The doctrine of "Original Sin" basically states that Adam’s guilt has been passed down to each member of the human race. Thus, we are born condemned sinners. We are separated from God and His grace from birth. We are born spiritually dead. Only the blood of Christ can remove the stain and guilt of Adam’s original sin from our souls. The basics of this doctrine is also known, by Protestant supporters, as "Total Hereditary Depravity", which signifies that we inherit total depravity from Adam.
Theological historians affirm that the roots of this doctrine started in the Third Century. However, it was Augustine of Hippo who fully established it as an official position of the Catholic church. Most of the Protestant reformers retained the doctrine and John Calvin even expanded on it.
Basically, the doctrine was invented to justify the practice of infant baptism. The early Church fully understood that baptism was for the remission of sins. Rational thinkers also had to admit that babies and little children cannot discern the difference between righteousness and evil, let alone be guilty of rebellion against God (personal sin). Therefore, they formulated the idea that all people, upon natural conception, inherit Adam’s corrupt state and its spiritual consequences. Since babies are born corrupt and spiritually dead, they were valid candidates for baptism. Thus, a man-made tradition was validated or justified by a man-made doctrine.
We wish to look to Scripture for guidance on this matter:
1.THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT PHYSICAL DEATH WAS THE UNIVERSAL PUNISHMENT UPON MANKIND FROM THE SIN OF ADAM.
When one examines the statement of God to Adam regarding the punishment to be granted upon his posterity on account of his sin, it was exclusively physical punishment - Adam and his posterity would experience physical death (Genesis 3:17-20). Adam and his posterity would be unable to live in Paradise in which was the Tree of (eternal) Life.
Adam and Eve both personally died spiritually - were immediately separated from God’s fellowship - on account of their own sins. However, nowhere in the text is there indication that such separation would automatically extend to their posterity.
We can note, in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, that the death that came to all Mankind from Adam’s sin is physical death. The blessing of the resurrection to eternal life is the direct overturning of this curse of physical death.
2.THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT SPIRITUAL CONDEMNATION AND DEATH ARE NOT BASED ON ADAM’S SIN BUT ONE’S OWN SIN.
Supporters of the doctrine of "Original Sin" and "Total Hereditary Depravity" believe that Ephesians 2:3 teaches that by our very nature - being the posterity of Adam - we are "children of wrath"; that is, in such a spiritual state where we are the worthy objects of God’s condemnation and judgment.
However, the word translated "nature" is not always to be interpreted as meaning our inborn essence or our intrinsic being. It can also be interpreted as ’belonging to a class based upon tradition or custom or common general practice.’
If one looks at the entire context of the passage, it is clear that we should interpret "by nature" as meaning ’by common general practice". For, Paul makes clear upon what basis we are the "children of wrath". It is based upon the fact that we are first, says verse 2, "children of disobedience". Being "children of disobedience" results in our being "children of wrath".
Furthermore, Verse 1 and the first clause of verse 2, makes it very clear as to why we are spiritually dead. Paul says, "And you were dead in your [not Adam’s] trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked."
The Bible is full of passages which teach that one’s spiritual death is the consequence of one’s own sins rather than by any others’ sins.
Isaiah 59:2, "But your [not Adam’s] iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your [not Adam’s] sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear."
Ezekiel 18:4-5, "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. But if a man is righteous, and practices justice and righteousness.... verse 9...."if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully - he is righteous and will surely live, declares the Lord God."
Thus, whether one’s soul lives or dies is determined by one’s own conduct, not Adam’s.
Let’s read Verse 20: "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."
3.SCRIPTURE TEACH THAT EACH PERSON IS BORN PURE AND INNOCENT AND REMAINS SO THROUGHOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD.
The Bible is clear that we begin our lives in a condition of moral and spiritual purity and in a state of innocence. Whereas, our fleshly bodies carry genes from Adam, our spirits or souls come fresh from God (Acts 17:28; Heb. 12:9). Therefore, our souls begin spiritually unstained. It is sometime in our youth that we go astray and lose our spiritual innocence. We are not born sinners but we become sinners.
Ecclesiastes 7:29, "Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices."
Matthew 19:14, "But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 18:3, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
1 Corinthians 14:20, "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature."
Isaiah 53:6,"All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;"
Proverbs 14:20, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
There are two passages in the Psalms that are used to establish the belief that we are wicked sinners from the time that we are conceived in our mothers’ wombs. Each of these, however, are in passages of poetry where the use of figurative speech and hyperbole are used for effect.
Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
This Psalm is written by David after having been ’found-out’ about his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. It is a Psalm in which David takes personal responsibility for his sin. David uses terms of hyperbole in acknowledging his great sinfulness - as if he himself was the embodiment of sin when he entered the world.
It is doubtful that we should interpret the entire Psalm literally. For, we know that hyssop is not a spiritual cleanser (vs. 7). We know that God didn’t literally break David’s bones and that bones do not literally rejoice (vs. 8).
If, indeed, David is literally saying he was corrupt from conception, why does he ask for renewal and restoration in verses 10-12. You can’t ’renew’ something that was not, at one time, new. When you ’restore’ something, you bring it back to the better condition it was once in.
The other passage is Psalm 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. "
First, we need to see that this Psalm destroys the whole idea of Original Sin and Total Hereditary Depravity because its speaks of some being "righteous" in verses 10-11. In this cited passage, David, again, is using hyperbole in describing the wicked. After all, we know that babies cannot speak at birth, let alone lie.
Early Christian writers, throughout the first two centuries, affirmed the spiritual purity of babies and young children:
Hermas (AD 120): "innocent infants, in whose heart no wickedness enters and who do not know what evil is but always remain in innocence. Such as these will undoubtedly live in the kingdom of God, because in no way did they defile the commandments of God....be as infants, with no wickedness." (Similitudes IX.xxix.1-3)
"Have sincerity and be innocent, and you shall be as children, who do not know the evil which destroys the life of men." (Mandate II:1)
Aristides (AD 125): "And when a child has been born to one of them [Christians], they give thanks to God; and if it should die as an infant, they give thanks the more, because it has departed life sinless." (Apology 15:11)
Barnabas (AD 130): "Since He renewed us in the forgiveness of sins, He made us into another image, so as to have the soul of children, as if He were indeed refashioning us." (6:11)
Clement of Alexandria (AD 174): [commenting on Matthew 18:3] "pure in flesh, holy in soul by abstinence from evil deeds; God shows that He would have us to be such as He has generated us from our mother." (Miscellanies IV:xxv.160.1-2)
Tertullian (177-222): "[condemning the new practice of infant baptism] According to the circumstances and nature, and also age, of each person, the delay in baptism is more suitable, especially in the case of young children....The Lord indeed says, ’Do not forbid them to come to Me.’ Let them ’come’ then while they are growing up, while they are learning, while they are instructed why they are coming. Let them become Christians when they are able to know Christ. Why should innocent infancy be in such a hurry to come to the forgiveness of sins? Should we act more cautiously in worldly matters, so that divine things are given to those to whom earthly property is not given? Let them learn to ask for salvation so that you may be seen to have given ’to him who asks’." (On Baptism 18)
