - The Treasury of David

Tangible said:

Well, you might want to re-read the bible. I could give you at least five scripture passages (not just verses, and within the whole context of Holy Scripture) that clearly state that mankind is conceived in sin and that sin is inextricably bound up in the fallen flesh we all inherit from our father Adam.

I could give you at least five more scripture passages that clearly state exactly what God gives to the baptized through his gift of Holy Baptism, without any merit, worthiness or age restrictions on our part, solely for the sake of Jesus Christ alone.

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There is NO VERSE that says man is born a sinner. The NIV perverts Psalms 51:5 by adding their own theological bias to the verse and not giving a word for word translation. They admit this in the preface of the NIV..." This has moved the translators to go beyond a formal word-for-word rendering of the original texts."


John said sin is transgression of the law, this verse alone makes OS impossible for OS tries and create sin when no transgression took place on part of the newly conceived.

Ecclesiastes 7:29; Ezekiel 18:5-20; Matthew 18:3; Romans 7:8-9; 1 Corinthians 14:20 are just a few other verses that refute OS. Also, Christ would have been born with OS if it were true.

As others have stated, there probably isn't a golden rule set age anyway since we know God examines and looks at the heart of the person. I'd think He would take age into account when doing that (including mental delays)

In reference to "being guilty" of sin, Jesus says the following:

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Albion said:

The verse doesn't indicate one way or the other what the starting point is except that it's from very early in life.

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It says specifically says from YOUTH not from BIRTH.