How does 1 John 1:10 relate to the doctrine of original sin? Text and Immediate Context 1 John 1:10 : “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” The verse concludes a three-verse unit (vv. 8-10) that exposes the futility of denying personal sin. John moves from the present condition (“we have no sin,” v. 8) to the historical fact (“we have not sinned,” v. 10). Both claims contradict God’s testimony that every descendant of Adam is a sinner by nature and by choice. Definition of Original Sin Original sin is the inherited moral corruption that entered humanity through Adam’s transgression (Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:12, 19). It includes (1) a forensic aspect—imputed guilt, and (2) a congenital aspect—an internal propensity to rebel against God, expressed in every human life (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3). Because it is relationally vertical (against God) and historically universal, original sin establishes the necessity of a divine Redeemer (Romans 3:23-24). Grammatical Connection The perfect tense of “have sinned” (hamartēkamen) in 1 John 1:10 accents completed action with abiding result. John deliberately echoes the aorist participles of Romans 3:23 and 5:12, linking individual acts to an inherited state. Denying one’s acts (“we have not sinned”) implicitly denies the inherited state that gives rise to them, thus assaulting the doctrine of original sin. Divine Testimony versus Human Denial To “make Him a liar” (pseustēn poioumen auton) charges that God’s own declarations—“there is no one righteous” (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10)—are false. Original sin rests on God’s witness; therefore, any contradiction of universal guilt calls God Himself untruthful. John stakes the matter not on ecclesiastical tradition but on God’s character and spoken word. Canonical Harmony • Genesis 3 records the first sin and pronounces death on Adam’s posterity (3:19). • Psalm 51:5 acknowledges congenital sin: “Surely I was sinful at birth.” • Romans 5:12–21 explains that “sin entered the world through one man… and death through sin.” • Ephesians 2:3 identifies believers’ past as “by nature children of wrath.” 1 John 1:10 aligns seamlessly with these texts, demonstrating Scripture’s internal coherence on the doctrine. Historical Witness Early writers cite both 1 John 1:10 and Psalm 51:5 in defending inherited sin: • Irenaeus, Against Heresies IV.27, appeals to “all have sinned.” • Augustine’s anti-Pelagian treatises quote 1 John 1:10 to prove infant guilt requiring baptism. No extant patristic source treats the verse as limited to a few notorious offenders; the church universally read it as describing humanity. Anthropological and Philosophical Corroboration Behavioral science verifies an innate moral proclivity toward self-interest and deception observable across cultures and developmental stages. Longitudinal research on toddlers’ grasp of right and wrong, yet persistent defiance, corroborates the biblical portrait of congenital sinfulness. Philosophically, the universality of moral evil presents a “data point” that naturalistic evolution struggles to explain but which original sin predicts: human beings possess remarkable cognitive capacity yet consistently misalign with their own moral judgments (Romans 7:19). No purely sociobiological model accounts for this deep discord between moral knowledge and performance. Christological Necessity If any person could truthfully claim innocence, the atoning death and resurrection of Christ would be superfluous (Galatians 2:21). By insisting that denial of sin removes God’s word from the claimant, John positions Christ’s incarnation (1 John 4:2) and propitiatory sacrifice (2:2) as the sole remedy for an inherited condition all share. Original sin thus magnifies the cross and vindicates the resurrection as history’s pivotal event attested by over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6). Practical Theology Believers acknowledging original sin cultivate humility, dependence on grace, and vigilance against self-righteousness. Corporate worship’s historic confessions (“We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed”) derive directly from 1 John 1:10. Denial of original sin breeds moralism, perfectionism, or antinomianism—errors addressed elsewhere in the epistle (3:4-10). Conclusion 1 John 1:10 stands as a concise yet comprehensive affirmation of original sin. To deny sin is to deny God’s testimony, to sever oneself from His word, and to nullify the salvific work of Christ. Original sin is thus not a peripheral doctrine but the backdrop against which the gospel’s glory shines. |
    |