Hamartiology Flashcards
13) List 6 reasons for the contemporary difficulty in addressing the issue of hamartiology.
a. Sin is an unpleasant subject.
b. Sin is a foreign concept to many people.
c. There is little understanding of the holiness of God and His standards and authority.
d. People go to great lengths to avoid shame and guilt.
e. There is diminishing understanding of personal culpability.
f. There is little attention focused upon the inner man.
14) Give 4 biblical examples of excusing/avoiding sin (see class notes).
a. Gen 3:11-13 - Blame shifting
b. Jer 6:14 - Ignoring/Denying sin
c. Is 5:20 - Redefining sin
d. Rom 1:32 - Celebrating sin
e. 1 Thess 5:3 - Sin’s foreign nature
15) Explain the origin of sin. Where did sin come from and who is responsible for it? Give significant biblical support in your answers.
a. God is not the author or creator of sin. God did not sin. God cannot sin.
* Deut 32:4
* Gen 18:25
* Ps 5:4
* Job 34:10
* Hab 1:13
* Jms 1:13
b. God is sovereign over all things including sin and its entrance into the world.
* Job 1:7-8
* Eph 1:11
* Acts 2:23
* “The origin of sin is a mystery; it is not from God, and at the same time it is not excluded from his counsel” (Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 3:25).
c. Satan’s fall and his provoking of others to sin
* Gen 3:1, 4
* Jn 8:44
* 1 Jn 3:8
* Job 1:7-12
* Rev 12:7-9
d. The origin of sin in the world and within man
* Gen 3:1-7
* Rom 5:12, 17-19
16) Be able to list and explain 6 wrong approaches to understanding sin.
a. Empirical Observation (Data)
b. Philosophical Speculation (Dumb thinking)
c. Materialistic Causation (Default)
d. Environmental Determinism (Determined)
e. Moral Relativism (De-objectified)
f. Intentional Ignoring (Dismissing)
g. (Data, Dumb, Default, Determined, De-Objectified, Dismissing)
implications of Genesis 3 for hamartiology.
a. It explains why there is sin in the world.
b. It explains why there is death in the world.
c. It explains why there is difficulty in life (disease, difficulty, conflict, etc.)
d. It explains why there is relational conflict in life.
e. It explains why man is in eternal trouble—“separated” from God.
f. It explains why man needs a Savior.
g. It explains why God did what He did and is doing what He is doing.
18) Be prepared to identify biblical terminology for sin (as given in class notes).
a. חטא (chata’) The most general term used in the OT and is often translated sin. It refers to deviation or missing the mark and is often used in reference to moral failure or falling short of God’s standard.
b. רעע (ra’) That which is evil, bad or to do that which is evil or bad.
c. פשׁע (pesa) Spiritual rebellion, transgression
d. עבר (‘abar) Trespass or transgress, crossing over a boundary
e. מעל (m’al) unfaithfulness, spiritual infidelity
f. אָוֶן (awon) disaster, injustice, iniquity, guilt
g. ἁμαρτία/ ἁμαρτάνω (hamartia/hamartano) The most general terms used in the NT and often translated sin or to sin. It refers to departure from standards or missing the mark.
h. παράβασις/ παραβαίνω (parabasis/parabaino) To transgress, step over the line, go aside over the boundary.
i. ἀδικία/ἀδικέω (adikia/adikeo) Unrighteousness, be unrighteous, pursue unrighteousness.
j. πλάνη/πλανάω (plane/planao) To wander, error.
k. ἀνομία (anomia) Lawless, lawlessness.
l. κακός (kakos) Bad, evil.
List wrong/incomplete definitions of sin.
a. Any definition of sin must take into account the following realities:
i. God and His Character.
ii. God’s righteous standard.
iii. lack of conformity to God’s perfect and righteous standard in any way (act, attitude, will, nature, etc.).
iv. The lack of conformity to God’s perfect and righteous standards is not good.
b. Wrong Definitions:
i. Sin is selfishness
ii. Sin is an illusion
iii. Sin is finiteness—to be human is to sin
iv. Sin is sensuality
v. Sin is unbelief
vi. Sin is lawlessness
vii. Sin is ignorance
20) Biblically explain and defend total inability.
a. Key Scripture
i. Jer 13:23 Leopard spots
ii. Mt 19:25-26 Impossible with man
iii. John 3:1-8
iv. Rom 5:6
v. Eph 2:1
vi. 1 Cor 2:14 (Spiritually discerned)
b. Total Inability Summarized:
i. Man is spiritually dead in sin.
ii. Man is spiritually blind to truth.
iii. Man is spiritually helpless in sin.
21) What is the difference between mortal sins and venial sins? Is this a biblical way to distinguish sin?
a. Mortal Sin
i. RCC: Sin of grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent.
b. Venial Sin
i. RCC: “An offense against God which does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace. It is called venial (from venia, pardon) because the soul still has the vital principle that allows a cure from within, similar to the healing of a sick or diseased body whose source of animation (the soul) is still present to restore the ailing bodily function to health” (John A. Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary).
22) What is the sin leading to death?
a. “sin leading to death.” Such a sin could be any premeditated and unconfessed sin that causes the Lord to determine to end a believer’s life. (MSB)
Explain and defend the reality of total depravity
a. Matt 10:28 (Destroy Body and soul in hell)
b. Ps 51:5
c. Eph 2:1-3
d. 1 Kings 8:46
e. Ps 143:2
f. Prov 20:9
g. Is 53:6
h. Rom 3:10-12
i. Rom 3:23
j. Nature – Rom 5:12
k. Heart - Eph 4:18
l. Mind – 1 Cor 2:14, Eph 4:17-19
m. Will – Eph 4:19
n. Emotion – Rom 1:29-32
o. Body – Psalm 31:10
