Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, |
Subject: Must u b Christened to get to heaven |
Bible Note: Dear Cheryl, In the former post you spoke of the doctrine of the age of accountability in dogmatic terms, even to the point of using it as the basis for further action. As we teach -- which each of us do as we post on the forum -- we want to take care that we do not impute to a doctrine any greater authority than what can be derived, with certainty, from Scripture. As you've pointed out, the doctrine of the age of accountability does not have this kind of solid support. We might infer it from a variety of passages, but sound doctrine is grounded in better stuff than inference. Your qualifying post straighten that out. The the old Baptist divines never actually taught an age of accountability, per se. They did, however, assert that "Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word (John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8)" (Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, chapter 10, paragraph 3). This is also based on inference, yet the question is so often asked, and they were so certain of their conclusion, that they included it in the chapter on the doctrine of effectual calling. I wasn't just trying to make the point in my first paragraph when I sought your explanation. I'm always hoping that there is an interpretation from didactic passages, providing a firmer substantiation the doctrine. Until then, it seems safer to stick with the more certain doctrine of Scripture that the age of accountability begins at conception (Job 15:14; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:3; etc.). Thank you for your qualification and clarification. It was well done! In Him, Doc |