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104* “Let*the*little*children*come*to*me…”*But*should*we*baptise*them?**We%should%not%look%for%an%“age%of%accountability”%*The*question*therefore*is*not*whether*to*delay,*but*how%long*to*delay.*Until*a*child*is*four?*Six?*Ten?*Many*have*argued*that*the*biblical*age*is*twelve*citing*a*notion*of*an*“age*of*accountability”,*as*Jewish*boys*might*first*read*the*Scriptures*publicly*at*12*after*their*bar*mitzvah,*and*Jesus*himself*visited*the*temple*at*Passover*aged* twelve* (Luke* 2:41:52). 25 *However* the* term* “age* of* accountability”* is*nowhere* found* in* the* New* Testament,* and* if* we* look* through* the* Old*Testament* to* glean* what* age* a* child* comes* to* full* accountability,* twenty*seems*a*more*likely*candidate*than*twelve:*Only*those*over*twenty*should*serve* in* the* army* (Num* 1:1:4)* participate* in* offerings* (Exod* 30:14)* or*commence*service*as*a*Levite*(1*Chron*23:27;*2*Chron*31:17;*Ezra*3:8).*And*only*those*over*twenty*died*in*the*wilderness*as*a*result*of*God’s*judgment*upon*their*unbelief*(Num*14:29).***So,*it*is*difficult*to*argue*that*twelve*is*an*age*of*full*accountability.*We*are*left*once*again*without*a*clear*answer*of*how*long*to*delay,*but*only*with*the*need*to*exercise*biblical*wisdom.**We%should%delay%until%adulthood%*All*this*leads*me*strongly*in*the*direction*of*concluding*that*the*appropriate*stage*of*life*in*which*someone*should*take*on*the*responsibilities*of*baptism,*membership*and*the*Lord’s*Supper*is*when*they*are*taking*on*other*adult*responsibilities.* I* don’t* want* to* put* an* age* on* this* because* different* teen:agers*take*on*adult*responsibilities*at*different*ages.**A*sixteen*year*old*single*mother*recently*converted*from*a*non:Christian*background*may*well*be*seen*to*have*a*great*deal*more*adult*responsibility*for* their* faith* than* an* eighteen* year* old* home:educated* pastor’s* son* who*quietly*professes*faith*while*still*living*in*the*parental*home.**For* elders* considering* whether* a* teenager* is* mature* enough* for* the*responsibilities* of* baptism* and* church* membership,* they* would* do* well* to*ask* themselves* what* they* would* be* saying* if* the* same* person* was* asking*advice* on* whether* the* elders* considered* them* mature* enough* to* take* on*other*responsibilities*such*as*leaving*full:time*education*to*get*a*job,*leaving*home,*or*even*getting*married.*Elders*who*would*shrink*back*from*advising*the* teenager* to* take* on* any* of* these* other* responsibilities,* yet* rush* into*laying*upon*that*young*soul*the*burdens*of*holding*the*keys*of*the*kingdom*of*heaven,*have*either*overestimated*the*maturity*needed*for*responsibility*********************************************************************25E.g.* John* S.* Hammett,* “Regenerate* Church* Membership”* in* Thomas* White,* Jason* G.*Duesing* and* Malcolm* B.* Yarnell* III,* Restoring% Integrity% in% Baptist% Churches% (Grand* Rapids:*Kregel,*2007)*39:41.*