Early Christian Views on Original Sin

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

... righteousness was introduced, bringing life to those who were once dead. Just as the original man, Adam, had his existence from untilled and virgin soil ("for God had not yet sent rain, and man had not tilled the ground"), and was formed by the hand of God, that is, by the Word of God, since "all things were made by Him," and the Lord took dust from the earth to form man; similarly, He who is the Word, recapitulating Adam in Himself, fittingly received birth, allowing Him to gather up Adam into Himself, from Mary, who was still a virgin. If, then, the first Adam had a human father and was born of human seed, it would be reasonable to say that the second Adam was begotten of Joseph. But since the former was taken from the dust and God was his Maker, it was necessary that the latter also, embodying a recapitulation in Himself, should be formed as a man by God, maintaining an analogy with the former concerning His origin. Why, then, did God not take dust again, but instead chose Mary for the formation? It was so that no new formation would be brought into being, nor any other that would need to be saved, but that the very same formation would be summed up in Christ as had existed

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

...ing it to be merely worldly water, not accepting God to unite with Him. They remain in the state of Adam, who was defeated and expelled from Paradise, failing to realize that at the beginning, when Adam was formed, the breath of life from God animated man and made him rational by uniting with what was created. Similarly, at the end of times, the Word of the Father and the Spirit of God united with the ancient substance of Adam’s formation, made man living and complete, capable of receiving the perfect Father. As we all died in the natural Adam, so in the spiritual we may all be made alive. Adam never escaped God’s hands, to whom the Father said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” For this reason, in the last times, not by the flesh's will, nor by man's will, but by the Father's good pleasure, His hands formed a living man so that Adam might be recreated after the image and likeness of God.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

For on this account he was not at once thrust down by God to punishment at the original transgression, that by his malice he may exercise man to virtue: for unless this is in constant agitation, unless it is strengthened by continual harassing, it cannot be perfect, inasmuch as virtue is dauntless and unconquered patience in enduring evils.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

...rtake in the adoption as children unless we had received from Him, through the Son, that fellowship related to Himself, unless His Word, having become flesh, had entered into communion with us? Therefore, He experienced every stage of life, restoring communion with God to all. Those who claim He only appeared human without being truly born in the flesh or truly becoming human are still under the old condemnation, supporting sin; because, according to them, death has not been conquered, which "reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the way of Adam's transgression." But when the law came, given by Moses, testifying that sin is a sinner, it truly took away death's kingdom, showing it was not a king, but a thief; and it revealed it as a murderer. It laid, however, a heavy burden upon humanity, which had sin within, showing that it was subject to death. Since the law was spiritual, it simply highlighted sin but did not destroy it. Sin had no dominion over the spirit, but over humanity. It was necessary for Him who was to destroy sin and redeem humanity from the power of death to become the same as humanity, being human; who had been drawn into bondage by si

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...f is also clothed with flesh, so that he may show that even the flesh is capable of virtue? For stubbornness cannot be refuted except by example. The things you teach cannot have weight unless you are the first to practice them, because human nature leans toward faults and wants to sin not only with indulgence, but also with a reasonable excuse. It is fitting that a master and teacher of virtue should resemble man as closely as possible, so that by overcoming sin he may teach man that sin can be overcome by him. But if he is immortal, he can in no way offer an example to man. For someone will stand up, holding firmly to his opinion, and will say: You do not sin because you are free from this body. You do not desire because an immortal being needs nothing. But I need many things to support this life. You do not fear death, because it has no power over you. You despise pain, because no violence can be done to you. But I, being mortal, fear both, because they bring on me the harshest torments, which the weakness of the flesh cannot endure. A teacher of virtue therefore ought to have taken away this excuse from men, so that no one may say that he sins because of necessity rather tha

Justin Martyr, Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin Supporting witness

...ad received it. Therefore, it was necessary that the Word should inhabit a body to free us from the death that comes with natural corruption. For if, as you say, He had simply warded off death from us by His will, death indeed would not have come to us because of His will; but nevertheless, we would have become corruptible again, since we carried within ourselves that natural corruption.

Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh Supporting witness

...t to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if you live after the flesh you shall die; but if you, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live." Now, to answer each point separately, since salvation is promised to those who are living in the flesh but walking after the Spirit, it is no longer the flesh that is an enemy to salvation, but the working of the flesh. When, however, this operativeness of the flesh is done away with, which is the cause of death, the flesh is shown to be safe, since it is freed from the cause of death. For "the law," he says, "of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death"—that, surely, which he had previously mentioned as dwelling in our members. Our members, therefore, will no longer be subject to the law of death, because they cease to serve that of sin, from both of which they have been set free. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and through sin condemned sin in the flesh, in Romans 8:3—not the flesh in sin, for the house is not to be condemned with its inhabitant. He did indeed say that sin d

Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness

...shed toward evil thoughts. Because of this, the apostle prays to be delivered from it, seeing it as death and destruction. The prophet does the same when he says, "Cleanse me from my secret faults." The same meaning appears in these words: "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:22-24. By this he does not mean that the body is death, but the law of sin in his members, hidden in us through the transgression and always deceiving the soul into the death of unrighteousness. And he immediately adds, clearly showing what kind of death he wanted to be delivered from, and who delivered him: "I thank God, through Jesus Christ." Romans 7:25. And this should be considered, O Aglaophon: if he had said that this body was death, as you supposed, he would not afterward speak of Christ as delivering him from so great an evil. For then what strange thing would have come from the coming of Christ? And how could the apostle have said this, as if he could

Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness

...came, sin revived, and I died. "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death," Romans 7:9-10. For after God gave the law, and commanded me what I ought to do and what I ought not to do, the devil worked lust in me. For the promise God gave me was for life and incorruption, so that by obeying it I might have ever-flourishing life and joy leading to incorruption. But for the one who disobeyed it, it would end in death. But the devil, whom he calls sin because he is the author of sin, took an opportunity through the commandment to deceive me into disobedience. He deceived me and killed me, thus making me subject to the sentence, "In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die," Genesis 2:17. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good, Romans 7:12, because it was given not for harm but for safety. For let us not suppose that God makes anything useless or harmful. "What then? Was that which is good made death to me?" Romans 7:13. That is, was what was given as law, so that it might be the cause of the greatest good, made the cause of death? God forbid. For it was not the law of God that became the cause of my being brought u

Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness

...t came, sin revived, and I died. "And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be to death," Romans 7:9-10. For after God had given the law, and had commanded me what I ought to do and what I ought not to do, the devil worked lust in me. For the promise of God given to me was for life and incorruption, so that by obeying it I might have ever-flourishing life and joy leading to incorruption. But for the one who disobeyed it, it would end in death. But the devil, whom he calls sin because he is the author of sin, taking occasion by the commandment to deceive me into disobedience, deceived me and killed me. In this way he made me subject to the condemnation, "In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die," Genesis 2:17. Therefore, "the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good," Romans 7:12, because it was given not to harm, but to protect. For let us not suppose that God makes anything useless or harmful. "What then? Was that which is good made death to me?" Romans 7:13. That is, was what was given as a law, so that it might be the cause of the greatest good, made death to me? God forbid. For it was not the law of God that became the cause of my

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...forget to exercise unbelief, for it is the sinews of the soul." Now, to disbelieve the truth brings death, just as to believe brings life. And again, to believe the lie and to disbelieve the truth hurries one to destruction. The same is the case with self-restraint and licentiousness. To restrain oneself from doing good is the work of vice. But to keep from wrong is the beginning of salvation. So the Sabbath, by abstinence from evils, seems to indicate self-restraint. And what, I ask, is it in which man differs from beasts, while the angels of God, on the other hand, are wiser than he? "You made him a little lower than the angels." For some do not interpret this Scripture of the Lord, although He also bore flesh, but of the perfect man and the gnostic, who is inferior in comparison with the angels in time and because of the vesture of the body. I call wisdom, then, nothing but science, since life does not differ from life. For to live is common to mortal nature, that is, to man, and to that to which immortality has been granted. So also are the powers of contemplation and of self-restraint, though one of the two is more excellent. On this ground Pythagoras seems to me to have sa

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

...d progression of the days—first, second, third—if anyone carefully examines which of the seven days Adam died, they will discover it through the Lord's plan. By summing up the entire human race from beginning to end, He also gathered up its death. It is evident that the Lord agreed to death on the day Adam disobeyed God and died. Adam died the same day he ate. God had said, "On the day you eat of it, you will surely die." The Lord, by including Himself on this day, underwent His suffering on the day before the Sabbath, known as the sixth day of creation, when humanity was made. In doing so, He offered a new creation through His suffering, a creation out of death. Some claim Adam died in the thousandth year since "a day of the Lord is as a thousand years," and he died within those years, fulfilling the consequence of his sin. Whether we focus on disobedience as death, or that they were handed over to death and became indebted to it, or the fact that they ate and died on the same day, which is the day of preparation or the sixth day of the feast, on which the Lord also suffered; or whether we note that Adam didn't live past a thousand years but died within that limit, it follows t

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness

...ng God and walk in deceit and empty luxury. So they are ruined by this angel, some being brought to death and others to corruption." I said to him, "Sir, I do not know what these words mean: 'to death, and to corruption.'" He said, "Listen. The sheep you saw happy and jumping around are those who have torn themselves away from God forever and have given themselves over to the luxuries and deceits of this world. Among them there is no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other sins and have blasphemed the name of the Lord. Therefore such people are appointed to death. And the sheep you saw not jumping, but feeding in one place, are those who have given themselves over to luxury and deceit, but have committed no blasphemy against the Lord. These have been turned away from the truth. Among them there is hope of repentance, by which it is possible to live. Corruption, then, has a hope of a kind of renewal, but death has everlasting ruin." Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat fierce in appearance. He was clothed in a white goatskin and had a wallet on his shoulders, a very hard staff with branches, and a large wh

Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness

...r this thought is a great sin in a servant of God. But if anyone commits this wicked deed, he works death for himself. Attend, therefore, and refrain from this thought. For where purity dwells, iniquity ought not to enter the heart of a righteous man." I said to him, "Sir, permit me to ask you a few questions." "Say on," he said. And I said to him, "Sir, if anyone has a wife who trusts in the Lord, and if he discovers her in adultery, does the man sin if he continues to live with her?" And he said to me, "As long as he remains ignorant of her sin, the husband commits no transgression in living with her. But if the husband knows that his wife has gone astray, and if the woman does not repent, but persists in her fornication, and yet the husband continues to live with her, he also is guilty of her crime, and a sharer in her adultery." And I said to him, "What then, sir, is the husband to do, if his wife continues in her vicious practices?" And he said, "The husband should put her away, and remain by himself. But if he puts his wife away and marries another, he also commits adultery." And I said to him, "What if the woman who was put away should repent, and wish to return to her hu

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...n, and in whose mouth there is no fraud." This blessedness came on those who had been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For "love hides the multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 And they are blotted out by Him who desires the repentance rather than the death of a sinner. Ezekiel 33:11 And those are not reckoned that are not the effect of choice. For "he who has lusted has already committed adultery," Matthew 5:28 it is said. And the illuminating Word forgives sins: "And in that time, says the Lord, they shall seek for the iniquity of Israel, and it shall not exist; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." Jeremiah 1:20 "For who is like Me? And who shall stand before My face?" Jeremiah 49:19 You see the one God declared good, rendering according to desert, and forgiving sins. John, too, clearly teaches the differences of sins in his larger Epistle, in these words: "If any man see his brother sin a sin that is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life"—for those who sin not unto death, he says. "For there is a sin unto death: I do not say that one is to pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death." 1 John 5:16-17

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...s, where Jesus is shown by Paul to have been made lower than the angels because of the suffering of death. “We behold Him,” he says, “who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.” And this too must no doubt be added: the creation, in order to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and not least the human race, required the bringing into human nature of a blessed and divine power, which would set right what was wrong on the earth. And this action fell, as it were, to the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit, being unable to support such a task, puts forward the Savior as the only One able to endure such a conflict. Therefore the Father, the principal, sends the Son. But the Holy Spirit also sends Him and directs Him to go before, promising to descend, when the time comes, upon the Son of God, and to work with Him for the salvation of men. This He did when, in bodily form like a dove, He flew to Him after the baptism. He remained on Him and did not pass Him by, as He might have done with men who were not able to bear His glory continually. Thus John, when explaining how he knew who Christ was, spoke not only

Tertullian, Against Praxeas Supporting witness

... He is rather some third substance, very different from either. But the truth is that we find Him clearly presented as both God and Man. The very psalm we quoted indicates, concerning the flesh, that God became man in the midst of it. “He therefore established it by the will of the Father.” Certainly, then, He is in every respect both the Son of God and the Son of Man, being God and Man. No doubt they differ according to each substance and its own special property, since the Word is nothing other than God, and the flesh is nothing other than Man. In this way the apostle also teaches about His two substances, saying, “who was made of the seed of David,” Romans 1:3 and in these words He is Man and Son of Man. And, “who was declared to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit”; in these words He is God, and the Word, the Son of God. We plainly see the twofold condition, not confused but joined in one Person, Jesus, God and Man. As for Christ, I am postponing what I have to say. I remark here that the property of each nature is so fully preserved that the Spirit, on the one hand, did in Jesus all things suitable to itself, such as miracles, mighty deeds, and wonders. And the Flesh

Methodius, From the Discourse on the Resurrection Supporting witness

...ion was made subject to vanity, he says, and he expects that it will be set free from such slavery, since he means this world when he uses the name creation. For it is not what is unseen, but what is seen, that is subject to corruption. Therefore, after creation has been restored to a better and more fitting condition, it remains, rejoicing and exulting over the children of God at the resurrection. For their sake it now groans and labors in birth pains, while it also waits for our redemption from the corruption of the body, so that, when we have risen and cast off the mortality of the flesh, according to what is written, "Shake off the dust, and arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem," Isaiah 52:2, and have been set free from sin, it too shall be freed from corruption and no longer be subject to vanity, but to righteousness. Isaiah also says, "For as the new heaven and the new earth which I make remains before Me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name be." Isaiah 66:22 And again, "Thus says the Lord that created the heaven, it is He who prepared the earth and created it, He established it; He created it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18 For in truth G

Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness

...ion was made subject to vanity, he says, and he expects that it will be set free from such slavery, since he means this world when he uses the name creation. For it is not what is unseen, but what is seen, that is subject to corruption. Then, after the creation has been restored to a better and more fitting condition, it remains, rejoicing and exulting over the children of God at the resurrection. For their sake it now groans and labors in pain, while it also waits for our redemption from the corruption of the body, so that, when we have risen and shaken off the mortality of the flesh, according to what is written, "Shake off the dust, arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem," Isaiah 52:2 and have been set free from sin, it also will be freed from corruption and no longer be subject to vanity, but to righteousness. Isaiah also says, "For as the new heaven and the new earth which I make remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain." Isaiah 66:22 And again, "Thus says the Lord who created heaven, He is the one who prepared the earth and created it, He established it; He created it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18 For in truth God did n

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

Celsus, not observing the difference between after the image of God and God's image, next asserts that the first-born of every creature is the image of God — the very word and truth, and also the very wisdom, being the image of His goodness, while man has been created after the image of God;

Tertullian, On the Flesh of Christ Supporting witness

but he means us to understand likeness to the flesh which sinned, because the flesh of Christ, which committed no sin itself, resembled that which had sinned — resembled it in its nature, but not in the corruption it received from Adam;

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Twelve Topics on the Faith Supporting witness

John 16:33 And this He said, not as holding before us any contest proper only to a God, but as showing our own flesh in its capacity to overcome suffering, and death, and corruption, in order that, as sin entered into the world by flesh, and death came to reign by sin over all men, the sin in the flesh might also be condemned through the selfsame flesh in the likeness thereof;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

For in the same way the sin of the first created man (protoplasti) receives amendment by the correction of the First-begotten, and the coming of the serpent is conquered by the harmlessness of the dove, those bonds being unloosed by which we had been fast bound to death.

Peter of Alexandria, The Genuine Acts of Peter Supporting witness

let him first consider that Christ, the heavenly man, when He appeared, bore the same form of limbs and the same image of flesh as ours, through which also He, who was not man, became man, that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.