Original Sin; Not Our’s to Bare!!

If you have grown up in the church you have likely heard about the story of Adam and Eve and their failure in the garden of Eden that brought sin into the world. You may have even heard the term “Original Sin”. I thought I understood this doctrine or idea but in recent years as I have done more study and talked to others, I have found out what people think “Original Sin” means and what it actually means are often two very different things.

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned– – [Rom 5:12 ESV]

I started asking Christians if they believed in “original sin” and so far everyone I have asked says yes they do. But then I ask if they believe this means that everyone is incapable of doing anything good; and many say “No, I don’t believe that”. I ask if they believe this means that we all inherit the sin of Adam or that we are guilty of Adam’s sin. Again many say “Oh, well I don’t believe that”. The average person in the pews has heard of “original sin” but many don’t know the history of the term and many use it while meaning very different things when they say it.

The term “originale peccatum” was first used in the fourth century but was thoroughly defined by Saint Augustine. Augustine defined original sin as inherited guilt, inherited corruption, and a bondage of the will transmitted biologically from Adam to all humanity. This was a new, highly developed system that went far beyond earlier Christian thought. For Augustine, Adam’s first sin was not just the beginning of human corruption — it was a legal crime whose guilt is transmitted to all his descendants. During the protestant reformation Luther, Augustinian Monk, continued this idea writing “Bondage of the Will”. John Calvin’s theology was influenced by this theology.

However, Early Church fathers did not use this term but used terms like “phthora” corruption or decay, “astheneia” weakness or “pathos” disordered desires. They didn’t put forward any idea that we are born with the guilt of Adam or inheriting the guilt of Adam.

“Through the disobedience of one man, death gained its power over the human race.”
(Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.23.7)

“Every soul that is born into flesh is subject to the weakness of its nature.”
(Origen, On First Principles 3.1.19)

The problem with this idea is that it runs directly against Scripture. In ancient times many cultures held children responsible for the wrong that their parents had done. Children had to pay the debts of their parents’ crimes and found themselves in slavery or under arrest. But God sees things differently, God sees things rightly, and challenged this idea and spoke against it through His prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

2 “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
…
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. – [Eze 18:2-4, 19-21 ESV]

Augustine’s idea of “Original Sin” was in error and lead to many other errors. It naturally followed that if we inherited guilt then Mary and therefore Jesus would of inherited guilt. Jesus then couldn’t be the guiltless offering for sin. So, then Mary must have been Immaculately conceived or incarnated just like Jesus. But then what of Mary’s mother and her mother’s mother? It dies the death of a thousand qualifications under the weight of its illogical assumptions. Another error that followed; if we are all guilty than we can do nothing but be guilty so we cannot do anything right or even come to faith, God must make us come to faith. Therefore, God had to choose who would have faith and be saved. Luther reached this conclusion and Calvin took it a step further saying that God not only chose some for faith but others for disobedience. But again, the Bible is at odds with this idea.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. – [Jas 1:13-17 ESV]

In the Garden Eve was enticed by the idea of knowing right and wrong and being like God. Adam listened to His wife and followed her. The result wasn’t knowing what God wants it was placing what we want and what we decide is right above God. We tried to take God’s place of authority and self-determination without the right to it or the power to sustain it. The Chinese language doesn’t use an alphabet like you are familiar with but ideograms or pictures. The one shown at the beginning for temptation is two people in a garden under a tree with a devil or serpent. The language goes back 2000 years before Jesus but shows we all come from the same original place and our ancestors were Adam and Eve. We all bare an “Original Corruption” but not an “Original Guilt”. Jesus said “if I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself”; we are capable of recognizing how big this offer is, how glorious it is and how glorious He is. If we cannot come on our own and recognize this then there can we give Him Glory? Mere pupets cannot glorify anything.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. – [Jhn 1:14 NKJV]