Doctrine of Sin

Biblical Foundations: Gen. 3 and Historic Fall

1. Biblical Evidence - The Bible indicates that the Fall is historic - Gen. 4 connects Adam with the stream of history as a historic individual. Rom. 5:12 and I Tim. 2:14 treat the Fall as historic. 2. Theological Evidence - There is a big theological problem if there is not fall. Humans are sinful today, and if therefore either God created us sinful, or there was a historic fall. 3. Historical Evidence - Affirmation of a historic Fall has been the overwhelming position of the Church throughout its history until very recently. The important question is not "where it si a historical account of the fall, but whether or not we may read it as the account of a historical fall." - Derek Kidner

Biblical Foundations: Gen. 3 and the Results of the Fall

1. Guilt and Shame (vs. 7) - we feel the need to cover and hide ourselves. 2. Distortions in Relationships (vs. 8-19) - sin results in the destruction of the community: God/human, husband wife, mother/child, human/creation. 3. Knowledge of Good and Evil (vs. 22) - like God they have knowledge, but unlike God their knowledge comes through participation in evil. 4. Death (vs. 22-24) - they died spiritually that day, in that their capacity for relationship with God died. They also became subject to eventual physical death. 5. Effect of the Fall on the Descendants of Adam and Eve - original sin.

Reasons for Affirming the Doctrine of Sin

1. Our understanding of Sin is inextricably linked with our understanding of God, because sin is primarily against God and His Law. 2. We must maintain a robust doctrine of Sin because it relates directly to our understanding of salvation. 3. Sin is linked to our understanding of ministry, for it causes humanity's greatest need.

Historical Illumination and the Results of Original Sin

1. Pelagians - original sin has no result on human nature, no inherited guilt, and no touch of depravity. 2. Arminians - human nature is either corrupt, or at least with an inevitable tendency toward sin. However, the guilt is removed by the universal gift of prevenient grace through the cross. Also, prevenient grace balances out the effects of original sin on the will. 3. Augustinians and Calvinists - human nature inherits a corrupt, sinful nature that inevitably issues in personally committed sin.

Biblical Foundations: The Nature of Sin and the Essence of Sin

1. Pride or Hubris - most common suggestion in Christian history 2. Selfishness - preference of one's will to God's 3. Failure to live out God's will and purpose for us - Grenz 4. Idolatry - failure to let God be God in our lives - Erickson and Norman - Best understanding of sin, found in the 10 Commandments and Great Commandment.

Biblical Foundations and the Sources of Sin

1. Satan - behind deceiving and tempting, but cannot force one to sin. 2. Sinful Nature - leaves us open and attentive to the voice of temptation. 3. The World - there is a power of evil at work among humans that organizes them in patterns that oppose the kingdom of God. Different advocated responses to the world: 1. Flee from the world (II Cor. 6:16-17) 2. Rebellion, violent if necessary, against the world 3. Evangelization 4. Work for reform (salt and light)

Biblical Foundations: The Nature of Sin and Biblical Terms

3 Most important words for sin in the Bible, all of which are mentioned in Exodus 34:6-7. 1. Sin (chata, hamartia) - to miss the mark. 2. Iniquity (avon/aval, adikia) - act and consequence 3. Transgression (pasha, parabasis) - to cross a forbidden line

Historical Illumination and the Fate of Children Who Die in Infancy

A related issue to original sin is the fate of children who die in infancy. Liberal Theology - God's love accepts all children into Heaven. Arimian Theology - Prevenient grace is grounds for concluding that infants die without guilt before God. Calvinist Theology - Some say God allows no non-elect to die in infancy, others say God makes a secret application of Christ's atonement, while others says some say children of believing parents are part of the believing community. Age of Accountability seems the best way to answer this question.

Theological Formulation of the Doctrine of Sin: The Weightiness of Sin

Anselm denied that God could simply forgive sin apart from the atonement. If we argue that God can and should just forgive sin, we have not yet grasped the weightiness of sin. "Do we believe that not loving God with all our being is the greatest, most heinous sin one could commit, because it is the greatest command, and that we all deserve hell simple for not loving God?

Biblical Foundations and the Gradations of Sin

Are all sins created equal, or are there differences? In one sense, all sins are equal, for any sin makes one a sinner and therefore guilty before God. Yet Scripture also affirms that before God, some sins receive greater punishment than others. The distinction is that sin committed against greater understanding and more abundant light are more serious.

Historical Illumination and Augustine's Three Stages of Humanity

Before the Fall - Time of Innocence, Able not to Sin, Essential Humanity, Gen. 1-2 After the Fall - Time of Responsibility, Not able not to Sin, Existential Humanity, Gen. 3-Rev. 19 In Heaven - Time of Full Salvation, Not able to Sin, Eschatological Humanity, Rev. 20-22

Biblical Foundations: Gen. 3 and the Temptation

Eve's temptation came in several steps: 1. Tested Eve's knowledge of God's word and tried to paint God as unreasonable and any restrictions as outrageous. 2. Direct challenge to the authority and character of God - said God lied and lied maliciously. As a result of the Serpent's words, Eve experienced a threefold temptation: the fruit was "good for food," it was "pleasing to the eye," and it was "desirable for gaining wisdom." - Sin is appealing in many ways. The call in temptation is to trust God's goodness, for the evil one wants us to think God is maliciously withholding something good from us.

Historical Illumination and the Issue of Original Sin

Focus is not what happened in Gen. 3, but what happened to human nature as a result of Gen. 3. God made humanity upright (Eccl. 7:29), but clearly we did not remain so.

Historical Illumination and the Biblical Basis for Original Sin

Four Affirmations of Historic Christian Theology: 1. Sin is universal, affecting all humans 2. Sin is something that has affected our nature. 3. Sin is inherited 4. Sin is Adamic, in that he plays a special role. Rom. 5:12-19 is the key text. Questions that arise from this text: 1. In what sense have "all sinned" (5:12)? 2. What is the rationale in 5:14 for the death of those who did not sin by breaking a specific command? 3. What is the meaning of the persistent comparison between Christ and Adam in these verses? 4. How can many be made sinners through the disobedience of one man, or be made righteous through the obedience of one man?

Excursus on Sin and Shame

Guilt tends to be more internal and individual - guilt is what one experiences upon violation of one's conscience, or when one transgresses what is perceived as a valid moral law or standard. Shame is a corporate or public matter that follows actions that violate external sanctions given by one's community, such that one experiences humiliation and loss of social position or status.

Biblical Foundations and the Knowledge of Sin

How do we become aware of sin? General answer: through God's law. Luther and Calvin saw the Law as revealing our sin and driving us to Christ. Deeper answer: through the Cross. Barth argued that the cross reveals both the greatness of God's love and the horror of sin. The cross shows what happens when God encounters sin.

Biblical Foundations: Gen. 3 and the Serpent

It is only in the NT that we are told clearly that the serpent was the instrument of Satan (Rev. 12:9).

Historical Illumination and the Age of Accountability

It seems plausible to be able to separate physical mortality from spiritual death in the effect of Adam's sin. Rom. 7:9-10 - Paul says there was a time when he was alive spiritually, but that when the commandment came, sin came to life and he died spiritually. Some argue Paul is talking about the tradition of Bar Mitzvah. If so, there was a time when Paul was neither lost nor saved, but safe, probably around 12 years old for him. This time is based on the individual, and is characterized by the age at which one is able to judge and make moral decisions from themselves.

Biblical Foundations and the Unpardonable Sin

Matt. 12:31-32 Sin of the rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit about Jesus (John 16:8-11). Problem is many people reject the voice of the Spirit many times before they're saved. Have they committed this sin? No - unpardonable sin is a persistent sin, to the point where one's heart becomes hardened, and one is no longer able to hear the voice of the Spirit. Only God knows what that point is. This is a sin a Christian by definition cannot commit.

Historical Illumination and Options in the Interpretation of Original Sin

Pelagian Answer - Adam was simple a bad example, and his sin in no way affects human nature. We are sinners because we choose to follow Adam's example. Arminian Answer - Adam's sin means we inherit a corrupt nature and physical mortality, with a tendency towards sin. We do not, however, inherit Adam's guilt. The Cross has a universal effect of prevenient grace, rendering humanity not guilty before God for Adam's sin, and able to respond to offer of the Gospel. Augustinian Answer - We sinned in Adam, and were in some way present with Adam in the garden, and we participated in some way in the original sin. Federal Headship Answer - Adam sinned for us all. Adam's sin is special and determinative for all of humanity, because he sinned as our head, or our representative. We inherit a corrupt nature or a tendency toward sin, and it shows itself as soon as we are capable of moral action. We participate in and ratify the actions of our head.

Theological Formulation of the Doctrine of Sin: Moral Absolutes

Presupposition of Sin is that there are absolute right and wrongs. Our Gospel that proclaims the necessity of forgiveness of sins will fall on deaf ears unless there is a belief in the reality of sin, and that depends on the reality of a transcendent standard of right and wrong.

Historical Illumination and Evaluation of Options of Interpretation of Original Sin

Romans 5 (and Eph. 2:3, John 3:19, Rom. 3:10-12, Rom. 8:7) leads to the conclusion that something happened with Adam that has had a profound impact on all humans. Paul argues that physical mortality and the inevitability of sin comes to all humans from Adam. The Bible also affirms individual human responsibility (Ezek. 18:4), where God judges each person for the choices they make. The Bible nowhere excuses human sin as unavoidable. We're therefore left with a tension: we are unable not to sin, and we are held accountable based on our volitional commitment of sin.

Theological Formulation of the Doctrine of Sin: Human Responsibility

Sin cannot be sin unless humans are responsible for their actions.

Practical Application:

Sin usually arises out of a distortion of a legitimate need. 1. Pride is the distortion of the legitimate need for self-esteem and the desire for meaningful accomplishments in one' life. 2. Laziness is the distortion of the legitimate need for rest and leisure. 3. Rebellion is the distortion directing our energy against God instead of to God. 4. Greed is the distortion of the legitimate need for food, clothing, shelter, and some of the things of this world

Biblical Foundations and the Results of Sin

Three dimensions of sin - the effects of sin extend to every aspect of human nature - pervasive depravity. 1. Godward - sin makes us liable to the wrath of God (both temporal and eternal) 2. Outward - sin spills over into every area of life (see Rom. 1:21-32 for the devolution of humanity from sin) 3. Inward - sin causes us to engage in self-deception (Psalm 36:2), it dulls the conscience (I Tim. 4:2), and hardens the heart (Heb. 3:12-13).

Theological Formulation of the Doctrine of Sin: Three Emphases

Three emphases are required in our context to rebuild a robust doctrine of Sin: 1. Moral Absolutes 2. Human Responsibility 3. The Weightiness of Sin

Biblical Foundations: Gen. 3 and the Origin of Sin

While Scripture does not elaborate on the origin of sin with Satan and fallen angels, it does seem to show that the ultimate cause of human sin lies in God's choice to make us free creatures capable of communion with Him. The corollary of this freedom is the possibility of misusing it to our eternal detriment. Still, there is no finally rational explanation for the origin of sin, for sin is deeply and profoundly inexplicable and irrational -- why would anyone exercise that freedom to choose against God?