Hi Mike,

Sorry for the misunderstanding. As you have said before, I ‘cut to the chase’ and my tendency to do that leaves me open to being misunderstood or not being sufficiently verbose to convey my thought and meaning to my audience.
So, I am afraid it is a matter of words and/ or you missed the point. When I said you are not saying what the Word of God is saying, I meant the form or pattern is off.

2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form (pattern) of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (KJV)

Let me give you another example. In the email that you sent me as a response to this ‘study of account’ you said:

“But I don’t understand how knowing that account means ‘word’ changes the fact that “we must all give account for the deeds done in the body, according to that he hath done…”

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [ done] in [ his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [ it be] good or bad.”

In that first sentence you quoted (” “) as if from the Scripture saying we must all give account. Then you pull the actual quote from the KJV which says “we must all appear …that every one may receive…” To me, the first does not equal the second.

I’m trying to say that there is a difference in saying that you shall give an account and saying you are accountable.

Now I know that you have reproached others when they use the dictionary but bear with my foolishness for a bit:

Cambridge International Dictionary: Someone who is accountable is completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it:

Encarta World Dictionary:

1. responsible:  responsible to somebody or for something

2. able to be explained:  capable of being explained ( formal )

Oxford English Dictionary: 1 required or expected to justify actions or decisions.

Wordsmyth Dictionary:

1.	responsible for providing an explanation or justification, esp. of one’s own actions

American Heritage Dictionary: 1. Liable to being called to account; answerable. See synonyms at responsible. 2. That can be explained: an accountable phenomenon.
When a large number of English dictionaries equate accountable with responsible and indicate that the one called into account must justify, is it any wonder that many of the people who read or hear your words of “you are accountable but not responsible” are somewhat confused?
Paul told even the Corinthians: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

We must use the English language to communicate with others as it’s our native tongue. Saying that God will not hold us responsible because He is responsible means He will not require us to justify our actions or explain them to His satisfaction. Another one of those accursed dictionary definitions is that responsibility is moral, legal and mental accountability.

What I am trying to say is that God will require that all men give an account and I’m asking you if you think that means he will stand each one up in front of Him and say “Tell me what and why you did what you did?” That is what the majority of English speaking people in this world would understand when they read that they are accountable. I do not understand the Scriptures to say a man can wait until he stands before the White Throne and come before God as a repentant publican, woman caught in adultery, lost sheep, prodigal son, or acknowledging one’s own blindness and ignorance. (your words)

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their (past/ previous) works.

Now that is giving an account! If you were to say what the Scripture says: Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God, then you would be saying…

Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon (from His books), one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Luk 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear (already) this of thee? give an account (a word) of thy stewardship (management of my house, what you did); for thou may be no longer steward. Is the record True?

Judgment had already been made from the record for: “thou may be no longer a steward”. If anyone could plead the Lord Jesus Christ at this point, it would be efficacious unto salvation, but God has determined that this will not be part of the process because he (Christ) never knew any of these who stand here.

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak (what you said), they shall give account (from the book) thereof in the day of judgment.

A very detailed record. But all of these words have already been spoken and recorded in the books.

Act 19:40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.

What shall we do? Well, for those of us who have already been weighed in the balance and found wanting, when we judged ourselves (the bema is now), we’ve owned up to being Sin and acknowledged each of our sins and done so only by the indwelling word because we do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Act 4:28)

And even this was only because it is God’s plan to…

1Co 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. And while we remain we can do our service
Php 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Knowing all the while that our brother, our lover, our head is at God’s right hand as our advocate saying…

Phm 1:18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account;

And so we encourage our brethren by saying…

Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

And when the time has come for that Great White Throne to appear, those Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead (1Pe 4:5) will finally come to know, acknowledge and account the longsuffering of our Lord salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (2Pe 3:15)
God has been made propitious, as his counsel determined before to be done, by the sacrifice of His Son who (1Jn 2:2) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. God can show mercy to whom he will because he has been made propitious, and he will show it to all because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.
Now this is where the law of the harvest and lake of fire comes in…

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
1Co 15:25-28 For he (the Christ) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

I have no disagreement with what you say about all men’s works and words in this life following them through the grave to the judgment. It is only those whose judgment is now, in their life, and have been chosen to be faithful who will have the true word Himself to follow them beyond the grave.
Now have I tried once again with more fervor and greater expanse of word to explain what I wanted to tell you. It is, I fear, another feeble attempt and there still remains the possibility that I do not know whereof I speak. My prayer is that God will use one of us to sharpen the other.

S____

Hi S____,

I think you have done a wonderful job of making yourself clear. In the process you have made a distinction between the Biblical concept of giving an account and the unbiblical concept of being accountable as that word is defined in our English dictionaries.
Your example of my use of the phrase ‘give account’ was very revealing:

Let me give you another example. In the email that you sent me as a response to this ‘study of account’ you said:
“But I don’t understand how knowing that account means ‘word’ changes the fact that “we must all give account for the deeds done in the body, according to that he hath done…”

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [ done] in [ his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [ it be] good or bad.”

In that first sentence you quoted (” “) as if from the Scripture saying we must all give account. Then you pull the actual quote from the KJV which says “we must all appear …that every one may receive…” To me, the first does not equal the second.
I’m trying to say that there is a difference in saying that you shall give an account and saying you are accountable.

Thank you for pointing out to me that the bible does not say ‘we must all give an account’. It does say ‘ we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…’ You are right. There is a world of difference between being “held accountable” and “giving an account”. The one places responsibility on us, while the other simply has us giving an account of what God has worked through us.
Christ does tell the unjust steward that he must “give an account of your stewardship,” but as you point out, judgment has already been made that “you may no longer be steward.”

Luk 16:2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear (already) this of thee? give an account (a word) of thy stewardship (management of my house, what you did); for thou may be no longer steward.

Indeed, I have had people send me those very dictionary definitions in frustration, not understanding the distinction between giving account and being responsible.
Since the Lord Himself tells the steward to “give an account of your stewardship” I can now see the difference between “giving an account” and “all appearing… that everyone may receive,” and I can see that saying “you are accountable” is not the same as “giving an account.” I want always to have that “pattern of sound words and I appreciate your help in that regard. I hope this helps others to see what is the mind of God regarding this subject.
As far as one of us sharpening the other, I hope we let “iron sharpen iron” as we are always able to both give and receive admonition.
Thank you for your words of admonition on this subject of the difference between being accountable and being responsible. According to Webster’s definition which makes accountable the same as responsible, I must be very careful never to say that we ‘are accountable’ and rather say that we will all “give account” of our stewardship and of what we do in this body.

Mike