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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | inherit the sin of Adam | Ps 51:5 | DocTrinsograce | 156218 | ||
Dear Humbled, Thank you for the question. I haven't been doing a very good job of communicating lately, but I'll do my best to explain. Forgive any grammatical or spelling errors -- I'm trying to check repeatedly, now -- almost afraid to post these days! :-) Exegesis is the careful and systematic study of Scripture with the intention of uncovering the original intended meaning. We all know that God didn't give us the Word in outline form or as an enumerated list of things to believe. Instead, God chose to speak His eternal truths in specific circumstances and events within human history. Note that I mentioned human history and eternal truths. We mustn't make the error of thinking exclusively in either term. The key to our understanding is to determine what a passage meant to the people to whom it was written. Only then are we able to discern the eternal truths. (The final step, of course, is to apply those truths to our own lives. In the current discussion we are talking about doctrine, so I'll not mention application.) Ezekiel was a prophet during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. God used Ezekiel as His mouthpiece to the Jews. Each utterance, therefore, is God speaking to His people regarding a particular set of circumstances at that moment in time. The Jews knew that the captivity was an act of God (1 Chronicles 5:26). They were saying all kinds of things about what had occurred. (Remember how Americans reacted to 9-11?) In Ezekiel 18 God is addressing a specific "proverb" that the Jews repeatedly used with one another. Verse 2 says, "What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge'?" (NKJV) The Jews' derogatory statements had been repeated so often that they it had become a common expression. They took no personal responsibility for the judgment of God. Instead, they accused God of being unjust for punishing them for the breaking of covenant by their fathers. Now, with the proper context, read through to verse 20. God is speaking very specifically to the fact that the Jews in captivity must assume personal responsibility for their behavior before the face of God for their own deeds. (Verses 21 through 32 are speaking of repentance.) The focus is on deeds and who owns the consequences of those deeds. In other words, the Jews cannot look for salvation in the righteous deeds of their parents, nor can they expect condemnation for the evil deeds. The doctrinal truth we may properly derive from this passage are that individuals are responsible for their own actions before the face of God. This verse is often used to assert the doctrine of the "age of accountability." However, nothing in this chapter speaks to the root cause of sin (the human heart), or what the old theologians called "corruption." We cannot, from this passage, state anything about original sin. Nor does anything in this passage contradict the other Scriptures that do speak of original sin (e.g., Rom 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:21-22, 45, 49; Psalms 51:5; Job 14:4; Eph 2:3; Heb 2:14, 15; 1 Thes 1:10). I think what gets us into trouble here is that we think sin is sin. Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, defines sin as "any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature." Ezekiel 18, like much of the rest of the Old Testament, zeros in on acts. Christ revealed that it was more than just acts, but also attitude (cf Matthew 5) and nature (cf Matthew 15). Paul, more than any other, discussed original sin. In Him, Doc |
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2 | inherit the sin of Adam | Ps 51:5 | mark d seyler | 156223 | ||
Hi Doc, I have one more question for you, if I may. In Ezekiel, Ezekiel 18:4 "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." This seems to me to be a generalized statement, certaily given within the context of addressing the attitude of the captives, and their failure to take responsibility for their actions, but also generically applicable, describing a principle. God could have said something like "your souls are mine, you sinned, so you will die." Instead, there are not qualifiers. I see someone stuck on freeway, with a gas can in hand, and I say, "the car that runs out of gas stops." The referent is one car on the 405, but the application is every car. This is how I look at this passage. What do you think? Love in Christ, Mark |
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3 | inherit the sin of Adam | Ps 51:5 | DocTrinsograce | 156228 | ||
Dear Brother Mark, What I see in Ezekiel 18:4 is the sovereignty of the Lord. Notice the "Lord GOD" in verse 3? That is the method by which the NASV, KJV, ESV, etc. translate the words Adonai Jehovah. That phrase always refers to God's mighty sovereign power. I believe that Hebrews 12:9 harkens back to this verse. Within the historical context, we understand that the Jews needed to realize that they could not simply attribute their existence to human parents. God does as He pleases, exactly as He pleases, and only as He pleases. God created this universe for His pleasure (cf Psa 115:3; 135:6; Job 23:13; Dan 4:35; Eph 1:11). God is King over all that is, was or ever shall be (Psa 93:1; 99:1; 103:19; Rev 19:6). Life and death are in His hands (Psa 39:4). In Him, Doc |
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