Where Did Original Sin Come From? (vIDEO)

Welcome to the home of Episode 208 of the Misquoting Jesus Podcast with Bart Ehrman. Below, you can watch the entire episode, read its description, and see links to related resources.

links mentioned in this episode:

Biblical Studies Academy

episode description

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Bart Ehrman explores the historical development of original sin, examining what the Hebrew Bible says about sin, what Jesus taught about forgiveness, and how early Christians developed a different understanding of salvation.

The episode begins by challenging the assumption that the Bible presents a single, consistent account of theology. Ehrman explains that Genesis does not explicitly call Adam and Eve’s disobedience “original sin,” nor does it say they were expelled from Eden simply as punishment for that act. Instead, he argues that God expels them to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and becoming immortal.

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The discussion then distinguishes two approaches to dealing with sin in the Hebrew Bible: forgiveness through repentance and atonement through sacrifice. Ehrman argues that Jesus emphasized forgiveness without requiring a compensatory payment. After Jesus’ crucifixion, however, his followers came to interpret his death as a sacrifice for sins. Ehrman sees this as a significant shift from Jesus’ teaching to the theological understanding that became central to Christianity, particularly in Paul’s writings.

The episode also traces the development of original sin as a doctrine. Ehrman explains how Paul’s comparison between Adam and Christ in Romans 5 was interpreted by later Christian thinkers. A Latin translation of Paul’s words helped shape the idea that humanity somehow participated in Adam’s sin. By the time of Augustine in the early fifth century, this became a more systematic doctrine, debated by Christians such as Pelagius.

Finally, Ehrman discusses how original sin influenced Christian ideas about Jesus, Mary, baptism, and human nature.