Is sin a disease?

[Just_Ahead]

Recently I heard a theology professor refer to sin as a disease that we all inherit. The professor's text was Luke 5:12-16, Jesus healing the leper.

I am asking because I am interested in what others have to say.

Is sin is a disease?

 

[JonC]

It can be illustrated that way I suppose (Scripture uses the word "infirmity" to speak of the consequences of sin... Jesus shared in our infirmity) but beyond illustration I do not know how well it would stand up. Perhaps not a disease but it's cause?

 

[Yeshua1]

Recently I heard a theology professor refer to sin as a disease that we all inherit. The professor's text was Luke 5:12-16, Jesus healing the leper.

I am asking because I am interested in what others have to say.

Is sin is a disease?

all who have been born, save for Jesus, have been infected by it!

 

[church mouse guy]

No, sin is not a disease. Eve was not sick when she ate from the tree--she was disobedient.

Genesis 3:2-3 (KJV) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

 

[rlvaughn]

Is sin is a disease?

Perhaps it will depend on what one means by “disease.” In Psalm 103:3, “diseases” seems to be used in a moral sense, as a parallelism of “iniquity.” Commentators are divided on the issue.

who healeth all thy diseases; not bodily ones, though the Lord is the physician of the bodies as well as of the souls of men, and sometimes heals the diseases of soul and body at once, as in the case of the paralytic man in the Gospel; but spiritual diseases, or soul maladies, are here meant; the same with “iniquities” in the preceding clause: sin is a natural, hereditary, epidemical, nauseous, and mortal disease; and there are many of them, a complication of them, in men, which God only can cure

 

[Noah Hirsch]

Recently I heard a theology professor refer to sin as a disease that we all inherit. The professor's text was Luke 5:12-16, Jesus healing the leper.

I am asking because I am interested in what others have to say.

Is sin is a disease?

It depends on what you mean by disease. Sin is inherent in fallen man’s nature. It is not a disease in the sense that we are not responsible and accountable for God for our own sin. It certainly through the transgression of one man Adam has spread to all men, so that we all consequently have a sinful nature.

 

[Steven Yeadon]

Sin is still sin, with all sinners accountable to God for our actions. Yet, IMO sin can be seen as an infection starting with Adam to all his progeny.

 

[Benyamin]

I think sin can be portrayed as a disease, most accurately as leprosy. Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...". Unclean, in this context, is referring to a leprous person, who were required to declare their status "Unclean!" in public. And the "filthy rags" referring to the rags used to wrap the leprous spots, which would catch the oozing from the wounds. (Gross, right?). Further, Leprosy was a disease that began inward, and unnoticed. In the end, it was very much noticed by everyone. It was also impossible to be cured by yourself, and required supernatural intervention. Sounds like a pretty good picture of sin. Sin [singular] is an inward issue of the heart, which manifests itself as sins [pl.] on the outside.

But personally, I take my view of sin from the first mention of it in Scripture, Genesis 4:7 " If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

The verb for "lieth" in this passage is attributive of an animal lying in wait. Sin is personified as an animal, "lying in wait" at your doorstep, waiting for you to "not do well". This "animal" Sin is further personified by saying he has a desire, and he is to be ruled over. Now, I'll use the Hebrew word used here for sin, "Khata", to refer to this "animal".

It's interesting, because "if thou doest not well" has the same meaning as "if you sin" (Sin is "missing the mark", failure to "do well" and be accepted, and "falling short"). But, in this passage, it's basically saying (paraphrase) "If you sin, then Khata lieth in wait at the door for you...". Also, take note it says "sin lieth at the door" and not "your sins...". Sin is understood as a singular being, and not necessarily just a list of our particular transgressions.

So, if you chose the path of sin, then Khata is there waiting for you. He will seize the opportunity to pounce on you, and have his way with you, like a lion plays with it's defenseless victim. As the scripture says, "Unto thee shall be his desire". How sad, that we would rather play with this animal as if it were a puppy!

So, I think sin is portrayed as both a leprous disease, and also a ravening animal. Both carry different images with it.

 

[church mouse guy]

I agree that sin is described by analogy but I stick with the idea from the Book of Common Prayer that we have done those things that we ought not to have done and we have left undone those things that we ought to have done and there is no health in us.

Sin is by thought, word, and deed. It's the lowest paying job for the wages of sin is death.

 

[Yeshua1]

I agree that sin is described by analogy but I stick with the idea from the Book of Common Prayer that we have done those things that we ought not to have done and we have left undone those things that we ought to have done and there is no health in us.

Sin is by thought, word, and deed. It's the lowest paying job for the wages of sin is death.

satan really did undersell what he was offering Adam and eve!

 

[evenifigoalone]

I don't know that it qualifies as a disease, but I do believe it's a biological reality that we are unable to escape in our earthly bodies. I believe it's ingrained in us in a very real and bodily form

Sent from my SM-J737T1 using Tapatalk

 

[tyndale1946]

Sin is still sin, with all sinners accountable to God for our actions. Yet, IMO sin can be seen as an infection starting with Adam to all his progeny.

Satan is an accuser of the brethren and he goes about as a raging Lion seeking whom he may devour... He can throw it in our face telling us what we should have done and didn't... See he says, you belong to me!... Perish the thought, don't concentrate on the sin, concentrate on the remedy... Jesus Christ The Righteous!... Then the devil SHALL flee!... Brother Glen

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.