Reference: Heredity
Hastings
HEREDITY, which may be defined as 'the hereditary transmission of qualities, or even acquirements,' so far as it is a scientific theory, is not anticipated in Holy Scripture. That men are 'made of one' (Ac 17:26 RV) is a fact of experience, which, in common with all literature, the Bible assumes. The unsophisticated are content to argue from like to like, that is, by analogy. But the modern doctrine of heredity, rooted as it is in the science of biology, involves the recognition of a principle or law according to which characters are transmitted from parents to offspring. Of this there is no trace in the Bible. Theology is therefore not directly interested in the differences between Weismann and the older exponents of Evolution.
1. In the OT, which is the basis of the doctrine of the NT, there is no dogmatic purpose, and therefore no attempt to account for the fact that 'all flesh' has 'corrupted his way upon the earth' (Ge 6:12), and that 'there is none that doeth good' (Ps 14:1). A perfectly consistent point of view is not to be expected. Not a philosophical people, the Hebrews start from the obvious fact of the unity of the race in the possession of common flesh and blood (Job 14:1; 15:14), the son being begotten after the image of the father (Ge 5:3; cf. Heb 2:14). This is more especially emphasized in the unity of the race of Abraham, that 'Israel after the flesh' (1Co 10:18), whose were the fathers and the promises (Ro 9:4-5). But the Bible never commits itself to a theory of the generation or procreation of the spirit, which is apparently given by God to each individual (Ge 2:7; 7:22; Job 33:4) constitutes the personality ('life' '/2-Samuel/1/9/type/j2000'>2Sa 1:9, 'soul' Nu 5:6), and is withdrawn at death (Ec 12:7). This is the source of Ezekiel's emphasis on individual responsibility (Eze 18:4), a criticism of the proverb concerning sour grapes (v. 2), which was made to rest on an admitted principle of the Mosaic covenant, the visitation upon the children of the fathers' sins (Ex 20:5). This principle involves corporate guilt; which, though sometimes reduced to a pardonable weakness inseparable from flesh (Ps 78:39; 103:14; Job 10:9), and therefore suggestive of heredity, yet, as involving Divine wrath and punishment, cannot be regarded as a palliation of transgression (Ex 34:7; Ps 7:11; Ro 1:18). Sin in the OT is disobedience, a breach of personal relations, needing from God forgiveness (Ex 34:6-7; Isa 43:25); and cannot therefore be explained on the principle of hereditary transmission. Moreover, the unity of Israel is as much one of external status as of physical nature, of the inheritance of the firstborn no less than of community in flesh and blood (Ex 4:22; cf. Ge 25:23; 27:35). Similarly Adam is represented as degraded to a lower status by his sin, as cast out of the garden and begetting children in banishment from God's presence.
2. Such are the materials from which NT theology works out its doctrine of original sin, not a transmitted tendency or bias towards evil, but a submission to the power of the devil which may be predicated of the whole race. [See art. Sin.]
J. G. Simpson.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth:
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.
all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life of all that was in the dry land died.
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
And he said, Thy brother came with deceit and has taken away thy blessing.
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, The LORD hath said thus: Israel is my son, even my firstborn.
Thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate me
And as the LORD passed by before him, he proclaimed, I AM, I AM strong, merciful, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, letting go of iniquity and rebellion and sin; and by no means will I absolve the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons and upon the sons' sons, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
keeping mercy for thousands, letting go of iniquity and rebellion and sin; and by no means will I absolve the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons and upon the sons' sons, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Speak unto the sons of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person is guilty,
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me and slay me, for anguish is come upon me, and all my soul is yet in me.
Remember now that thou hast formed me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
What is man that he should be clean and that he that is born of a woman should be justified?
The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
God is he who judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is no one that does good.
For he remembered that they were but flesh: a wind that passes away and does not come again.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
and the dust returns to the earth as it was before and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.
I, even I, am he that uproots thy rebellions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins.
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sins, it shall die.
and has made of one blood all the lineage of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined the seasons (which he has limited) and the bounds of their habitation;
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of men, who hold back the truth with injustice;
who are Israelites, to whom pertains the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises, whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all things, blessed for all the ages. Amen.
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices participants of the altar?
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the empire of death, that is, the devil,