www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Original Sin

Greetings all.

i've been reading The Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos Ware, and i have found that it seems to agree much with what i read in Scripture, see in the church, see in the world, and can understand through common sense. Through reading all of this, i have been led back to this question - what is original sin?

i have come from a Calvinist background (which i no longer am a part of), but i am curious to hear what others' perspectives on original sin are. For example, what is it, is it hereditary, how is it different from committing individual sins, etc.?

(note - i did do a search for the phrase "original sin" in these forums and did not find anything topical regarding this)

Just got back from PA and in my checking out the forum, I found this burrried.

Original sin is the propenisty to sin. Even with Christ's dying on the Cross for us, we still sin. Christ said he came to dye for the sinners, and we all know the only perfect one is Christ. For he called himself the Great Physician, he came to help those that are sick.

Now let me see if I can go a little father with this.

'Elohim, which means "the mighty God the Creator, the Great One who inhabits eternity."

Yahweh is used when God emphasizes the importance of his relationship with humanity.

God told Adam and Eve, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

When they were finally faced with the challange of obedience, they saw that God created all of the Garden of Eden for them, they saw 'Elohim. What they didnt' understand was Yahweh, his desire to have a totally open relationship with man. He walked in the garden he created for them and visited with them . Hince, Yahweh 'Elohim!

Eve, deceived by Satan, decided she had to see for herself whether or not they would be like God. Thus allowing us all to fall from grace. Since that time, knowingly or unknowingly, man has tried to become Godlike. Our first parents defied the Creator�s command by suggesting that God was greedy and selfish, but found out through their pain and suffering (just like we do) they were wrong...
Psalm 51:4
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Their opportunity to live a God-centered life was ruined. They chose to run their lives according to them, they userped God's authority. Then God procaimed to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he (the Savior) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel". (the fist messianic prophecy)

Romans 5:12 states, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- But Romans 5:1-2 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Becasue Christ came into the world and through his death we are free from sin. Through the three Sacraments of Initiation won for us by Christ, we are granted the grace to be free, yet we fall constantly. We have to work out our sin. We have repented, we are forgiven, and have changed our ways, but we must still work through the error(unless God chooses otherwise) that we created until it is made right in our lives and for those around us. And once again we can call out to Yahweh 'Elohim.

I don't know if I answered your question or not, but I tried. It is important to look to the teachings of the Church, because not everyone in the Chuch believes in original sin.

Pani Rose