466:
Since children are born into this world with natures inclined to sin, and yet the prevenient grace of God provides for their redemption during that time before the age of accountability, parents are encouraged to testify to their faith in God's provision by presenting their infant children, according
212:
before God until they knowingly disobey God's commands. If the child dies before reaching that age, he or she receives salvation based on Christ's finished work. Once the child knowingly sins, however, they become accountable for their actions and have reached the age of accountability. At that
111:
The idea of an age of accountability arose in the 19th century and the 20th century amongst non-Calvinistic
Protestants who were attempting to address the issue of infant mortality and explain on the basis of
133:"is unconditionally effective in the salvation of those mentally incompetent from birth, of those converted persons who have become mentally incompetent, and of children under the age of accountability."
467:
to their conscience, for dedication or baptism. When any person, baptized as an infant, comes to personal faith in Christ he or she is encouraged to confirm that baptism by public testimony.
484:
166:
83:, before the age of seven, a child "is considered not responsible for oneself", but after that "is presumed to have the use of reason." In the
479:
510:
549:
345:
Abridged Course of
Religious Instruction, Apologetic, Dogmatic, and Moral: For the Use of Catholic Colleges and Schools
272:
107:– that is, "there is no time in a human being's life when he or she is not accountable to God." Duncan suggests that
302:
187:
80:
66:
suggests that "the Lord in His wisdom didn't identify a specific moment. God knows when each soul is accountable."
63:
51:, and eight in Mormonism. Other people put the age of accountability at 12 (since that was the age at which Jesus
452:
402:
230:
believe that people should only be baptized after the age of accountability. Similarly, traditions that practise
544:
130:
17:
372:
251:
120:
why all children who had been unable to exercise their own unaided faith by freewill didn't go to hell.
306:
62:
Other groups accept the concept an age of accountability but avoid putting a specific number on it.
88:
349:
153:, "Christian children are baptized into the covenant community and later given training through
367:
44:
223:
117:
52:
515:
183:
35:) is the age at which children are deemed to be accountable for their beliefs and actions.
8:
104:
47:
set a specific age with respect to the age of accountability. This includes seven in the
343:
24:
506:
197:
150:
134:
103:
argues that although there is an "age of discretion", the age of accountability is
447:
397:
330:
213:
point, salvation comes through conscious, active repentance and faith in Christ.
141:. Upon reaching the age of accountability, persons are thereafter responsible for
142:
84:
48:
137:
teaches that those who die before reaching the age of accountability will go to
231:
193:
146:
538:
277:
16:
This article is about the concept in
Christian theology. For other uses, see
429:
363:
235:
154:
100:
190:
argue that any child who dies before the age of accountability is saved.
113:
56:
239:
157:
to accept the covenant for themselves at an age of accountability."
227:
196:
connects belief in an age of accountability with the rejection of
138:
204:
Most
Christian traditions teach that children enter the world
99:
Reformed theologians tend to reject the concept altogether.
53:
began to demonstrate his understanding of right and wrong
480:"Primary 3 Manual: Lesson 27: The Age of Accountability"
182:
The age of accountability thus has implications for the
430:"Baptism: A Scriptural Explanation to Common Questions"
169:, the age of accountability is considered to be eight.
222:
The age of accountability also has implications for
208:due to Adam's sin, but some argue children are not
242:, and this is connected to the age of discretion.
536:
511:"Does the Bible Teach an Age of Accountability?"
485:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
167:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
91:when they come to the age of accountability.
335:
297:
295:
234:usually wait until a person has undergone
392:
390:
341:
292:
423:
421:
87:, an individual is required to make an
69:
537:
505:
387:
362:
270:
151:sign and seal of the covenant of grace
301:
418:
368:"Is there an age of accountability?"
273:"What Is the Age of Accountability?"
238:before he or she can partake of the
129:Methodist doctrine teaches that the
177:
13:
342:Schouppe, François Xavier (1879).
271:Hooker, Ashley (26 January 2022).
14:
561:
427:
143:making a decision to follow Jesus
453:Congregational Methodist Church
403:Congregational Methodist Church
81:Canon law of the Catholic Church
38:
499:
172:
55:) or 13 (the age of the Jewish
472:
440:
434:Marvin United Methodist Church
356:
324:
264:
74:
18:Age of criminal responsibility
1:
373:Reformed Theological Seminary
348:. Burns & Oates. p.
331:Code of Canon Law, can. 97 §2
257:
217:
160:
124:
7:
307:"The Age of Accountability"
252:Person (Catholic canon law)
245:
94:
10:
566:
135:Wesleyan-Arminian theology
15:
550:Christianity and children
145:. As Methodism affirms
45:Christian denominations
215:
122:
545:Christian terminology
202:
109:
29:age of accountability
516:The Gospel Coalition
184:salvation of infants
70:Denominational views
186:. Theologians like
131:atonement of Christ
528:Emphasis original.
509:(1 October 2018).
224:believer's baptism
25:Christian theology
448:"What We Believe"
398:"What We Believe"
79:According to the
33:age of discretion
31:(also called the
557:
529:
527:
525:
523:
503:
497:
496:
494:
492:
476:
470:
469:
463:
461:
444:
438:
437:
425:
416:
415:
413:
411:
394:
385:
384:
382:
380:
360:
354:
353:
339:
333:
328:
322:
321:
319:
317:
299:
290:
289:
287:
285:
268:
178:Infant salvation
565:
564:
560:
559:
558:
556:
555:
554:
535:
534:
533:
532:
521:
519:
507:Wellum, Stephen
504:
500:
490:
488:
478:
477:
473:
459:
457:
446:
445:
441:
426:
419:
409:
407:
396:
395:
388:
378:
376:
361:
357:
340:
336:
329:
325:
315:
313:
303:MacArthur, John
300:
293:
283:
281:
269:
265:
260:
248:
220:
198:inherited guilt
180:
175:
163:
127:
97:
85:Catholic Church
77:
72:
49:Catholic Church
41:
21:
12:
11:
5:
563:
553:
552:
547:
531:
530:
498:
471:
439:
417:
386:
366:(5 May 2020).
355:
334:
323:
291:
262:
261:
259:
256:
255:
254:
247:
244:
232:infant baptism
219:
216:
194:Stephen Wellum
188:John MacArthur
179:
176:
174:
171:
162:
159:
147:infant baptism
126:
123:
96:
93:
76:
73:
71:
68:
64:John MacArthur
40:
37:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
562:
551:
548:
546:
543:
542:
540:
518:
517:
512:
508:
502:
487:
486:
481:
475:
468:
455:
454:
449:
443:
435:
431:
424:
422:
405:
404:
399:
393:
391:
375:
374:
369:
365:
364:Duncan, Ligon
359:
351:
347:
346:
338:
332:
327:
312:
308:
304:
298:
296:
280:
279:
278:Crosswalk.com
274:
267:
263:
253:
250:
249:
243:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
214:
211:
207:
201:
199:
195:
191:
189:
185:
170:
168:
158:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
121:
119:
115:
108:
106:
102:
92:
90:
86:
82:
67:
65:
60:
58:
54:
50:
46:
39:Specific ages
36:
34:
30:
26:
19:
520:. Retrieved
514:
501:
489:. Retrieved
483:
474:
465:
458:. Retrieved
451:
442:
433:
428:Wills, Ben.
408:. Retrieved
401:
377:. Retrieved
371:
358:
344:
337:
326:
314:. Retrieved
311:Grace To You
310:
282:. Retrieved
276:
266:
236:confirmation
221:
209:
205:
203:
192:
181:
173:Implications
164:
155:Confirmation
128:
110:
101:Ligon Duncan
98:
89:act of faith
78:
61:
42:
32:
28:
22:
114:Arminianism
75:Catholicism
57:Bar Mitzvah
539:Categories
522:2 November
491:2 November
460:27 January
410:27 January
379:2 November
316:2 November
284:2 November
258:References
218:Sacraments
105:conception
240:Eucharist
161:Mormonism
125:Methodism
246:See also
228:Baptists
118:freewill
95:Reformed
456:. 2023
406:. 2023
210:guilty
206:fallen
139:heaven
27:, the
149:as a
43:Some
524:2023
493:2023
462:2024
412:2024
381:2023
318:2023
286:2023
116:and
350:351
165:In
59:).
23:In
541::
513:.
482:.
464:.
450:.
432:.
420:^
400:.
389:^
370:.
309:.
305:.
294:^
275:.
226:.
200::
526:.
495:.
436:.
414:.
383:.
352:.
320:.
288:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.