Last time, we explored the story of Cain and Abel and ended with Cain banished to wander, cast away from family and God’s presence. Yet, as we’ll see today, the story takes an interesting turn. Cain does not end up wandering in perpetuity, but rather settles down, builds the first city, and establishes a strong … Continue reading Two Houses, Not alike in Dignity: Genesis 4.17-26
Before last week’s side-quest looking at how ideas of the fall and original sin evolved over time, we left Adam and Eve facing their new life outside the garden, armed with new knowledge and moral reasoning, but facing a whole new world of trouble. Today their narrative continues with the tragic story of their first … Continue reading Things Fall Further Apart: Genesis 4.1-16
Proponents of the classic Western Christian teaching of original sin, as articulated in the thought of Augustine of Hippo and later championed by John Calvin and the Reformed tradition, often act as if it’s the the clear implication of Genesis 3 (and Romans 5), and that to deny their doctrine is tantamount to denying the … Continue reading Excursus on the Fall and Original Sin, Part 3: Christian History
In part one of this side-quest on the relationship between Genesis 3 and the doctrines of the Fall and original sin, we looked at how the Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and New Testament understood the consequences of Adam’s sin. We saw that, while there was nothing in the way of a set ‘doctrine’ in … Continue reading Excursus on the Fall and Original Sin, Part 2: An Integral Study of Romans 5.12-21
If we were to summarize the reading of Genesis 2-3 that emerged over the course of the past few posts, it would be something like this: It teaches that God's intention for human beings is wholly good, but that they can be led astray by subtle temptations; and that, while disobedience to God, which is … Continue reading Excursus on the Fall and Original Sin, Part 1: Second Temple Judaism and the New Testament
Matthew Root 