Sin Vs Weakness In The Writings Of St. Paul

In the modern world, the concepts of sin, weakness, human responsibility and guilty conscience can all be intertwined in the Christian tradition. As a child, I was taught that human beings are prone to sin (as an action) and tend to give in to that weakness. As a Catholic Christian who believes in taking responsibility for her actions, I feel compelled by my guilty conscience to ask for forgiveness for my choices through the Sacrament of Confession. However, although I was taught to relate the two, sin and weakness are not the same for St. Paul.

Paul does use the term “sin” as an action, but Paul also speaks of ‘sin’ as a tangible object so “when Paul speaks of sin this way sin is not something a person does, like trespassing or violating a law of God. Rather, in these places sin is a cosmic power, an evil force, which compels people to live in alienation from God. In this model people are enslaved to this demonic power and cannot break free from their bondage”. This reflects the influence of apocalyptic theology on Paul’s beliefs and mission. However, Paul also sees ‘weakness’ as a key part of his view of humanity. He writes in 2 Cor 12:9-10, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Soards explains that “his [Paul’s] weakness allows a distinction to be made between his [Paul’s] own pitiful efforts and the gracious, sustaining power of God. If then weakness and sin are different and weakness comes from a cosmic power like Satan rather than a human being, this removes any personal responsibility for wrongdoing.

However, I think this is a dangerous road to travel down because I believe this directly challenges the belief in humanity’s God-given gift of free will as well as the OT (Lv 19:18) and NT directives (Lk 10:27) to love others as yourself. In today’s relativistic and ego-centric culture, lack of personal responsibility leads people to objectify other human beings, to think only of themselves and not whether or not their actions can negatively impact other people. If humanity is not responsible and held accountable for their actions, then, for example, it shouldn’t matter whether or not Brenton Harris Tarrant killed 49 people in New Zealand or that abortion and infanticide are acceptable forms of ‘healthcare for women’ or that a wall could be built between the United States and Mexico or that modern-day slavery exists in the form of human trafficking. Yet, these things should matter.

So although Paul saw a difference between sin and weakness and his “personal experiences are constantly woven into his understanding of the mission and the faith”, in the modern era, I believe that viewing a connection between the concepts of sin, weakness, human responsibility and guilty conscience are essential in preserving the obligation human beings have for one another as modeled by Jesus Christ.

Works Cited

1. Holy Bible New American Bible Catholic Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1970. Print.
2. Pugliese, M. Online Posting. 11 March 2019. Life and Writings of Paul THY-532-01. 17 March 2019. https://saintleo.brightspace.com/d2l/le/75739/discussions/threads/1639703/View
3. Sanders, E. P. Paul: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print.
4. Soards, M. The Apostle Paul: An Introduction to his Writings and Teaching. New York: Paulist Press, 1987. Print.
5. Stendahl, K. Paul Among Jews and Gentiles. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976. Print.