original sin according to saint paul

8/12/2019 Original Sin According to Saint Paul

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Original Sin According to Saint Paul John S. RomanidesThis article originally appeared in the St. Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly , Vol. IV, Nos. 1 and 2, 1955-6.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Fallen CreationII. The Justice of God and LaIII. The !estin" of #an and Anthro$olog"

a. The !estin" of #an%. Anthro$olog" of St. Paul

S"nthetic O%ser&ations

Concluding 'e(ar)s

In regard to the doctrine of original sin as contained in the Old Testament and illumnated by theunique revelation of Christ in the New Testament, there continues to reign in the denominationsof the West--especially since the development of scholastic presuppositions--a great confusion,which in the last few centuries seems to have gained much ground in the theologicalproblematics of the Orthodo !ast" In some circles this problem has been dressed in a halo ofmystifying vagueness to such an etent that even some Orthodo theologians seem to epectone to accept the doctrine of original sin simply as a great and profound mystery of faith #e"g",$ndroutsos, Dogmatike , pp" %&%-%&'(" This has certainly become a paradoical attitude,especially since these Christians who cannot point their fingers at this enemy of man)ind arethe same people who illogically claim that in Christ there is remission of this un)nown originalsin" This is a far cry from the certitude of *t" +aul, who, of the devil himself, claimed that we arenot ignorant of his thoughts #noemata(" * .

If one is to vigorously and consistently maintain that /esus Christ is the unique *avior Who has

brought salvation to a world in need of salvation, one obviously must )now what is the nature ofthe need which provo)ed this salvation" + . It would, indeed, seem foolish to have medicaldoctors trained to heal sic)ness if there were no such thing as sic)ness in the world" 0i)ewise, asavior who claims to save people in need of no salvation is a savior only unto himself"

1ndoubtedly, one of the most important causes of heresy is the failure to understand the eactnature of the human situation described by the Old and New Testaments, to which the historicalevents of the birth, teachings, death, resurrection and second coming of Christ are the onlyremedy" The failure to understand this automatically implies a perverted understanding of whatit is that Christ did and continues to do for us, and what our subsequent relation is to Christ andneighbor within the realm of salvation" The importance of a correct definition of original sin andits consequences can never be eaggerated" $ny attempt to minimi2e its importance or alter itssignificance automatically entails either a wea)ening or even a complete misunderstanding of

the nature of the Church, sacraments and human destiny"

The temptation facing every inquiry into the thought of *t" +aul and the other $postolic writers isto approach their writings with definite, although many times unconscious, presuppositionscontrary to the 3iblical witness" If one approaches the 3iblical testimony to the wor) of Christand the life of the primitive community with predetermined metaphysical notions concerning themoral structure of what most would call the natural world, and, by consequence, with fied ideasconcerning human destiny and the needs of hte individual and humanity in general, he willundoubtedly ta)e from the faith and life of the ancient Church only such aspects as fit his ownframe of reference" Then, if he wishes to be consistent in representing his own interpretation ofthe *criptures as authentic, he will necessarily proceed to eaplain away everything etraneousto his concepts as secondary and superficial, or simply as the product of somemisunderstanding on the part of certain $postles or a group of 4athers, or even the wholeprimitive Church in general"
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$ proper approach to the New Testament teaching of *t" +aul concerning original sin cannot beone-sided" It is incorrect, for eample, to emphasi2e, in 5omans 67%', the phrase, ephhopantes hemarton , by trying to ma)e it fit any certain system of thought concerning moral lawand guilt without first establishing the importance of *t" +aul8s beliefs concerning the powers of*atan and the true situation not only of man, but of all creation" It is also wrong to deal with theproblem of the transmission of original sin within the framewor) of dualistic anthropology while

at the same time completely ignoring the 9ebraic foundations of *t" +aul8s anthropology"0i)ewise, and attempt to interpret the 3iblical doctrine of the fall in terms of a hedonisticphilosophy of happiness is already doomed to failure because of its refusal to recogni2e not onlythe abnormality but, more important, the consequences of death and corruption"

$ correct approach to the +auline doctrine of original sin must ta)e into consideration *t" +aul8sunderstanding of #%( the fallen state of creation, including the powers of *atan, death andcorruption, #'( the :ustice of ;od and law, and #


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personal guilt in the transmission of original sin, *t" $ugustine introduced a false moralisticphilosophical approach which is foreign to the thin)ing of *t" +aul *2 . and which was notaccepted by the patristic tradition of the !ast" +3 .

4or *t" +aul, *atan is not simply a negative power in the universe" 9e is personal with will, +* .

with thoughts, ++ . and with methods of deception, +, . against whom Christians must wage and

intense battle +- . because they can still be tempted by him" + . 9e is active in a dynamicmanner, +/ . fighting for the destruction of creation and not simply waiting passively in arestricted corner to accept those who happen to rationally decide not to follow ;od and themoral laws inherent in a natural universe" *atan is even capable of transforming himself into anangel of light +0 . " 9e has at his disposal miraculous powers of perversion +1 . and has as co-wor)ers whole armies of invisible powers" +2 . 9e is the god of this age, ,3 . the one whodeceived the first woman" ,* . It is he who led man ,+ . and all of creation into the path of deathand corruption" ,, .

The power of death and corruption, according to +aul, is not negative, but on the contrary,positively active" The sting of death is sin, ,- . which in turn reigns in death" , . Not only man,but all creation has been yo)ed under its tyranni2ing power ,/ . and is now awaiting redemption"Creation itself shall also be delivered from the slavery of corruption" ,0 .$long with the final

destruction of all the enemies of ;od, death--the last and probably the greatest enemy--will bedestroyed" ,1 . Then death will be swallowed up in victory" ,2 . 4or *t" +aul, the destruction ofdeath is parallel to the destruction of the devil and his forces" *alvation from the one is salvationfrom the other" -3 .

It is obvious from *t" +aul8s epressions concerning fallen creation, *atan, and death, that thereis no room in his thin)ing for any type of metaphysical dualism, of departmentali2ation whichwould ma)e of this world and intermediary domain which for man is merely a stepping stoneleading either into the presence of ;od or into the )ingdom of *atan" The idea of a three storyuniverse, whereby ;od and 9is company of saints and angels occupy the top floor, the devil thebasement, and man in the flesh the middle, has no room in +auline theology" 4or +aul, all threeorders of eistence interpenetrate" There is no such thing as a middle world of neutrality where

man can live according to natural law and then be :udged for a life of happiness in the presenceof ;od or for a life of torment in the pits of outer dar)ness" On the contrary, all of creation is thedomain of ;od, Who 9imself cannot be tainted with evil" 3ut in 9is domain there are other willswhich 9e has created, which can choose either the )ingdom of ;od or the )ingdom of deathand destruction"

In spite of the fact that creation is of ;od and essentially good, the devil at the same time hasparasitically transformed this same creation of ;od into a temporary )ingdom for himself" -* .

The devil, death, and sin are reigning in this world and not in another" 3oth the )ingdom ofdar)ness and )ingdom of light are battling hand to hand in the same place" 4or this reason, theonly true victory possible over the devil is the resurrection of the dead" -+ . There is no escapefrom the battlefield" The only choice possible for every man is either to fight the devil by activelysharing in the victory of Christ, or to accept the deceptions of the devil by wanting to believe that

all goes well and everything is normal" -, .

'eturn .

II. The Justice of God and La

It is obvious, according to what has been said about *t" +aul8s views concerning the non-dualistic nature of fallen creation, that for +aul there cannot eist any system of moral lawsinherent in a natural and normal universe" Therefore, what man accepts as :ust and goodaccording to his observations of human relationships within society and nature cannot beconfused with the :ustice of ;od" The :ustice of ;od has been revealed uniquely and fully only inChrist" -- . No man has the right to substitute his own conception of :ustice for that of ;od" - .

The :ustice of ;od as revealed in Christ does not operate according to ob:ective rules ofconduct, -/ . but rather according to the personal relationships of faith and love" -0 . The law is
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not made for a :ust man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners""" -1 . >et the law is not evil, but good -2 . and even spiritual" 3 . 9owever, it is not enough" It is of atemporary and pedagogical nature, * . and in Christ must be fulfilled + . and surpassed bypersonalistic love, according to the image of ;od8s love as revealed in Christ" , . 4aith and lovein Christ must be personal" for this reason, faith without love is empty" Though I have all faith,so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing" - . 0i)ewise, acts of faith

bereft of love are of no avail" Though I bestow all my goods and though I give my body to beburned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing" .

There is no life in the following of ob:ective rules" If there were such a possibility of receiving lifeby living according to law, there would be no need of redemption in Christ" 5ighteousnessshould have been by the law" / . If a law was given capable of giving life 0 . then salvation,and not a promise, was bestowed upon $braham" 1 . 3ut life does not eist in the law" It israther of essence of ;od, Who alone hath immortality" 2 . Only ;od can bestow life and this9e does freely, according to his own will, /3 . in 9is own way, and at the time of 9is ownchoosing" /* .

On the other hand, it is a grave mista)e to ma)e the :ustice of ;od responsible for death andcorruption" Nowhere does +aul attribute the beginnings of death and corruption to ;od" On the

contrary, nature was sub:ected to vanity and corruption by the devil, /+ . who through the sin anddeath of the first man managed to lodge himself parasitically within creation, of which he wasalready a part but at first not yet its tyrant" 4or +aul, the transgression of the first man openedthe way for the entrance of death into the world, /, . but this enemy /- . is certainly not thefinished product of ;od" Neither can the death of $dam, or even of each man, be consideredthe outcome of any decision of ;od to punish" / . *t" +aul never suggests such an idea"

To get at the basic presuppositions of 3iblical thin)ing, one must abandon any :uridical schemeof human :ustice which demands punishment and rewards according to ob:ective rules ofmorality" To approach the problem of original sin in such a naive manner as to say that to!tlecte!r sense concil!ra "!!ne penalite comm!ne impli"!e !ne o##ense comm!ne , and thatthus all share in the guilt of $dam, // . is to ignore the true nature of the :ustice of ;od and deny

and real power to the devil"

The relationships which eist among ;od, man and the devil are not according to rules andregulations, but according to personalistic freedom" The fact that there are laws forbidding onefrom )illing his neighbor does not imply the impossibility of )illing not only one, but hundreds ofthousands of neighbors" If man can disregard rules and regulations of good conduct, certainlythe devil cannot be epected to follow such rules if he can help it" *t" +aul8s version of the devilis certainly not that of one who is simply obeying general rules of nature and carrying out the willof ;od by punishing souls in hell" @uite on the contrary, he is fighting ;od dynamically bymeans of all possible deception, trying by all his cunning and power to destroy the wor)s of;od" /0 . Thus salvation for man and creation cannot come by a simple act of forgiveness of any:uridical imputation of sin, nor can it come by any payment of satisfaction to the devil #Origen( orto ;od #5ome(" *alvation can come only by the destruction of the devil and his power" /1 .

Thus, according to *t" +aul, it is ;od 9imself Who has destroyed principalities and powers bynailing the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us, to the cross of Christ" /2 . ;od wasin Christ, reconciling the world to 9imself, not imputing to them their offences" 03 . although wewere in sin, ;od did not hold this against us, but has declared 9is own :ustice to those whobelieve in Christ" 0* . The :ustice of ;od is not according to that of men, which operates by thelaw of wor)s" 0+ . 4or *t" +aul, the :ustice of ;od and the love of ;od are not to be separated forthe sa)e of any :uridical doctrine of atonement" The :ustice of ;od and the love of ;od asrevealed in Christ are the same thing" In 5omans


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creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even 9iseternal power and ;odhead 0- . --Wherefore ;od also gave them up to uncleanness throughthe desires of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves""" 0 . andagain, ;od gave them over to reprobate mind" 0/ . This does not mean that god caused themto become what they are, but rather that 9e gave them up as being completely lost to corruptionand the power of the devil" One must also interpret other similar passages in li)e manner" 00 .

This giving up by ;od of people who have already become hardened in their hearts against 9iswor)s is not restricted to the gentiles, but etends, also, to /ews" 01 . 4or not the hearers of thelaw are :ust before ;od, but the doers of the law shall be :ustified" 02 .$nd, 4or as many ashave sinned in the law shall be :udged by the law" 13 . The gentiles, however, even though theyare not under the ?osaic law, are not ecused from the responsibility of personal sin, for they,having not the law, are a law unto themselves, who shew the wor) of the law written in theirhearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and amongst themselves accusing or elseecusing their thoughts" 1* .$t the last :udgment, all men, whether under the law or not,whether hearers of Christ or not, shall be :udged by Christ according to the ;ospel as preachedby +aul, 1+ . and not according to any system of natural laws" !ven though the invisible things of;od from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that aremade, even 9is eternal power and ;odhead, there is still no such thing as moral law inherent

in the universe" The gentiles who have not the law but who do by nature the things containedin the law are not abiding by any natural system of moral laws in the universe" They rathershew the wor) of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness" 9ere,again, one sees +aul8s conception of personal relationships between ;od and man" ;od hathshewed it unto them, 1, . and it is ;od Who is still spea)ing to fallen man outside of the law,through the conscience and in the heart, which for +aul is the center of man8s thoughts, 1- . andfor members of the body of Christ the dwelling place of the 9oly *pirit 1 . and Christ" 1/ .

'eturn .

III. The !estin" of #an and Anthro$olog"

3efore ma)ing any attempt to determine the meaning of original sin according to what has beensaid thus far, it is necessary to eamine *t" +aul8s conception of the destiny of man and hisanthropology"

'eturn .
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(a) The Destiny of Man

It would be nonsense to try to read into +aul8s theology a conception of human destiny whichaccepts the aspirations and desires of what one would call natural man as normal" It is normalfor natural man to see) security and happiness in the acquisition and possession of ob:ective

goods" The scholastic theologians of the West have often used these aspirations of natural manas proof that he is instinctively see)ing after the $bsolute, the possession of which is the onlypossible state of complete happiness, that is, a state wherein it is impossible to desire anythingmore because nothing better eists" This hedonistic type of approach to human destiny is, ofcourse, possible only for those who accept death and corruption either as normal or, at most, asthe outcome of a decision of ;od to punish" If those who accept ;od as the ultimate source ofdeath were to really attribute sin to the powers of corruption, they would in effect be ma)ing ;od9imself the source of sin and evil"

4or *t" +aul, there is no such thing as normality for those who have not put on Christ" Thedestiny of man and creation cannot be deducted from observations of the life of fallen man andcreation" Nowhere does +aul call on Christians to live a life of security and happiness accordingto the ways of this world" On the contrary, he calls on Christians to die to this world and thebody of sin, 10 . and even to suffer in the ;ospel, according to the power of ;od" 11 . +aul claimsthat all who want to live godly lives in Christ /esus shall be persecuted" 12 . This is hardly thelanguage of one who is see)ing security and happiness" 23 . Nor is it possible to suppose that for+aul such sufferings without love could be considered as the means to reach one8s destiny" Thiswould fall under the category of payment for wor)s and not eh personal relationships of faithand love" 2* .

*t" +aul does not believe that human destiny consists simply in becoming conformed to therules and regulations of nature, which supposedly remain unchanged from the beginning oftime" The relationship of the Aivine Will to human wills is not one of :uridical or hedonisticsubmission of the one to the other #as *t" $ugustine and the scholastics thought(, but rather oneof personal love" *t" +aul claims that we are co-wor)ers of ;od" 2+ . Our relationship of love

with ;od is such that in Christ there is now no longer need for law" If ye be led by the *pirit yeare not under the law" 2, . The members of the body of Christ are not called on to live on thelevel of impersonal ordinances, but are now epected to live according to the love of ;od asrevealed in Christ, which needs no laws because it see)s not its own, 2- . but strives to emptyitself for others in the image of the love of Christ" 2 .

The love and :ustice of ;od have been revealed once and for all in Christ 2/ . by the destructionof the devil 20 . and the deliverance of man from the body of death and sin, 21 . so that man mayactually become an imitator of ;od 9imself, 22 . Who has predestined 9is elect to becomeconformed to the image of 9is *on, *33 . who did nothing to please 9imself but suffered forothers" *3* . Christ died so that the living should no longer live unto themselves, *3+ . but shouldbecome perfect men, even unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" *3, .

Christians are no longer to live according to the rudiments of this world, as though living in this

world, *3- . but are to have the same mind as Christ, *3 . so that in Christ they may becomeperfect" *3/ . ?en are no longer to love their wives according to the world, but must love theirwives eactly as Christ loved the Church and gave 9imself for it" *30 . The destiny of man isnot happiness and self-satisfaction, *31 . but rather perfection in Christ" ?an must becomeperfect, as ;od *32 . and Christ are perfect" **3 . such perfection can come only through thepersonalistic power of divine and selfless love, *** . which is the bond of perfection" **+ . Thislove is not to be confused with the love of fallen man who see)s his own" **, . 0ove in Christdoes not see) its own, but that of the other" **- .

To become perfect according to the image of Christ is not restricted to the realm of love, butforms and inseparable part of the salvation of the total man and creation ali)e" ?an8s body ofhumility will be transformed to become conformed to Christ8s body of glory" ** . man isdestined to become, li)e Christ, perfect according to the body also" 9e Who raised Christ fromthe dead shall bring to life also your mortal bodies by 9is *pirit which dwells in you" **/ .
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*t" +aul claims that death is the enemy **0 . which came into the world and passed unto all menthrough the sin of one man" **1 . not only many, but all of creation became sub:ect to corruption" **2 . The sub:ugation of man and creation to the power of the devil and death was obviously atemporary frustration of the original destiny of man and creation" It is false to read into +aul8sstatements about the first and second $dams the idea that $dam would have died even thoughhe had not sinned, simply because the first $dam was made eis psychen $osan --which

epression, according to *t" +aul8s usage within the contet, clearly means mortal" *+3 .

$damcould very well have been created not naturally immortal, but if he had not sinned there is noreason to believe that he would not have become immortal by nature" *+* . This is certainlyimplied by the etraordinary powers *t" +aul attributes to death and corruption"

'eturn .

(b) Anthropology of St. Paul

$s we have said, for *t" +aul, the law is good *++ . and even spiritual" *+, .$ccording to the innerman this is obvious" *+- . 3ut in spite of the fact that he can possess the will to do goodaccording to the law he cannot find the power to do the good *+ . because he is carnal and soldunder sin" *+/ . If he himself, according to the inner man, wants to do good but cannot, it is nolonger he who does the evil, but sin that dwelleth in him" *+0 . *o he as)s, O wretched man that IamB who will deliver me from the body of this death *+1 . To be delivered from the body of thisdeath is to be saved from the power of sin dwelling in the flesh" Thus, the law of the spirit oflife in Christ /esus has liberated me from the law of sin and death" *+2 .

It is misleading to try to interpret this section *,3 . of +aul according to a dualistic anthropology,which would ma)e the term, sarkikos , refer only to the lower appetites of the body--andespecially of the seual desires--to the eclusion of the soul" The word, sarkikos , is not used by+aul in such a contet" !lsewhere, *t" +aul reminds married people that they have not authorityover their own bodies and so should not deprive one another, unless it be with consent for atime that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again that *atan maynot tempt you for your incontinency" *,* . *,+ . To the Corinthians he declare that they are an

epistle written not with in), but with the spirit of the living ;od, not in tables of stone, but infleshly tables of the heart-- en pla%i kardias sarkinais " *,, . Christ was )nown according to theflesh *,- . and ;od was manifested in the flesh" *, . *t" +aul as)s whether, if he has plantedspiritual things amongst the Corinthians, it is such a great thing if he shall reap the sarkika *,/ . "Nowhere does he use the ad:ective, sarkikos , eclusively in reference to the seual, or what iscommonly called the desires of the flesh in contrast to those of the soul"

It seems that *t" +aul attributes a positive power of sin to the sar% as such only in the epistle tothe ;alatians, who, having begun int he *pirit, now thin) that they are being perfected in theflesh" *,0 . The sar% here has a will which desires against thepne!ma " *,1 . The wor)s of theflesh are manifest, which a re these= adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness,idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings,murders, drun)enness, revellings and such li)e" *,2 . ?ost of these wor)s of the sarkos would

require the very active, and even initiative, participation of the intellect, which here is anindication that the sar% , for +aul, is much more than what any dualistic anthropology would beready to admit" The flesh as such, however, as a positive force of sin, found over- emphasi2edin ;alatians, where +aul is infuriated over the foolishness of his readers, *-3 . cannot be isolatedfrom other references, where sin parasitically dwells in the flesh *-* . and where the flesh itself isnot only not evil, *-+ . but that in which ;od 9imself has been manifested" *-, . The flesh as suchis not evil, but has become very much wea)ened by sin and the enmity which dwells in it" *-- .

To understand *t" +aul8s anthropology, it is necessary to refer not to the dualistic anthropologyof the ;ree),s who made a clear cut distinction between soul and body, but rather to the9ebraic frame of references, in which sar% andpsyche #flesh and soul( both denote the wholeliving person and not any part of him" *- . Thus, in the Old Testament the epression,pasa sar%#all flesh(, is employed for all living things, *-/ . as well as for man in particular" *-0 . Theepression,pasa psyche #all souls(, is used in the same manner" *-1 . In the New Testament,
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both epressions,pasa sar% *-2 . andpasa psyche , *3 . are used in perfect accord with the OldTestament contet"

Thus we find that, for *t" +aul, to be sarkikos ** . andpsychikos *+ . means eactly the samething" 4lesh and blood #sar )ai haima( cannot inherit the )ingdom of ;od *, . becausecorruption cannot inherit incorruption" *- . 4or this reason, a soma psychikon is sown in

corruption and raised in incorruption= it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory= it is sown inwea)ness, it is raised in power" * . $ soma psychikon is sown, and a soma pne!matikon israised" There is a soma psychikon and there is a soma pne!matikon B */ . 3oth the sarkikonand thepsychikon and dominated by death and corruption and so cannot inherit the )ingdom oflife" This only thepne!matikon can do" 9owever, thepne!matikon is not first, but thepsychikon , and afterward thepne!matikon " The first man is from the earth= earthy= the secondman, the 0ord, from heaven" *0 . That the first man became eis psychen $osan #a living soul(,for +aul, means eactly that he becamepsychikon , and therefore sub:ect to corruption, *1 .

because from the earth, earthy""" *2 . *uch epressions do not admit of any dualisticanthropology" $ soma psychikon from the earth, earthy, or apsyche $osa from the earth,earthy, would lead to impossible confusion if interpreted from the viewpoint of a dualism whichdistinguishes between the body and soul, the lower and the higher, the material and the purelyspiritual" What, then, would apsyche $osa be, which came from the earth and is earthy In

spea)ing of death, a dualist could never say that a soma psychikon is sown in corruption" 9ewould rather have to say that the soul leaves the body, which alone is sown in corruption"

Neither thepsyche nor thepne!ma is the intellectual part of man" To quote I Corinthians '7%%&tis gar oiden anthropon ta to! anthropo! ei me to pne!ma to! anthropo! to en a!to'( or IThessalonians 67'< &)!tos o Theos tea eirenes hagiasai hymas holoteleis, kai holokleronhymon to pne!ma kai he psyche kai to soma amemptos en te paro!sia toy *.+.I.. teretheie(does not prove otherwise" One cannot ta)e these epressions in isolation from the rest of +aul8swritings for the sa)e of trying to ma)e him spea) the language of even a Thomistic dualist, as isdone, for eample, by 4" +rat in a Theologie de s.a!l , t"', pp" &'-&


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eso anthropon , +aul is certainly introducing new terminology, foreign to traditional 9ebraicusage, but he is definitely not introducing any new anthropology based on 9ellenistic dualism"*t" +aul never refers to eitherpsyche orpne!ma as faculties of human intelligence" 9isanthropology is 9ebraic and not 9ellenistic"

In both the Old and New Testaments, one finds the epression, to pne!ma tes $oes #the spirit of

life(, but never topne!ma $on #the living spirit(" *0/ .$lso, one findspsyche $osa #the living soul(,but neverpsyche tes $oes #the soul of life(" *00 . This is due to the fact that thepsyche , or sar% ,lives only by participation, while thepne!ma is itself the principle of life given to man as a giftfrom ;od, *01 . Who alone hath immortality" *02 . ;od gives man of 9is Own uncreated lifewithout destroying the freedom of human personality" Thus, man is not an intellectual formfashioned according to a predetermined essence or universal idea of man whose destiny is tobecome conformed to a state of mechanical contentment in the presence of ;od whereby hiswill become sterile and immobile in a state of complete self-satisfaction and happiness #e"g",according to the Neo-platonic teaching of *t" $ugustine and the 5oman scholastics in generalconcerning human destiny(" The personality of man does not consist of an immaterialintellectual soul which has life of itself and uses the body simply as a dwelling place" The sar% ,orpsyche , is the total man, and the kardia is the center of intelligence where the will hascomplete independence of choice to become either hardened to truth or receptive to divine

enlightenment from without" Thepne!ma of man is not the center of human personality, nor is itthat faculty which rules the actions of men, but rather it is the spar) of divine life given to man ashis principle of life" Thus, man can live according to thepne!ma tes $oes or according to the lawof the flesh, which is death and corruption" The very personality of man, therefore, althoughcreated by ;od 9imself, remains outside of the essence of ;od,a nd therefore completely freeeither to re:ect the act of creation, for which he was not consulted, or to accept the creative loveof ;od by living according to thepne!ma , given to him for this purpose by ;od"

The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the spirit is life and peace" *13 . Those who liveaccording to the flesh shall die" *1* . Those who mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit shalllive" *1+ . The spirit of man, however, deprived of union with the vivifying spirit of ;od, ishopelessly wea) against the flesh dominated by death and corruption *1, . --Who shall deliverme from the body of this death" *1- .$nd, the law of thepne!matos tes $oes #spirit of life( inChrist /esus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" *1 . Only those whose spirit hasbeen renewed *1/ . by union with the *pirit of ;od *10 . can fight the desires of the flesh" Onlythose who are given the *pirit of ;od and hear Its voice in the life of the body of Christ are ableto fight against sin" The *pirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of;od" *11 .

$lthough the spirit of man is the principle of life given to him by ;od, it can still parta)e of thefilthiness of fleshly wor)s" 4or this reason, it is necessary for Christians to guard against thecorruption not only of the flesh, but of the spirit, also" *12 . The union of man8s spirit with the *piritof ;od in baptism is no magical guarantee against the possibility of their separation" To becomeagain enslaved tot he wor)s of the flesh may very well lead to eclusion from the body of Christ" *23 . The *pirit of ;od is given to man that Christ may dwell in the heart" *2* . Now if any an have

not the *pirit of Christ he is none of 9is" *2+ .

To have the *pirit of ;od dwelling in the body is tobe, also, a member of the body of Christ" To be deprived of the one is to be cut off from theother" It is impossible to be in communion with only part of ;od" Communion with Christ throughthe *pirit is communion with the whole ;odhead" !clusion from the One +erson is eclusionfrom all Three +ersons"

The wor)s of the flesh are manifest""" *2, . The mind of the flesh is enmity against ;od, for it isnot sub:ect to the law of ;od, neither indeed can it be" *o then they that are in the flesh cannotplease ;od" *2- . *uch people are enslaved to the power of death and corruption in the flesh"They must be saved from the 3ody of this death" *2 . On the other hand, those who have beenburied with Christ through baptism have died to the body of sin and are living unto Christ" *2/ .

They are no longer living according to the desires of flesh, but of the spirit" The fruit of the spiritis love, :oy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, mee)ness, temperance--against

such there is no law" $nd they that are Christ8s have crucified the flesh with the affections andlusts" *20 .
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It is clear that, for *t" +aul, the union of man8s spirit with the *pirit of ;od in the life of love withinthe body of Christ is life and salvation" On the other hand, to live according tot he desires of theflesh, dominated by the powers of death and corruption, means death--4or the mind of theflesh is death" *21 . *t" +aul is dealing throughout his epistles with the categories of life anddeath" ;od is life" The devil holds the reins of death and corruption" 1nity with ;od in the *pirit,through the body of Christ in the life of love, is life and brings salvation and perfection"

*eparation of man8s spirit from the divine life in the body of Christ is slavery to the powers ofdeath and corruption used by the devil to destroy the wor)s of ;od" The life of the spirit is unityand love" The life according to the flesh is disunity and dissolution in death and corruption"

It is absolutely necessary to grasp the essential spirit of *t" +aul8s usage of the words, sar% ,psyche , andpne!ma , in order to avoid the widespread confusion that dominates the field ofinquiry into +auline theology" *t" +aul is never spea)ing in terms of immaterial rational souls incontrast to material bodies" /ar% andpsyche are synonymous and comprise, together with thepne!ma , the total man" To live according to the pne!ma is not to live a life according to thelower half of man" On the contrary, to live according to the sar% , orpsyche , is to live accordingto the law of death" To live according to the spirit is to live according to the law of life and love"

Those who are sarkikoi cannot live according to their original destiny of selfless love for ;od

and neighbor, because they are dominated by the power of death and corruption" the sting ofdeath is sin" *22 . *in reigned in death" +33 . Aeath is the last enemy to be destroyed" +3* . *o longas man lives according tot he law of death, in the flesh, he cannot please ;od +3+ . because hedoes not live according to the law of life and love" The mind of the flesh is enmity against ;odfor it is not sub:ect to the law of ;od, neither can it be" +3, . In order to live according to hisoriginal destiny, man must be liberated from the body of this death" +3- . This liberation from thepower of death and corruption has come from ;od, Who sent 9is own *on in the li)eness ofsinful flesh to deliver man from the law of sin and death" +3 . 3ut, although the power of deathand sin has thus been destroyed by the death and resurrection of Christ, participation in thisvictory can come only through dying to this world with Christ in the waters of baptism" +3/ . It isonly by dying in baptism and then continuously dying to the rudiments and ways of the worldthat the members of the body of Christ can become perfect as ;od is perfect"

The importance that *t" +aul attributes to dying to the rudiments of this world in order to liveaccording to the spirit of life cannot be eaggerated" To try to pass off his insistence oncomplete self-denial for salvation as a product of eschatological enthusiasts is to misscompletely the very basis of the New Testament message" If the destruction of the devil, deathand corruption is salvation and the only condition for life according to man8s original destiny,then the means of passing from the realm of death and its consequences to the realm of life, inthe victory of Christ over death, must be ta)en very seriously" 4or +aul, the way from death tolife is communion with the death and life of Christ in baptism and a continuous life of live withinthe body of Christ" This new life of love within the body of Christ, however, must beaccompanied by a continuous death to the ways of this world, which is dominated by the law ofdeath and corruption in the hands of the devil" +articipation in the victory over death does notcome simply by having a magical faith and a general sentiment of vague love for humanity

#0uther(" 4ull membership int he body of Christ can come only by dying in the waters of baptismwith Christ, and living according to the law of the spirit of life" Catechumens and penitentscertainly had faith, but they either had not yet passed through death, in baptism, to the new life,or else, once having died to the flesh in baptism, they failed to remain steadfast and allowed thepower of death and corruption to regain its dominance over the spirit of life"

In regard to *t" +aul8s teaching concerning baptismal death to the rudiments of this world, it isinteresting to note his usage of the word, soma , to designate the communion of those in Christwho constitute the Church" The word, soma , in both the Old and New Testaments, apart from+aul, is used predominantly to designate a dead person, or corpse" +30 .$t the 0ast *upper, our0ord used the word, soma , most li)ely to designate the fact that 9e was to pass through death,while his use of the word, haima , was to show his returning to life--since, for the Old Testament,blood is the element of life" +31 . Thus, at the 0ast *upper as at every !ucharist, there is a

proclamation and confession of the death and resurrection of Christ" $ccording to thepresuppositions set forth by *t" +aul concerning baptismal death, it is very possible to describethe Church as the soma o# 0hrist no only because of the indwelling of Christ and the 9oly *pirit
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in the bodies of Christian, but also because all the members of Christ have died to the body ofsin in the waters of baptism" 3efore sharing in the life of Christ, on must first become an actualsoma by being liberated from the devil in passing through a death to the ways of this world andliving according to the spirit" +32 .

'eturn .

S"nthetic O%ser&ations

*t" +aul does not say anywhere that the whole human race has been accounted guilty of the sinof $dam and is therefore punished by ;od with death" Aeath is an evil force which made its wayinto the world through sin, lodged itself in the world, and, in the person of *atan, is reigning bothin man and creation" 4or this reason, although man can )now the good through the law writtenin his heart and may wish to do what is good, he cannot because of the sin which is dwelling inhis flesh" Therefore, it is not he who does the evil, but sin that dwelleth in him" 3ecause of thissin, he cannot find the means to do good" 9e must be saved from the body of this death" +*3 .

Only then can he do good" What can +aul mean by such statements $ proper answer is to befound only when *t" +aul8s doctrine of human destiny is ta)en into account"

If man was created for a life of complete selfless love, whereby his actions would always bedirected outward, toward ;od and neighbor, and never toward himself--whereby he would bethe perfect image and li)eness of ;od--then it is obvious that the power of death and corruptionhas now made it impossible to live such a life of perfection" The power of death in the universehas brought with it the will for self-preservation, fear, and aniety, +** . which in turn are the rootcauses of self-assertion, egoism, hatred, envy and the li)e" 3ecause man is afraid of becomingmeaningless, he is constantly endeavoring to prove, to himself and others, that he is worthsomething" 9e thirsts after compliments and is afraid of insults" 9e see)s his own and is :ealousof the successes of others" 9e li)es those who li)e him, and hates those who hate him" 9eeither see)s security and happiness in wealth, glory and bodily pleasures, or imagines that thisdestiny is to be happy in the possession of the presence of ;od by an introverted andindividualistic and inclined to mista)e his desires for self-satisfaction and happiness for his

normal destiny" On the other hand, he can become 2ealous over vague ideological principles oflove for humanity and yet hate his closest neighbors" These are the wor)s of the flesh of which*t" +aul spea)s" +*+ . 1nderlying every movement of what the world has come to regard asnormal man, is the quest for security and happiness" !t s!ch desires are not normal " They arethe consequences of perversion by death and corruption, though which the devil pervades all ofcreation, dividing and destroying" This power is so great that even if man wishes to liveaccording to his original destiny it is impossible because of the sin which is dwelling in the flesh +*, . --Who will deliver me from the body of this death +*- .

To share in the love of ;od, without any concern for one8s self, is also to share in the life andtruth of ;od" 0ove, life and truth in ;od are one and can be found only in ;od" The turning awayof love from ;od and neighbor toward the self is brea)ing of communion with the life and truthof ;od, which cannot be separated from 9is love" The brea)ing of this communion with ;od can

be consummated only in death, because nothing created can continue indefinitely to eist ofitself" +* . Thus, by the transgression of the first man, the principle of sin #the devil( entered intothe world and through sin death, and so death passed upon all men""" +*/ . Not only humanity,but all of creation has become sub:ected to death and corruption by the devil" +*0 . 3ecause manis inseparably a part of, and in constant communion with, creation and is lin)ed throughprocreation to the whole historical process of humanity, the fall of creation through on manautomatically involves the fall and corruption of all men" It is through death and corruption thatall of humanity and creation is held captive to the devil and involved in sin, because it is bydeath that man falls short of his original destiny, which was to love ;od and neighbor withoutconcern for the self" ?an does not die because he is guilty for the sin of $dam" +*1 . 9e becomesa sinner because he is yo)ed to the power of the devil through death and its consequences" +*2 .

*t" +aul clearly says that the sting of death is sin, ++3 . that sin reigned in death, ++* . and thatdeath is the last enemy that shall be destroyed" +++ . In his epistles, he is especially inspiredwhen he is spea)ing about the victory of Christ over death and corruption" It would be highly
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original sin according to saint paul

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