Is there an Age of Accountability?

By Mark W. Christy, PhD

Anyone who has spent significant time studying the Scripture will affirm that its message is written to those who have matured to the point where they understand right from wrong. Its message is never directed to those who for whatever reason lack the capacity to understand its basic tenets. Given this, it would seem that God has a special mercy for anyone who dies before they reach an age where they can rightly be held accountable for their choices. This article will consider the biblical evidence to support this contention.

In terms of an exact age of accountability, the Bible never offers such. This, however, makes sense when one considers that children mature at different paces. With this being the case, it is probably wise to allow for a range of ages for determining accountability. Even so, it may also help to at least have a standard age as a reference and general rule of thumb.

Among the Jews, the age of 13 for boys is considered to be the age when they have reached maturity. This age, however, finds no direct support in Scripture. In regard to Christ’s apparent moment of maturity, the Scriptures clearly state that He was 12 years old when His parents brought Him to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-42). While there, He was able to ask the Jewish rabis profound questions and was continuing to grow “in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:46-47, 52).

Beyond what has been said so far, the Church is essentially left to the resources of prayer and wisdom on this matter. In keeping with these, it would seem unwise to set an exact date for any particular individual. Furthermore, it is probably best to always allow children to respond to Christ to the degree of their capability because Jesus Himself did not want children to be prevented from coming to Him (Matt 19:14). Besides, it is impossible to assess with any degree of assurance whether the child’s desire to come to Christ is an expression of true faith in Christ given their maturity level.

To conclude, the Bible offers essentially no solid support for an exact age of accountability. The Church must therefore pray for wisdom on how to handle children who are making responses to Christ. Whatever decision is made, it should be remembered that Christ did indeed command that children should be allowed to come to Him.