The Bible’s teaching of original sin
I am currently talking to someone about what Lutherans believe. I got to a point to where he eventually agreed with me on certain things (he is a member of the Churches of Christ denomination). He said one thing he just can't seem to agree with is original sin or that a baby is sinful. How can I prove original sin to him with biblical support? I showed him Psalm 51:5 and he said that this doesn't apply to us. He said David was just explaining how sinful he was and how bad he felt about his sin, and that he was using this as an exaggeration. Do you have any advice on how I can correctly interpret this verse for him?
We do find hyperbole in the Bible, but the context makes it very clear that we are dealing with that figure of speech. For example, the Pharisees were upset about all the accolades Jesus received from his Palm Sunday entrance in Jerusalem and his earlier miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead by saying about him, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:19) Did every person in the world become a follower of Jesus of Nazareth? Not by any stretch of the imagination. The people who made that statement about Jesus were still clearly opposed to him. It is clear from the context that we are dealing with hyperbole.
There is nothing in the context of Psalm 51 to suggest that King David was using hyperbolic language. In the preceding verses David recognized and confessed his “iniquity,” “sin” and “transgression.” David knew how thoroughly sin had stained his life. In verse five David explains how sin and a sinful condition were not recent additions to his life. No, sin became part of his life when his life began; he inherited a sinful nature at conception.
David’s confession of his natural sinful condition is not the only place in the Bible where we find the doctrine of original sin. Other passages that could be helpful for you in your conversations are: Genesis 5:3; 8:21; John 3:6; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 7:18; 8:7; and, Ephesians 2:1-3.
God bless your conversations!