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NASB | Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. [Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2] |
Bible Question:
Dear forum members, I will give thanks to the Lord daily for His wonderful love and mercy and grace! I will give thanks to the Lord early in the morning for the day He has made! I will say that this is the day that the Lord has made and rejoice! Is Jesus our Lord saying in verse 6 that all little ones believe in Him? Matt 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Matt 18:2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, Matt 18:3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:5 "And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; Matt 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Have a blessed day in the Lord! Cyclist I will bless the Lord at all times! His praise shall continually be in my mouth! |
Bible Answer: Cyclist, praise God for your question. As a result of it, my conscience has been seared. After a study of this topic I now believe that the "Age of Accountability" is a theory that is not at all supported by Scripture. I know I will join my brother charis as scum in the pond (as he said) with this viewpoint, but nevertheless here goes: 1. Proverbs 20:11 "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether right." This verse destroys the "age of accountability". It says very clearly that a child's doings can be impure. Obviously then, all children are not pure in God's eyes. 2. Psalms 51:5 "Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me". We are all born with a sin nature. 3. Psalms 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as they be born, speaking lies". 4. 1 Corinthians 7:14 "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean, but now they are Holy". How can kids be unholy unless they are unsaved? If God really saved all children, would God's word say that some are unclean? 5. Genesis 18:32 "And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once" Peradventure ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake." If there were 10 righteous children in Sodom, God would not have destroyed it. But he did, right? So... the children there were not innocent! 6. 2 Kings 2:24 "And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD, And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them". Would God tell the man of God to curse these kids "in His name" if they were innocent? 7. 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive". Again, from the womb we are all sinners. 8. Job 25:4 "How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" 9. "Behold all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth die!" No exceptions. Sin is sin. There is no unaccountable sin. From these verse and more I now believe that there is an age of accountability; it is when we are born! So "Do all little Ones believe?" No. |