Disassembling the Age of Accountability: A Scriptural Argument

The foundational doctrine of which the Age of Accountability (AOA) is derived from is Original Sin.

Both Credobaptists and Paedobaptist agree that we inherit death from Adam. The disagreement between Credos and Paedos is whether or not we inherit Adam’s guilt. Paedos say yes. Credos say no.

Credos believe that mankind inherits Adam’s sinful nature, which is an inclination to always sin. This is a sort of disposition towards sin - that it sets us up to be sinners, but we are not actually sinners until we knowingly transgress the Law.

There are two ways Credos explain this 1) Infants and children are born with no personal sin and guilt (or least morally neutral), and become sinful when they first consciously sin at the AOA. The second position is infants and children do sin. They covet, lie, tease, start fights, act up in class, rebel against parental authority, throw tantrums, etc. However, these sins are not held against them until the AOA, when they consciously sin.

The first view holds infants and children are SINLESS OR INNOCENT until AOA and the second view holds infants and children as sinful but GUILTLESS until the AOA.

Scripture critique: TWO CATEGORIES OF HUMANITY OR THREE?

Roman 5 it is said is the Bible’s own history of itself. Paul is going to summarize all of human history up this point by placing humanity into two distinct categories: those who are IN ADAM (vs. 12, 14) and those who are IN CHRIST (vs. 6, 14).

Paul illustrates this concept TWO Adams in developing five or six examples of a Thesis/Antithesis structure in vss.15 -19 roughly stating what Adam ruined, Christ restored.

In I Cor. 15:22, again Paul states that all of humanity are either in Christ or in Adam “ For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Our Lord also places all of humanity into two categories especially seen in the parables: Wheat and the Tares, the Dragnet, The Sheep and the Goats, The Two Sons, the rich man and Lazarus, the foolish and wise virgins, the foolish and wise builders, the foolish and wise servants.

CREDOBAPTISTS AND THE THIRD CATEGORY OF HUMANITY

Because Credos believe infants and children are either sinless or guiltless before AOA they are placed into a third category of NEITHER IN CHRIST NOR IN ADAM for the same reason…they are not guilty of sin. This third category is foreign to scripture, but we have seen it before….in the old Roman doctrine of limbus infantum (the place were all the dead unbaptized babies go). Rome no longer hold to his teaching, and so the only ones believing in this third category are the credos.

This third category is an INNOVATION and not apart of Sola Scriptura.

16 But before he is old enough to make that choice,
the land of the two kings you fear will be empty.
--------------------

Isaiah 7:15-16 has nothing whatever to do with children being sinless or guiltless, or a child not knowing the difference between righteousness and wickedness before AoA.

Within the immediate context of vs. 15-16, it is speaking about FOOD or more specifically…what a child eats, such as curds and honey. When we are young we do not know the difference between good FOOD and bad FOOD. If good FOOD tastes too strong for us, we spit it out. If bad FOOD tastes all right we eat it anyway. This passage deals with a maturity level of a child that can differentiate good tasting FOOD from bad tasting FOOD.

Within the larger context of Is. 7, Ahaz in Jerusalem is deeply troubled about being invaded by the alliance of Northern Israel and Syrian. God tells Isaiah with young his son, to go to Azah and ask for a sign for Jerusalem not to be conquered. Ahaz refuses to ask for asking so God gives Azah a sign anyway. This sign in 7:14 is Messianic. David’s descendants will be preserved.

7:15-16 is another sign God gives Azah. Before Isaiah’s child is mature enough to distinguish between good and bad FOOD, the two kings warring against Jerusalem will not be a threat anymore as the text says “land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.” Just a few years later Assyria conquered both Northern Israel and Syria and deported them, thus saving Jerusalem.

“Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.” deals with maturity not sinlessness, guiltlessness or the AoA.