Age of Accountability

WashedClean · Apr 5, 2004

Hi All ,

I was wondering what everyone's thought are on the age of accountability. Obviously it would differ from person to person, but is there an age where you can say everyone is accountable?

Please provide scriptural support whenever possible.

Thanks!

WashedClean

Slave2SinNoMore · Apr 5, 2004

I think people become accountable when they understand what sin is.

I think some people never become accountable - people who are severely mentally handicapped, who can't understand such things.

I base this on John 9:40-41

I believe that in those verses, Christ is telling the Pharisees that those who are blind to sin (I think this means they don't understand sin or what it is) are not held accountable for sin. I know that some will disagree with me on this, and that's fine. But that's what I believe.

HoT-MetaL · Apr 5, 2004

Yeah, I agree with Slave2SinNoMore. When a person understands the concept of sin, and can make a rational descision based on his/her conscience/teaching they are then accountable. The psychologist Vygotsky said that formal operational thinking begins at around the age of 11. Perhaps this is when we are accountable, when our mind has developed enough for abstract thinking.

Another point of view may also be that when a Child understands what Jesus did for them on the cross they are accountable.

God Bless, metal.

filosofer · Apr 5, 2004

Ah yes, age of accountability - it is so prominent in Scriptures:

"For all over the age of accountability have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death for those over the age of accountability ..." Romans 6:23a

"For it is by grace you who are over the age of accountability have been saved, and that not of yourselves if you are over the age of accountability ..." Ephesians 2:8

"Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you who are over the age of accountability may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you who are over the age of accountability may have life in His name." John 20:30-31

Yep, over the age of accountability is all over the place.

aanjt · Apr 5, 2004

filosofer said:
Ah yes, age of accountability - it is so prominent in Scriptures:

"For all over the age of accountability have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death for those over the age of accountability ..." Romans 6:23a

"For it is by grace you who are over the age of accountability have been saved, and that not of yourselves if you are over the age of accountability ..." Ephesians 2:8

"Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you who are over the age of accountability may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you who are over the age of accountability may have life in His name." John 20:30-31

Yep, over the age of accountability is all over the place.

Is this a joke? No where in any of my Bibles does it state "over the age of accountability". I'm assuming it is a joke because of the smilies that you used.

Yours in Christ,
Jen

Slave2SinNoMore · Apr 5, 2004

filosofer said:
Ah yes, age of accountability - it is so prominent in Scriptures:

"For all over the age of accountability have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death for those over the age of accountability ..." Romans 6:23a

"For it is by grace you who are over the age of accountability have been saved, and that not of yourselves if you are over the age of accountability ..." Ephesians 2:8

"Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you who are over the age of accountability may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you who are over the age of accountability may have life in His name." John 20:30-31

Yep, over the age of accountability is all over the place.

Would you like to comment on John 9:40-41? I'd like to hear your thoughts on that, even if you disagree with me.

Flynmonkie · Apr 5, 2004

aanjt said:
Is this a joke? No where in any of my Bibles does it state "over the age of accountability". I'm assuming it is a joke because of the smilies that you used.

Yours in Christ,
Jen

Jen, your killing me over here! Yes this was to be sarcastic I hope, because there is no Bible that exisits with these comments interjected in those verses, that actually have nothing to do with how we are judged in this regard.

The bottom line is that God says ultimatly we are judged by the intent of our heart. I cannot assume that there is a specific age as that we all come to this point at different times or even different ways in our lives.

1 Samuel 16
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

This is enough assurance for me.

Knight · Apr 5, 2004

filo's point being......

There is no age of accountability in the Bible. It's simply not there.

WashedClean · Apr 5, 2004

So if there is no age of accountability, then babies go to hell if they die?

Lotar · Apr 5, 2004

The "age of accountability" is an invention by Anabaptists.

WashedClean · Apr 5, 2004

Lotar said:
The "age of accountability" is an invention by Anabaptists.

OK, so what happens to infants or young children when they die? They aren't under God's grace?

Lotar · Apr 5, 2004

WashedClean said:
OK, so what happens to infants or young children when they die? They aren't under God's grace?

That is why we baptize infants, so that they have faith and God's grace. We do not have such assurance for those who are not.

aanjt · Apr 5, 2004

Flynmonkie said:
Jen, your killing me over here! Yes this was to be sarcastic I hope, because there is no Bible that exisits with these comments interjected in those verses, that actually have nothing to do with how we are judged in this regard.

The bottom line is that God says ultimatly we are judged by the intent of our heart. I cannot assume that there is a specific age as that we all come to this point at different times or even different ways in our lives.

1 Samuel 16
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

This is enough assurance for me.

Okay, just wanted to make sure. I have ran into those on other Christian bulletin boards that say it is in the Bible about the age of accountability. :::Whew:::

Yours in Christ,
Jen

filosofer · Apr 5, 2004

Yes, jen, I was being tongue-in-cheek with this issue.

Notice that all the passages that discuss condemnation and salvation use words like "all" - but not a qualifier of "age of accountability". The main problem is that "faith" gets reduced to an intellectual assent to truths, which is not the full import of Biblical faith. And faith is even predicated on children, and infants (notice how BREPHOS in Greek is used to refer to infants in the womb and at other times little children who believe). Yes, even infants can have faith. Ask a young mother if the infant can tell whether Mom is holding the child or some stranger. Yet because the infant doesn't raise up and give a 20 minutes discourse on the relative merits of her mother's arms does not mean that the infant does not have faith in the mother for care, nurture, etc.

Notice, too, that the one who referenced 1 Samuel 16, has to do with selecting a king for Israel, namely David. Samuel was looking at the outward appearance of the candidates - the sons of Jesse, whereas God looked at the heart. In that specific case, I would hope that there is some discerning that goes on for person soon to be king!

Reformationist · Apr 6, 2004

Lotar said:
That is why we baptize infants, so that they have faith and God's grace. We do not have such assurance for those who are not.

So when you baptize an infant do you have assurance that they have faith and God's grace and, therefore, if they die they automatically go to Heaven?

It sounds as if you believe that faith and God's grace is the result of baptism. Is that what you believe?

God bless

WashedClean · Apr 6, 2004

Lotar said:
That is why we baptize infants, so that they have faith and God's grace. We do not have such assurance for those who are not.

Hi Lotar,

Thanks for your response. But I have a couple of questions:

1. What about babies who are aborted and don't have a chance to be baptized?

2. So if a baby is baptized and dies as an infant, he/she goes to Heaven because of their baptism alone? And at what age does this "insurance" run out and the child/young adult become accountable (there's that word again) to God for their sins?

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how baptising an infant suddenly makes God "accountable" to man and insures their temporary salvation. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're saying. If so, please clarify.

Thank you very much!

In His Love,

WC

Reformationist · Apr 6, 2004

WashedClean said:
I'm sorry, but I don't understand how baptising an infant suddenly makes God "accountable" to man and insures their temporary salvation. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're saying. If so, please clarify.

Kinda what I got out of it so maybe we're misinterpreting together.

God bless

Lotar · Apr 6, 2004

WashedClean said:
Hi Lotar,

Thanks for your response. But I have a couple of questions:

1. What about babies who are aborted and don't have a chance to be baptized?

I really don't know.

2. So if a baby is baptized and dies as an infant, he/she goes to Heaven because of their baptism alone? And at what age does this "insurance" run out and the child/young adult become accountable (there's that word again) to God for their sins?

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how baptising an infant suddenly makes God "accountable" to man and insures their temporary salvation. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're saying. If so, please clarify.

Insurance? No, baptism is a means of grace, through which God will create faith in the heart of the child. Though they may not be able to articulate it, it is real and true faith. As the child grows, that faith must be strengthened by the Word so it does not die. There is no magic age at which it "runs out," it is faith that saves, not the baptism itself.

Thank you very much!

In His Love,

WC

Your welcome very much.

Lotar · Apr 6, 2004

Reformationist said:
So when you baptize an infant do you have assurance that they have faith and God's grace and, therefore, if they die they automatically go to Heaven?

Yes.

It sounds as if you believe that faith and God's grace is the result of baptism. Is that what you believe?

God bless

Faith and God's grace is a result of the work of God, who chooses to work through baptism.

Bulldog · Apr 6, 2004

Do we have salvation and then lose it when we reach a certain age? Doesn't make sense to me....

Age of Accountability

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