Bible Discoveries

The Age of Accountability

Exploring the maturity criteria for immersion, a.k.a., baptism

  1. Different Views over the Time of Immersion (a.k.a., Baptism)
    1. Age of Birth
    2. Age of Speech and Reason
    3. Age of Adulthood (or Legal Age)
  2. Demographic Related Words and Their Meanings
    1. Child
    2. Adolescent
    3. Man
    4. Adult
    5. Legal Age
    6. Conclusion
  3. Children’s Spiritual Status in the Gospels
    1. Passages
    2. Jesus and Children
    3. Conclusion
  4. Immersion Candidate’s Profile in Acts
    1. Conversion Accounts
    2. Conclusion
  5. Correlations in the Old Testament
    1. Under Twenty
    2. Twenty and Up
    3. Conclusion
  6. The Biblical Concept of Adulthood
    1. Passages
    2. Conclusion
  7. Believers’ Rights and Responsibilities
    1. Rights and Duties
    2. Conclusion
  8. Appendix 1: A Study on Trends Following Youth Immersion
    1. Table 5 – Present Status and Age Table 5 – Present Status and Age at the Time of Baptism
    2. Table 6 – Re-Baptism and Age at the Time of the Original Baptism
    3. Table 7 – Present Status and Age at the Time of the Original Baptism

Different Views over the Time of Immersion

Age of Birth

From the first day of life. This view is supported by the original sin doctrine. People who hold this view believe that babies are born sinners and already condemned to Hell. As a result, as soon as the infant is born, he is already old enough to be immersed  for the forgiveness of his sins. This is the most common view across Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy denominations.

Age of Speech and Reason

From early childhood to late adolescence. This view is supported by the fact that the candidate for immersion is able to understand and request to be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the most common view across the churches of Christ and Protestantism, although the latter does not believe immersion to be necessary to be saved.

From young adulthood. This view is supported because the candidate understands that immersion into Christ is a responsible act and sin has legal, but first and foremost, spiritual consequences he will be bearing.

Go to Top

Demographic Related Words and Their Meanings

Child

A child is a human between the stages of birth and puberty or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority (legal age). Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities than adults. They are classed as unable to make serious decisions. (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child)

Adolescent

A boy or a girl from puberty to adulthood; a teenage person. ADOLESCENT definition in American English | Collins English Dictionary. A young person who is developing into an adult. (adjective: emotionally or intellectually immature). (Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adolescent)

Man

An adult male human. (Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man)

Adult

One that is fully developed and mature, especially a human being after an age specified by law. (Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adult)

The legal age is also known as the age of legal majority. This is the age at which a person gains the legal status of an adult. The legal age is set by state law and can differ from state to state. However, almost all states set the base legal age as 18 years old. This is the age at which a person gains control over their own actions and affairs and becomes responsible for the decisions they make. Those past the age of legal majority are usually tried as adults when charged with crimes. Once this age is reached, any existing parental, guardian, and child support obligations are considered terminated. However, minors may obtain the status of legal adulthood before reaching the legal age of majority if they are granted a court order for emancipation, or if they meet statutorily defined exceptions such as getting married as a minor or obtaining certain educational degrees. […] Once a person reaches the legal age of their state, they may enter into legally enforceable agreements. Minors do not have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract. However, an agreement made while a person was a minor may be expressly or impliedly ratified once they reach the age of legal majority so that the agreement becomes valid and binding. The age of legal majority is separate from legal age of license. A legal age of license is the minimum age a person must reach in order to legally to participate in certain activities, such as drinking alcohol, voting, or driving. Legal ages of license vary by the activity and the jurisdiction, and can, but do not have to, match the age of legal majority. (Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/legal_age)

Conclusion

An adolescent is still a minor who has yet to reach adult maturity through different factors such as the end of puberty and the beginning of legal age.

Go to Top

Children’s Spiritual Status in the Gospels

Passages

Matthew 18:1-4. A child (Paidion, in Greek) is brought by Jesus. His teaching implies that children are an example of humility, therefore, and unlike the Apostles, are not in need to change to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. As a result, children are spiritually safe.

Mark 5:39-42. Jairus’ daughter was a child (Paidion again), a 12-year-old little girl.

Jesus and Children

It is worth noticing that the NT is silent about Jesus having conversations with children. Also, no children can be identified among the characters of Jesus’ parables. Children are not the focus of Jesus’ teachings.

Conclusion

12-year-old people are children, therefore are safe and don’t need to change to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Go to Top

Immersion Candidate’s Profile in Acts

Conversion Accounts

  1. The immersion of three thousand Jewish and Proselyte men of Jerusalem, in Judea (Acts 2:41)
  2. The belief of about two thousand men of Jerusalem, in Judea (Acts 4:4)
  3. The addition of large numbers of men and women of Jerusalem, in Judea (Acts 5:14)
  4. The increasing number of disciples and obedient priests of Jerusalem, in Judea (Acts 6:7)
  5. The immersion of men, women, and Simon the magician of Samaria (Acts 8:12-13)
  6. The immersion of the eunuch of Ethiopia on the road from Egypt to Jerusalem, in Judea (Acts 8:38)
  7. The immersion of Saul the Pharisee of Damascus, in Syria (Acts 9:18)
  8. The immersion of Cornelius the centurion, his relatives, and his close friends of Caesarea, in Samaria (Acts 10:48)
  9. The belief of the proconsul of Paphos, in Cyprus (Acts 13:12)
  10. The immersion of Lydia the seller and her household of Thyatira, in Asia (Acts 16:15)
  11. The immersion of the jailer and his household of Philippia, in Macedonia (Acts 16:33)
  12. The persuasion of some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks, and leading women of Thessalonica, in Macedonia (Acts 17:4)
  13. The belief of some Jews, and prominent Greek women and men of Berea, in Macedonia (Acts 17:12)
  14. The belief of some men such as Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others of Athens, in Achaia (Acts 17:34)
  15. The immersion of Crispus the ruler of the synagogue, his household, and many Corinthians of Corinth, in Achaia (Acts 18:8)
  16. The immersion of twelve men of Ephesus, in Asia (Acts 19:5)
  17. The belief of many Jews, Greeks, and magicians of Ephesus, in Asia (Acts 19:18)
  18. The persuasion of some leading men of the Jews of Rome, in Italia (Acts 28:24)

When unspecified, conversion stories are described with collective nouns (many and people) or plural nouns (churches, Corinthians, disciples, Gentiles, Greeks, Jews, numbers, others, and proselytes).

When specified, conversion stories applied to the followings: an Areopagite, a centurion, a eunuch, a jailer, a magician, a Pharisee, a priest, a proconsul, a seller, and a synagogue ruler as well as to men and women.

Conclusion

Only men and women could be identified among the converted population in Acts.

Go to Top

Correlations in the Old Testament

Under Twenty

Numbers 14:1-3. The little ones were the children.

Numbers 14:28-31. Men of twenty years old and above fell in the wilderness because they grumbled against God.

Deuteronomy 1:39-40. The little ones had no knowledge of good and evil.

Twenty and Up

Exodus 30:11-16. Giving the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for themselves.

Exodus 38:24-26. Giving silver for the cost of the Tabernacle.

Leviticus 27:1-5. The most valuable vow.

Numbers 1:1-3. War via a census (conscription).

Ezra 3:8-9 and 1 Chronicles 23:24-32. The service of the house of the Lord by Levites.

Conclusion

The little ones were the children of Israelites up to 19 years old and had no knowledge of good and evil. As we know, there is no age mentioned in the NT, but in the OT, twenty years old seems to be the time of important responsibilities for males.

Go to Top

The Biblical Concept of Adulthood

Passages

John 9:21. He was of age, that is, old enough to speak for himself without parental control or supervision, able to make independent decisions, therefore, responsible for his own actions such as an adult is. The parents told the Jews to ask their son, the blind man, as he was probably old enough to give legal testimony himself. He was sharp, clever, challenging religious authorities, sure of himself, and making a great case for himself. The parents did not try to silence their son or attempt to exercise any control over him. The son was allowed to speak freely.

1 Corinthians 13:11. Paul compared the temporary gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge that have limited understanding of eternal things and that will cease, with the transitory of childhood. He recognizes the biological development that takes places in a human life from childhood to manhood. He recounted his past and recognized that at some point in his life, he knew when he became a man: when he stopped identifying himself as a child.

Galatians 4:1-2. Paul compares spiritual growth to an heir’s journey to adulthood. He illustrates how believers transition from being under the Mosaic law’s guardianship to enjoying full rights as God’s children through Christ, emphasizing spiritual maturity and freedom. He compared the Mosaic law to the conditions governing a person not yet come of age, and the New Covenant under Jesus Christ to the legal age. He recognized the concept of the age of majority and use it as an illustration that would be appropriate in any society.

Conclusion

Scriptures acknowledge a time when one reaches adulthood and assumes adult responsibilities.

Go to Top

Believers’ Rights and Responsibilities

Rights and Duties

The teaching of the New Covenant expects the disciple of Jesus to understand, consider, prospect, and be capable of fulfilling the following rights and duties. Notably, governments typically withhold the full spectrum of rights and responsibilities until an individual reaches the legally defined age of majority.

  1. Self-governing: Luke 14:26, Matthew 28:18-20
  2. Entering into a contract: Hebrews 9:15
  3. Being marriageable: 1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 Corinthians 7:36
  4. Drinking alcoholic beverages: John 2:7-10
  5. Working a full-time job: 2 Thessalonians 3:10
  6. Earning and managing money: Luke 16:10-13
  7. Visiting orphans and widows: 1 Timothy 5:3-4
  8. Undertaking serious businesses: Luke 14:28-30
  9. Fighting a war: Ephesians 6:13-17
  10. Choosing allegiance: John 1:49
  11. Sinning (including fornicating) in every possible ways that are not forbidden by the law of the land: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
  12. Calling out sin, mediating a conflict: Matthew 18:15-17
  13. Suing or being sued in a court of law: 1 Corinthians 6:4-8
  14. Being tried, sentenced, whipped, and imprisoned: Acts 16:22-24
  15. Being persecuted until death: Acts 7:57-58

Conclusion

Discipleship requires an adult maturity level to make those decisions and bear the consequences of it. A child candidate cannot be qualified for immersion since he will not be able to meet those requirements due to biological and legal reasons that will refrain him from engaging in those decisions and endeavors.

Go to Top

Appendix 1: A Study on Trends Following Youth Immersion

Excerpts from Why Churches Grow, by Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr., Ph.D., Chapter 2, “A Profile of the Convert,” pp. 26-29, “The Age Factor.”

In the study of 720 subjects discussed throughout this chapter [adults, from various religious backgrounds], one of the individual characteristic variables that did not turn out to be significant in distinguishing among converts, drop-outs, and non-converts was the age factor… There is reason to suspect that the conversion process is somewhat different for children who are brought up by members of the church of Christ. For them, there is no alienation from an earlier reference group identification… A follow-up study was done to investigate this matter.

The records of several randomly selected congregations were studied for the period 1965-1970 in order to identify 200 subjects who were baptized at various ages. In no case was there any record in these congregations of children being baptized before the age of 8, so that was selected as the starting point.

Table 5 – Present Status and Age Table 5 – Present Status and Age at the Time of Baptism

Age89101112131415Total%
Still faithful7911121515161710251%
Dropped out181614131010989849%
Total2525252525252525200100%

The relation shown in Table 5 is quite weak, although statistically significant. As you go across the row for those who are still faithful, notice how the numbers in the cells get larger and larger as the age of baptism increases and notice how the reverse is true with those who dropped out of the church.

Results of a test comparing those who were rebaptized and those who were not rebaptized on the variable of the age at which they were baptized originally are presented in Table 6. Notice how the younger the subject was at the time of his original baptism, the more likely he was to be rebaptized.

Go to Top

Table 6 – Re-Baptism and Age at the Time of the Original Baptism

Age89101112131415Total%
Not re-baptized0145111216176665%
Re-baptized787743003635%
Total79111215151617102100%

One final test was done with these data. In this test, the subjects who were eventually rebaptized were grouped with those who dropped out and this group was compared with those subjects who were not rebaptized and did not drop out. Results of that test are shown in Table 7.

Go to Top

Table 7 – Present Status and Age at the Time of the Original Baptism

Age89101112131415Total%
Still faithful and not re-baptized0145111216176633%
Dropped out or re-baptized2524212014139813467%
Total2525252525252525200100%

The data reported in Table 7 make it very clear that age at the time of baptism is an important factor.

Only 2 percent of those who were baptized before the age of 10 remained faithful and were satisfied with their original baptism.

Go to Top