What is the Age of Accountability?

"What is the Age of Accountability? Is there an Age of Accountability?"
Dr. Stephen Wellum answers in Honest Answers | Episode 40

Related video of Dr. Thomas Schreiner answering:
"What happens to babies when they die?"

Watch more episodes of Honest Answers here:

To find out the answer to next week's question, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE:

Ask any questions about theology, ministry, or life; and have them answered honestly by Southern Seminary professors.

Submit your questions by:
Twitter: @askHonestAns
or post them in the comments below

[camerongray]

A 16 year old girl I knew and trained in basketball drowned recently, she was an awesome human being, I found out later she was a Muslim and now I’m wrestling with where she will spend eternity 🥺

[CliveChamberlain]

The satisfactory answer found (yes, in scripture) is not a 5 minute sound bite. Look for a video titled "Age of Accountability: The Answer | Bible Questions & Answers" from Pastor-Lawyer David Reid of Columbus OH

[GodnMe]

Thank you for this, I've been asking this question for years.

[christophermannino]

The only verse we can get an inference from is that Jesus started preaching in the synagogue when he was 12. But this cannot be counted dogmatically. We just trust God that He will always do the right thing because he will and we raise our children in the way that they should go. God gives the increase

[goodolboy-xvmn]

The way we raised our children is that as soon as they understand consequences at that point is the age that they are accountable. Don't know if we were right but it seems to have worked.

[spiritjoerr]

We are given an age of accountibility in the book of Numbers chapters 13 and 14. In the Torah, 13 goes unmentioned entirely as a significant age. However, there is another age which is mentioned: . Twenty years of age is mentioned as an age at which people are counted in the national census in Exodus 30:11-16, Numbers 1:1-3, and Numbers 26:1-4.  Also, we see in the vows offerings (Leviticus 27:1-8) that 20 is also another societally significant age in the Torah.

[bellalovesyouu]

as a 14 year old, i do think im still too young to really be hearing or understanding everything. i dont know everything about Christianity, but i know im a child of God and will never stop being religious.

[LoveandWar]

Probably close to the Jewish tradition of thirteen but I suspect that God reads their heart. Only he knows when a soul is aware enough to be accountable.

[robertwood]

Accountability and maturity are one and thing. The Bible does say about maturity.What is biblical accountability?
Accountability is about being responsible for fulfilling one's duties and obligations. ... Biblical accountability begins with taking responsibility for one's own actions and making a conscious choice of allowing God and others to help in accomplishing what is right.

In the Bible there are three stages of growth. Childhood from birth to maturity. From maturity two elderly from elderly to death. Threes all the three stages of maturity a child cannot take responsibility for his actions. With the parents help and discipline the child learns to take responsibility. At the age of 20 is the age of accountability is when the child is now mature and decides to act responsible. At the age of 50 the Bible calls them an old man or father. We will look at First John chapter 2: Reasons for Writing
12 ¶ I am writing to you, little children, since your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 ¶ I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.
14 ¶ I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God’s word remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.

The Levites were commanded to retire at the age of 50. What was the age of retirement for those who worked at the Tabernacle?
This passage says that at age 50, the Levites that have been working in the Tent of Meeting must retire from their regular service. This chapter in Numbers clearly elevated the significance of the Levites, and their work, their hard work in the Tabernacle. You could be drafted into Israel zombie at the age of 20 that’s when you were recognized as a young man and maturing. Numbers 1:45 So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. so we can see the age of accountability is at the age of 20. He is now responsible for his own actions is no longer under the guidance of his father or mother. It’s choices he makes he will be held accountable Ecclesiastes 11:9 (CSB) Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment. At the age of 20 the young man has a choice to obey the law and disobey the law. He will be judged. Here we see in Deuteronomy in a young man cannot be drafted into military service it was at least spent one year with his wife making him 21 years of age for military service.

Deuteronomy 24:5 (CSB) “When a man takes a bride, he must not go out with the army or be liable for any duty. He is free to stay at home for one year, so that he can bring joy to the wife he has married. The guy sees a young man from the age of 21 as mature enough to be drafted in military service. Here we see the service age of a Levite in three different descriptions in the Old Testament Numbers 4:3—How can the age for Levitical service be 30, when Numbers 8:24 says 25, and Ezra 3:8 says 20?

[spiritjoerr]

Ransom for sin those 20 years and upward

The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the Lord. The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
— Exodus 30:11-16

[Nukepositive]

The origin of the "age of accountability" comes mostly from Num 32:11, which states that none of the Israelites above twenty years old could enter the promised land.

Here's my own testimony. I was saved at 18. At my 20th birthday, I understood God was expecting of me something that He was not demanding before. I can't put it into full words. Those few days after my 20th birthday were a spiritual wake-up call and one of the major turning points in my Christian life. I would agree with the video that children are condemned if they die unsaved, but there is something about twenty years old that is significant in God's eyes. I should note that it was years later that I even heard there was an "age of accountability."

[shogunshogun]

What about original sin?

What about Romans 5:12 - All people have died, because all people (including babies) have sinned?

What about Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin is death (infants die)?


Christians whose baptized infants die even hope and faith that their children are in heaven, because Scripture declares that baptism forgives sins (Acts 2:38), washes away sins (Acts 22:16), and Jesus cleanses His church by baptism (Eph. 5:26), etc.

[glennfeltman]

Had to be 20 to pay the temple tax.. and also anyone under 20 could enter the promise land after the time their parents died off in the wilderness who were over 20 at the time they said they couldnt take the promise land so they were not allowed to enter ..

[spiritjoerr]

Exodus 30:11-16 The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. “THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE WHO IS NUMBERED SHALL GIVE: HALF A SHEKEL ACCORDING TO THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY (THE SHEKEL IS TWENTY GERAHS), HALF A SHEKEL AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LORD. “EVERYONE WHO IS NUMBERED, FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND OVER, SHALL GIVE THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LORD. “THE RICH SHALL NOT PAY MORE AND THE POOR SHALL NOT PAY LESS THAN THE HALF SHEKEL WHEN YOU GIVE THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LORD TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR YOURSELVES. “You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”

Question Why only Israelites of years old and upward pay for a ramson/ atonement for sin?

[spiritjoerr]

Read Numbers chapters 13 and 14 those that were 20 years old;

Exodus 30 the giving of
money for a ransom of sins

Numbers 1:3-45, serving in the military

Numbers 14:28-30 Punishment for disobedience those 20 years and upward, not permitted into the promised land. Read chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Numbers. (Those twenty years old and upward accountable for actions/sin)

In the books of the Law (Torah) the age of 13 goes unmentioned entirely as a significant age.

Numbers 26:3-4 Counted the in the census, The age of accountability is 20 years old under the Old-Covenant and the New-Covenant unless somewhere the lord the His age of accountability.

Not one time in the New Covenant writings does one child get immersed into Christ Jesus.
Children are without sin in the eyes of the Lord.

[spiritjoerr]

Numbers 14:29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30 ‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32’But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.

Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that were over 20 years of age that made it to the promised land.

In the Torah, 13 goes unmentioned entirely as a significant age. However, there is another age which is mentioned: 20 years old. Twenty years of age is mentioned as an age at which people are counted in the national census in Exodus 30:11-16, Numbers 1:1-3, and Numbers 26:1-4.  Also, we see in the vows offerings (Leviticus 27:1-8) that 20 is also another societally significant age in the Torah.

[BARKERPRODUCTION]

Would it not be a gradual process of becoming accountable? As opposed to one day you are not accountable and the next day you are.

[jimkaufman]

Thank you for being honest. Now Ill be honest in saying you did not answer a thing.

[jlynn]

I believe it is when a child hits puberty. In the Jewish tradition it is when a boy hit 13. When a person hits puberty the body changes and that is when the mind can think critically. Not as abstract as a child. It’s when the brain can choose and rule over the emotions. So everyone can hit puberty at different ages. When Jesus was 12 he went and began to get involved in asking question in the temple and interjecting his thoughts. I believe that we have to be careful when a child is young that the are to know about Jesus but are not capable of really understanding the concepts of salvation. A child uses more of their subconscious mind until puberty and that they are able to use more of their conscious mind. That is when he can think for himself when it comes to spiritual matters. If a child thinks he is saved before that he doesn’t have a real change of heart but trust the adult that has tod him. It is still important to teach about Christ until they hit puberty and then they can make a decision for Christ at that time.

[gregpierce]

Look, at some point you begin to do what YOU want to do. Probably early. At some point you begin to do what you want to do in Rebellion against right versus wrong and don't care. You exercise your will to satisfy you, and you don't care about another will outside of yourself. You have decided, I am my own God.