Sin and The Fall

The FallLesson AimTo read Genesis ch3 and explore what is known as 'the Fall'.

1Genesis - what's going on?Activity 1 look at Genesis 1 and 2, compare and contrast.Free WillRecap - What is free will?

4Free Will - reminder What is free will?

According to Genesis, humans are made in the image of God. One aspect of this is that they have free will to choose how to act. Humans are not robots or creatures ruled entirely by instinct.5Activity 2Read Genesis Chapter 3

The Fall of ManWhy do you think we refer to Genesis Ch3 as The Fall?

What was the original sin?

What do Christians mean when they talk about original sin?With a PartnerReading Genesis ch3 again, make a list of all the consequences that came from disobeying God - p10

The FallGenesis Ch3 tells the story of man's broken relationship with God and the beginning of disharmony within creation.

11AlienationAlienation refers to the experience of being like a stranger from someone you once knew.12Sin and The FallYou will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." (Genesis 3: 19)

Genesis 3: 119 is an account of how sin and death entered the world. Adam and Eve, as the first humans, lost their life in paradise as a result of their disobedience to Gods commands.

Readings of this passage led Christian thinkers to believe that the sin of Adam and Eve meant the rest of humanity also lost perfection and innocence. It brought suffering and decay into Gods perfect creation. Others have seen the account as a way of explaining disorder and evil in the world as a result of human failure. The world as we know it, with disease and death, was not the world that God created, or intended. Human failings have brought sin and death into creation.Original Sin

Due to Adam and Eves failures in the Garden of Eden, the whole of humanity carries the same stain of sin and suffers and dies. Humanity needs Gods grace in order to be rescued from their situation.

St Augustine saw that human free will was weakened, though not totally destroyed, by sin. Like a pair of unbalanced scales, evil intentions and choices often would, under the influence of original sin, outweigh good intentions and choices.

Original Sin

Original Sin

The Protestant reformer John Calvin, agreed with Augustine. Calvin emphasised the belief that sin had changed humanity and that the image of God had been completely and utterly destroyed.Original SinThe Orthodox Church rejects the idea of inherited sin.

Their view is that human history, culture and society have created a moral climate which teaches human beings to behave sinfully

As a result, all people need Gods help to get out of the mess caused by sin

Biblical Words for Sin

HamartiaThe term can simply be seen as a characters flaw or error. It includes accident and mistake, as well as wrongdoing, error, or sin

Paraptoma

"to go off a path, fall or slip aside."

When it is applied to moral and ethical issues it means to deviate from the right way, to wander.

AdikiaLiterally unrighteousWarped, deviated, not what is was intended to beAnomiaThe state of lawlessnessIgnorance and disobedience to Gods law

SinTo sum it up, to sin is to: - Consistently fall short of Gods standardsBreak Gods divine lawLive an unrighteous lifeWalk on the wrong path

CopyFor Catholic and Protestants, original sin describes the condition of spiritual sickness into which we are all born. As a result of the Fall of Man, we have inherited sin from Adam and Eve.

Orthodox Christians dont accept the idea that we are born sinful. Sin is something we learn to do as we grow up in the fallen world.The Human ConditionThe consequences of The FallAlienation from God

If you are alienated from someone, you are like a stranger to him or her. At the fall, humanity was alienated from God. They could only hope for reconciliation brought about by God. Without that move, humanity could not fulfill their purpose to be in relationship with God.(b) Alienation from each otherAdam tries to blame Eve for his disobedience. Eve then blames the serpent. Neither wants to take responsibility for their actions. Humans are set against each other and all of creation.

The Effect of SinYou will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." (Genesis 3: 19)

The source reveals that humanitys disobedience will lead to death.

In the source from Genesis we have seen that humanity sinned when it disobeyed God and acted from self-interest. The breaking of Gods laws is also a result of humanitys sin. Sin in the Bible

27Whether they believe the historical account of the Genesis story or not, the story of The Fall does serve to provide some Christians with a framework to try and understand human free choice and the connection of all humanity with sin.

The root of sin, suffering and death is humanitys wrong moral choices and disobedience.

Genesis Chapter 1 (Christian belief: the nature of human beings)Identifying beliefs from sourcesInstructionsBy reading the text, try to identify key Christian beliefs that have their origins in different parts of Genesis

29Genesis Chapters 13 (Christian belief: the fallen nature of human beings)Genesis source Key Christian beliefGen 2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.Gen 3:1 He said to the woman, Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden? Gen 3:10 Adam said I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.30Points of View

Religious art has been used throughout Christian history to express the beliefs of the Church. Examples of this work can be used to help learners understand the beliefs of a faith community.

The story of Adam and Eve is rich in religious art, having inspired many great works. This activity focuses on one of these paintings, Fall by Johan Rudolph Thiele . While many of the paintings of the Fall try to make sense of the events this painting tries to tell the whole story of the Human Condition from Fall to Salvation and the means by which that Salvation comes.

Genesis Chapters 13 (Christian belief: the fallen nature of human beings)Genesis Chapters 13 (Christian belief: the fallen nature of human beings)

Genesis Chapters 13 (Christian belief: the fallen nature of human beings)

JesusThe crossAdamAnimals (created beings)EveThe snakeThe treeThe fruitGenesis Chapters 13 (Christian belief: the fallen nature of human beings)JesusThe crossAdamAnimals (created beings)EveThe snakeThe treeThe appleWhat does it say about how Christians see the world? What does it suggest about whether God creates humanity different from the rest of the animals?Is it significant that the snake is separate as well?Do Christians today see the same significance?Is it coincidental for Christians that they believe the Fall came from a fruit from a tree and that Salvation comes from a man dying on a cross of wood?

What is happening in this image?

The agony and despair upon Adam and Eves faces shows the shame they felt after betraying the Lord, giving into the temptation of the Serpent and eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and EvilBehind them, an angel(within the bible it is cherubim, meaning more than one) holds a sword and points into the desert where Adam and Eve would live our their lives until their death, away from Paradise. Adam covers his face as Eve cries out in sadness, covering herself in modesty. The Human Condition - SummaryCopy into jotter: So the human condition isA state of alienation (being hostile or estranged / separated)

from Godfrom other humansfrom ourselves from creation / natureWhy are we in this state of alienation?

Christians say: because of SIN

What is sin?Sin.An inner tendency to go our own way rather than Gods.Activity 5Read the two views on original sin from the worksheet and answer the questions in your jotter.

What is the Human Condition?Human beings are created good by God but they suffer and die.

God one creator, Gods relationship with human beings, humans created good, imago dei stewards of creation, moral conscience, Gods gift of freewillSource: Gen 1: 1-2, 25What is the cause of the human condition?The Fall suffering and death are a result of human disobedience, disobedience is the result of the misuse of freewill.Sin the nature and effects of sin; alienation through sin can be overcome because of the fulfilment of Gods promise of salvation.2 different understandings of the Fall literal / mythical etc.Source: Gen 3 1-24Exam QuestionAccording to Christians, how did sin come into the world and what are its effects? (8marks)

Copy and CompleteThe Christian view of human nature is a depressing and negative one. What do you think?

God gave humans free will and then got angry with their choice. Thats not fair! What do you think?

Activity 5Read worksheet on Sin and the Fallcomplete all questions

!!! HOMEWORK TASK You have one week

Design a piece of artwork entitled Sin. A collage of images might work have a look at paintings by Salvador Dali or Hieronymus Bosch for ideas.