Defining "Sin"

Returning to the idea of defining "sin" such that clarity and not confusion arises from God's word, let us consider different aspects of Sin.
1) Any deviation from God's will for our thoughts and actions.
2) Any deviation where we knew beforehand such thought or action violated God's express will.
3) The just consequence imposed by God for any deviation from His will, volitional or inadvertent.

What if we used "sin" for #1, "trespass" for #2 and "forfeiture" for #3.

Thus Eve did not trespass in the likeness of Adam's trespass because she was deceived. However, Adam willingly sinned, Genesis 3:17, and so his action should be translated as "trespass."


Romans 2:12 (NASB)
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have trespassed under the Law will be judged by that Law.

Romans 3:23
for all forfeited and fallen short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man forfeiture entered into the world, and death through forfeiture and so death spread to all mankind, because all forfeited.

Note that to be "made sinners" Romans 5:19 would now read the many were made to forfeit.

 

Romans 5:14 (NASB)
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation by Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Therefore, contrary to the claim in post #2, there is no support that those who died knew they were sinning. In fact, a reasonable interpretation is they did not know, as Adam did, they were going against God's will. And recall that Paul himself did not know "coveting" was sin, until he learned from the Law that it was.

And to repeat, if Eve was deceived, then she did not realize she was actually going against God's will, thus her action was not said to be a transgression.

 

Romans 5:19
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made forfeiters, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Using this translation scheme, the confusion is eliminated. The as yet unborn, who had done nothing good or bad, were made forfeiters, as a consequence of Adam's transgression, but this translation choice avoids the bogus argument they were "guilty" of Adam's transgression.

 

John 8:11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not sin any longer.”

Here the choice of "sin" or "trespass" is difficult to make. Jesus obvious does not want the woman to sin, volitionally or inadvertently anymore, but she would need to know something is wrong in order to turn from it. Also, she would be wise to avoid actions that would again result in her condemnation, thus those behaviors condemned by the culture of her day. So on balance, trespass seems most likely to be the actual message.

 

Lets actually consider this verse:
James 4:17 (Interpretive translation)
Consequently, the one having perceived the ideal to be doing, and does it not, to him it is trespass.

Sometimes what we think is God's will, might not actually be God's will, but our failure to submit to what we think is God's will is indeed trespass.