A RIGHT CONCEPTION OF SINChapter 1 -- SIN AND THEOLOGY

By Richard S. Taylor

Sin, as one doctrine of the Christian system, is the common denominator of the other doctrines. The doctrines relating to sin forms the centre around which we build our entire theological system.

If our conception of sin is faulty, our whole superstructure (of beliefs) will be one error built on another, each one more absurd than the last, yet each one necessary if it is to fit in consistently with the whole erroneous scheme.

If we are to end right we must begin right. Many, perhaps most, of the errors which have protruded themselves into Christian theology can be finally traced to a faulty conception of sin.

To reason from a false premise is to start an endless chain of false conclusions.

Beware of lest ye be Deceived!

It is Satan's constant effort to misrepresent the character of God, the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine law, and gives men license to sin

The Great Controversy page 569

If Original Sin

were a tree,

what are its

fruits?

HISTORY OF ORIGINAL SIN

I. MEANING

- Original sin may be taken to

mean: (1) the sin that Adam

committed; (2) a consequence of

this first sin, the hereditary stain

with which we are born on

account of our origin or descent

from Adam.

- From the earliest times the

latter sense of the word was more

common, as may be seen by St.

Augustine's statement: "the

deliberate sin of the first man is

the cause of original sin"

www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/

view

NATURE OF ORIGINAL SIN

“Original sin is the privation of sanctifying grace in consequence of the sin of Adam….. One man has transmitted to the whole human race not only the death of the body, which is the punishment of sin, but even sin itself, which is the death of the soul [Denz., n. 175 (145)].

As death is the privation of the principle of life, the death of the soul is the privation of sanctifying grace which according to all theologians is the principle of supernatural life. Therefore, if original sin is "the death of the soul ", it is the privation of sanctifying grace.

www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.

BACKGROUND TO ORIGINAL SIN

“The absence of sanctifying grace in the new-born child is also an effect of the first sin, for Adam, having received holiness and justice from God, lost it not only for himself but also for us (loc. cit., can. ii).

If he has lost it for us we were to have received it from him at our birth… Therefore the absence of sanctifying grace in a child is a real privation…….if it is holiness, its privation may be called a sin. Sanctifying grace is holiness and is so called by the Council of Trent,”

www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.

INSTRUCTION ON INFANT BAPTISM

By the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Approved by His Holiness Pope John Paul II October 20, 1980

Traditional Doctrine On Infant Baptism

The Teaching of the Magisterium

Popes and Councils also often intervened to remind Christians of

their duty to have their children baptized. “The Council of

Carthage in 418 condemned "whoever says that newborn infants

should not be baptized," and it taught that, on account of the

Church's "rule of faith" concerning original sin, "even babies, who

are yet unable to commit any sin personally, are truly baptized for

the forgiveness of sins, for the purpose of cleansing by rebirth what

they have received by birth."[11]

7. This teaching was constantly reaffirmed and defended during the

Middle Ages. In particular, the Council of Vienna in 1312 stressed

that the sacrament of Baptism has for its effect, in the case of

infants, not just the forgiveness of sins but also the granting of

grace and the virtues.[12] The Council of Florence in 1442 rebuked

those who wanted Baptism postponed and declared that infants

should receive "as soon as is convenient"

www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFINFAN.HTM

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every

one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of

sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

INSTRUCTION ON INFANT BAPTISM

By the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Approved by His Holiness Pope John Paul II October 20, 1980

Traditional Doctrine On Infant Baptism

The Teaching of the Magisterium

Popes and Councils also often intervened to remind Christians of

their duty to have their children baptized. “The Council of

Carthage in 418 condemned "whoever says that newborn infants

should not be baptized," and it taught that, on account of the

Church's "rule of faith" concerning original sin, "even babies, who

are yet unable to commit any sin personally, are truly baptized for

the forgiveness of sins, for the purpose of cleansing by rebirth what

they have received by birth."[11]

7. This teaching was constantly reaffirmed and defended during the

Middle Ages. In particular, the Council of Vienna in 1312 stressed

that the sacrament of Baptism has for its effect, in the case of

infants, not just the forgiveness of sins but also the granting of

grace and the virtues.[12] The Council of Florence in 1442 rebuked

those who wanted Baptism postponed and declared that infants

should receive "as soon as is convenient"

www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFINFAN.HTM

Unbaptized Infants

The fate of infants who die without

baptism must be briefly considered

here. The Catholic teaching is

uncompromising on this point, that all

who depart this life without baptism, be

it of water, or blood, or desire, are

perpetually excluded from the vision of

God……..: "The punishment of original

sin is the deprivation of the vision of

God;

The remission of all sin, original and

actual

We believe that all sin are remitted in

baptism, both original sin and those sins

which have been voluntarily

committed." The Council of Trent

(Sess. V., can. v)

www.newadvent.org

Augsburg Confession of Faith (1530), Lutheranism’s

creed, asserted:

[A]ll men, born according to nature, are born with sin, that is,

without the fear of God, without confidence towards God and with

concupiscence, and that this original disease or flaw is truly a sin,

bringing condemnation and also eternal death to those who are

not reborn through baptism and the Holy Spirit (Article II).

BACKGROUND TO ORIGINAL SIN

“Sanctifying grace therefore enters into the moral order, not as an act that passes but as a permanent tendency which exists even when the subject who possesses it does not act, it is a turning towards God”.

“Consequently the privation of this grace, even without any other act, would be a stain, a moral deformity, a turning away from God, and this character is not found in any other effect of the fault of Adam. This privation, therefore, is the hereditary stain”.

www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.

It is Satan's constant effort to misrepresent the character of God, the nature (or DEFINITION) of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine law and gives men license to sin. {The Great Controversy Chap 35 pg 569}

Original Sin and Protestantism

“Lutherans and Calvinist suggest that, according

to Augustine, human beings are utterly depraved

in nature. That humans are spoiled by the original

sin to the extent that the very presence of

concupiscence, fomes peccati (incendiary of sin),

is already a personal sin”.

Concupiscence: sexual intercourse

“Augustine's doctrine about the liberum arbitriumor free will and its inability to respond to the will

of God without divine grace is interpreted in

terms of Predestrination: grace is irresistible,

results in conversion, and leads to perseverance”.

“The Calvinist view of Augustine's teachings rests

on the assertion that God has foreordained, from

eternity, those who will be saved. The number of

the elect is fixed. God has chosen the elect

certainly and gratuitously, without any previous

merit (ante merita) on their part”.

newadvent.org

The Augsburg Confession

Article II. confessed ORIGINAL

SIN.

“Since the fall of Adam all men

descending from him by ordinary

generation are born in sin, which

places under condemnation and

bringeth eternal death to all who are

not born again by baptism and the

Holy Ghost.” p.g 695

The History of Protestantism by the

Rev. J. A. Wylie, LL.D.

The Doctrine of the Immaculate

Conception

In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8

December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined

that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance

of her conception, was preserved exempt from all

stain of original sin."

Her body was formed in the womb of the mother,

and the father had the usual share in its

formation. Mary was preserved exempt from all

stain of original sin at the first moment of her

animation, and sanctifying grace was given to her

before sin could have taken effect in her soul.

The formal active essence of original sin was not

removed from her soul, as it is removed from

others by baptism; it was excluded, it never was in

her soul. Simultaneously with the exclusion of sin.

newadvent.org

The Doctrine of the Immaculate

Conception

The state of original sanctity, innocence, and

justice, as opposed to original sin, was

conferred upon her, by which gift every stain

and fault, all depraved emotions, passions, and

debilities, essentially pertaining to original sin,

were excluded. But she was not made exempt

from the temporal penalties of Adam — from

sorrow, bodily infirmities, and death.

The person of Mary, in consequence of her

origin from Adam, should have been subject to

sin, but, being the new Eve who was to be the

mother of the new Adam, she was, by the

eternal counsel of God and by the merits of

Christ, withdrawn from the general law of

original sin. Such is the meaning of the term

"Immaculate Conception."

newadvent.org

“Adam's transgression was not

confined to himself, but was

transmitted, with its long train of

dire consequences, to all his

posterity. It is called original sin

because it is derived from our

original progenitor…. “As an infant

one day old cannot commit an

actual sin, the stain must come from

the original offense of Adam.”

The Faith of Our Fathers by James Cardinal

Gibbons

Chapter XIX. Grace—The Sacraments—Original

Sin—Baptism—Its Necessity—Its

Effects—Manner Of Baptizing p.g 256,257.

James Cardinal Gibbons

American Cardinal of the Roman

Catholic Church.

.

Current view on Original Sin

By Scott P. Richert, catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings

Executive editor Chronicles MagazineB.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University

Adam and Eve, by disobeying God's command not to eat the fruit of

the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17;

Genesis 3:1-19), brought sin and death into this world. Roman

Catholic doctrine and tradition hold that Adam's sin has been passed

down from generation to generation. It is not simply that the world

around us has been corrupted by Adam's sin in such a way that all

those who have followed have found it nearly impossible not to sin,

but that our very nature was corrupted in such a way that life without

sin is impossible. This corruption of our nature, passed down from

father to child, is what we call Original Sin.

.

Current view on Original Sin

By Scott P. Richert, catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings

Executive editor Chronicles MagazineB.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University

Jesus Christ: Conceived Without Sin:

Jesus Christ was born without Original Sin because He was

conceived without Original Sin. The Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Christ is also the Son of God. In the Roman Catholic tradition,

Original Sin is, as I mentioned, passed down from father to child; the

transmission occurs through the sexual act. Since Christ's Father is

God Himself, there was no Original Sin to be passed down.

Conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary's willing cooperation at

the Annunciation, Christ was not subject to Adam's sin or its effects.

The teaching of Original sin states that sin is infused into the flesh at conception, based

on Adam’s sin. Therefore sin, guilt, condemnation is inherited.

Because of the inherited guilt and condemnation it is imperative that a newborn child

be baptized quickly so that the inherited sin is washed away, so if the child should die it

would not be condemned to hell.

Sanctifying grace (Which is holiness) is received at baptism, and although the life may

not correspond with the sanctifying grace one is still deemed to be holy.

Correspondingly if one exercises in ones life acts of holiness while not being baptized

they are still deemed to be condemned by original sin. Therefore one can be saved while

sinning.

St Augustine’s teaching on original sin was adopted by Protestant leaders (Martin Luther

and John Calvin) and expanded on to create the teaching of Predestination.

Because original sin taints all offspring of Adam, as a tradition of the church Mary was

made exempted from original sin.

Original sin is believed by the tradition of the church to be passed down by the father

through the sexual act. Jesus did not have a earthly father and his mother was exempted

from the taint of original sin therefore he too would be exempted from original sin since

original sin is what causes condemnation.

Did Jesus believe in

the concept of

Original sin?

John 9:1-3

And as Jesus passed by,

he saw a man which was

blind from his birth. 2.

And his disciples asked

him, saying, Master, who

did sin, this man, or his

parents, that he was born

blind? 3. Jesus answered,

Neither hath this man

sinned, nor his parents

but that the works of God

should be made manifest

in him.

The Jews believed that any manifestation of sickness (Such

as leprosy or blindness) in a person was as a result of a

sinful act done by the person or their parents, hence the

disciples question.

The scripture says that the man was born blind, this is before he

came out of his mother’s womb; So looking at their question from a

biological standpoint the question was really; who sinned, or, who is

guilty, this man (The embryo or fetus) or his parents, why he was

born blind? If “sin is the transgression of the Law”, the only

definition of sin, could he have sinned during the nine month in his

mother’s womb?

If Jesus believed that mankind

becomes guilty sinners at

conception or birth would Jesus

have answered the way he did? If

being born a sinners was a

biblical concept, at least one of

the possibilities given by his

disciples would have been

correct if guilt is infused into the

flesh of mankind at conception.

This would have been a perfect

opportunity for Jesus to affirm

any belief that sin and guilt is

inherited through the flesh.

But Jesus said “Neither hath this

man (biological interpretation:

The embryo or fetus) sinned, nor

his parents”.

It is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrongdoing, but they are not punished for the parents' guilt, except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of the father's sin. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father to son, to the third and fourth generation. This fearful truth should have a solemn power to restrain men from following a course of sin. –(Patriarchs and Prophets 1890 chap 27 pg. 306)

Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their child. {Christian Education 233.1}

Therefore physical maladies and characteristic traits are transmitted to

the child, but the guilt of the parents is not imputed to the child. The

only guilt that children can receive is from that sin which they

themselves have committed when they know right from wrong.

Ezekiel 18:20.

The soul that sinneth, it shall

die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,

neither shall the father bear

the iniquity of the son: the

righteousness of the

righteous shall be upon him,

and the wickedness of the

wicked shall be upon him.

The results of sin, evil (Such as leprosy, blindness and other

maladies) are a manifestation of the devil’s work in deceiving

mankind and destroy him spiritually and physically; the works of

God are manifest in the restoration of mankind both spiritually and

physically. This was the work of Jesus, in coming to earth as a man.

Ezekiel 18:20.

The soul that sinneth, it

shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the

father bear the iniquity of

the son: the righteousness

of the righteous shall be

upon him, and the

wickedness of the wicked

shall be upon him.

Based on Ezekiel 18:20 would Cain Able and Seth be counted as

sinners at conception or birth on account of what there father Adam

did?

1) Sin is the sinner’s individual willful act to break of God’s

Law, and not ones nature or a state of being. (The only

definition given in scripture for sin is the Transgression of

the Law)

2) Sin and guilt are not infused into the flesh at conception or

birth; it is an act of the will, man’s choice to disobey God’s

law.

3) Sin and the corresponding guilt or accountability is not

charged to anyone who breaks God’s Law in ignorance (Not

knowing or understanding right and wrong).

4) The sins of the parents are not charged against the children,

it is only as they understanding right and wrong and then

participate in those sins that they become guilty.

5) Temptation (having a feeling or emotion to act in accordance with an instinct or desire which is contrary to the will of God)does not constitute an act of sin or any guilt; only when

cherished tolerated in the heart, or acted out, by commission or

omission.

6) The original sin was atoned for by Christ bearing the guilt;

standing as surety in the Garden of Eden at the moment man

sinned (The ratification of that surety on the cross) and by

Adam offering a lamb on God’s instructions.

7) In one act of sin Adam condemned himself and all mankind

to eternal death, but at that same moment, Jesus freed all men

from that guilt and condemnation giving Adam and all

mankind a second chance for personal salvation.

But surely Jesus

receive exemptions

of the flesh. Isn’t

He that Holy

thing?

THE END

OF

PART 2