Where Does Human Sin Originate?

 

Hello and welcome. In this article, we'll look at where sin ultimately originates for humans. Does it arise in our spiritual soul, external influences, or in our flesh? This question is related to the issues of human anthropology, the debate between Creationism versus Traducianism, the consequences of the fall, and theodicy. 

DEFINING TERMS

Defining Theodicy -  

Merriam Webster: "defense of God's goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil"

Britannica: "explanation of why a perfectly good, almighty, and all-knowing God permits evil. The term literally means “justifying God.”" 

Dictionary.com: "a vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil."

Defining Soul Creationism - 

Wikipedia: "Creationism is a doctrine held by some Christians that God creates a soul for each body that is generated."

The Free Dictionary: "2. the doctrine that God creates out of nothing a new human soul for each individual born."

Denison Journal of Religion: "Simply defined, Creationism is the belief that God creates a soul for each body that is created."

Defining Traducianism - 

Merriam Webster: "a theological doctrine that the human souls of new infants are generated from the souls of their parents at the moment of conception much in the same manner as the generation of human bodies"

Wikipedia: "In Christian theology, traducianism is a doctrine about the origin of the soul holding that this immaterial aspect is transmitted through natural generation along with the body, the material aspect of human beings. That is, human propagation is of the whole being, both material and immaterial aspects: an individual's soul is derived from the soul of one or both parents."

Collins: "the doctrine that a child's soul is generated by the child's parents"

 HOW IS ALL OF THIS CONNECTED? WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE? 

To display how all of these points are connected we will cite a few sources who affirm original sin and are sympathetic to and/or affirm the Traducian view of the soul's origin. 

"The sinful nature is a matter of the heart (or soul). Unless sinful corruption is passed down through the generations by means of the soul, it could not happen. Such continuity would be broken if the Creationist’s suppositions were true. If God created souls (after Adam and Eve’s) then He would be creating something sinful rather than “good.” That, of course, is unthinkable. He Himself declared His creation “good.”" - Mid-America Institute for Nouthetic Studies, Traducianism 

"the creationist perspective doesn’t make sense of the fallen nature of man, while traducianism does. Creationists must suppose that God creates each soul with a sinful nature. However, the best explanation of inherited original sin is that both fallen soul and body are generated by the human parents." - Tim Barnett, How Did You Get a Soul? Creationism versus Traducianism

"Creationism says that our souls are created directly by God in each case, while the body is generated ordinarily within nature. This raises the difficulty of how God can do this without also creating the sinful nature anew. Traducianism emphasizes the soul being connected to our parental line. Here the problem of God’s connection to the sinful nature is resolved. Sin is inherited by each member of Adam’s race. On the other hand, it leaves one either with the difficulty of the origin of the soul or else the sinful nature reduced to the material realm, even implying that sin has independent substance." - Reformed Classicalist, Creationism and Traducianism  

"The foremost implication of traducianism is with regard to the doctrine of original sin. Rather than God imputing the depravity resulting from original sin into every human being individually, this disposition is passed on through lineage naturally. This has profound implications for genetics, as it implies that heredity is not only something material. It is the very essence of being human." - Faith and Heritage, Traducianism: The Doctrine of the Soul as Genetic  

"After the rise of Pelagianism, some theologians hesitated between traducianism and creationism, believing the former to offer a better, if not the only, explanation of the transmission of original sin." - New Advent, Traducianism 

As one can clearly see from the above citations, those who are sympathetic to Traducianism argue that 1. If inherited Adamic guilt is a consequence of the fall, Traducianism offers a better explanation of this guilt being passed down. 2. Additionally, the human soul by default has a sinful nature. 3. If Traducianism isn't true, God would be creating something sinful and spiritually condemned in its default and natural state. 

We argue that Traducianism is a proposed solution to a problem that doesn't exist. We don't believe perpetually inherited Adamic guilt is one of the consequences of the fall. This is a part of our belief called ancestral sin which we argued for in our article here. We've also covered Traducianism versus Soul Creationism in this article here. For now, notice these sources connecting the origin of our "sinful nature" with the human soul. This is the main point of contention and significance. 

OUR PERSPECTIVE & WHAT WILL BE SHOWN FROM SCRIPTURE 

Contrary to our "sinful nature" seemingly originating from our immaterial soul, we believe the ultimate origin of human sin is the flesh. In this scenario, the tension articulated by the above sources is relieved. In this scenario, regardless of whether Traducianism or Soul Creationism is true, our sin originates in that which is ultimately derived from Adam. Neither of these two views disagrees on our flesh ultimately deriving from Adam. In such a view as this, God would seem to be relieved from the charge of creating something condemned and sinful in its default state (barring an active judicial imputation of guilt). We will now show from Scripture a theme across multiple authors that the substance from which our temptation, desire, inclination, and tendency to sin is our flesh. 

Paul on the origin of human sin - 

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 

Rom 7:18 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. 

Rom 7:22-25 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 

Rom 8:1-5 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Rom 8:12-13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

Gal 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 

Gal 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Gal 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 

Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 

Peter on the origin of human sin -  

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 

Jesus Christ on the origin of human sin - 

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mar 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 

 

James on the origin of human sin -   

Jas 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

John on the origin of human sin -  

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

There's a very repetitive theme among the biblical authors. Our lusts and sins are repeatedly said to be "of the flesh". Our flesh is weak. We're told that sin "works in our members". It's said that our flesh "serves the law of sin". We're told of temptations "in the flesh". Peter goes as far as saying our "fleshly lusts" war against the soul. The origin of our temptations and inclinations to sin seems to be distinctly linked to the physical aspects of our being rather than the spiritual soul. We, therefore, believe there's good reason to affirm the root origin of human sin is our material flesh which ultimately originated from Adam. This is where our propensity, inclination, and temptation to sin come from. 

DOES POSSESSION OF SOMETHING THAT HAS THE CAPACITY AND/OR TENDENCY TO BRING ABOUT CORRUPTION MAKE THE ONE WHO HAS POSSESSION CORRUPT?

We already know that God holds people guilty and condemns based on each person's sins cf. (Mat 12:36-37, 16:27, Joh 5:28-29, Rom 2:5-6, 14:11-12, 1 Co 3:8, 6:9-10, 2 Co 5:10, Gal 6:5, Rev 20:12-13, 22:12). 

We also know that God sets his wrath on actions cf. (2 Ch 34:21, Psa 78:30-32, 106:37-40, Rom 1:18, Eph 5:6, Col 3:6-8, Rev 14:9-10). 

We believe the answer to the above question is no. Asserting that the answer is yes, in our opinion, is contradicted by themes of human redemption and doesn't translate well into reality. 

Redemptive Example: 

All Christians know that the moment we become spiritually redeemed, this does not immediately cause or directly translate to the redemption of the body. One can be redeemed without the other being redeemed yet. In the same way, we argue that the corrupted and unredeemed nature of the body does not immediately cause or directly translate to the corruption of the spiritual soul. One can be corrupted without the other being corrupted yet. 

Example #1: 

Cars have the capacity to run people over. You are in legal possession of a car. Are you guilty of vehicular manslaughter by virtue of possessing a car? Obviously not, this guilt would only be acquired when the capacities of the car are combined with certain decisions or actions you make with it. 

Example #2: 

Guns have the capacity to injure and kill people. You are in legal possession of a gun. Are you guilty of murder with your gun by virtue of possessing a gun? Obviously not, this guilt would only be acquired when the capacities of the gun are combined with certain decisions or actions you make with it. 

Example #3: 

Digital devices have the capacity to search for and present inappropriate content. You are in legal possession of a digital device. Are you guilty of viewing inappropriate content by virtue of possessing a digital device? Obviously not, the guilt would only be acquired when the capacities of the digital device are combined with certain decisions or actions you make with it. 

 

We believe a person's soul becomes guilty in God's sight in the same manner. We possess mortal bodies which are the ultimate source and origin of our sinful inclinations, temptations, and tendencies. Mortality and sinful inclinations are consequences of the fall. However, we aren't held guilty before God by virtue of having this flesh. Guilt is only acquired when the sinful inclinations of our flesh are combined with the personal decisions that we make in and with said flesh. It's at this point when the soul is condemned with the flesh which was already corruptible, mortal, and headed towards death. 

IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION 

If it's true that 1. Our sin first originates in the flesh. And 2. That our spiritual souls are created by God rather than being generated by the souls of our parents. It would seem that ancestral sin is vindicated and strengthened (barring an active judicial imputation of guilt). Why? Because it naturally removes our spiritual soul from being sinful and spiritually condemned in its default and natural state. It's the condition of the soul at conception that's the point of contention between different views of the fall's consequences. Are we spiritually legally guilty in God's sight for Adam's sin or not? We also believe this relieves God of the charge that He creates something condemned and sinful in its default state as we articulated previously. 

Thanks for reading. That concludes this article!