Age of accountability

[Classik]

What do we mean when we say 'age of accountability', and how do we determine that for an individual, particularly for a child.

In those days mom would say, he/she is just a child and knows no sin

(That age at which an individual knows good and bad, or a range of ages)

 

[reba]

IMO ...age of accountability is not scriptural
Many will twist scripture to find one... Some will say 13 because of bar bat mittzpha ...some say twenty Num_1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
then ....Psa_58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think God knows, on a case by case basis. Some people are very mature for their age as children and teens; others aren't. In my own life...I had what was probably a "developmental disorder" as a teenager, and I think that's one reason God's been so gracious towards me...I was too childish+child-like, which obviously led to problems...

But if a kid is socially mature, highly intelligent, brought up the right way, etc., I could see a lower age of accountability. I think 13 worked in a lot of pre-modern societies because the communities were close knit and the kids were taught religious concepts from a very young age. Kids were also often treated more like little adults than like children. In one of my history classes, they talked about this...the idea of childhood as a special, important part of a person's development really began with the middle- and upper-classes in the US and Europe in the 19th century. Along the same lines, the concept of social adolescence--the time when a person is not really a kid, but not yet an adult, a transition period--started becoming a more normal part of life after the Great Depression and definitely after WWII. Social and economic conditions changed, and the "American teenager" was born, in a sense. As time went on, more and more teens started going to college or some kind of training beyond High School, so we got "prolonged social adolescence," and the things that go with it...older age at first marriage, older age at birth of first child, fewer children (on average), etc.

I'm rambling. Point is...the idea of an age at accountability seems, to me at least, to be more of a social issue than a religious one. I would say that kids and teenagers in many modern societies take longer to mature, on the whole, than kids in other cultures or even in previous generations. I think its social and economic factors at play. Plus...I've read some sociologists writing on this...many adults in the modern US aren't all that...adult, lol. I mean, I'm not one to criticize, lol, but it does seem that people stay in school longer, get married later, have fewer kids (if any), move, change jobs, etc....the end result is an adult who is largely the same at 34 as at 24, just with crows feet and (hopefully) more $$$.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I think in general, different ages are accountable for different things. A young kid at 3 is accountable to not hit other's and to share toys by not being possive of them. These are what they are taught at that age and the standards they are held up to. At an older age, these are still in the mix of standards but no longer in the forefront of what they are accountable about, because they have more. At school age they are accountable to do their homework, not to cheat, not be a bully, and to listen to their parents. At a much older age after living a life, one of the things people are accountable for is taking care of their parents or providing care for them in some way.

Throughout our lives what we are accountable for changes. So I don't think an amount of years creates a true age of accountability. That said though, I don't know about bibically an answer, but about 13-16 I think is a general rule of accountability where a person is able to be held to their actions, because they are also able to understand what they are doing and have more choices for what they do, and they go through puberty and have to face the changes inside of them as well.

 

[smaller]

There are understandings to be had with elder/younger scriptural observations. But the age of accountability is not only false, but can be dangerous.

How so? IF for example, we say that every person under X age is saved by virtue of their age, THEN logic would and has in some cases, dictated, that it is not bad if such lives were terminated in order to "secure" heaven as a surety, for children. The tempter has used this on more than one mother or father to perform horrible acts.

And likewise, using this dictate, it could even result in abortion being seen as a just thing, assuring heaven to such, aborted. This actually makes abortion "just" to that extent of "guarantee." On this basis alone I reject the notion that a young person is justified and then, at some age of accountability, is potentially or assuredly "lost."

It doesn't make any sense.

There are vast realms of scriptural data that reside in elder/younger studies that are not hinged to age of accountability whatsoever. These would be along the lines that Paul laid out in Gal. 4:29 & Gal. 5:17, showing we are all born natural or flesh people first, which is the hingepoint of the "elder" vessel, with the Spiritual coming after, or later, younger.

When God observed that the elder shall serve the younger, this was the meaning of these observations from Romans 9:12 and Gen. 25:21-23.

And beneath this there are still other 'layers' of understandings, for example the nation of fleshly Israel compared to N.T. believers. It is a similar example. Even in the first covenant and the second, a similar light is shed. It's quite remarkable, actually.

 

[Jim Parker]

IMO ...age of accountability is not scriptural

Isa 7:14-16 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

So, scripture supports the idea of an "age of accountability" but, it varies from child to child as young children can only think in concrete terms (that's my dog, that's my ball, that's my mommy) and do not develop the ability to think in abstract terms until somewhere around 10 to 12 years of age. (So, when a mommy tells little 5-year-old Johnny "That's not nice.", he has no idea what "nice" means but has figured out that if he says, "I'm sorry." mommy will shut up and leave him alone.)

"Hey daddy what is "fair"? How come I gotta share? An' daddy can I have dat big elephant over dere?" ( From "Dat Dere" by Oscar Brown Jr.)

iakov the fool

 

[Corn Pop]

This is a question knowone probably knows or needs to know but God alone. Every individual is different and I believe there is not a specific day everyone that age is suddenly equally accountable, as each person grows different in knowledge and understanding.

 

[eddif]

Numbers 14:29 KJV
Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

If you use both accountability and age it hits 20. If under grace the curse of the law is lifted ?

eddif

 

[smaller]

This is a question knowone probably knows or needs to know but God alone. Every individual is different and I believe there is not a specific day everyone that age is suddenly equally accountable, as each person grows different in knowledge and understanding.

No one other than God Himself in the flesh has shown themselves accountable enough to be non-sinners, that much is certain. So the whole "notion" of an age of accountability is somewhat fruitless when faced with the reality of the universal condition of "having sin."

Personal/age of accountability made zero people sinless.

 

[escapefate]

You can only go to heaven through asking for salvation, this would imply there is no age. No one gets a free ticket to heaven. I feel like if there was an age the Bible would tell us what that age is, seems like it would be REALLY important to know that. We are BORN sinners.

 

[Jim Parker]

We are BORN sinners.

True.

Also true is that we are not born with an understanding of what sin and repentance are. When someone comes to know enough to choose the right and reject the wrong, he has reached the age of accountability.

iakov the fool

 

[Classik]

True.

Also true is that we are not born with an understanding of what sin and repentance are. When someone comes to know enough to choose the right and reject the wrong, he has reached the age of accountability.

iakov the fool

Totally agree with this. Aborted babies have no business with hellfire

 

[escapefate]

you open up a slippery slope here I feel, some people dont know what sin is until they are 50 years old, some people grow up not understanding God. Do they too get a free pass?

 

[Jim Parker]

you open up a slippery slope here I feel, some people dont know what sin is until they are 50 years old, some people grow up not understanding God. Do they too get a free pass?

Normal children are able to understand the difference between right and wrong as soon as they can think abstractly. That's why arithmetic used to be taught by rote memorization. Teachers used to know that and it worked. By the time the kid is about 12 or 13, he's ready to attempt Algebra which is required more conceptual thinking.

The average adolescent has developed an extensive repertoire of excuses about why it isn't his fault and why its not fair. Some folks make their home there and spend the rest of their life in denial. "Fault" and "fairness" are concepts that young children cannot understand because their brains have not developed to the necessary level.

And there are a multitude who deny that anything they do is sin and many deny that there is such a thing as sin.

But nobody with a normal brain gets a free pass.

Gal 6:7-8 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

iakov the fool

 

[iLOVE]

you open up a slippery slope here I feel, some people dont know what sin is until they are 50 years old, some people grow up not understanding God. Do they too get a free pass?

See Proverbs 1:24-33 NIV

 

[Classik]

you open up a slippery slope here I feel, some people dont know what sin is until they are 50 years old, some people grow up not understanding God. Do they too get a free pass?

Are you telling us that a person of this age doesn't know good from bad? Perhaps true for the mentally downs

 

[OzSpen]

Isa 7:14-16 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

So, scripture supports the idea of an "age of accountability" but, it varies from child to child as young children can only think in concrete terms (that's my dog, that's my ball, that's my mommy) and do not develop the ability to think in abstract terms until somewhere around 10 to 12 years of age. (So, when a mommy tells little 5-year-old Johnny "That's not nice.", he has no idea what "nice" means but has figured out that if he says, "I'm sorry." mommy will shut up and leave him alone.)

"Hey daddy what is "fair"? How come I gotta share? An' daddy can I have dat big elephant over dere?" ( From "Dat Dere" by Oscar Brown Jr.)

iakov the fool

Jim,

Those are 3 excellent verses from Isa 7:14-16 (NIV). I've never seen it before as clearly as these verses present it. Thank you so much for presenting this great insight.
Accountability is an age when children are able to discern right from wrong and choose one of these.

As you appreciate, this will very from child to child and from mental state to mental state.

To address some of these issues a few years ago, as they applied to the death of children in the womb and after birth, I wrote this article that is on my homepage,
Children and heaven.

May the Lord help us to be sensitive in this area, especially for those who are grieving the loss of children.

Oz

 

[OzSpen]

Totally agree with this. Aborted babies have no business with hellfire

I agree. And neither do children before the age of accountability deserve to go to eternal punishment. See my article, 'Children and heaven', where I defend that view biblically.

Oz

 

[OzSpen]

IMO ...age of accountability is not scriptural
Many will twist scripture to find one... Some will say 13 because of bar bat mittzpha ...some say twenty Num_1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
then ....Psa_58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

The 'age of accountability' is not exact biblical language, but neither is the word Trinity found in the Bible. However, both theologies are found in Scripture. I found Jim Parker's comment that included Isa 7:14-16 (NIV) to be extremely helpful in identifying the age of accountability. It's the age when children can discern right from wrong. That will vary from child to child.

 

[Classik]

The 'age of accountability' is not exact biblical language, but neither is the word Trinity found in the Bible. However, both theologies are found in Scripture. I found Jim Parker's comment that included Isa 7:14-16 (NIV) to be extremely helpful in identifying the age of accountability. It's the age when children can discern right from wrong. That will vary from child to child.

aint that the age then?