This article is about the incorrect interpretation of the word and concept of ‘sin’ in the Bible. Here is its original definition. This research was done by my brother Michael, a truly great scholar and infinite source of accurate information as he has learnt many of the ancient languages, last count at 12. Michael has studied ancient texts in their original languages and I believe that the information he provides is the most objective and accurate available.
The Old Testament, i.e., the Hebrew Bible, was written 98% Hebrew and 2% Aramaic (a Semitic language related to Hebrew, like Arabic).
New Testament, the Christian Bible, was originally written in Greek, though Jesus did NOT speak Greek, only Aramaic and Hebrew. The New Testament was written for mass dissemination, and that particular dialect of Greek (Koine) was common in the Eastern Roman Empire in which early Christians were active missionaries.
SIN IN OLD TESTAMENT HEBREW:
We'll stick to the Hebrew, which is the main language here. There are about a dozen different terms for sin. I can't cover them all, but should caution you that there are subtle nuances that should not be overlooked. But the most common term is "chata."
“Ch” Pronounced like when clearing your throat.
Philologists understand the literal meaning of this term to be: "missing the right point" (Theological Dictionary, vol. 1, p. 271).
SIN IN NEW TESTAMENT GREEK:
Ancient Hebrew has sophisticated terminology when it comes to this subject, the root CHATAH being just one of many forms. Greek is a bit less discriminating. The common translation for CHATAH in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, called The Septuagint, is the family: AMARTIA, AMARTANO, ETC... which also has the meaning of "not to hit" or "to miss." Suffice it to say that there too, it can mean "intellectual shortcoming," and so the Sophos (wise man) is contrasted with the Amartanon ("one who is in error" -- and not "one who is in sin.")
Thus, the Christian writers of the New Testament, could merge both the Hebrew and pagan Greek understanding of CHATAH - AMARTANO in the sense of "missing the mark"...
SIN IN BUDDHISM:
Contrary to the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions, sin simply does not exist in Buddhism. In these sorts of situations, Buddha used the simple words, “Missed the mark”.
Such is the world. We can sin and feel miserable and give up on how terrible we are, destined to burn in hell with guilt for our sins, or we can just try a bit harder to do things correctly next time without guilt or fear or hopelessness.
I would like to add that we can and should live without guilt, but we should regret our actions, with the determination to not repeat them again. Only this way can a person live freely without negative emotions weighing them down and thus have the energy and hope to become a better person tomorrow as they review and regret the wrong actions of today.
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