Rom 3:10-12
Rom 5:12
Psalm 51:5
Psalm 58:3
Eph 2:1-5
Also this verse helped convince me:
1 Cor 1
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
I can't tell you the times I've been told oh I wish I could have faith like you, or I wish I felt like you do and yet they don't. Why not? Because you can't just will yourself to believe. God has to open your eyes.
Let's look at those scriptures.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all
gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Do these verses specifically say you are born evil? No. They say we have all gone "out" of the way. How can you go "out" of the way unless you were originally "in" the way? For example, how can you go "out" of your house unless you were first "in" your house? Verse 12 also says we are altogether "become" unprofitable. If you were born a sinner, then you didn't "become" unprofitable, you were always unprofitable. If you were born rich, you would not tell someone you "became" rich would you? But what if you were poor and now are rich? Wouldn't you tell someone you were poor but "became" rich?
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned:
Does this verse say you were born dead in sin? No, it does not say one word about birth. It says death passed upon all men "for that" or "because" all have sinned. Do babies sin? The scriptures say NO.
Rom 9:11 (For
the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )
This is the same writer, Paul, just a few chapters later. He describes Jacob and Esau when they were very much alive in their mother Rebecca's womb. Did he say they were sinners? NO, he said they had done no evil.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me.
David was not speaking about original sin in this verse, he had been confessing his sin with Bathsheba. He had repeatedly confessed his sin in the first four verses.
Psa 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out
my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from
mine iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin.
3 For I acknowledge
my transgressions: and
my sin
is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done
this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Notice how often David confesses his personal sin. It would make no sense to suddenly blame his birth for his known and willing sin.
Many scholars believe David was speaking of being slightly less than legitimate at birth. His mother (who was Jewish) was very likely either married, or had relations with a non-Jew before David was born.
1 Chron 2:15 Ozem the sixth,
David the seventh:
16 Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
Notice David had two sisters named Zeruiah and Abigail. These two sisters are mentioned in scripture as the daughters of Nahash who was a Ammonite (a Gentile).
2 Sam 17:25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa
was a man's son, whose name
was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to
Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
Notice Abigail was the daughter of Nahash, and the sister of Zeruiah. So apparently David's mother had either been married to a non-Jew or been a concubine of a non-Jew and bore David's sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. For this reason David's mother was considered polluted. And many scholars believe this is what David is speaking of in Psa 51:5. It is also noteworthy that when Samuel came to Jesse and asked to see all his sons, that twice Jesse refused to present David. Samuel had to press Jesse before he brought David forward.
1 Sam 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he
was ruddy,
and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this
is he.
So twice Jesse presented his sons to Samuel but excluded David. Samuel asked if Jesse had any other sons besides the seven presented, and Jesse admitted there was another who was keeping the sheep. This was David. And note how David's appearance is mentioned, his brothers were of tall stature, but David was small and ruddy. This is because he had a different mother from his brothers, who had borne children to Nahash the Ammonite. So, David was not favoured by his father or brothers, he was the "black sheep" of the family.
So, this is very likely what David is speaking of, being born of a woman who was not considered "pure".
Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
First, this verse is not speaking of all men, but "the wicked". Second, it is hyperbole or exaggeration. No babies can speak when they are born. Third, lying involves intent. A baby cannot form the intent to lie, a baby does not even understand what a lie is.
Fourthly, if you take this verse as literal, you have to take the following verses as literal.
Psa 58:4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder
that stoppeth her ear;
5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth:
break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7 Let them melt away as waters
which run continually:
when he bendeth
his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman,
that they may not see the sun.
Are babies poisonous like a snake? Do babies have great teeth like a young lion? Do babies melt like a snail?
And lastly, would David be praying that all babies everywhere melt like a snail?
So, these verses are obvious hyperbole and should not be taken literally. They certainly should not be used to form doctrine. And David was not speaking of all men, but "the wicked".
Amy, it is obvious you have either listening to or reading Calvinist doctrine. You are falling for their proof-texts which are pulled out of context and do not really say what Calvinism says they are saying. None of these scriptures say a man is born dead in sin.
