Humankind & Ancestral Sin
- James Collazo
- Jul 1, 2022
- 6 min read
Introduction
Three main theological views describe the fall of Adam and Eve—and the human condition that followed: ancestral sin, original sin, and original blessing. The most common view in Western churches is original sin, which teaches that human nature became morally and ethically corrupted when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. In contrast, the doctrine of ancestral sin was dominant in the early church before Augustine of Hippo developed the doctrine of original sin. This earlier view emphasized human death and God's compassion as humanity's inheritance from Adam, while Augustine's teaching on original sin shifted the focus to human guilt and God's wrath. He further developed the doctrine of original sin in part to defend infant baptism, a practice that differed from the early church's original approach (see "Baptism: Immersed in Christ").
Augustine believed that if infants inherit God's condemnation for original sin from their parents, they must be baptized to prevent that corruption from spreading throughout their lives. According to this view, humanity's image of God (Latin: imago Dei), which all people shared before Adam and Eve's fall (Gen. 1:26–27), became deeply marred. In the sixteenth century, John Calvin expanded this idea, arguing that humans are totally depraved—so affected by sin that we are unable to seek God on our own (see "God's Will & Our Free Choices").
Conversely, original blessing teaches that we still possess the image of God and retain libertarian free will, allowing us to know and choose God without being bound by sin. Theologians often associate this view with Pelagius, a theological nemesis to Augustine. Nevertheless, Augustine rejected the doctrine of original blessing, arguing that the human will is enslaved to sin apart from divine grace. However, biblical theology presents a balanced view known as ancestral sin, the dominant belief of the early church for over three centuries before Augustine and Pelagius. It teaches that humanity inherits a sinful nature through genealogical influence rather than genetic corruption, viewing the human condition as one in need of healing and restoration rather than guilt and punishment.
Christ: The Healer of Ancestral Sin
The incarnation itself testifies that, though deeply marred by sin, humanity remained capable of being assumed by the Son of God. The evangelist John declares, "The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father's only son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Augustine taught that the fall profoundly distorted humanity's image of God and that original sin is transmitted to every person through ordinary human generation. Augustine's thought was shaped in part by the Platonic tradition, which taught that the physical world reflects a higher spiritual reality in a corrupted form. There are many Evangelicals, however, who distinguish between a spiritual inclination to sin and a physical one, maintaining that original sin depends on both. Church leaders often point to Psalm 51, where King David laments, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Ps. 51:5). Yet his words are poetic hyperbole, expressing deep remorse for his sin with Bathsheba—not a doctrinal claim about the loss of the divine image.
Bondage of the Will
For this reason, libertarian free will apart from divine grace is impossible. The apostle Paul writes: "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7–8). Without God, we cannot achieve righteousness. That is why Jesus atoned for our sins and offered salvation to all who believe in him. Paul further explains: "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:21–23). Through his grace, God restores humanity to righteousness—not by our effort or merit, but through faith in Christ and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
Humankind: Inclined Yet Redeemable
Paul warns us: "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good" (2 Tim. 3:1–5). Here, Paul reveals humanity's innate inclination toward sin, known in Hebrew as yetzer ha-ra (H3336 / H7451), meaning "evil inclination." This condition reflects the fallen nature that opposes God's will. Paul also contrasted Adam and Jesus, emphasizing the redemptive power of grace over sin: "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!" (Rom. 5:17). Through Adam, sin and death entered the world; through Christ, grace and righteousness restore life. Though our nature leans toward sin, God's grace through Jesus enables us to live in his righteousness. Yet whenever we try to do God's will on our own, self-interest causes us to fall short, revealing our need for divine grace.
Radical, Not Total, Depravity
Paul's warning also shows that humanity has both a tendency to sin and a desire to seek God. Therefore, human depravity is not total in the Augustinian or Calvinist sense but rather radical, meaning that sin deeply affects us without erasing our longing for good. The human drive for law, justice, fairness, and peace—the yetzer ha-tov (H3336 / H2896), or "good inclination"—remains, though we often corrupt these ideals through selfish motives and flawed methods. Jesus, however, was perfect and without sin, always obeying God's will without inserting his own desires (John 10:30–38). He alone fulfilled God's will completely, yet he also gives believers the power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse the sinful nature and grow in holiness through sanctification (see "Salvation: The Romans Road").
Source of Evil
Where, then, does evil come from if our depravity is not total but only radical? Augustine taught that humans pass sin to every generation through conception and birth. However, God created sexual union to be good and pure between husband and wife, so we must not call something he made good "evil." Wickedness does not come from God's design but from how people use their freedom. God, in his wisdom, saw every possible choice each person could make, yet chose to create a world where we could freely love and obey him. In the Acts of the Apostles, the evangelist Luke writes: "From one man, he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us" (Acts 17:26–27).
The ancestral tension between blessing and sin began with the fall, but God never abandoned humanity. Through sanctification, the Holy Spirit gradually restores the whole goodness that the Father intended for us. Evil arises from human free will (Rom. 1:30), which remains bound to sin's power. However, when Jesus saves, he frees us from that bondage. Scripture promises: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). While it is vital to teach humanity's fall, it is equally important to show how God's grace restores us to righteousness.
Bibliography
Monographs
Juster, Daniel. Jewish Roots: Understanding Your Jewish Faith. 2nd ed. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2013.
Edited Volumes
Danker, Ryan N., ed. The Faith Once Delivered: A Wesleyan Witness to Christian Orthodoxy. Alexandria, VA: John Wesley Institute, 2022.
Perszyk, Ken, ed. Molinism: The Contemporary Debate. Oxford Studies in Analytic Theology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Reference Works
Attridge, Harold W., ed. The NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible, Revised and Updated with Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2006.
Brickhouse, Thomas, and Nicholas D. Smith. "Plato."↗ Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. University of Tennessee at Martin.
Holder, R. Ward. "John Calvin."↗ Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. University of Tennessee at Martin.
Journal Articles
Hughes, Antony. "Ancestral Versus Original Sin: An Overview with Implications for Psychotherapy."↗ Journal of Psychology and Christianity 23, no. 3 (2004): 271–77. Reposted at St. Mary Orthodox Church.
Online Resources
Spitzer, Jeffrey. "The Birth of the Good Inclination."↗ My Jewish Learning.
Strickland, Michael. "Original Sin or Ancestral Sin?"↗ Renew Network.
West, Steven D. "The Freedom and Bondage of the Will."↗ The Gospel Coalition. January 14, 2020.
