ALL HAVE SINNED?

St. Paul the Apostle preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles

I received this question from Friendster Account. Here is the question and my answer.

fellowlovers 07/23/2009 9:30 pm Dear. Fr. Abe Fr.abe kung sabihin nila ng ganito...from the bible ...."ALL HAVE SINNED"(ROM.3:23)panu po yan? tanx po...................

Fr. Abe

07/25/2009 9:28 am

Dear Fellowlovers,

First, it will be 'crazy' of them to claim that Rom 3:23 is absolute and with no exception. It is simply referring to all sinners but it doesn't prove that 'ALL' indeed HAVE SINNED.

For sure not every body and NOT ALL 'HAVE' SINNED. For example:

1. The Babies in the womb, they have not sinned.

2. The people born with mental defects, they have not sinned.

3. The people born in a vegetative states, they have not sinned.

4. The people specially cleansed by God's grace from the womb, they have not sinned.

'HAVING SINNED' speaks of 'ACTUAL SIN'. It points to sins actually done. There are people such as those above that are exempt from these. The Bible usually use 'ALL' or 'Pantes' or 'Pas' in Greek which doesn't mean absolute:

Romans 15:14 (King James Version) And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with ALL knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

TAKE NOTE: ONLY GOD HAS 'ALL' KNOWLEDGE & GOODNESS

This is further proven by the earlier statement of Paul in Romans 3:10-11 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Is it true that there is really no righteous, not even one? Look at these:

Luke 1:6 (King James Version)

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. [O ho, ho, ho... Both Elizabeth and Zechariah are righteous before God.]

Matthew 1:19 (New International Version)

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Mark 6:20 (New International Version)

because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

James 5:16 (King James Version)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. [So, there is a righteous man whose prayer is effective!]

Isaiah 3:10 (King James Version)

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. [The command will be stupid unless there is a real rigteous man.]

SEE, IT IS ERRONEOUS TO ABSOLUTIZE THE STATEMENTS OF ST. PAUL IN ROMANS 3.