The Doctrine of Sin : The Definition and Meaning of SIN.

Dr. James Merritt said recently in his sermon, “ Sin is not just a mistake or trip up. Sin is Sin before a Holy God.”

There are two Greek words which perhaps most closely define sin.:

A. Harmartema : “to miss the mark”. Here sin may be pictured as any attitude or act of man which does not hit the bulls eye of God’s glory target. This meaning is strongly brought out by Paul in Romans 3:23. “FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

sinned ἁμαρτάνω hamartanō Thayer Definition:

1) to be without a share in

2) to miss the mark

3) to err, be mistaken

4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong

5) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin

Part of Speech: verb

The secular use of the verbal form is illustrated in Judges 20:16 where the Scriptures stated that the tribe of benjamin had a corps of left-handed warriors who could “sling a stone at a hair-breadth and not miss”.

Could sling stones at a hair - and not miss - ולא יחטא  velo yachati, and not sin: και ουκ εξαμαρτανοντες; Sept. Here we have the true import of the term sin; it signifies simply to miss the mark, and is well translated in the New Testament by ἁμαρτανω, from α, negative, and μαρπτω, to hit the mark. Men miss the mark of true happiness in aiming at sensual gratifications; which happiness is to be found only in the possession and enjoyment of the favor of God, from whom their passions continually lead them. He alone hits the mark, and ceases from sin, who attains to God through Christ Jesus.

It is worthy of remark that the Persian khuta kerden, which literally signifies to sin or mistake, is used by the Mohammedans to express to miss the mark.

The sling was a very ancient warlike instrument, and, in the hands of those who were skilled in the use of it, it produced astonishing effects. The inhabitants of the isles called Baleares, now Majorca and Minorca, were the most celebrated slingers of antiquity. They did not permit their children to break their fast till they had struck down the bread they were to eat from the top of a pole, or some distant eminence. They had their name Baleares from the Greek word βαλλειν to dart, cast, or throw.A. Clark

B. Parabasis : “to overstep a forbidden line.” According to this definition, sin occurs when man deliberately (or accidently) steps over the line of the law of God. The following passages bring this out:

1Jn 3:4  Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.

Wikipedia says “Divine law is any law that comes directly from the will of God, in contrast to man-made law. Like natural law (which may be seen as a manifestation of divine law) it is independent of the will of man, who cannot change it. However it may be revealed or not, so it may change in human perception in time through new revelation. Divine law is commonly equated with eternal law, meaning that if God is infinite, then his law must also be infinite and eternal.

Sudanese Woman Sentenced to Death for Converting to a Christian: a Violation of Right to Religion

Dictionary.com: to Violate :vi·o·late   [vahy-uh-leyt]  Show IPA

verb (used with object), vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing.

1. to break, infringe, or transgress (a law, rule, agreement, promise, instructions, etc.).

2. to break in upon or disturb rudely; interfere thoughtlessly with: to violate his privacy.

3. to break through or pass by force or without right: to violate a frontier.

4. to treat irreverently or disrespectfully; desecrate; profane: violate a human right.

5. to molest sexually, especially to rape.

lawlessness  ἀνομία anomia

Thayer Definition:

1) the condition of without law

1a) because ignorant of it

1b) because of violating it

2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

Act 1:25  to occupy the place in this ministry and Apostleship from which Judas through transgression fell, in order to go to his own place." WNT

ABP+ ( fromG1537 of whichG3739 Judas violatedG3845 G* to goG4198 untoG1519 G3588 [2placeG5117 G3588 1 his own].G2398 ) Apostolic Bible polyglot.

Violated παραβαίνω parabainō par-ab-ah'ee-no Strong’s G3845

From G3844 and the base of G939; to go contrary to, that is, to violate a command: - (by) transgress (-ion).

From which Judas by transgression fell - Literally, went aside -  παρέβη  parebē - “as opposed to the idea of adhering faithfully to the character and service which his apostleship required of him” (Prof. Hackett). The transgression referred to was his treason and suicide. Barnes Notes

The bottom line is that Judas Iscariot was a real person who betrayed the real Jesus, and then committed suicide because he couldn't live with himself any longer.

Jas 2:11  For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor (violator) of the law.

Various Theological definitions of SIN

1.  A. H. Strong’s : Sin is lack of conformity to the Moral Law of god, either in act, disposition, or state.

2. C. Hodge: Sin is a transgression of and want of conformity the The Divine Law.”

3. James Oliver Buswell Jnr.: “ Sin may be defined ultimately as anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holy Character of the Creator.”

4. L.S. Chafer : “ Sin is a restless unwillingness on the part of the creature to abide in the sphere and limitation in which the Creator, guided by infinite wisdom, had placed him.”

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