Birth Sin

Moses tells us in Ex. 32:33 that the Lord says whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.

According to Deut. 1:39 little ones have no knowledge of good and evil and in contrast with their sinful parents do not become a prey and are free to enter the Promised Land. Eventually they arrive safely. If they hadn’t, the plan of salvation would have been stillborn. Note especially Numbers 14.

Sin is defined as transgression of the law (1 Sam. 15:24; 2 Sam. 12:13; Dan. 9:5; James 2:9; 1 John 3:4; 5:17). Paul tells us three times in Romans that where there is no law there is no transgression. Babies do not know the law and must therefore be born innocent like Jesus (Isa. 7:15f., cf. 8:4).

Paul also says that he himself was born ‘alive’ and did not sin until like Adam he received the commandment (Rom. 7:9f.).

Jesus implies the same when he says in John 8:34 that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

Paul tells us in Romans 1:26f. we must follow our birth nature. If we are born sinful, then we must sin on pain of death. Thus God becomes the author of evil!

Throughout the Bible it is wrong to impute sin to those who have not sinned (Ex. 23:7; 1 Sam 22:15; 1 K. 21; Prov. 17:15, etc.).

Sin is not transmitted by birth (Ezek. 18, etc.). We all sin on our own account (cf. Ex. 32:33). Note e.g. Ps. 106:6, etc.

The Jews and the Orthodox to this day deny the so-called “Christian” doctrine of original sin.

Psalm 51:5 (cf. Rom. 9:11) is not only frequently misinterpreted, it is tendentiously and unpardonably mistranslated. See the different versions. Cf. e.g ESV and NIV. It should read: “I was brought forth in iniquities (plur.) and in sins (plur.) did my mother conceive me.” Jesus himself was born into a wicked (sinful) world. That is why he came!

Augustine of Hippo by whom the churches continue to this day to be governed knew little Greek and mistranslated the ‘eph’ho’ in Romans 5:12 by the Latin ‘in quo’ meaning ‘in whom’. If this was true, Jesus would have been born a sinner. The idea that he avoided the entail of original sin by the virgin birth is plainly contrary to the Bible. The VB relates to the incarnation, not to sin. Like all babies, Jesus was born innocent (Dt. 1:39, etc.). In contrast with Adam, however, he kept the commandment (cf. Rom. 6:16), the entire law of Moses in fact, and uniquely attained to legal righteousness which is the precondition of regeneration (Gen. 2:17; Lev. 18:5).

Conclusion

The traditional dogma of original sin is blasphemous.