Jesus and the age of accountability

[Textus Receptus]

Was Jesus 'God the son' at the time of his birth? Or was He was he only Human at birth and did not become divine until the age of accountability?

In understanding the Catholic's claim and argument for the Marian doctrines that Mary was the mother of God it is almost an impossible position to argue against unless we believe that Jesus was not divine at the time of His birth. We read from scripture that Satan, visavis King Herod attempted to kill Jesus as a babe; perhaps Satan understood that Jesus was only human at the time of his birth and therefore vulnerable? As a result, could it be possible that when Jesus was born, He was human and therefore was only destined to be the Son of God?

I know we read from scripture that Jesus was called Immanuel ' God with us' at the time of His birth, yet Jesus was born with original sin, of course meaning he had the capacity to sin. Could it be possible that Immanuel just meant that 'God was with us' meaning that He was with us in plight and spirit rather than being with us in the form of a babe? And although babies are not accountable for sin until the age of accountability, perhaps the same could be said about Jesus. Furthermore, if, Jesus as a babe was not accountable for His 'potential sins', then consequently He potentially was not divine until the age of accountability when He was fully able to understand sin and His ability to fall.

We read in Deut 12:18 about the consequences of a rebellious son.

... And we then know that there was an age of accountablity for the consequences of sin. Secondly, if we follow the Jewish tradition with regards to the subject, the earliest source of which is the Mishnah, ca. 200 C.E., where it is taught that thirteen is the age for responsibility for the mitzvot, then perhaps Jesus did not inhereit His Father's divine attribute until then or roughly around that age as we read in scripture at the age of 12 when He began to teach in the temple. Perhaps this is the reason that scripture makes no mention of Jesus from birth until the age of 12 since as a human, His time spent as a babe was insignificant. Not to mention God in His divine wisdom understood the paganism of the time with their mother and child worship He did not want to perpetuate this apostasy or have it interfer in any way in His divine plan.

I know this is extreme conjecture but I am really interested in reading people's thoughts.

I don't really subscribe to the theory but I have been really trying to grasp this concept.

[Kevin H]

Jesus was always 100% God and 100% human. Jesus has always been the revelation of God as personal and friend (while the Father is the revelation of God as power and greater than ourselves and awesomness, and the Holy Spirit is the revelation of God of working with us individualistically and subjectively).

When Jesus came down he entered Mary as you can put a finger into a glass of water, but also united with the body to also be completely human.

In the early days of our church the doctrine of the Trinity was an optional doctrine and was a minority doctrine. The family of William Spicer were trinitarians. His dad had been an Adventist minister, however there was a lot of pressure on the pastors to give anti-trinitarian sermons. Of course being trinitarian himself, he was unable to preach those sermons. He therefor left the orginized ministry and became a lay man and lay preacher where he was able to remain in good fellowship and still be a trinitarian. As the doctrine of the trinity began to grow in the church, Mrs. White found a writer who's works she liked and would quote his best statements on the matter. I use to know his name but it's been so long since I reviewed this topic that I cannot recall the man's name. I know that she liked to quote someone who's name keeps reminding me of the name of the author Herman Melville, so the writer may be another Melville, and I don't remember if he was the one who she was quoting on this topic. Maybe some others here can refresh my memory as to the writer's name. However, it would be very wise if we could look at his writings as well as he does a beautiful job of explaining the situation.

[phkrause]

Not sure I believe that Kevin! Are you saying that was the case in Heaven also?

[Textus Receptus]

I understand your point. However, we as children are taught about God and Jesus from infancy and although history nor tradition teach that Jesus was provided instruction on the torah, I am sure that he was taught also. Perhaps it wasn't until the age of 12 when He began to teach that He did truly understand the torah and the law of the prophets. Furthermore, Jesus having human nature, He would undoubtably had free will, and though tradition nor scripture makes any reference whether Jesus, at this age, understood that He was the son of God which was to be led to the slaughter, if we take into consideration that Jesus having human nature, we could then suggest that He being human could have very much declined His destiny.

I would never take as far as the Jehovah Witness which believe that Jesus was only Man, far from it, however, if we read in Jn 4:3 ...[as] meaning having free will, then it would be logical to concede that Jesus at some point in His life was just human. For, if Jesus was God at the time of His birth, then logically, He would Had remembered His time in heaven as Mykal, moreover, God the Father would have had no need to have them evade Herod. And although it makes perfect sense if we understand God's plan of salvation, and that Christ is are example, I am sure that God, could have destroyed Herod, yet, we are to ask the Father for 'all' and therefore provided Mary, Joseph and Jesus a more human approach to the dilema.

Just thoughts.....

[phkrause]

If I'm not mistaken, EGW tells us that his Mom taught him very well in his first 12 years and beyond. And didn't he even tell his Mother and Father when they came looking for him, something about doing his Father's business?

[debbym]

I agree, the angels would not have been that star in the sky and singing to the Shepherd, if they were not celebrating the amazing union of human and divine in the baby Jesus.

He was God with us from Birth.

and the father had an unbroken connection with Jesus from his birth, just as we may have when Christ is born in our hearts, and we keep growing in him every moment.

with Christ in our hearts we have every advantage of heaven to help us. God knows our every breath, our every need, our every heartache, our every effort to do his will. he knows how much work we need in our hearts to serve Him and reflect Him more and more fully. We are attended as Jesus was, with angels, and the Holy spirit, when we are in submission to His will as Jesus was.

[debbym]

Jesus entered this sin darkened earth, and shared in the flesh and blood and nature of man, but his will never once yielded to the clamor of the flesh. He had his fathers love every moment, which is exactly what we have when we accept Jesus into our hearts. when Jesus is in our hearts we too will grow and increase in our understanding of Gods will, and the tests become more and more as we are able to withstand temptation more and more. when we fall we just get up and try again till we gain the complete victory in that area, then we learn more.

in scripture we are shown twice Jesus met the tempter very directly, in the desert at the beginning of his public ministry and in the garden at the end. e. white says the pressure of sin and the world were always on him. now it is on him in his intercession for us. It is on us in some measure as we share in his love and receive his Character. to suffer with Christ.