Biblical Concept of Sin - Article Example

 Biblical Concept of Sin Outline I. Introduction II. Brief summary III. Critical interaction IV. Conclusion V. Bibliography Biblical Concepts of Sin Introduction The bible is the Christian’s guide to live a spiritually healthy life. The bible has many authors in the different books, who were inspired by God. The bible teaches Christians to live a pure life with no sin; however, it does not provide a precise definition of sin. Instead, the bible elaborates on remedies to sin. Like other doctrines, Kinghorn acknowledges the need to apply the concept of progressive revelation. As such, this study attempts to look into the biblical notions of sin, and to illustrate the significance of these notions in modern days. In his attempt to reveal the biblical view of sin, Kinghorn studies the doctrine of sin in both the old and new testaments. He uses this approach in order to follow the revelation of the doctrine of sin throughout the centuries, from the creation of man, as God manifests himself in the human families setting. Brief summary The study begins by looking into the mentions of sin in the Old Testament. Kinghorn identifies numerous terms that look into the concept of sin in the Old Testament, which makes it an ideal study in order to understand the doctrine of sin. Mentions of sin in the Old Testament are in Hebrew, whose translations may distort the precise definition of the terms. In this article, we see sin as having an inward concept and an outside concept. The inward concept is best seen in the case of the tenth commandment, while the outside concept of sin is seen in cold blooded murder. There are many concepts of sin including an act of wrong doing with regard to ethics, breaking the law due to ill motive, and breaking the covenant of God as a deflection from the law giver. We also look at the doctrine of sin according to the new testament, as portrayed by Jesus through parables and Paul in his letters. The author concludes by relating the doctrine of sin to the opinions of Wesleyans. Critical interaction In defining sin according to the New Testament, Kinghorn looks at human family and the relation it had with God. The family setting in the Old Testament defined sin as an inward act, owing to the sins of our first parents, before it became an outward act. In this regard sin was seen as breaking the law, which made it punishable. According to the Hebrews, there was a clear distinction between sin, which was defined as an act of wrong doing, and what did not constitute sin. According to the book of Leviticus, sin was any act that was contrary to the command, whether it was done knowingly or unknowingly, due to ignorance. Kinghorn supports this claim by quoting the book of Leviticus 5: 17, which says "And if any one sin, and do any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, though he knew it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity." The Old Testament looks at both the ethical and legal concepts of sin. In the former, sin involves an act, while in the latter, it is about breaking a law, regardless of knowledge of its existence. Another kind of sin in the Old Testament is one that is not portrayed on the outside, like in the case of condemning murder only if it’s done willingly. Analysis of the sin according to the Old Testament is fouuunded on the idea of progression, whereby the concept of sin is revealed in various people and prophets as we move towards Christianity. Kinghorn identifies some bible characters that had greater vision than others, like in the case of Enoch. He also reveals another concept of sin that involves breaking the covenant of God that is built on human obedience. In such cases, sin is seen as a rebellion against God since the covenant forms the basis of the relationship between God and man. In the Old Testament, sin was seen as not only breaking the law, but also a deflection from the law giver. The analysis of sin according to the Old Testament helps to understand the association of sin to either personal responsibility or motive of the heart. Sinfulness is seen in some bible characters even without breaking the law. For instance, the book of Psalms 51: 5 says that "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”. It is for this reason that sin is declared to be universal and connected to man’s humanity, putting man in a hopeless situation. The definition of sin continues into the New Testament, where Jesus declares sin to be more than an external breaking of the law. Jesus deals with the doctrine of sin through parables, but does not discuss its nature. He emphasizes that sin pertains to human’s fellowship with God, with the reward of living without sin being entry to the kingdom of God. Paul further discusses the doctrine of sin in the New Testament. He illustrates the penetration of sin in man’s nature and how man can redeem himself in God’s grace. Paul also states that sin is attributed to law by declaring in Romans 5: 13 that "For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law." In saying this, Paul acknowledges the existence of sin, even in the absence of guilt. Conclusion The bible reveals various concepts of sin in the old and new testaments. However, the Wesleyans only acknowledge sin as anything that is short of God’s perfection, choosing to ignore the definition of sin as falling short of what’s required. In conclusion, the bible declares two aspects of sin, namely any disposition of man that interferes with his relationship with God. The ethical definition of sin looks at knowingly breaking God’s law, while the other definition focuses on falling short of God’s standard. Bibliography Kinghorn, Kenneth. "Biblical Concepts of Sin." Wesleyan Theological Journal 1, (1966): 21-26. Read More