Human’s Choice to turn away from God: First Sin Narratives

Sources: Sacred Scriptures: Gen 3: 1-19 Church Teaching: CFC 383

“Original Sin” – state in which we are born as members of the human race

The beginning of Sin: The FallThe origin of evil in the world is depicted as Adam and Eve’s sin of disobedience to God.

Literary Sources: Gilgamesh EpicLegend of Adapa and the Babylonian Theodicy (2nd millennium)

Key Elements:Serpent = has a prominent role in mythologyTree of Knowledge of Good and EvilTree of Life (Tree of Immortality)Entrance of Suffering and Death (as a result of sin)Original Sin = each of our sins form part of this sin of Adam, increases it and give it its particular character.Optimism = God’s Word will come true

Paradise LostTheir act of eating the fruit of the forbidden tree symbolizes the abuse of the human freedom.Their act represents the temptation to “play God”, rejecting any dependence on God by deciding completely on their own what is good or bad.As a result of their sin of disobedience and pride, they experience shame; they were banished from the garden, entrance of suffering (mortality) and have loss of intimate with God.

Insights into the StoryGenesis uses eating the forbidden fruit as a symbol of imbiding evil.Human beings learned evil by doing evil.They had been tempted by the serpent to act against God, but eating the fruit and disobeying God were still their free choice.

TemptationEnticement of EvilAny word of activity that invites people into any wrongdoingsSteps of temptation Desire Doubt Deception Disobedience

nOriginating Sin Originated Sin

1) Question: What is the origin of sin? How did it start?

1) Question: What is the basis for the sinfulness of all humans today?

2) Response: It started with the sin of our first parents described in Genesis

2) Response: It is the world-wide effects of the original sin (Romans 5: 11-21)

3) It is a personal sinful act at the origins of human race

3) There is to personal consent, the sinful state into which all are born

4) It is not transmitted 4) It is transmitted by progation.

5) Resulted is the loss of grace and supernatural gifts in first parents

5) It consists in privation of grace in; -world situation, -every person born into the world, weakened nature

6) As part of moral act, no longer exists 6) Exists as a real dimension of the human condition

7) Wiped away by baptism:A. Incorporates the baptized into the

Christian community andB. Brings the Holy Spirit to indwell in the

baptized thus remaining the privation8) But concupiscence remains.