Original Sin: Four Views

Some may wonder why it is needed to give attention to the old doctrine of Original Sin. The truth is that, although it has been commonly held to be an essential Christian teaching, the reality of our deadness in Adam has been greatly attacked recently by a growing Pelagian minority in so-called evangelicalism. A quick search on Youtube or other avenues of internet ministry will reveal a strong sect of street-preachers, ministers and theologians who are either completely Pelagian or hold at least some of its views. I have done the research myself and am appauled at how almost every publicly known street evangelist (save Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron as far as I can see) is preaching this damnable heresy. I can not adequately examine the data concerning this tremendous doctrine, but I hope to give a brief overview of the different standpoints and thus to set clearly before us what we need to weigh out when considering which one we fall under. Following is a study of each of the four views on Original Sin; the first two are the ones within the free-will camp and the second two are debated amongst Predestinarians.

The Pelagian View

In the fourth and fifth centuries Augustine lived and founded his views on grace and Predestination. His opponent was a man named Pelagius. In his eyes, Augustine's high view of grace would inevitably lead to licentiousness and loose living. To combat this and emphasize man's responsibility to live a holy life, Pelagius taught that man was essentially neutral to good and evil and was not disposed to either. In his thought every man was born in the same moral condition that Adam was--totally free to choose good and evil. In being consistent with his views he taught that sinless perfection with no assistance from grace was possible and essential.

Some say that Pelagians believe that we inherit nothing from Adam. This is a false concept. Pelagianism teaches that we inherit physical death and disease from Adam, but we do not inherit any moral depravity. To them, Adam was merely a bad moral example to the human race with no affect to his progeny.

The Semi-Pelagian (Arminian) view

In response to Augustine's teaching of man's deadness in sin and Pelagius' counter-teaching of man's complete freedom, the Roman church tried to find a middle ground in Semi-Pelagianism. This view teaches that salvation is essentially a cooperation between God and man. In their view of Original Sin, Adam's sin affected all aspects of the human faculties but our will is not completely effaced; we still have the ability to choose good. To them God gives prevenient grace--a divine enabling which woos all men to accept Christ. But cooperating with God's drawing man may be saved and made an heir of eternal life.

The Federal View

Amongst Reformed theologians the most common stance is the Federal view; most identified with Covenant Theology. In this schema Adam acted as the representative of the human race in the garden of Eden and as such his sin is imputed to the rest of humanity. Whereas the Semi-Pelagian view only believes a sin nature was inherited by Adam, in the Reformed views the actual guilt of Adam is the possession of every man from birth. The Federal system comes to this conclusion by seeing Adam as the head of the entire human race. as a representative.

The Augustinian/Traducian View

Finally, Augustine formed a unique understanding of mankind's union with Adam. It was named after him and is held by a minority of Predestinarians today. According to Augustine, all men were seminally and physically present in Adam's loins, in the same way Levi was said to be present in Abraham's loins when he paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:10). Thus, man being really and truly in Adam in the garden, his sin becomes their sin and they are considered to be guilty and spiritually dead just as him.

The scriptures have not been brought up in this discussion, but the reader is directed to Romans 5:12-19 for the Biblical account concerning this doctrine. The writer holds the Augustinian understanding as I think it is the most plain reading of Romans 5:12. All have sinned because all are sinners; may we earnestly contend for our total depravity and the necessity AND sufficiency of grace for salvation!