Why Theological Anthropology and the Doctrine of Original Sin Are Important

 Notice the whole phrase "not as good as Rousseau argued, nor as evil as taught by certain forms of Christianity." Those second bolded "as" adverbs in those two phrases signal degrees of goodness and evil. As if to say, "humans are not absolutely good nor absolutely evil and are not "categorically good nor categorically evil." E & M have the progressives hedging their comments. Of course, most humans are neither totally good nor totally evil nor absolutely good nor absolutely evil ethically. Humans are a mixture in varying degrees of good and evil: whether the metaphor for understanding degrees is envisioned as a spectrum or as a non-steady state wavelength with periods of constant equilibrium and periods of imbalances regarding the wavelength and the volume and altitude of the same with spikes up or down the wavelengths and with different frequencies. Even the Reformational Christians, who believed that original sin was "absolute," knew that. They knew that original sin did not prevent human beings from doing good things. Instead, the original sin was a doctrine for describing (1) why we have a sinning nature (i.e., why we do selfish things and wrong things) and have the tendency to drift away naturally from God in dishonoring ways rather than towards God in faith filled, praise filled and God honoring ways, (2) why God, who has a Holy, Pure, and Righteous nature, cannot tolerate and leave sin unchecked in the world and in God's future kingdom (where sin is metaphorically consider as a spiritual and moral contagion (like we treat cancer and other deadly pathogens, (3) why we no longer have inheritance rights to claim citizenship in the kingdom of God and how we lost it and continue to forfeit those rights, and (4) how this Holy, Pure, and Righteous God has chosen to deal with the same by providing a way for us to be adopted as sons and daughters or cleansed and healed from this deadly sin so that we may all enter into God's kingdom (Christology, Anthropology, Theology proper, and Soteriology). The doctrine of original sin is simply the summary of what the Bible says happened to humankind and the results or consequences of that original rebellion against God. First it explains how Adam and Eve commissioning of a sin had future consequences for their descendants. Inheriting original sin meant that we inherited from our first parents' this genetic predisposition to sin as well as our citizenship status as aliens or sojourners. Adam and Eve were once citizens and sub-rulers of God's kingdom; but because of their rebellion, Adam and Eve lost their citizenship rights and became aliens. And since they became aliens and non-citizens, their children born after them were born in the same state-non-citizens of and aliens to the kingdom. We have inherited their alien status. This leaves only two options for regaining citizenship: (1) earning and getting a green card (i.e., becoming a naturalized citizen) or (2) accepting the gift of adoption. The second reason for the doctrine which summarizes Biblical Truth was to explain why the first option naturalization or receiving a green card was out of our reach. The demands for the naturalization of citizenship and/or for getting a permanent green card to God's Holy, Pure, Perfect, and Righteous Kingdom requires perfect obedience and holiness. The doctrine of original sin is meant to give a formal and sufficient reason we are not able to earn "naturalization" because we have inherited a nature that is prone to wander from God rather than to God. We are prone to act in dishonoring ways rather than faith-filled and God honoring ways. And why this proclivity to sin is always manifested in people-even little children. You don't teach little children to be ego and self-centered, possessive or jealous, impatient, and impulsive. You have to teach them and socialize them into the opposite character traits. Adam and Eve were created good and pure and were in an intimate holy, pure, and sanctified relationship with a holy, pure, and good tutor and guide (God). God led, empowered, informed, and instructed them directly as there was not yet a barrier set up by sin between God and humanity. Humans could directly commune and walk with the Holy and Pure God. Once sin came, we were directly separated from God's Holiness and Righteousness. As a result of that original separation or sin, we have inherited a human nature that does not have the same level of intimate and direct communion and relationship with God to overcome our finite and mortal existence. We are left to our finite and mortal abilities which pale in comparison with the infinite and immortal wisdom, knowledge, power, foresight, patience, and love that God has. Humankind lost its direct access to its superpower, i.e., God, to live a God honoring and God pleasing life. We inherited (1) that lost citizenships status and (2) more importantly that lost state of being in direct relationships and communion with God. We are, therefore, left to our own wiles and abilities to mature and become like God. This is like "Giving 1 million monkeys 1 million typewriters and hoping that they will eventually type the entire works of William Shakespeare." In classical, reformation tradition, the doctrine of original sin has to do with salvation, not ethics nor community nor anthropology per se. It simply tells us that salvation is outside of our own reach and power. The doctrine of anthropology tells us that we don't have the power in ourselves to effect salvation as we are fallen and finite; it doesn't tell us how to get or receive salvation and where. The doctrine of salvation, however, informs us with (1) the knowledge of the gift, (2) the mode of receipt of the gift, (3) the how for receiving or accepting the gift, (4) who is the giver of the gift, and (5) the giver's reason for giving the gift and the giver's stipulations for our receiving or accepting the gift. We have to receive the gift of adoption to be received into the kingdom that was made possible by Christ's life, death, and resurrection. We cannot earn or work our way into citizenship; nor demand that God, or command God to, adopt us as children and citizens. We cannot storm the gates of heaven and demand that God reward us for something we cannot and will never earn (i.e., we can never live a perfect life and be perfectly obedient to God's will to earn or demand salvation). Salvation is a gift given to those who do not measure up to the gift and who should not receive such a gift. Salvation is received because God loves and has extended the gift of His Son's life, death, and resurrection to humanity. Humans can freely except the gift with humility and grace on God's terms or freely reject the same and seek to grasp the gift on their own terms and, ultimately, end in failure and condemnation: a defiant, unrepentant, ego- and self-centered, rebel doomed to destruction. Why Theological Anthropology and the Doctrine of Original Sin Are Important Copyright (c) 2019 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved.