Does the Bible Teach Original Sin?
There are some, who teach a false doctrine called, “Original Sin.” This teaching concludes that every person is born in sin. Horrible teaching because the forced conclusion is if every person is formed in the womb by God’s creation power, then God has made us to be sin. The text that is used most often to “prove” this false precept is Psalm 58:3. Yet if we were to examine this verse in its context, and use good old English grammar, it quickly become clear that it does not in any way teach “Original Sin.” The text says, “The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies…”
The very first thing I see in this text is the phrase, “The wicked are estranged from the womb…”. The word “estranged” is defined as “to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty” and is often used to refer to the separation between married couples such as, “She was estranged from her husband”. Some synonyms for estranged are separated, divided, apart, alienate, put at a distance. Using the proper definition of the word we see that the wicked are, separated from the womb. This is important because every action or event the text speaks of happens after the child is separated or detached from the mother’s womb.
Secondly, notice the text says, “they go astray.” “To go”, is to reference one point to another. You cannot go without change. Webster defines “to go” as [1. a. to move on a course : PROCEED] and [10. a. to begin an action or motion] Considering what the text does say in reference to “the wicked” is they move on a course, proceed, and begin an action, and note, “as soon as they are born”, important because the action didn’t begin in the womb. Thus, we must also conclude easily the text does not say “born astray”, rather “they go astray”.
Put these two together and we see that after one is born, they begin down a road that will lead to sin. Paul said, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). If one lives long enough, it is certain that the influence the father of lies has will cause one to lie (Jo. 8:44). It’s a path we all took and if we were so bold as to say, I never lied, that’s a lie, and accuses God of lying (1 Jo. 1:8, 10).
Next, we see that the end of the text in verse 3 clearly states, “…speaking lies.” I have three children who when they were born, cried, cooed, slept, eat and well, you know. But the one thing they never did, was speak! So, once again I ask you a question. What would a newborn have to lie about? I didn’t cheat on my test, I was at my friend’s house all night, I didn’t steal the money, I wasn’t speeding officer! Do newborns speak lies? Using Paul’s pattern, what shall we say then? Shall a baby come out speaking lies? Certainly not! The necessary inference is that speaking happens after the child learns to speak, not at birth, and certainly not in the womb when the child is being formed by the power of God (Jeremiah 1:5)?
Moving forward in the text to Verses 4 and 5 which states, “Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5 Which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully.” Ok, “…they refuse to hear…” If we accept this to mean a newborn, then we must concede they are born with ability to understand words and that they have cognitive ability to refuse to listen. I know that when my children were infants, they cried when they were hungry, or when they needed a change. When I said, you can stop crying now, I’m preparing a bottle. They didn’t have a clue as to what that meant, and they just kept crying till the bottle reached their little mouth. That is to say they didn’t continue crying because they chose not to listen to my words of comfort, but because they clueless as to what words are. It is clear that a newly born baby is not described by this text.
In the sixth verse we read the words, “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!” First, do infants have teeth? No! Secondly, the Psalmist said, “Break their teeth…O God!” Was David praying for the destruction of babies? No! In verse 10 we read, “The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” How could there be “The righteous” if we’re formed in sin? Is David now preaching infant damnation? Remember Job. “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:15). Once again this begs the question, did the Lord make and fashion us in sin? Job further said, “If I have kept the poor from their desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it 18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow)” (Job 31:16-18). Did Job, while an infant, bring up the orphan and guide the widow from within the womb? “I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God” (Psa. 22:10), and again, “By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You” (Psa. 71:6). Did he trust and praise God as a newborn infant?
Fact is No Child is Born in Sin, and the following is just a sample of scripture that makes this clear. Deuteronomy 1:39 “…your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil…” Ecclesiastes 7:29 “Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.” Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Matthew 18:3 Jesus said, “…Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” And in Mark 10:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” Jesus God’s Son compared the kingdom as little children. Is the kingdom of God and Heaven filled with sin? If so, why bother living righteously? Why not just live it up, eating, drinking and soaking up all the sin and lust? Because Jesus gave Himself for the church that He, “might [a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27). Sanctified means set apart. Christians are “estranged” from the ways of the world and are being prepared for a prepared place in heaven where there is no sin (John 14:6; Rev. 21:27).
Context is everything, and in the context, David is referring to his enemies, not the unborn. As for verse 3 Barnes notes, “The allusion here undoubtedly is to the persons principally referred to in the psalm – the enemies of David.” Barns goes on to say, “…the passage, therefore, cannot directly, and with exact propriety, be adduced to prove the doctrine that “original sin” pertains to all the race…”.
My last thought on this term, “Original Sin”, takes us back to the garden when the serpent deceives Eve by changing one word. If you remember, Eve said, “…of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Gen. 3:3). “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4; 2:17). That serpent added just one word, “NOT”, and that was the original sin! Eve committed the second sin when she took the fruit and ate, then the third sin when she gave it to her husband. The fourth sin was by Adam, because he knew better too (Gen 2:15-17).
Does the Bible teach about original sin? Yes! Original sin began in the garden, and has spread out like that preverbal snowball, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. But its origin is set in Adam as Paul states, “…through one man sin entered the world…and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). I sinned and needed a Savior. You have sinned, you too need a Savior and the good news is that is Jesus for, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).
This edition was based in part on an article written by brother John Isaac Edwards. I am always thankful for the well thought out lessons he presents, for his love for the truth, and for his loving friendship.
Jesus’ is a simple command to believe and be baptized to be saved? (Mark 16:16) I hope you can!
In Love
Dave Scarpino