What is Original Sin?

What is Original Sin?

Original sin is a doctrine that refers to a state humans are in. According to it, when Adam and Eve first rejected God by eating the forbidden fruit, this created something called original sin. One who has original sin is born with the guilt by being of his descendants, thus being born morally corrupted or able to sin. As we are of Adam, we have this ability to sin. For he left Eden, we have the free will to choose to live in sin or not.

Is Original Sin Biblical?

Many Bible verses show that original sin is indeed biblical. Paul speaks on it in a few occasions, one occasion in the epistle to the Romans.  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world(likely in reference to Adam), and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous(likely in reference to Jesus)," (Romans 5:12-19 KJV). As Paul says in the passage quoted, one man brought sin into the world. This then was passed upon all men.

Another verse is in the book of Psalms where it says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me," (Psalm 51:5 KJV). This verse states that a person is created in iniquity, that in sin one is conceived. Perhaps this verse is not as clear as in Romans, but being born into sin does seem to point toward original sin.

Another verse that encourages the idea is from 1st John, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," (1 John 1:8 KJV). This verse merely notes that we all have sinned, and if one says otherwise they are a liar.

Work Cited:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "original sin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/original-sin. Accessed 30 March 2023.