Prepared by: Richard G.

Pazcoguin UST Institute of Religion

Every story needs a villain. In the story of the fall of man, it is the serpent which played the role. The serpent symbolizes that evil does not come from within man but from outside. The forbidden tree was described as attractive and its fruit was good for eating. What appears to be beautiful is not always good. Evil finds a way to be attractive, man must be careful. The serpent tricked the woman by saying You will not die you will become like gods, knowing good and evil. This is actually what the story meant by death- TO DIE IS TO BE WHAT ONE IS NOT. Man is man, God is God. If man makes a god of himself, he denies himself, he rejects his nature, he refuses to be who he is, he dies.

The woman ate the fruit and gave some to her husband. This does not mean that women are evil and that the first sin was really done by the woman. New Testament references would call this first sin the transgression of Adam, never of Eve. The story, however, reflects the male domination in the authors society. It will be unacceptable then to have a story wherein it is the man and not the woman who sins first. We do not really know what the first sin was, but every sin, like what is depicted in the story, involves pride and disobedience. There was a prohibition but they still ate the fruit- DISOBEDIENCE. They deemed their decision to disobey God as more valuable than Gods will PRIDE.

They realized they were naked. Before sin, man accepted himself as he is. There was nothing to be ashamed of. When man ate the fruit, he rejected himself, he wanted to be god. His guilt and shame is symbolized by his realization of his nakedness. Adam blamed his wife, Eve blamed the serpent. Man always try to justify his offenses, but he cannot escape the consequences of his actions.

The FIRST GOOD NEWS: God has not given up on man, but man is incapable of saving himself. He will send a SAVIOR the womans offspring who will once and for all defeat the power of evil. Jesus is this Good News. He is the womans offspring. By his death and resurrection, he conquered sin and death.

Why are we held liable for something we did not do? It has already been mentioned that we do not know what exactly the first sin of man was. Was this first sin the original sin? Sin is not limited to actions. Sin can be a condition- a condition that is contrary to Gods will. The first men will be liable for their sins, but we inherit the effects of this sin something which God did not intend for us. Original sin is the consequence of the first sin a consequence that is shared by the entire human race.

ORIGINATING SIN The First Sinful Action of Humanity ORIGINATED SIN The Sinful Condition which we inherit as a consequence of the first sin

Original sin is not a SOMETHING. It is the ABSENCE OF SOMETHING Gods abundant life in us. When man was created, Gods breath was in him, but he disobeyed God and lost Gods breath, because of this, man cannot pass on Gods breath to his descendants thus we need baptism to receive sanctifying grace. When man was created, he lived an abundant life in paradise. But by his sin, he lost paradise, and consequently, he deprives his descendants of access to paradise.

A womans greatest joy is motherhood but there is pain that goes with childbearing.

A man finds fulfillment in his word but there is great hardship that goes with working.

People want to live but death is inevitable.

These, and many other evils troubled the authors mind. THIS CANNOT BE GODS WILL. Evil cannot come from God, EVIL IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD.

PARADISE not a place but a symbol of ORIGINAL JUSTICE which is the state of mans total happiness.

The author of the Yahwist Account of Creation saw the different evils that were prevalent in his world. His faith tells him that his world is not what God envisioned it to be. So he thought of a perfect world that existed before the advent of sin - PARADISE.
More than something we have lost, PARADISE is something we have to regain. It is our on-going project as we joyfully await the future that is projected by our past.

Just as through one transgression condemnation came upon us all, so through one righteous act, acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person, so through the obedience of one, the many will be made righteous. The law entered in so that transgression might increase, grace overflowed all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, grace might also reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Romans 5: 18-21

Etienne Charpentier

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