original sin
original sin It is also known as the ancestral sin or the first sin. Have we inherited the sin of Adam itself, or did we inherit its consequences only? It was explained by a saint Paul in (Romans 5:12) and he said: “For this reason, it is as if by one man sin entered into the world and by sin death and thus death passed to all people when all sinned.”
In this verse, the apostle confirms that Adam’s sin was the origin and source of the sins of the human race, and that death is the result of retribution on the Adam’s sin, and that we participated in the Adam's sin.
However, this verse has been misinterpreted
So we have to go back to the original Greek as follows:
The apostle says, “As if through one person sin entered the world,” that is, through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the human race
In his saying, “The sin entered ⲧⲟ the world.”
The: ή
sin: άμαρτία
to: είς
the: τόν
world: κόσμον
entered: είσήλθεν
We find that the Apostle here personifies sin and talks about it as a person, not as an attribute, but as an entity that has existence, and the word “Person” means a person who does and influences.
- Also in His saying, “Then do not let sin reign” (Romans 6:12).
do not: μή
then: ουν
reign: βασιλευέτω
the: ή
sin: άμαρτία
Thus he made sin a person ⲉnter and reign.
passed death
In his saying, “and by the sin, death, and thus death passed to all people.”
and: καί
by: διά
the: τής
sin: άμαρτίας
the: ό
death: θάνατος
and: καί
so: οϋτως
to: είς
all: απάντες
people: ανθρώπους
the: ό
death: θάνατος
passed: δι ήλθεν
- Here apostle talks about the inheritance of sin and links death with sin, so death is a punishment that follows sin, sin is the origin and death follows it like a shadow that follows man, when God created man, he did not create him to die as he sees Pelagius. So death was the result of sin
- The word “passed” δι ήλθεν does not mean the mere entry of sin, but when the syllable διά is added at the beginning of the word, it gives the meaning of distribution and diffusion in the sense that the sin followed by death as a shadow of it has distributed and spread and permeated the whole human race.
Note: When the word διά is added to a word, the letter ά . is deleted
- The phrase (death passed) means (sin crossed) because the origin is sin, while death is the shadow.
If we say death has entered, then sin must also have entered, because how does the shadow enter without the origin, and how do we talk about the shadow and the nature of the shadow is not understood except by its connection to the original.
- Essence What is wrong with them is the separation between sin and death.
Here, we say to the people of this thought, if there was another reason for death other than sin, it would be possible to separate them.
Sin, death, Adam's sin
Three words can not be separated (sin - death - Adam's sin)
- If we ask what is the sin that the apostle is talking about here, of course it is Adam’s sin and not any sin, because it was Adam’s sin that caused death, so he did not tell us The Bible about any sin that is inherited except the sin of Adam, but on the contrary, the Bible does not hold the children responsible for the mistakes of the fathers.
As for the verse:
“I will miss the sin of the fathers in the children in the third and fourth generation of hating me” (Exodus 20:5). It means that the whole ocean became full of sin, fathers and sons, but he did not mention that sons inherited sin from their fathers. The only case in which sin is linked to another is Adam's sin.
- The evidence that sin passed to the whole human race is that death passed to the whole human race, unless we find a person in the history of humanity who did not die and will not die.
The apostle refers to the period before the law of God to give further evidence that death is related to sin, so he says: “It was even the law that was sin in the world. However, sin is not counted if there is no law.
But death reigned from Adam to Moses” (Romans 5:13-14), and here he talks about the sins of human beings before the law, and that they are not imputed to them. “For without the law, sin is dead” (Romans 7:8). Because where there is no law, there is no punishment (no death), and despite this, these people have died, so how was this death found that people died from Adam to Moses? The only answer is that it is Adam's sin, which is followed by death.
In that Saint John Chrysostom says: “It is clear that sin here did not come because of his violation of the law, but because of disobedience Adam, and it is this sin that destroyed everything, and the proof of that is that all died before the the law of God.”
Sin is guilt and retribution
- As long as man inherited Adam’s sin, it means that he inherited all of its attributes and meanings, it means (sin - transgression of the law - breach), and the sinner who transgresses the law of God becomes under retribution and these features accompany the birth of man, and he is born guilty.
- That is why David the Prophet says: “The the wicked were removed from the womb. strayed from the belly, speaking falsely.” (Psalm 58:3)
- The Lord also said through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: “And from the belly I was called a disobedient.” (Isaiah 48:8).
These texts testify that sin began in all the children of Adam since they were in the womb and in the wombs of their mothers. Rather, it is from the moment of conception and when the fetus is formed, and therefore the fetus is formed in sin and conceived of sin.
- How can sin become attached to the fetus from the beginning of its formation to the extent that it becomes paste with it, unless sin is present in the blood in which the fetus is formed.
That is why the Prophet says, “Behold, in the name I was formed, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5). (Departed, HG Bishop Gregory)
In which everyone has sinned
with : έφ
Who: ώ
everyone: πάντες
made a sin : ήμαρτον
Translate this phrase:
- It means linking the sin of all human beings to the sin of Adam, because Adam’s sin affected all of Adam’s descendants, as he is the father of all, containing all in his loins.
All mankind was in the loins of Adam when he sinned. Adam sinned, but not as a person, but as a representative and head of the entire human race. As an example of Christ - the second Adam - who also offered himself on behalf of the entire human race.
- The same logic was used by the apostle in talking about Levi’s relationship with Abraham when Abraham presented a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, so he says: “So that I say a word: A Levi also, who takes tithes, gave tithes to Abraham! For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek received him.” (Heb 7:9-10).
- As for those who take the translation “when all sinned,” they do not link the sin of everyone with the sin of Adam, and they see that the sins of human beings are returned to them themselves, because they inherited from Adam the corrupt nature.
But this claim does not agree at all with what the apostle explained in (Romans 5:12).
Theological significance of the inheritance of sin
- If we suffice by saying that we inherited from Adam the corrupt and lacking nature of grace only and did not inherit Adam's own sin, how do we explain that God righteous justice holds man accountable for this natural corruption!
The apostle did not call the transmission of sin from Adam to his offspring “corruption,” but rather calls it “sin.” He did not say that corruption entered the world and that everyone became corrupt. Rather, he says that sin entered the world and that all have sinned.
- Likewise, saying that we did not inherit sin, but rather the results only destroys the doctrine of redemption from its roots, because in this case the person is not guilty and therefore does not deserve retribution, and therefore does not need redemption, and the thought of the cross turns into mercy only and not justice and mercy. Thus, the aspect of justice is completely excluded from the issue of redemption.
Gallery
expulsion from heaven
lust of eyes
seduction
Coptic icon of Adam and Eve's sin
Listening to the devil and eating from the tree
see also
references
external links
Dr. Ghaly's website - original sin
The Inheritance of Original Sin 19 May 1998 Seminary Lectures by Pope Shenouda III
The Inheritance of Original Sin October 19, 1993 Seminary Lectures Video - Pope Shenouda III
St-Takla.org Hemanut Website - Did we inherit Adam's sin or the corrupt nature?
| +++ very important +++ | |
|---|---|
|
Each new article must end with these lines and will not be final approved until its review is completed in terms of: Wiki/Doctrine/Weather/ History/Language/ Evidence | |
|
Wiki, overall layout and completeness of page elements have been reviewed by |
Gerges (نقاش) |
|
Doctrinal and Theological Reviewed by |
|
|
liturgy Reviewed By: |
|
|
Historically and objectively reviewed by |
|
|
Linguistically reviewed by |
|
|
Evidence, quotes and sayings of parents have been reviewed by |
|