Author: Steve Amato
Description: Bible study guide on original sin
Keywords: bible study,original sin, adam, bible, genesis, calvinism, predestination, death, sex

# ORIGINAL SIN

- What relevance does Adam have to you personally?
- If Christians have been forgiven and justified, why do they still die?
- Are babies born innocent or guilty? Where do they go when they die?
- Why is it that people seem to be innately sinful?

These and other such questions center around a doctrine known as "original sin". As central as this doctrine has been to post-Biblical historic Christianity, it is debatable whether the Bible itself is particularly clear and explicit about these issues. Is the knowledge of the first few chapters of Genesis necessary for a person to be saved? Can a person come to know Christ without coming to know of Adam?

There are only a few places in the New Testament where Adam was mentioned with any relevance. A few of these have to do with marriage and the proper role relationships of men and women. But concerning the effect that Adam had on the judgment of the human race, there are two main passages. Romans 5:12-21 and 1Cor 15:21,22,42-50Allow me to present a thesis first followed by supporting arguments.

## THESIS

- Because Adam sinned, everyone physically dies.
- People are more than just physical beings,
they have a soul which is distinct from their flesh.
- The flesh and the soul are treated distinctly.
- The flesh may be reckoned guilty while the soul innocent.
And this is the state into which people are born.
- Sin dwells in the flesh. (Which is the "sinful nature" innate within people)
- The sinful nature was inherited from Adam
- The soul is reckoned guilty
when it makes a conscious decision to cooperate with the flesh in sinning.
- The soul which has not sinned is not subject to eternal death.

## Supporting Arguments

Because Adam sinned, everyone physically dies.

1Cor 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

1Cor 15 is dealing with the subject of physical death and physical resurrection

Rom 5:15 "the many died by the trespass of the one man"

Rom 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--"

This last phrase has traditionally been understood to mean "all sinned in Adam". And as the judgment was physical death, I take it that it was people's flesh in Adam which was reckoned guilty. This is contrary to the theory of "Traducianism", the belief that the soul is inherited from the parents along with the body.

People are more than just physical beings,
they have a soul which is distinct from their flesh.

1Th 5:23 "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

2Cor 5:6-9 "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."

The flesh may be reckoned guilty while the soul innocent.
And this is the state into which people are born.

Rom 7:9 "Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died."

Here Paul is obviously referring to spiritual death, as he was physically alive when he made the statement.

The flesh and the soul are treated distinctly.
Sin dwells in the flesh. (Which is the "sinful nature" innate within people)

Rom 7:18-20 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

The sinful nature was inherited from Adam

Rom 5:12 "sin entered the world through one man"

The soul is reckoned guilty
when it makes a conscious decision to cooperate with the flesh in sinning.

Joh 9:41 Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."

Joh 15:22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin."

## Paraphrase of Romans 5:12-21

The sinful nature which we see innate in people had originally entered the world through Adam. Physical death was the result of his sin, and since people are reckon to be "in Adam" according to the flesh, everyone is subject to death. Notice that people died even before they were aware of violating God's explicit commands. This implies that their deaths were not necessarily associated with a sin they had committed in their lifetime.

On the other hand, Christ may be likened to Adam in that the gift of eternal life became available through him as death became available through Adam. Only much more so. For death is temporary, but life is eternal. Consider the outcome of each. In Adam's case, the judgment found in Genesis 3:14-19 was the outcome. But in Christ's case, justification was the outcome in despite of people's sinfulness.

People are subject to physical death because of Adam's sin. But then again, those who receive God's grace - the gift of eternal life - will be the ones who rule in life, upon their resurrection from the dead, through Jesus Christ.

To summarize:

- The outcome of Adam's sin was physical death to all
- The outcome of Christ's one act of righteousness (his death on the cross) was justfication to all who receive it.
- Through Adam's disobedience, we all were given a sinful nature
- Through Christ's obedience, we all (believers) will be given a righteous nature.

What about the Law?

It was added so that people might become aware of their sinfulness. But this was in order for God to also reveal his graciousness much more, to the end that as sin revealed it's dominance through physical death, so grace might reveal its dominance through the manner in which God has provided the gift of righteousness bring us eternal life through Jesus Christ.

## Answers to the first four questions

What relevance does Adam have to you personally?

Knowledge of Adam is not necessary to gain eternal life, but rather to understand why sin is so innate in people and why people die.

If Christians have been forgiven and justified, why do they still die?

Their souls are forgiven and are not subject to eternal death. But their bodies have sin dwelling in them and so must die. But their bodies will be raised from the dead, free from sin (1Cor 15)

Are babies born innocent or guilty? Where do they go when they die?

If they hadn't consciously committed a sin, they are not subject to eternal death. The problem is, how do you know when that occurs? How do you know at what age? In the womb even? Who knows? Thus, not much more can be said or applied concerning this question.

Why is it that people seem to be innately sinful?

Simply because they have inherited a sinful nature from Adam.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources