How does Mark 7:21 align with the concept of original sin? Canonical Text “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery …” (Mark 7:21). Immediate Context in Mark 7 Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ charge that His disciples eat with unwashed hands. He redirects the debate from external ritual to internal reality, declaring that defilement issues from “the heart” (kardía) rather than ceremonial contamination. Verses 21–23 list twelve vices that flow naturally from humanity’s inner core. Original Sin Defined In classic Augustinian and Reformed framing—grounded in Genesis 3; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12–19—original sin is the inherited moral corruption and guilt of Adam’s progeny. It is not merely learned behavior but a congenital condition affecting mind, will, and affection (cf. Westminster Confession VI.2). Intertextual Harmony 1. Genesis 6:5: “Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.” 2. Psalm 58:3: “The wicked are estranged from the womb.” 3. Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things.” 4. Romans 3:10–12: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” 5. Ephesians 2:1–3: “By nature children of wrath.” Mark 7:21–23 reiterates the identical anthropology: evil is endogenous, validating the doctrine that Adam’s fall corrupted every descendant’s heart (Romans 5:18–19). Patristic Echoes • Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3.18.7) underscores that “evil thoughts have grown with us from the beginning.” • Augustine (Confessions I.7) cites infant self-centeredness as evidence of innate sinfulness. Archaeological Alignment Qumran’s Rule of the Community (1QS III.13–IV.26) divides humanity into “sons of light” and “sons of darkness,” describing an innate “spirit of perversity.” The Dead Sea Scrolls thus affirm a contemporaneous Jewish belief in internal sin, matching Jesus’ teaching in Mark 7 and reinforcing the doctrine’s historicity. Common Objections Answered Objection 1: “Humans are basically good.” Response: Universal distribution of evil (Romans 3) and Jesus’ inclusive “out of men’s hearts” refute a fundamentally good nature. Objection 2: “Sin is environmental conditioning.” Response: Identical environments yield divergent moral outcomes, pointing to an internal determinant. Mark 7 emphasizes origin, not social trigger. Pastoral and Practical Application Believers must confront sin at its root through confession (1 John 1:9) and Spirit-empowered transformation (Galatians 5:16). Evangelistically, Mark 7:21 provides a diagnostic tool: reveal the heart’s corruption to elevate the necessity of the cross. Conclusion Mark 7:21 harmonizes seamlessly with the doctrine of original sin by locating the genesis of evil within the human heart, affirming inherited corruption, and spotlighting humanity’s urgent need for redemption in Christ. |
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