The Origin Of The Soul: In Regards To Original Sin

I long for Your salvation, O LORD,

And Your law is my delight.

Let my soul live, and it shall

Praise You; and let Your

Judgments help me.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep,

Seek Your servant.

For I do not forget

Your commandments.

Psalm 119:174–176

            When investigating Original Sin  we are led to a perplexing question for many and for many years has been a huge debate among theologians. This debate is conjoined to the question of Original Sin and is a major portion of this debate; in fact, it is the foundational question that needs to be answered. The question? The origin of the soul. What is it? Where and when did man become a soul, a living soul? The answer to this question aids us to understand how Original Sin has come into the lives of people for all these centuries and will continue to plague mankind until Jesus Christ returns and this world is destroyed and renewed and the children of God become immortal to live with Jesus Christ for eternity. David in the above Scripture cures out to have his soul live; is he speaking of life, or the soul which is a separate entity within him? One thing we do learn from those Scriptures is to be a seeker and allow the judgments of God to help us and to not forget His commandments. Yet, there is this question of the soul, its origin. There are and have been for all these centuries three theories that have been advanced as to the origin of the soul. 1) There is a Preexistence of the soul; 2) Traduction, or the doctrine that the soul of the child is derived form the soul of the parent; 3) That of immediate Creation, or the doctrine that the soul is not derived as the body is, but owes its existence to the creative power of God. Where do you stand in regards to these there theories? As to why this understanding is important will become clear as we study the origin of the soul and then see how there has come to be Original Sin.

            First, let us examine the theory of preexistence of the soul for it has been presented in two forms. I wrote previously in regards to Plato and his dualism for he held that ideas are eternal in the mind of the eternal One. These ideas are not just mere thoughts, but are living entities. These ideas or living entities constitute the essence and life of all external things and that the universe and all that the universe contains are these ideas that are realized, that is clothed in matter, and in history are developed. A simple explanation given before is that the chair you may be sitting on are only ideas that have their reality in the mind of the eternal One are His ideas clothed in materiality. Plato expounded on this subject by saying that an ideal, or the intelligent world is one that is anterior to the world that we are existing in, in time. Plato called these ideals, but Aristotle called them forms. Aristotle denied that the ideal was anterior to the actual. Aristotle called all matter eternal and that all things consist of matter and form; and this form according to Aristotle meant that which gives character, or that which determines the nature of individual things. With this both Plato and Aristotle influenced Christianity with this Aristo–Platonic philosophy. The schoolmen, especially during Medieval times came close to these philosophies, especially this philosophy in regards to the soul being preexistent as to its origin, not only to the soul but also the all things in this ideal world. An ancient theologian, St. Bernard who is held in high esteem especially in the Roman Catholic Church, opposed nominalism (Nominalism is a philosophy that denies that general or abstract words stand for objective existing entities and that universals are only names assigned to them), causing St. Bernard to adopt Platonic doctrine of ideas, and he identified those ideas with genera and species. In other words, these ideas, as he taught, were eternal although posterior to God, as can be seen with the order of nature after its cause. Providence according to this theologian applies the idea of matter, which then becomes animated and takes form. Others, i.e., Franz Delitzsch (Leipzig, February 23, 1813 – Leipzig, March 4, 1890) was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist, stated: “There is according to the Scriptures, an ideal preexistence of man; a preexistence in virtue of which man and humanity are contemplated by the divine omniscience not merely as objects lying far of in the future, but as present in the mirror of his wisdom. Not only  philosophy and the so called Gnosis, but also the Scriptures recognized and avow a divine ideal world to which the actual world stands related as the historical development of an eternal conception” (Italics mine, taken from Biblische Paychologie, p.23). It may be said that Delitzsch meant nothing more than by this than that the omniscience fo God embraces from eternity the knowledge of all things possible, and that God’s purpose having been determined fro eternity the future for all actual events, that all of this existed in the mind of God and then these ideals were then realized in the external world, and in the history of the world. This is somewhat different form the Platonic or Realistic theory of preexistence.

            Don’t become weary, stay with this for we are examining a very important element of the Christian faith, and its doctrine in regards to sin, especially the doctrine of Original sin. Our understanding become illuminated will aid is to see how these philosophies that led to theologies as to whether or not they are Scriptural and how the have and are in this present age influencing many so–called Christian Churches. In the next blogs I will discuss Origen’s doctrine in regards to preexistence for Origen is a an early church father who was read and followed by many Christians of his day and for others who came into churches that taught some of Origen’s doctrines. The answer we find will aid us not only for our understanding but as to how we might answer this question on the doctrine of Original Sin for those seeking truth or just have so smug dislike for Christianity due to the doctrine of sin.

Brethren, if anyone among you

            Wanders from the truth,

And someone turns him back,

            Let him know that he who

Turns a sinner from the error of h

            His way will save a soul

From death and cover a multitude

            Of sin.

                                    James 5:19–20

Pray today and communicate with God

Richard L. Crumb

Living As A Child Of God

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love

with which He loved us, even when we were dead

In trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

(by grace you have been saved),

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He

might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness

toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been

Saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:4–9

           

            Paul was reminding the Ephesians of God and Jesus Christ who being in the same substance, the very essence of one another had great and rich mercy due to the love of God and by the death of His Son Jesus Christ all who believe in Jesus Christ would be saved and this by grace. Man is dead in their trespasses and this can only be true if man is a sinner and by his sin has forfeited the right to receive God’s grace. So some would preach, as did Pelagius who I quoted in the last blog, and the man Jacobus Arminius who has influenced many people who are Christian but believe that man has just enough of goodness to save themselves. This is a form of Gnosticism whereby man may through some assimilation of knowledge could be found good enough to be saved and inherit a place in the kingdom of God. But, and this is a big “but,” man cannot save himself for man does not have life, life was forfeited by the sin of Adam and by Adam’s sin all men have inherited this sin. This sin made all men dead in their trespasses for man can not do anything aside from trespassing, trespassing the law of God for there are and are dead. Only by Christ can man be saved and brought to life. It isn’t the acquiring of knowledge that saves a man, it is not be some eloquent preaching that saves man, it is not by any works of man that saves, man, for it is only by the Grace of God that man is saved and that Grace which supplies to all of God’s children a faith which is a gift from God and no man can boast of their philanthropy, their giving to charities, to working in soup lines, to going to Church regularly, to being a Sunday School teacher, etc. for to say that these are means by which a man can be saved in contrary to Scripture. Man cannot save himself for if he could then all he did was some good work, some good choice and this by his own efforts but God says, NO! It is not by any works of man that saves man, salvation is by and through God by means of the propitiation work of the Son of God, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven that the debt man owes to God but cannot be paid by man is paid by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ then sits at the right hand of the Father and makes eternal intercession for all of God’s children, to all that were given to Jesus Christ by the Father. You know that you are one of God’s children, one to whom God has given mercy and grace, the faith to believe in and upon His Son Jesus Christ if you are putting on the image of His Son and then by this grace and faith, this change for whom you live you do many good works but this is only to be doing what God requires, it is not something special, it is a requirement of God for all His children.

            Pelagius brought upon Christianity much harm with his profane fiction that Adam’s sin was to Adam’s hurt only and that Adams’ sin did not hurt his posterity and only by means of Satan who tried to deceptively hide the fact that this sin is incurable. Man could by Pelagianism cure himself. What blasphemy! Cavil all a person desires against this fact that man cannot save himself, that all the preaching in the world will not save the world, but will bring to God’s children the truth of God, His Son, and a change in their hearts, lives, and actions by means of the truth revealed in God’s word that we go as commanded and preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Man from the womb is sin, his soul does not desire God for it is ungodly infected by inherited sin and has inherited wickedness. Look around the world and see if this is not true. The corruption of man is innate as proclaimed by King David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and written down for all to read and know; “Behold, I was brought froth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Is the Bible saying that the wife of Jesses, David’s father, was a prostitute, or a woman of ill repute, or any other reason why she would be sinful do some action of hers, or is the Bible pointing out the fact that man within the womb is sinful? It is clear from all Scriptures on this subject that man is sinful in the womb, and is sinful out of the womb and is in need of a Savior. David was not throwing blame on his parents, rather he was commending the goodness of God towards him. All of come into this world as descendants of Adam and are inheritors of the sin of Adam, we are descendants of impure seed, we are tainted with this world’s sin, and are in contagion due to this sin and we cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing (Job 14:4).

            Do not be dismayed! God can bring cleanness to an unclean thing, an unclean person and this He does by His Grace, freely offered to all of His children, not by works, you cannot boast, “look at me and what I am doing” for all you are doing is only what you should be doing and if you are one of God’s children then you are doing what you do out of your love for God and the desire of faith in His Son to become in the image of Jesus Christ that we have as our object of affection and enjoyment. We do not out of fear, not for any reason within other than our desire to do the will of the Father as did Jesus: “Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, You will be done” (Matthew 26:42). May you and I be found doing His will.

But Jesus answered him, saying,

            “It is written, “man shall

not live by bread alone, but by

            every word of God.’”

                                    Luke 4:4

Live Today For Jesus Christ: Be His Image

Richard L. Crumb

The Doctrine Of Original Sin: Free Will or Free Choice?

Now to him who words , the wages are not

counted as grace but as debt. But to him

who does not work but believes on Him

who justifies the ungodly, his faith

is accounted for righteousness, just as

David also describes the blessedness

of the man to whom God imputes

righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose lawless

deeds are forgiven, and whole sins

are covered; blessed is the man to whom

the LORD shall not impute sin.”

Romans 4:4–8; cf. Psalm 32:1–2

            In our discussion of Original Sin, a theological doctrine given by the Early Church Fathers to account for sin and man’s inability to not sin we must address the dividing doctrine of Free Will. Free Will according to men such as Pelagius and Jacobus Arminius removes from man the doctrine of Original Sin which was passed down to Adam’s progeny. Yet it is this sin of Adam that affected both earth and the heavens that is why the universe groans for it is in turmoil (Romans 8:20–22). The sin of Adam had consequences far beyond what we can imagine for sin only existed with Satan, Lucifer, the angel that defied God and before man sin the only matter to be dealt with was Satan, and his legions of fallen angels. Satan fall did not affect the universe as did man’s for man willfully sinned against God in a manner that demanded justice for the world was made for man, not for angels, that is, not in the same way. Angels have a work to do in the realm of the universe and this work was to do the will of God, and yes, Satan willfully sinned, his pride, his ability to choose right from wrong was present when he sinned, but the world was for and is for man. God could have destroyed Satan and not have affected His glory for all other faithful angels would see that God was just in punishing Satan. Yet, for man it was different, for man was to live by faith in a physical real world that he was to rule and care for as his work in his eternal life. This Adam threw away and sinned against God and his eternal life. Now, all that was for man was to be affected and in each and every successive year from that point the earth began to groan under the pain of Adam’s sin affecting men who came after Adam, and God eventually dealt with man’s sin by global flood, destroying man, but saving Noah due to the faith of Noah in God, and obeying the command of God to build an ark, to believe in God that God would destroy the earth as then known and now, after the flood the earth having been reshaped, the atmosphere no longer separated by a water canopy, the earth was affected in a negative way: the earth groans to be what God had intended for it to be and will groan until God restores the earth by making it anew.

            The sin of Adam was due to his ability in his free will to choose and this he did without having an effect from sin, so he did it willingly knowing the will of God and willingly disobeyed God’s command. Pride, and a desire to do what his wife, Eve, asked of him and no longer believed that God could restore even for him a woman who would be faithful, he was afraid of losing what he had. This then made cause for heredity corruption and a lose of those ornaments that God gave to the first pair, first to Adam and passed on to Eve, the ornament of wisdom, virtue, truth, justice, and holiness and all was now substituted by dire pests, blindness, impotence, vanity, impurity, and unrighteousness, plunged his posterity into the same wretchedness. Satan knew all this but wanted by his pride and desire to have what God had, the universe and worship of man, hid all this from the first pair and deceptively deceived Eve, but Adam, Adam sinned outright and having walked with God, and talked with God, knowing that God created him and all that was, cast upon his posterity Original Sin a sin man could not of himself remove. But, not all believe this as a British Monk taught something far different and his teaching has been divisive in the Christian community even affecting Jacobus Arminius who has influenced those Churches who claim Christianity but teach that man could save himself and that there is no Original Sin that was caused by Adam and Adam’s posterity. So, I will give one such saying from Pelagius and then in the next blogs will discuss this even more.

“In the manner of good–for nothing and haughty servants, we cry out against the face of God and say, ‘It is hard, it is difficult, we cannot do it, we are but men, we are encompassed by frail flesh!’ [“The argument of the Gnostics] What blind madness! What unholy foolhardiness! We accuse God of a twofold lack of knowledge, so that he appears not to know what he has done, and not to know what he has commanded; as if, forgetful of the human frailty of which he is himself the author, he has imposed on man commands which he cannot bear. And, at the same time, oh horror!, we ascribe iniquity to the righteous and cruelty to the holy, while complaining, first, that he has commanded something impossible, secondly, that man is to be damned by him for doing things which he was unable to avoid, so that God –– and this is something which even to suspect is sacrilege – seems to have sought not so much our salvation as our punishment!” Pelagius (The Letters of Pelagius and his Followers by B.R. Rees, p. 53, published by The Boydell Press). Retrieved from the Internet: http://www.libraryoftheology.com/writings/freewill/Early_Church_on_Free_Will.pdf: March 29, 2013

Pelagius (fl. c. 390-418) was an ascetic who opposed the idea of predestination and asserted a strong version of the doctrine of free will. He was accused by Augustine of Hippo and others of denying the need for divine aid in performing good works. For him (according to them), the only grace necessary was the declaration of the law; humans were not wounded by Adam's sin and were perfectly able to fulfill the law apart from any divine aid. He denied the more specific doctrine of original sin as developed by Augustine. Pelagius was declared a heretic by the Council of Carthage

            I will close this blog with this to jar your thinking: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:5–6.

Create in me a clean heart,

O God,

And renew a steadfast

            Spirit within me.

Do no cast me away from

            Your presence,

And do not take Your

            Holy Spirit from me.

                        Psalm 51:10–11

God Desires Your Faith: He Gave It To You As A Free Gift

Richard L. Crumb