Baptism and the Age of Accountability

[Sudsy]

I think that when someone's old enough to be married, they're old enough to choose to be baptised, and vice versa. Both are very significant, life-long commitments.

Curious - in what way is water baptism a commitment ? Is someone waiting to be baptised not committed to something or someone and is there scripture to support this ?

[JimFoxvog]

I have read that the water supply in Jerusalem probably didn't have enough water to immerse three thousand people. They poured. Because it typified the baptism of the Spirit, which was a pouring.

I understand baptism was a Christian version of the Mikvah, the Jewish ritual cleansing. At Passover each year many more than 3000 came and needed the Mikvah. There were large pools, such as the Pool of Bethesda and the Pool of Siloam.

[Josh]

I think that when someone's old enough to be married, they're old enough to choose to be baptised, and vice versa. Both are very significant, life-long commitments.

Curious - in what way is water baptism a commitment ? Is someone waiting to be baptised not committed to something or someone and is there scripture to support this ?

The question becomes how young is too young for such a commitment?

If there's no commitment then in theory a 3 year old can ask and be baptised.

[Valerie]

I think that when someone's old enough to be married, they're old enough to choose to be baptised, and vice versa. Both are very significant, life-long commitments.

Just shows how immature people are in general, the Mother of our Lord is said to have been no older than 15. How many 15 year olds would speak like this?

Luke 1:46-55English Standard Version (ESV)

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

There is quite a difference from studying early church regarding Baptism, between John's & Jesus' in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit it is quite fascinating really- to me, having had very little teaching about it for most of my life until more recently, but I have accepted the regeneration aspect of it that I hadn't been exposed to before, because being born of "Water & Spirit" meaning the baptism and then hands laid on the baptized for the Holy Spirit, which is different than the 'repentance' baptism of John the Baptist- this was something completely different than the Jewish and John the Baptist- now all Believers would be filled with the Holy Spirit- I do recognize that there must be faith to believe this is what is happening- and I don't believe that being baptized & Chrismated with the Spirit means one necessarily choses to walk with Christ forever- because there is still free will- still temptations to overcome in this life-
But now I would probably have my child baptized ASAP- Apostle Paul compared it to circumcision, I can see the ties he was making with that. Having the Holy Spirit involved in one's life or making a decision to keep that from happening until later in life I question now. There are myriads of understanding about all this since the Reformation for sure.

[Josh]

One thing is for sure: giving a newborn baby a bath does not save its soul from hell.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I think that when someone's old enough to be married, they're old enough to choose to be baptised, and vice versa. Both are very significant, life-long commitments.

Just shows how immature people are in general, the Mother of our Lord is said to have been no older than 15. How many 15 year olds would speak like this?

Luke 1:46-55English Standard Version (ESV)

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

There is quite a difference from studying early church regarding Baptism, between John's & Jesus' in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit it is quite fascinating really- to me, having had very little teaching about it for most of my life until more recently, but I have accepted the regeneration aspect of it that I hadn't been exposed to before, because being born of "Water & Spirit" meaning the baptism and then hands laid on the baptized for the Holy Spirit, which is different than the 'repentance' baptism of John the Baptist- this was something completely different than the Jewish and John the Baptist- now all Believers would be filled with the Holy Spirit- I do recognize that there must be faith to believe this is what is happening- and I don't believe that being baptized & Chrismated with the Spirit means one necessarily choses to walk with Christ forever- because there is still free will- still temptations to overcome in this life-
But now I would probably have my child baptized ASAP- Apostle Paul compared it to circumcision, I can see the ties he was making with that. Having the Holy Spirit involved in one's life or making a decision to keep that from happening until later in life I question now. There are myriads of understanding about all this since the Reformation for sure.

"It is clear enough for him who has eyes to see it, but it is not expressed in so many words, literally: “do not baptize infants.” May one then baptise them? To that I answer: “if so I may baptize my dog or my donkey, "

Balthasar Hubmaier, 1525

J.M.

[ohio jones]

But now I would probably have my child baptized ASAP- Apostle Paul compared it to circumcision, I can see the ties he was making with that.

I don't see this passage, which must be the one you're referring to, comparing circumcision to baptism; it's comparing circumcision to being delivered from sin ("putting off"), which is then followed by baptism.

[bible]col 2,11-12[/bible]
Here's a parallel passage without the metaphors:

[bible]eph 4,22-24[/bible]
Paul certainly wouldn't tell people to remain unbaptized, as he told them to remain uncircumcised:

[bible]1 cor 7,18[/bible]

[cmbl]

I believe that "baptism should be given to those who have learned repentance and the amendment of life" and am not in favor of reducing the age of baptism in CA circles.

That said, can someone shed some light on the concept of "age of accountability?" Is this a concept defined somewhere in the NT with reference to the OT? Or is it cobbled together from OT sources as people systematize freewill theology?

[Josh]

I believe that "baptism should be given to those who have learned repentance and the amendment of life" and am not in favor of reducing the age of baptism in CA circles.

That said, can someone shed some light on the concept of "age of accountability?" Is this a concept defined somewhere in the NT with reference to the OT? Or is it cobbled together from OT sources as people systematize freewill theology?

It's not something really detailed in scripture, but it is definitely assumed in a few places; nobody holds an infant responsible for their choices, but everyone holds someone who is well past adolescence and is of sane mind to be responsible for their choices. The culture Jesus was in had a general perspective that at the age of 13, someone was an adult and needed to be responsible to know how to worship and obey God properly, and from then on had an obligation to do so.

I think some things are so obvious that it seems a bit of a stretch to say scripture must say them - for example - the Bible doesn't lay out in detail what a man is and what a woman is. It just says "man" and "woman". Likewise it talks about children and it talks about full grown adults.

[Valerie]

One thing is for sure: giving a newborn baby a bath does not save its soul from hell.

It's not a bath if you understand the work of the Holy Spirit in the baptism- especially if the one baptizing, really understand this.
There are plenty of adults who have been baptized who are not necessarily saved from hell as well- unless you believe once saved always saved, and I have known many former Amish who were baptized not really with the understanding, or baptized because there was pressure on them, or baptized so they could marry- etc-