Bible Question:
Hello Doc, Is there Biblical reference to 12 and 13 for Bar Mitzvah? My question is in regard to Baptism. Christ was baptized at the age of 27, but many Christian children are getting baptized at 8, 9, or 10. Would 12 or 13 be a good mark to say that a child who has not reached this age would not be baptized? God Bless, SBoone |
Bible Answer: Dear Boone, Well, no, not really. It is mentioned in the Talmud: Mishnah Niddah 5:6 states that when a vow is made by someone thirteen or above, it is a valid vow. It also says, "At age thirteen one becomes subject to the commandments" (Avot 5:21). Of course, I'd take all of this with a rather large grain of kosher salt. :-) I rather think that marking time is a human penchant and has value in jurisprudence, but has questionable value in theology. As a credo-baptist I'd discourage anyone from seeking baptism who was not saved, or who failed to understand the significance of the act. Anything beyond this, frankly, sounds a bit legalistic to me. In Him, Doc |