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Does the Bible teach that one can be lost purely as the result of orginal sin? What is the connection between the doctrine of original sin and that of baptismal regeneration? What becomes of the doctrine of original sin in modern liberal theology? How do you account for the denial of original sin in Barthian theology?
The doctrine of original sin which refers to the ‘morally vitiated condition in which we find ourselves at birth as members of a sinful race’ 1 is commonly regarded as one of the most difficult parts of Christian theology.
According to this doctrine everyone is born with ‘original sin’ and therefore everyone needs to be redeemed by the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ. But what exactly is ‘original sin’ and in what does redemption, or liberation, from ‘original sin’ consist?
For Luther, sin does not mean only the external act of the body, but first of all the internal movement of the heart. In its depth it is like a root, that nourishes the whole tree – a clear allusion to Mt. 17,7 appears here. According to Luther, there is only one real sin, and that is the “original sin”, as the root sin of the “heart”.
In the context of defining Original Sin as “a hereditary corruption and depravity … that produces in us works which in Scripture are termed works of the flesh,”20 Calvin asserts that this corruption is designated by Paul as sin and it makes us obnoxious to God.
clearly identifies two aspects of original sin: (a) inherited guilt and (b) inherited stain. The inherited stain refers to our sinful passions, to our tendencies or propensities to sin. II THE ISSUES AND QUESTIONS2 A major portion of Scripture is devoted to the subject of sin. “Next to the word God, the word sin is the most closely packed ...
capable of choosing to go against the goodness for which we were created. This is called “actual sin.” In describing and understanding actual sin, three aspects must be considered: 1. The intention—the purpose, the end in view. This formal element gives meaning to the action. 2. The means used—the kind of action this is.
