Genesis 6:5<\/strong> Genesis 8:21 (NKJV)<\/strong> Leviticus 4:3 3<\/strong> Psalm 51:5 (Septuagint) Note: the above verse is used to justify the doctrine of inheritance of Adam’s actual sin\/guilt. However, the Septuagint (relied upon by the Orthodox Church) states “iniquities” and “sins” (plural), not “sin” (singular). How then could the Prophet David have been speaking of the original “sin” of Adam?<\/p>\n Ecclesiastes 7:20<\/strong> Job 14:4-5 (Septuagint)<\/strong> 1 Kings 8: 46<\/strong> Palm 14: 1-3<\/strong> Jeremiah 17: 9-10<\/strong> Gal 3: 22<\/strong> Psalm: 143: 2<\/strong> Ephesians 2:3<\/strong> Romans 5:12-19 Romans 6:6<\/strong> Romans 7:5<\/strong> Note: the Bible uses the word “sin” to refer to the “law of sin”, not only to a specific act of disobedience. A deliberate and specific act of disobedience to one of God’s known commands can correctly be called “transgression”–for example “Adam’s transgression”. Every transgression is a sin, but not every sin is necessarily a transgression.<\/p>\n Romans 7:8,17-18,21<\/strong><\/span> Romans 8:20-23<\/strong> Hebrews 3:10-12, 23<\/strong> John 14:30<\/strong> 1 John 3:8-9<\/strong> Note: <\/strong>Christ condemned sin in the flesh, which is the seed of sin sowed by the devil, through the disobedience of Adam, which corrupted human nature. Christ sanctified\/renewed the fallen human nature via His incarnation and obedience. In this way (and also by His sacrificial death), Christ destroyed the works of the devil. Because Christ’s nature was sinless, He said the prince of this world “has nothing in me”.<\/p>\n Romans 8:2-3<\/strong> Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation<\/strong> has come: The old has gone<\/strong>, the new is here! (2 Cor 5:17)<\/p>\n And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:\u00a0And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.\u00a0Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast\u00a0him<\/i>\u00a0into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:11-13)<\/p>\n Colossians 2: 11-13<\/strong> And what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh<\/strong> and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh<\/strong> (Rom. 8:3 41).<\/p>\n And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new<\/strong>. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Rev 12:5)<\/p>\n 1 Cor 15:42-50, 54-57<\/strong> O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death<\/strong>? (Rom 7:24)<\/p>\n Note<\/strong>: Adam’s transgression subjected human nature to the law of sin, Christ liberated us from that yoke<\/p>\n There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh<\/strong>, but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:1)<\/p>\n Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression<\/strong>, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5:14)<\/p>\n Explanation by Fr. Tadros Malaty\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n St. Athanasius – Against Apollinaris, Book 1<\/strong> St. Athanasius explained Romans 5:12-19 in terms of sin that entered the nature of man from which Christ liberated:<\/p>\n St. Athanasius – Against Apollinaris, Book 2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n having taken from the Virgin all that God originally fashioned and made in order to the constitution of man, yet without sin:<\/strong> as also the Apostle says. In all points like to us yet without sin<\/em>: not \u201cexhibiting\u201d a conversion of the Godhead, but effecting a renewal of the manhood, according to His own will: so that the Gentiles should be of the same body and jointly partakers of Christ<\/em> as also the Apostle writes: that man might be truly God and God might be truly man that He might be truly Man and truly God:<\/strong> not that \u201ca man was with God,\u201d as you calumniously say, disparaging the mystery of Christians: but that God, the Only-begotten, was pleased by the fulness of His Godhead, to set up again for Himself, from the Virgin\u2019s womb, <\/a>through a natural birth and an indissoluble union, the originally formed man and (to make) a new handy work, that He might perform the business of salvation in men\u2019s behalf, working out the salvation of men by suffering and death and resurrection. But you say, \u201cIf He assumed all, then assuredly He had human thoughts; But it is impossible that in human thoughts there should be sin: and how then will Christ be \u2018without sin?’\u201d<\/strong> Tell us then; If God is the maker of thoughts which lead to sin, to god we must refer His own production for He came to refer to Himself what He Himself made; but in that case the judgment which condemns the sinner will be unjust, for if God made thoughts which lead to sin, How can He condemn the sinner? and how is it possible for any such judgment to proceed from God? And if Adam was subject to such thoughts before he disobeyed God\u2019s commandment, how could he be ignorant of good and evil? He was rational by nature, and free in thought, without\u00a0experience of evil, knowing only what was good, and as it\u00a0were a “solitary” being: but when he disobeyed God’s\u00a0commandment, he became subject to thoughts leading to\u00a0sin<\/strong>; not that God made the thoughts which were taking\u00a0him captive, but that the devil by deceit sowed them in the rational nature of man<\/strong>, which had come into transgression, and was thrust away from God; so that the\u00a0devil established in man’s nature both a law of sin, and death<\/strong> as reigning through sinful action<\/strong>; for this cause,\u00a0then, did the Son of God come that He might destroy the\u00a0works of the devil. But you say, ” He destroyed them in\u00a0that He sinned not.” But that is not a destruction of\u00a0sin For the devil did not originally produce sin in man in order that when He came into the world, and sinned\u00a0not, sin might be destroyed : but the devil produced sin\u00a0by sowing it in the rational and intellectual nature of\u00a0man. Therefore it became impossible for that nature,\u00a0being rational, and having sinned voluntarily, and incurred\u00a0condemnation to death, to recall itself to freedom as the\u00a0Apostle says : What was impossible for the law, in that it\u00a0was weak through the flesh. Therefore the Son of God\u00a0came to restore it by His own act, in His own nature\u00a0by a new beginning and a wondrous ” generation : “…But if sinlessness had not been\u00a0seen in the nature which had sinned, how could sin have\u00a0been condemned in the flesh…And\u00a0why did the Apostle say, <\/span>Where sin abounded<\/strong>, grace did\u00a0much more abound, (<\/span>not as if describing a place, but indicating a nature<\/strong>) that, he says, as <\/span>by one man sin entered\u00a0into the world<\/strong>, and death by sin, so by one Man, Jesus\u00a0Christ, might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal\u00a0life : <\/span>so that the nature by which the advance of sin\u00a0took place, might be the very nature through which the\u00a0exhibition of righteousness should take place<\/strong> ; and in this\u00a0way, the works of the devil might be destroyed by the\u00a0<\/span>emancipation of man’s nature from sin<\/strong>, and God might\u00a0be glorified?…How then can it be that\u00a0Christ, who became man, did not save the world? when\u00a0it is plain indeed that <\/span>the nature in which sin was generated is the nature in which the abundance of grace has\u00a0taken place<\/strong>…But again you say, ” <\/span>But how can the nature which\u00a0had become accustomed to sin, and has received the transmission of sin, be without sin<\/strong>?…These are they whose opinions you are reviving, while by a different method you give over the intellectual nature of man, which is understood to be the soul, and define it to be incapable of escaping sin, and have in the plainest terms described the soul as \u201cfleshly,\u201d on whose authority I know not, for this cannot be found in the Holy Scriptures, nor in the general sense of men, since the Lord says, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul<\/em>. And if the soul is as you say, \u201cfleshly,\u201d why does it not die and decay with the body? and again, why did Peter call the souls detained in Hades \u201cspirits,\u201d saying He went to announce the good news of the resurrection spirits shut up in prison<\/em>. But you apply to everything the phrase \u201ccontrary to nature,\u201d in order to avoid giving a natural account of the Economy, and so stating the truth about the Word, that the Word truly became Man. For you have said that it is God\u2019s voice that says, The mind of man is sedulously devoted to evil from youth<\/em>; not understanding that by saying, \u201cfrom youth\u201d He indicated what was \u201csown in afterwards\u201d and perishable.<\/strong> Therefore did the Lord swear a faithful oath unto David, that of the fruit of his body He would raise up the Christ after the flesh<\/em>: not to be \u201cseen as\u201d a man in consequence of a change of Godhead\u2014for then what need was there for the Lord to swear unto David? but as having taken the form of the servant, when He submitted to be born of a woman<\/em>, and to grow in stature<\/em> as we do, as the Apostle says,\u00a0<\/a>Since children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same<\/em>.\u201d Likewise,\u201d because not from seed, but from the Spirit; \u201cof the same,\u201d because not from any other source, but from the seed of David, and of Abraham, and of Adam, as it is written.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n St. Cyril of Alexandria<\/strong>
\nThen the LORD saw that the wickedness of man\u00a0was<\/i>\u00a0great in the earth, and\u00a0that<\/i>\u00a0every intent of the thoughts of his heart\u00a0was<\/i>\u00a0only evil continually<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nAnd the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, \u201cI will never again curse the ground for man\u2019s sake, although the imagination of man\u2019s heart\u00a0is<\/i>\u00a0evil from his youth<\/strong>; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.<\/p>\n
\nIf the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people,<\/strong> then let him offer for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without defect to Yahweh for a sin offering.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities<\/strong>, and in sins<\/strong> did my mother conceive me.<\/p>\n
\nFor there is not a just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not.<\/p>\n
\nFor who shall be pure from uncleanness<\/strong>? not even one;\u00a0if even his life should be one day upon the earth<\/strong>: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].<\/p>\n
\n“for there is no man who does not sin”<\/p>\n
\nThere is non who does good.<\/strong> The Lord looks down from\u00a0heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. they have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n
\nThe heart\u00a0is<\/i>\u00a0deceitful above all\u00a0things, <\/i><\/strong>And\u00a0desperately wicked;<\/strong> <\/span>Who can know it? <\/span>I, the\u00a0Lord<\/span>, search the heart, I<\/i> test the mind, <\/span>Even to give every man according to his ways, <\/span>According to the fruit of his doings.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n“But the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”<\/p>\n
\nDo not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous.”<\/p>\n
\n“Like the rest, we were by nature<\/strong> deserving of wrath.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/b><\/span>Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men<\/strong>, for that all have sinned<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned in the likeness of Adam’s transgression<\/span><\/strong>, who is the figure of him that was to come.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>So also is the free gift not like the offense. For if through the offense of one many are dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>So is the gift not like it was by one that sinned: for the judgment was by one to condemnation<\/strong>, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)\u00a0<\/b><\/span>Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation<\/strong>; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.\u00a0<\/span>For as by one man’s disobedience many<\/strong> were made sinners<\/strong>, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nKnowing this, that our old man is crucified with\u00a0him<\/i>, that the body of sin<\/strong> might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.<\/p>\n
\nFor when we were in the flesh<\/strong>, the motions of sins<\/strong>, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.<\/p>\n\n
\n But sin<\/strong>, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all manner of covetousness.<\/strong> For without the law sin was dead…Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh<\/strong>,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not…I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me…But I see another law in my members<\/strong>, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin<\/strong> which is in my members.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nRomans 8:1-4,10
\n<\/strong>There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh<\/strong>, but after the Spirit.\u00a0<\/span>For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh<\/strong>, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh<\/strong>, but after the Spirit…<\/span>And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin<\/strong>; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nFor the creation was made subject to vanity<\/strong> [futility], not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope,\u00a0<\/span>Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.\u00a0<\/span>And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAs it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one<\/strong>… For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nHe that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil<\/strong>.\u00a0No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThere is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the law of sin<\/strong> and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh<\/strong>, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh<\/strong>, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIn whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh<\/strong> by the circumcision of Christ:\u00a0Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with\u00a0him<\/i>\u00a0through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.\u00a0And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh<\/strong>, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses<\/p>\n
\nSo also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:\u00a0<\/span>It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:\u00a0<\/span>It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.\u00a0<\/span>And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.<\/span>But that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.<\/span>The first man is of the earth, made of dust: the second man is the Lord from heaven.\u00a0As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man<\/strong>, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood<\/strong> cannot inherit the kingdom of God;\u00a0neither does corruption inherit incorruption…So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.\u00a0<\/span>O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?\u00a0<\/span>The sting of death is sin<\/strong>; and the strength of sin is the law<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPatristic Quotes<\/h1>\n
\nVain, then, is your sophism: for how could His death have taken place, if the Word had not constituted for Himself both our outward and inward man, that is, body and soul? and how then did He pay a ransom for all\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0how was the loosening of the grasp of death completely effected, if Christ had not constituted for Himself, in a sinless state, that which had sinned intellectually the\u00a0soul?<\/strong> In that case, death still \u201creigns\u201d over the inward man: for over what did it ever reign, if not over the soul, which had sinned intellectually, as it is written. The soul that sinneth it shall die<\/em>? on behalf of which Christ laid down His own soul, (thus) paying a ransom.<\/strong> But what was it that God originally condemned? that which the Fashioner fashioned, or the action of what was <\/a>fashioned? If God condemned that which the Fashioner fashioned, He condemned Himself, and He would then be like to men.\u00a0But if it is impious to think this of God, and if He condemned the action of the thing fashioned, in that case He annuls the action, and renews the thing fashioned. For we are a thing of His making created unto good works.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n\u201cWhat has Adam\u2019s guilt to do with us? Why are we held responsible for his sin when we were not even born when he committed it? Did not God say : \u201cThe parents will not die for the children, nor the children for parents, but the soul which had sinned, it shall die.\u201d How then shall we defend this doctrine? Yes, \u2018the soul that sinneth, the same shall die.\u2019 But we have become sinners through the disobedience of Adam in this way. Adam, you see, had been made for incorruption and life. Moreover, the life he led in the paradise of delight was suited to saints; his mind was ever absorbed by the vision of God; his body was perfectly at peace, all base lust at rest; for unbecoming emotions did not disturb him. But when he fell subject to sin and sank down to corruption, from that time forth impure lusts invaded the nature<\/span> of the flesh<\/span><\/strong> and the law of sin blossomed<\/strong><\/span>