Lesson for September 3, 2025

The Doctrine of Hamartiology

Lesson 1

Hamartiology is the study of sin. Sin is anything contrary to the character of God, commandments of God, acting independently of God, or coming short of God’s righteousness.

Biblical terms for sin:

1. Iniquity – depravity, perversity
2. Missing the mark – unrighteous acts that fall short of God’s righteousness
3. Transgression – breaking God’s laws or commandments
4. Rebellion – defiance of God’s authority
5. Trespassing – offending by going beyond the boundaries of righteousness
6. Lawlessness – violating the laws of God

Sin began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, when they disobeyed God. The result of their disobedience was spiritual death, which was passed to the entire human race. The story of Adam and Eve begins in Genesis 1:26, when God created Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden. God’s purpose for creating mankind becomes clear as the story unfolds.

Once God created Adam and put him in the Garden, He commanded him not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There was also a Tree of Life in the Garden. Therefore, a test had been created by God with a view to resolving the Angelic Conflict. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented Satan’s plan for mankind. The Tree of Life represented God’s plan for mankind.

The Angelic Conflict began in eternity past, as a rebellion to the authority of God, by the most beautiful creature to come from the hand of God, Lucifer. Lucifer was the highest ranking of the angels. By an act of arrogance, Lucifer attempted to overthrow God and become the ruler of the angels. Of course, this didn’t happen, and Lucifer and one third of the angels who followed him were tried and sentenced to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. Lucifer (Satan) appealed God’s sentence and an appeal was granted. Mankind was, therefore, created to resolve this conflict by demonstrating to Satan and the fallen angels that God was justified in His sentence. If only one person in history accepted the salvation solution offered by God, it would prove the fairness of His sentence. Of course, many have accepted the salvation solution found in Christ and every time another person trusts Christ as Savior, another potential witness is created for God.

Five “I Wills” of Satan

Isaiah 14:12-15 details the arrogance of Satan and his rebellion against God. In verse 13, Satan attempted to replace the authority of God with his own authority (I will ascend into Heaven). He also tried to take over the throne of God and set himself up as the ruler of the angels (I will exalt my throne above the stars (angels) of God). He also wanted to rule over the universe (I will sit in the mount of the congregation). In verse 14, he continued with wanting to displace God as the Sovereign of the universe (I will ascend above the heights of the clouds). Satan wanted to become God or at least counterfeit Him in every aspect. (I will be like the Most-High)

Satan’s Revolt

In Revelation 12:3-4, we are told that Satan led one-third of the angels in his revolt against God. As a result of this revolt, Satan and the one-third that followed him were cast down to earth. (Ezekiel 28:15-17) Their rebellion against God led to a sentence to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. (Matthew 25:41)

Satan’s Appeal

Since the sentence imposed upon Satan and the fallen angels was not carried out immediately, it is obvious that an appeal was granted, and the sentence delayed. Mankind was created to prove to Satan and his followers that God is fair and justified in His sentence. (I John 3:18) The time frame of this appeal is from the sentencing in eternity past until Satan and the fallen angels are cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:10)

All believers in Christ are involved in spiritual warfare, as a result of Satan’s appeal. It is by trusting Christ as Savior and executing His plan for our lives that we can become credible witnesses for the Prosecution. We have already seen that angels are observing us and when a person comes to know Christ as Savior the elect angels rejoice. Why? They rejoice because another victory for Christ has been won, and it is proof that God is fair and just. (Luke 15:10)

The Story of the Fall of Adam and Eve

Genesis 1:26-31, 2:7-10, 15-22; 3:1-23

 ^“Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.’ ²⁷ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ ²⁹ Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; ³⁰ and to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food’; and it was so. ³¹ And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

2  ^“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. ⁸ The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. ⁹ Out of the ground the Lord God caused every tree to grow that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ¹⁰ Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. ¹⁵ Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. ¹⁶ The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.’ ¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’ ¹⁹ And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. ²² And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man and brought her to the man.” 

3 “Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’ ² The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, ‘You certainly will not die! ⁵ For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.’ ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.⁸ Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ ¹⁰ He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’ ¹¹ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?’ ¹² The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ ¹⁶ To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall deliver children; yet your
desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’ ¹⁷ Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; with hard labor you shall eat from it all the days of your life. ¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; yet you shall eat theplants of the field;¹⁹ by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ ²⁰ Now the man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. ²¹ And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. ²² Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’ ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.”

Explanation of Genesis 3:16

Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you is better translated “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” The best understanding of this verse is that women and men would now have ongoing conflict. In contrast to the perfect marital conditions in the Garden of Eden, their relationship, from that point on, would include a power struggle. There was no power struggle in the Garden, because there were no sin natures in conflict with one another. Even though Adam and Eve had put their faith in the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, they now had sin natures.

After the Fall, God’s pronouncement of a curse on Adam and Eve signaled a change in the dynamic in marriage. Both men and women would now seek to get the upper hand in marriage. Husbands, who were to lovingly care for and nurture their wives, would now seek to rule over them. And wives would now desire to rule over their husbands. The “battle of the sexes” had begun!!!