Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
Sys Theo 22 – Humanity 4 – Nature of Sin 1. Doctrinal Connections: (Erickson, 580-‐581) “The doctrine of sin is both extremely important and much disputed. It is important because it affects and is also affected by many other areas of doctrine. Our view of the nature of God influences our understanding of sin. If God is a very high, pure, and exacting being who expects all humans to be as he is, then the slightest deviation from his lofty standard is sin and the human condition is very serious. If, on the other hand, God is himself rather imperfect, or if he is an indulgent, grandfatherly type of being and perhaps a bit senile so that he is unaware of much that is going on, then the human condition is not so serious. Thus, in a real sense our doctrine of sin will reflect our doctrine of God. “Our understanding of humanity also bears on our understanding of sin. If intended to reflect the nature of God, a human is to be judged not by comparison with other humans, but by conformity to the divine standard. Any failure to meet that standard is sin. If humans are free beings, that is, not simply determined by forces of nature, then they are responsible for their actions, and their shortcomings will be graded more severely than if some determining force controls or severely limits the capability of choosing and doing. “Our doctrine of salvation will be strongly influenced by our understanding of sin. For if a human is basically good with intellectual and moral capabilities essentially intact, then any problems with respect to his or her standing before God will be relatively minor. Any difficulty may be merely a matter of ignorance, a lack of knowledge as to what to do or how to do it. In that event, education will solve the problem; a good model or example may be all that is needed. On the other hand, if humans are corrupt or rebellious, and thus either unable or unwilling to do what is right, a more radical transformation of the person will be needed. Thus, the more severe our conception of sin, the more supernatural the salvation needed. “One’s understanding of sin is also important because it has a marked effect upon one’s view of the nature and style of one’s ministry. If humans are considered basically good and inclined to do what God desires and intends for them, the message and thrust of ministry will be positive and affirmative, encouraging persons to do their best, to continue in their present direction. If, on the other hand, persons are viewed as radically sinful, then they will be told to repent and be born again. In the former case, appeals to fairness, kindness, and generosity will be thought to be sufficient; in the latter case, anyone who has not been converted will be regarded as basically selfish and even dishonest. “Our approach to the problems of society will also be governed by our view of sin. On the one hand, if we feel that humanity is basically good or, at worst, morally neutral, we will view the problems of society as stemming from an unwholesome environment. Alter the environment, and changes in individual humans and their behavior will follow. If, on the other hand, the problems of society are rooted in radically perverted human minds and wills, then the nature of those individuals will have to be altered, or they will continue to infect the whole.”
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Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
2. Terms Emphasizing Causes of Sin: (Erickson, 583-‐586) a. Ignorance i. ἄγνοια (agnoia) & cognates [tr. שָׁ ׇגה (shagah), שָׁ ַגג (shagag)]; Eph 4:18 ii. Hb 9:7; “These errors or ignorances apparently were such that the people were liable to punishment for them. This was willful ignorance—the people could have known the right course to follow, but chose not to know it.” b. Error i. שָׁ גׇה (shagah) and שָׁ ַגג (shagag): to go astray, to make mistakes; 1 Sam 26:21; Ps 119:67; Ec 10:5; Lv 4:2ff; Nu 15:22-‐29; “The context indicates that the person committing the error is liable for his action.” ii. תָּ ﬠָ ה (ta’ah): “to err or wander about;” occurs much more than (i); Is 29:24; “The term refers to deliberate rather than accidental erring.” iii. πλανῶμαι (planōmai): “emphasizes the cause of going astray, namely, being deceived…often an avoidable error;” “See that no one leads you astray” (Mk 13:5–6; 1 Co 6:9-‐10; Gal 6:7). “(T)hose who fall into error know or ought to know that they are being led astray;” cf. Lk 15:1-‐7; Ro 1:27; Ti 3:3; Hb 5:2-‐3. “In most cases…what the Bible terms errors simply ought not to have occurred: the person should have known better, and was responsible to so inform himself.” c. Inattention i. παρακοή (parakoē): “to hear amiss or incorrectly;” “In several New Testament passages it refers to disobedience as a result of inattention (Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 10:6). The clearest case is Hebrews 2:2–3…” ii. παρακούω (parakouō): “refuse to listen” (Mt 18:17); “Thus the sin of παρακοή (parakoē) is either failure to listen and heed when God is speaking, or disobedience following upon failure to hear aright.” 3. Terms Emphasizing the Character of Sin (Erickson, 586-‐593) a. Missing the Mark i. חָ טָ א (chaṭa’): “not merely failure, but a decision to fail, a voluntary and cuplable mistake;” word group appears ~600x in OT, commonly translated ‘offense,’ ‘sin,’ ‘guilt;’ “(T)here is no question of an innocent mistake or of the merely negative idea of ‘failure’” ii. ἁμαρτάνω (hamartano): “to miss, miss the mark, lose, not share in something, be mistaken;” nearly 300 uses of this word group; most used word group for sin in NT; “This sin is always sin against God, since it is failure to hit the mark he has set, his standard, of perfect love of God and perfect obedience to him… (B)lameworthiness is clearly attached to missing the mark. Whatever antecedents may have led to the act of sin, it is culpable behavior.”
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Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
b. Irreligion i. ἀσεβέω (asebēo): word group “means not so much ungodliness as irreverence” or “impiety;” found esp. in Romans, 2 Peter, Jude; (Jd 15). ii. ἀδικέω (adikeō): “the absence of righteousness;” “any unrighteous conduct;” 1 Co 6:9; Col 3:25. iii. ἀνομία (anomia): without law, lawlessness; “(It) never refers to a breaking of the law in the narrow sense of the Mosaic regulations, but always to a breaking of the law of God in the broader sense;” cf. Mt 7:23; 13:41; 23:28; 24:12; “(T)he reference is not to the Jewish Law, but to anything and everything that any man knows that God has commanded;” 2 Th 2:1-‐12; 1 Jn 3:4. c. Transgression i. ﬠָ בַ ר (‘abar): “to cross over;” used in reference to the Lord’s commands; Nu 14:41-‐42; Dt 17:2; 26:13; Jer 34:18; Dn 9:11; Hos 6:7; 8:1. ii. παραβαίνω (parabainō): the word group always implies that some law has been transgressed; Ro 5:14; 4:15; 2:23ff; Gal 3:19; Hb 2:2; 9:15. d. Iniquity i. ﬠָ וַל (‘awal): “deviation from a right course;” hence, “injustice, failure to fulfill the standard of righteousness, or lack of integrity;” Lv 19:15. e. Rebellion i. “A number of OT words depict sin as rebellion, a rather prominent idea in Hebrew thought”: פָּ שַׁ ע (pasha’) [Is 1:2]; מָ רַ ה (marah) [Is 1:20]; מָ רַ ד (marad) [Ez 2:3]; סָ רַ ר (sarar) “conveys the idea of stubbornness as well as rebellion” [Dt 21:18; Ps 78:8] ii. ἀπείθεια (apeitheia): “disobedience;” Hb 3:18; 4:6; 11:31; Lk 1:17; 1 Pe 2:8; 3:1; 3:20; 4:17; Ro 1:30; Eph 2:2; 5:6; Jn 3:36; Acts 14:2; 19:9; “Rejecting the gospel is referred to as ‘disobeying’…” iii. ἀφίστημι (aphistēmi) & ἀποστασία (apostasia): “a falling away” & “apostacy;” 1 Tm 4:1; Hb 3:12; 2 Th 2:3 iv. “To summarize: All persons are assumed to be in contact with the truth of God, even the Gentiles, who do not have his special revelation. Failure to believe the message, particularly when openly and specially presented, is disobedience or rebellion. Anyone who disobeys a king is considered an enemy. Likewise the multitudes who disobey God’s Word.” f. Treachery i. מָ ﬠַ ל (ma’al): “breach of trust or treachery;” Jos 7:1; 22:20; Lv 26:40; Ez 14:13; 15:8; cf. בָּ ﬠַ ד (bagad) [Ps 78:57; Jer 3:10; Mal 2:11] ii. παραπίπτω (parapiptō): a deliberate turning away; Hb 6:6
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Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
iii. “In both Testaments, there is a focus upon the…covenant between God and his people. The people in the covenant enjoy a special relationship with God… God has entrusted them with an exceptional gift. The sin of betrayal of or infidelity to that trust is appropriately labeled treachery. It is especially reprehensible because of what has been violated.” g. Perversion i. ﬠָ וׇה (awah): “to bend or twist;” “The term frequently carries the suggestion of punishment” (Gn 4:13); Hos 5:5; 14:1 ii. “Here emerges the concept of sin not merely as isolated acts, but as an actual alteration of the condition or character of the sinner. The one who sins becomes twisted or distorted as it were. The true nature for which and in which the human was created (the image and likeness of God) is disturbed. This is both the result and the cause of sin.” h. Abomination i. שִׁ קּוּץ (shiqquts) & תּוֹﬠֵ בָ ה (to’ebah): “These terms generally describe an act particularly reprehensible to God, such as idolatry (Deut. 7:25–26), homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; 20:13), wearing clothing of the opposite sex (Deut. 22:5), sacrificing sons and daughters (Deut. 12:31) or blemished animals (Deut. 17:1), and witchcraft (Deut. 18:9–12). These practices virtually nauseate God. The term abomination indicates that these sins are not simply something that God peevishly objects to, but that produces revulsion in him.” 4. Terms Emphasizing Results of Sin: (Erickson, 594-‐595) a. Agitation or Restlessness i. רֶ שַׁ ע (resha’): “usually translated ‘wickedness’…believed to have originally suggested…tossing and restlessness;” Job 3:17; Is 57:20-‐21; “The wicked therefore are to be seen as causing agitation and discomfort for themselves and for others as well. They live in chaotic confusion and bring similar disorder into the lives of those close to them.” b. Evil or Badness i. רַ ע (ra’): “evil in the sense of badness;” “Thus, it can refer to anything that is harmful or malignant, not merely the morally evil;” Am 6:3; Dt 30:15 c. Guilt i. אָ שַׁ ם (‘asham): w.r.t. sin: “to do a wrong, to commit an offense, or to inflict an injury;” “A wrong has been done to someone, a wrong for which the perpetrator ought to be punished or the victim compensated… (H)arm has been done by the act of sin, and there must be some form of restitution to set matters right;” refers to ‘sin offering’ about 1/3 of time
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Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
ii. ἔνοχος (enochos): Mt 5:21-‐22; 1 Co 11:27; Jas 2:10; “In all of these usages of the word ἔνοχος, the standard of justice is God’s. The sinner is liable to punishment for offending God.” d. Trouble i. אָ וֶן (‘aven): “‘trouble,’ almost always in a moral sense;” “The Hebrew term appears to bear the idea of consequent misery, trouble, difficulty, and sorrow;” Hos 4:15; 10:8; Ps 5:5; 6:8; Pr 22:8; “(S)in brings trouble upon the sinner.” 5. Essence of Sin a. Lawlessness i. Grudem (490): “We may define sin as follows: Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” ii. The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-‐7) underscores that sin is not merely the violation of the letter of God’s Law in the OT. Any violation of the ‘spirit’ or intent of the OT Law is also severely condemned. Jesus condemns the underlying cause of murder, which is anger; and that of adultery, which is lust; and so on. The NT especially emphasizes righteousness and moral purity in the interior of one’s heart. External righteousness isn’t enough. iii. God’s moral law is not merely revealed in the OT, but also in the NT. Furthermore, the Bible cannot specifically address the correct moral course of action for every conceivable situation throughout all history. The Spirit continues daily to reveal God’s moral law for every circumstance in ways that are always consistent with what the Bible reveals. iv. All words, deeds, thoughts, attitudes, and motives that fail to conform to God’s moral law are identified as sin. But even if we could somehow cease from all such activity for a moment in a state of inactivity and consciouslessness, we would still be sinful before God on the basis of the condition of our own fundamental nature, which is twisted and bent toward sin. v. Ephesians 2:3 (ESV) (W)e all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. vi. Grudem’s definition could be misunderstood to only focus on ethics. Disobedience to God in terms of “non-‐moral” issues must also be viewed as sin. If you refused to listen to God, who revealed to you that you should not take a particular wholesome job, or marry a particular Christian person, or some other such thing, your refusal would not technically be a “failure to conform to the moral law of God,” in the sense of it being an ethical issue. It is, however, fundamentally still a moral issue, because God is always to be obeyed, and all disobedience to God is sin.
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Ps Bruce Fidler
Systematic Theology
fidworks.blogspot.com
b. Selfishness i. Both Erickson (597) and Grudem (491) quote theologian Augustus Strong as viewing sin as essentially selfishness: the “choice of self as the supreme end which constitutes the antithesis of supreme love to God.” Both find fault with this view. ii. Grudem gives four reasons for faulting the view that sin is selfishness. 1. “Scripture itself does not explicitly define sin this way.” 2. “Much self-‐interest is good and approved by Scripture…” We are to turn to Christ to avoid hell. We are to aim for treasures in heaven. (Ephesians 5 assumes we love our own bodies. Philippians 2 doesn’t actually condemn looking to our own interests.) 3. “Much sin is not selfishness in the ordinary sense of the term…” People can love a person more than God, or be devoted to a cause more than god, or serve a false god. 4. “Such a definition could suggest that there was wrongdoing or sinfulness even on God’s part, since God’s highest goal is to seek his own glory…” c. Idolatry i. Erickson defines sin as essentially idolatry (598). “(The essence of sin) is placing something else, anything else, in the supreme place which is (God’s)… Choosing any finite object over God is wrong, no matter how selfless such an act might be.” This would include all persons, creatures, and things other than God. ii. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3) is the first commandment. “Proper recognition of God is primary. Idolatry in any form, not pride, is the essence of sin.” We are to love, worship, serve, and obey God as pre-‐eminent in all things. This is the greatest commandment (Mk 12:30). “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37, ESV; cf. Lk 14:26). iii. St. Augustine, Confessions, (NY: Dorset Press, 1961), IV.12: “If the things of this world delight you, praise God for them but turn your love away from them and give it to their Maker, so that in the things that please you you may not displease him… The good things which you love are all from God, but they are good and sweet only as long as they are used to do his will. They will rightly turn bitter if God is spurned and the things that come from him are wrongly loved.” We are to love all good things in God, and not apart from God lest they become idols and hence sin to us. d. Unbelief is the ultimate ground of all sin. “Anyone who truly believes God to be what he says he is will accord to him his rightful status” (Erickson, 598). Satan, for example, does not believe God worthy of pre-‐eminent devotion. 23 Nature of Sin.docx
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