Theology Chapter 2: The Fall and the Promise of a Savior

de-creation takes place because human beings have turned from God and put their own self interests above those of their Creator, other humans, and the beautiful world God has entrusted to us. de-creation takes place because of human pride and sin, causing alienation from self, others, God, and creation itself.

why does de-creation take place?

idolatry

worshipping something or someone other than the true God

the rainbow, a symbol of the Lord's presence to humanity, symbolized the covenant. it is a reminder to everyone that God continues to love humanity despite its sinful nature, which demands correction and punishment. the sign of this covenant with Noah is the rainbow, every time we see a rainbow, we should remember God's presence. God's love for us is steadfast, regardless of our sin and weakness. the rainbow symbolizes God's promise to bless us abundantly.

what is the sign of Noah's covenant?

in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

where did Divine Revelation reach its fulfillment?

the story of Cain and Abel illustrates that God loves humanity even though people sin. out of jealousy toward Abel, whose offering was more pleasing to the Lord, Cain killed his brother. beforehand, God told Cain that he could master his sinful urges, but Cain, like all sinners, did not resis the temptation. sin deserves punishment, so the Lord banished Cain from the land and condemned him to a life of wandering. he also "put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight" (Genesis 4:15). God's punishment is swift and just, but even the commission of such an evil crime as the murder of one's brother did not mean abandonment by the Lord. faithful and loving to his beloved creatures, the Lord wished to refashion humanity, a humanity that will be redeemed in the fullness of time by the New Adam, Jesus Christ.

Give the example of a biblical story that illustrates that God loves humanity even though people sin.

natural law

God's plan for human living that is written in the very way he created things; binding on all people at all times, it is the light of understanding that God puts in us so we can discover what is good and what is evil

After losing the state of Original Holiness and Original Justice, human beings suffer many effects of the loss. Women now suffer the pains of child birth, men (and women) do back-breaking work to make a living, nakedness causes shame, and death is the fate of humans. All of these sad outcomes are the result of Original Sin. By disobeying God's commands, the first humans choose themselves and their own wills rather than submit themselves to the will of a loving God.

Original Sin had what three effects on Adam and Eve?

a great nation would descend form him and the entire earth would ultimately be blessed from him.

What are two of the five provisions of God's covenant with Abraham?

Angels are messengers with free will and naturally superior intellect to humans. Since the third century, the Church has maintained, though not officially, that all the baptized have Guardian Angels who personally watch out for them.

What is the role of a Guardian Angel?

"New Adam is a good term for Jesus Christ because he redeems humanity from Adam's sin. Adam was tempted by the devil and gave into it and sinned. Similarly, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert and in the garden (because the apostles had abandoned him and he knew that his time was coming).

Why is the "New Adam" a good term for Jesus Christ?

Satan

a fallen angel or the devil; the Evil One

Gentiles

a term that means "non-Jews"

Protoevangelium

a term that means "the first gospel, which is found in Genesis 3:15, when God revealed he would send a Savior to redeem the world from its sins

temptation

an attraction, either outside oneself or from within, to act contrary to right reason and the commandments of God

wrath

anger or emotional violence

New Adam

announced in the Protoevangelium, a name for Jesus Christ who through his obedience in Life and Death makes amends for the disobedience of Adam

personal sin

by giving into temptation, Adam and Eve committed a ____ ____

Abram was a nomadic herder who was born around four thousand years ago in Ur, in what is today present-day southern Iraq. God called him to journey to Schechem in the land of Canaan. God promised that he would give the new land to Abram and his progeny. god eventually changed Abram's name to Abraham, which meant "father of a multitude of nations." Abraham heard God's call, believed it, and obeyed. hearing, believing, and obeying God comprise the elements of the virtue of father. Abraham is often referred to as "father of faith," not only for Christians and Jews, but for Muslims as well.

describe God's covenant with Abraham.

the key promise of God's covenant with David was that Israel would be a royal dynasty, a promise that led to the belief of a Messiah, who would save the Chosen People from their enemies. Jesus it the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David. he is the King of Peace who came to save both Jews and all mankind. the Davidic covenant specified in more detail the covenants God had made with Abraham and Moses. God not only blessed Abraham and his descendants but he formed a people from them, gave them the Law to guide them, and asked them to worship him in truth and love. God further promised that the future Messiah, the Savior of all humanity, would descend form the house of King David. for their part, the Chosen People were to live the Law as a beacon to the nations of the one true, saving God. despite the infidelities of the people and even kings like David, God always remained faithful to his promises.

describe God's covenant with David.

lust

disordered sexual desire

gluttony

excessive preoccupation over food or drink

avarice

greed; inordinate love of earthly things

envy

sadness at another's success

concupiscence

the human tendency to sin

no. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. we are not required to interpret the story about Adam and Eve in a literal way, but we must believe that there was a real historical event behind it because God, who is all-good, cannot be the source of sin.

was Original Sin a historical event?

pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, glutton, and sloth

what are the seven capital sins?

Satan, in the guise of a serpent, did great harm by seducing and tempting Adam and Eve. created good in God's image and likeness, man was deceived into letting his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. this is what man's first sin consisted of. all subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness

what did man's first sin consist of?

de-creation started with the Original sin of Adam and Eve described in Genesis 3:1-24. however, God never abandoned sinful humanity. from the beginning, God promised a Savior, a Redeemer, who would make all things new.

how did de-creation start?

pride

inordinate self-esteem

sloth

laziness in regard to one's responsibilities

Decalogue

literally, "ten words," it describes the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses on Sinai

New Covenant

the climax of Salvation history, the coming of Jesus Christ, the fullness of God's revelation

Original Sin

the fallen state of human nature into which all generations of people are born; Christ Jesus came to save us from ____ ____

capital sins

the sins that are at the root of all other sins and vices (bad habits)

the key promise of God's covenant with David was that Israel would be a royal dynasty, a promise that led to the belief of a Messiah, who would save the Chosen People from their enemies. Jesus it the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David. he is the King of Peace who came to save both Jews and all mankind. the Davidic covenant specified in more detail the covenants God had made with Abraham and Moses. God not only blessed Abraham and his descendants but he formed a people from them, gave them the Law to guide them, and asked them to worship him in truth and love. God further promised that the future Messiah, the Savior of all humanity, would descend form the house of King David. for their part, the Chosen People were to live the Law as a beacon to the nations of the one true, saving God. despite the infidelities of the people and even kings like David, God always remained faithful to his promises.

Describe one of the covenants between God and his Chosen People.

after two hundred years of suffering under the Egyptians, God appointed Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. this event is known as the Exodus from Egypt. the pharaoh's stubbornness required God to send ten plagues to force him to let the Israelites depart Egypt. the events of the Exodus proved again that God was faithful to his promises to Abraham: he preserved them as a people, feed them, and promised a future Savior. in the covenant with Moses, known as the Sinai Covenant, the Lord entered into a personal union with them, revealing his special love and mercy. in return, the Israelites shall therefore carefully observe the commandments, the statutes and the decrees which I enjoin on you today. these are known as the Law of Moses, the Torah, or simply the Law. by worshipping the Lord alone as the true God, and by living a life conformed to the Ten Commandment's the Chosen People were to be a beacon of God's revelation to the whole world.

describe God's covenant with Moses.

no. however, it weakened it. this means that we are subject to the temptations of Satan. our wounded human nature also subjects us to ignorance, suffering, and death. moreover, it inclines us to sin (concupiscence).

did Adam and Eve's sin totally corrupt human nature?

yes

did Christ's obedience make up for Adam's disobedience?

Genesis 3 describes Original Sin and its effect. From it, we learn important truths about the human condition. God created people good from the start and we were meant to be happy. Adam and Eve enjoyed Original Holiness and Original Justice with God. the grace of original holiness meant that human beings were created to share in God's own life. Adam and Eve were meant to be in friendship with God, living in harmony with him, with each other, and with all other creatures. being in the state of original justice meant that humans would not die or experience suffering or pain. after losing the state of Original Holiness and Original Justice, human beings suffer many effects of the loss. women now suffer the pains of child birth, men (and women) do back-breaking work to make a living, nakedness causes shame, and death is the fate of humans. all of these sad outcomes are the result of Original Sin. by disobeying God's commands, the first humans choose themselves and their own wills rather than submit themselves to the will of a loving God. friendship with God required them to respond to him. by asserting their own wills instead of responding to the Lord in friendship and obedience, Adam and Eve sinned.

what are the effects of Original Sin?

a fallen human nature that is deprived of Original Holiness and Original Justice and is subject to death.

what do we inherit through Original Sin?

it reminds us how God did not abandon sinful humans but rather entered into covenants with them and promised to redeem them by sending a Savior. ultimately, this is what God did: he sent us his own Son in whom he has established his covenant forever.

what does Original Sin remind us?

it predicts a future Messiah and Redeemer, a battle between the serpent and the woman, and a final victory of a descendant of hers. Christian Tradition sees in this passage the announcement of the New Adam. Church Father have identified the woman in this passage as Mary, the new Eve. her offspring is Jesus Christ. Jesus' Death on the cross won for us Salvation and Redemption. it atoned for the Original Sin of Adam and Eve and all the sins people have committed down through the centuries. the Protoevangelium is the first announcement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

what is the purpose of the Protoevangelium?

the sin of Adam and Eve brought them to new knowledge, namely the knowledge of shame a guilt. they realized they were naked and sewed fig leaves together to make loincloths to cover their nakedness. this action symbolized how their sin caused alienation between them. more importantly, their sin led to their alienation from God, the loss of Original Holiness. the Catechism says that these are the outcomes that resulted from the Original Sin: the harmony found in Adam and Eve was destroyed, the control of the soul's spiritual facilities over he body was shattered, the union of man and woman became subject to tensions (and henceforth their relations are marked by lust and domination), harmony within creation is broken, visible creation became alien and hostile to man, and death makes its entrance into human history.

what are the consequences of Original Sin?

the biblical authors stresses the importance of the flood story in Salvation History. by means of the flood, God entered into his first great covenant with humanity. though the story contains many symbolic elements, it may be rooted in a real natural catastrophe at the dawn of history. Babylon and Syria also had flood stories similar to the Noah story. the most famous parallel is the Sumerian Epi of Gilgamesh where the gods instruct the hero to build an ark and take animals on it before they destroy the world. there are other similarities in these ancient stories. Genesis reveals that the purpose of the flood was to cleanse the world of human wickedness and depravity.

what is the importance of the flood story in Salvation History?

the sign of the covenant was that boy babies should be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.

what is the sign of Abraham's covenant?

three stories that show that God loves humanity even though people sin are the stories of Cain and Abel, the tower of Babel, and Adam and Eve. in the story of Cain and Abel, Cain deserved punishment for his sin, just like any sin deserves punishment. so, the Lord banished Cain from th eland and condemned him to a life of wandering. however, he put a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him. God's punishment is swift and just, but even the commission of such an evil crime as the murder of one's brother did not mean abandonment by the Lord. faithful and loving to his beloved creatures, the Lord wished to refashion humanity, a humanity that will be redeemed in the fullness of time by the New Adam, Jesus Christ. in the story of the Tower of Babel, people's ambition to make a name for themselves by creating a culture independent of God was their sin. God did not destroy them, he merely made it so that they could not communicate. he could have given a much more severe punishment but he did not because he loves humanity. a final example of this is the story of Adam and Eve. even when Adam and Eve sinned, God did not abandon them. from the beginning, he promoised a Savior, a Redeemer, who would make al lthings new. in the midst of the story of the fall of humanity, God promised that he would stike at the tempter from then on.

The Bible teaches that God loves humanity even though people sin. Give three examples from the Bible that reflect that teaching. Why is this teaching a sign of hope for all human beings?

Genesis 3 describes Original Sin and its effect. From it, we learn important truths about the human condition. God created people good from the start and we were meant to be happy. Adam and Eve enjoyed Original Holiness and Original Justice with God. The grace of original holiness meant that human beings were created to share in God's own life. Adam and Eve were meant to be in friendship with God, living in harmony with him, with each other, and with all other creatures. Being in the state of original justice meant that humans would not die or experience suffering or pain. After losing the state of Original Holiness and Original Justice, human beings suffer many effects of the loss. Women now suffer the pains of child birth, men (and women) do back-breaking work to make a living, nakedness causes shame, and death is the fate of humans. All of these sad outcomes are the result of Original Sin. By disobeying God's commands, the first humans choose themselves and their own wills rather than submit themselves to the will of a loving God.

describe the effects that Original Sin had on Adam and Eve. Then discuss its impact on the rest of humanity.

...out of jealousy toward Abel, whose offering was more pleasing to the Lord, Cain killed his brother. beforehand, God told Cain that he could master his sinful urges, but Cain, like all sinners, did not resis the temptation. sin deserves punishment, so the Lord banished Cain from the land and condemned him to a life of wandering. he also "put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight" (Genesis 4:15). God's punishment is swift and just, but even the commission of such an evil crime as the murder of one's brother did not mean abandonment by the Lord. faithful and loving to his beloved creatures, the Lord wished to refashion humanity, a humanity that will be redeemed in the fullness of time by the New Adam, Jesus Christ.

explain how Cain gave into temptation. how was he punished and how is he protected? what does this teach us about the Lord?

the history of sin continues its saga in the Tower of Babel story. here the biblical authors tell the story about the building of a ziggurat, a Mesopotamian types temple that the Babylonians constructed to worship their god, Marduk. this story is combined with a second story that describes humanity's attempt to build a civilization in defiance of God's command to disperse and populate the earth. the sin involved in this story is the people's ambition to make a name for themselves by creating a culture independent of God. this resulted in alienation from God and discord among people. defying God brings about indescribable consequences such as difficulty in human communication and cooperation. however, with all of God's punishments comes some good. the people scattered around the earth, which was one of God's commands. eventually, after Jesus' Resurrection, various pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost Sunday. even though all spoke different languages, they understood Peter's proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. the coming of the Holy Spirit, who guides Christ's Body, the Church, unites all people in Jesus, the Son of God. the Babel story ends Gensis's treatment of prehistory. as we will see in the covenants to come, God does not bandon humanity. the genealogy given after the Babel story begins with NOah's son, Shem, and ends with the patriarch Abraham. through Abraham and his descendants, God forms a Chosen People and blesses all generations to the end of time.

explain the story about the Tower of Babel.

God blessed Noah and instructed him and his family to repopulate the earth. bringing to mind the creation of Adam, Noah is instructed to be fertile, multiply, be master of the animals, and subdue the earth. God's love for Noah is reflected in the first Biblical account. here God pledged that a flood would never again destroy the earth of the entire human race. later, God himself would enter into history by sending his only Son to save humanity, not from a flood, but from sin and death.

explain the terms of Noah's covenant.

the human race has a unity that results in our sharing in Adam's sin, just as we all share in Christ's Salvation. the transmission of Original Sin is fundamentally a mystery, but Divine Revelation does make it clear that Original Holiness and Original Justice was given to Adam not only for himself but for all humans to follow. their personal sin affected the human nature that they would transmit in a fallen state.

how does Original Sin affect all of humanity?

Judges

in ancient Israel, those who acted as temporary military leaders, as well as arbiters of disputes within and between tribes; they were also expected to remind people of their responsibilities to God