Original
sin
“in Adam, all sinned”
Introduction
1. Are
all people equally guilty before God? In what sense are they guilty?
2. What
is the meaning of total depravity?
3.
Are all sins individual
(personal) or are there corporate sins? Are there systemic sins?
“The doctrine of original sin is the
only empirically verifiable doctrine of the Christian faith.” Reinhold
Niebuhr
A. We are guilty before God on
three counts.
1. Individual sin - Personal sin is the
form of sin which includes everything in the daily life of an individual person
which is against or fails to conform to the character of God. Rom.3:23 “for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.”
NOTE: Sins mentioned by Jesus:
Sacrilege
- Mk.11:15-18; Hypocrisy - Matt.23:1-36; Covetousness - Lk.12:15; Blasphemy -
Matt.12:22-37; Transgressing the Law - Matt.15:3-6; Pride - Matt.20:20-28;
Lk.7:14; Being a stumbling block - Matt.18:6; Disloyalty - Matt.8:19-22;
Immorality - Matt.5:27-32; Fruitlessness - Jn.15:16; Anger - Matt.5:22; Sins of
speech - Matt.5:33, 12:36; Showing off c- Matt.6:1-18; Lack of faith -
Matt.6:25; Irresponsible stewardship - Matt.25:14-30, Lk.19:11-27;
Prayerlessness - Lk.18:1-8
2. Inherited sin (the sin nature, original
sin). Rom.5:19 “For as through the
one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners”, Eph.2:3
“Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
3. Imputed sin - Sin is also presented in
Scripture as reckoned to our account. Rom.5:12-18
.
a. There
are three great imputations in the Christian faith.
1. The imputation of Adam’s sin to all people.
2. The imputation of our sin to Christ on the
cross.
3. The imputation of Christ’s righteousness to
the believer by faith.
b. Verse
12 “Therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
1. This verse suggests that Adam’s sin is
reckoned through sin, which God sees that we will actually commit.
2. In II Cor.5:19 we read “God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them,”
Here we have an example of sins committed that are not reckoned.
c. Verse
13-14 “for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when
there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over
those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type
of Him who was to come.”
1. This
reckoned sin can also be sin that was committed by Adam (not actually by us).
2. Paul
illustrates this in Phile.1:18 “But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes
you anything, charge that to my account;”
d. The
resulting judicial state of sin puts the entire human race “under sin.”
Rom.3:9, 11:32; Gal.3:22.
Aspect
|
Scripture
|
Transmission
|
Consequence
|
Remedy
|
Individual sin
|
I Jn.1:9
|
|
Loss of a sense of
fellowship with God
|
Forgiveness
|
Inherited sin
|
Eph.2:3
|
Generation to
generation
|
Spiritual death
|
Redemption and the
gift of the Spirit
|
Imputed sin
|
Rom.5:12
|
Direct from Adam
to me
|
Physical death
|
Imputed
righteousness
|
B. The significance of Adam’s sin is a point of debate among
believers.
1. “Original
sin” (imputed sin) - Rom.5:19 “For as through the one man’s disobedience the
many were made sinners,---” (Rom.5:12-19) There are two views.
|
1. The
Example View Adam’s sin was a minor act of disobedience that affected
only himself. Romans 5:12d refers to the actual personal sins of individuals
who followed Adam’s example, committed sins, and are thus guilty before God. |
2. The
Solidarity View (orthodox) A
solidarity exists between Adam and his race such that Paul can say that one
sinned (cf. 5:13-19) and at the same time say that all sinned (cf 5:12). Both
statements refer to the Fall. There are two different expressions
of this view. |
|
||
|
|
Seminalism The
union between Adam and his posterity is biological and genetic such that Adam
embodied all human beings in a single collective entity and thus all people
are co-sinners with Adam. |
Federalism The
union between Adam and his posterity is due to the fact that God appointed
him as the representative head of the human race. What Adam did is charged to
his posterity. |
||
|
|
Mediate
(Indirect) Imputation People
have a corrupt nature imputed to them—the effect of Adam’s sin. Thus
hereditary depravity is imputed. All sinned because all have inherited
natural corruption from Adam. |
Immediate
(Direct) Imputation Adam’s
first sin was imputed to every person. All people were tried in Adam our
representative and declared guilty. |
||
2. The relationship between the Fall of Adam,
natural evil, and moral evil in the world.
a. Four views.
1. Traditional
view. All death originated at the point in time of Adam’s sin.
a. One version (initiation of both natural and moral evil) - the laws of physics
were changed at the Fall. i.e.. natural evil (the second law of thermodynamics)
was activated.
b. A second version (loss of immortality for all animal life) - natural evil (cosmic
calamities) predate the Fall. Only biological death is initiated at the Fall.
c. A third version (loss of immortality for humans only) - the Fall only effected Adam
and Eve.
d. A forth version (awareness of mortality) -The scope of the curse was essentially
spiritual and psychological, therefore awareness of the curse rather than the
fact of death is the issue.
2. Two
falls view. Natural evil originated with Satan’s fall while moral evil
originated with Adam’s Fall.
3. Foreknowledge
view. God in his infinite foreknowledge foresaw man’s rebellion when he
created the world. The result of human sin is natural evil but the result
preceded the act of sin itself.
4. Evolutionary
view. The rebellion to God grows as the knowledge of good and evil grows.
The curse develops in proportion to the rebellion.
5. Allegorical view. Natural evil is an inherent part of creation itself. Natural evil is then not a result of moral sin but a precondition for sin.
b. Other implications of “original sin”.
1. Just as we are “positionally” guilty in Adam so we are “positionally” righteous in Christ. (See notes on positional truth. #706)
2. This is truth that we know by teaching and faith not by experience or feeling.
3. Physical death is a sign of the reality of original sin just as the resurrection of Christ is a sign of the reality of eternal life.
2. A
description of different views of the imputation of Adam’s sin to all people.
|
Viewpoint |
Argument |
|
Pelagianism |
• Man’s soul is
created by God (each individual near or at birth). • Man’s soul is
created without corruption. • The influence of
Adam’s sin is that of an example. • Man has free
volition. • God’s grace is
universal since all men have free will; adults may obtain forgiveness through
baptism. • Thus, Adam’s sin
does not directly affect others, there is no such thing as original sin. • Since man is not
born in sin, it is possible for him to be preserved and to never need
salvation. |
|
Arminianism |
• Man receives from
Adam a corrupted nature but does not receive Adam’s guilt. • This nature is
corrupted physically and intellectually, but not volitionally. • General grace
enables man to believe. • Thus, man is not
totally depraved, but still retains the volition to seek God. |
|
Calvinism |
• Each individual
is related to Adam. There are two primary views: • Federal Headship
(creationist view of origin of the soul). • The individual
receives the physical nature from parents. • God creates each
soul. • Adam was our
representative, as ordained by God. • This
representation parallels man’s being in Christ unto righteousness. • Natural Headship
(traducianist view of origin of soul-Augustine). • The individual
receives the physical nature and the soul from the parents. • Thus, all people
were present in Adam in germinal or seminal form. • Each individual
participates in the sin of Adam. • Thus, each
individual inherits Adam’s sin. |
*Pelagianism
and Arminianism subscribe in differing measure to the view that people sin by
following the example of Adam.
|
Viewpoint |
What is a
person’s condition in relation to God at birth? |
What are the
effects of Adam’s sin on his posterity? |
How did all
sin? |
What is
imputed (charged to one’s account)? |
|
Pelagianism |
He
is innocent and able to obey God. |
It
had no effect. Adam’s sin affected only himself. |
All
chose to sin by following Adam’s example. |
Only
an individual’s personal sins. |
|
Arminianism |
He
has a sinful nature but is still able to cooperate with the Spirit by general
grace. |
It
corrupted them physically and intellectually, but the guilt of Adam’s sin was
not imputed to them. |
All
consciously ratify Adam’s deed by personal sins. Mediate
cause: All sin because they possess a corrupt nature inherited from Adam. |
Only
an individual’s personal sins. |
|
Realism |
His
entire nature is polluted by sin; he is under condemnation and unable to
merit saving favor with God. |
It
brought personal guilt, corruption, and death to all. |
All
participate in the sin of Adam, who is the natural head of the race. |
Adam’s
sin, guilt, a corrupt nature, and one’s own sins (Realism and Federalism
differ only in the manner of imputation.) |
|
Federalism |
His
entire nature is polluted by sin; he is under condemnation and unable to
merit saving favor with God. |
It
brought condemnation and pollution by sin to the entire nature of all. |
Mediate
cause: All sin because they possess a corrupt nature inherited from Adam. Immediate
cause: All sin because all are constituted sinners on account of Adam’s sin. |
Mediate
imputation: A corrupt nature and one’s own sins. Immediate
imputation: Adam’s sin guilt, a corrupt nature, and one’s own sins. |
3. An evaluation
of different views of Rom.5:12.
|
Viewpoint |
Translation of “death spread to all men because all sinned” in Romans 5:12 |
Critique |
|
The Example View |
“that is why” |
The Greek aorist tense of “sinned”
suggests all sinned in or with Adam, not subsequent to Adam. In 5:15-19 it is
stated five times that only one sin caused the death of all. The example view
ignores the analogy between Adam and Christ. |
|
Seminalism |
“in whom” (i.e., in Adam) |
Hebrews 7:9-10 provides an example of
one man (Abraham) including another (Levi). Seminalism weakens the analogy
between Adam and Christ, and begs certain absurd questions (e.g. Can someone
act before he “exists”? Why are we not responsible for Adam’s later sins?). |
|
Mediate Imputation View |
“because” |
The Greek term used here means
“because” in 2 Corinthians 5:4 (cf. Phil. 3:12; 4:10). Mediate imputation
faces certain contextual difficulties in Rom. 5: (1) “sinned”
does not mean “to have a corrupt nature”; (2) both Adam and his posterity die
from Adam’s one trespass (vv. 12, 18-19) and no intermediate condition is
cited; (3) “For” (5:13-14) introduces an explanation that is not consistent
with the argument of 5:12 if this view is adopted. |
|
Immediate Federalism |
“because” |
Immediate Federalism faces the
problem of explaining how the sin of one man, Adam, can be counted against
the entire human race. Deuteronomy 24:16 says that “each is to die for his
own sin,” which appears contradictory to the Federalist view. Moreover, alien
guilt (being charged with another’s guilt) appears to be unfair. |
The above charts are modified from Charts of Christian
Theology and Doctrine by H.Wayne House, Zondervan Publishing House, 1992
Questions that you should be able to answer.
1. Specific facts you should know.
a. What is
the key text that speaks of imputed sin?
b. What
texts of Scripture speak of total depravity?
c. What are
three categories of sin?
2. Issues that you should be able to discuss.
a. What is
the meaning of “total depravity?”
b. What is
the difference between the Pelagian, Arminian (Methodist) and Calvinistic
(Presbyterian) view of original sin?
c. What are
the practical implications of one’s view of original sin?
3. Questions you should wrestle with.
a. What is
the nature of imputed sin?
b. How does
total depravity influence the evangelization process?
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