"All Have Sinned . . ." (Mary?

)
I wrote the following to an evangelical Protestant friend who has since converted to Catholicism. This is a classic Protestant objection which has in the past troubled me a little bit (even as a Catholic) as well. Romans 3:23: "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ." {NRSV} I'm still loo ing for a good ans!er on the "for all have sinned" "#estion in regards to $ary. %he "all doesn't al!ays mean all" ans!er is not satisfa&tory sin&e I am s#re there are referen&es !here all does mean all' I don't follo!. If the !ord "all" ()as in Gree * &an indeed have different meanings (as it does in +nglish*, then it &an have different meanings' It matters not if it means literally "every single one" in some )la&es, if it &an mean something less than "a-sol#tely every" else!here in S&ri)t#re. .s soon as this is admitted, then the /atholi& e0&e)tion for $ary &annot -e said to -e ling#isti&ally or e0egeti&ally im)ossi-le, any more than adel)hos ("-rother"* meaning "si-ling" in one )la&e r#les o#t a meaning of "&o#sin" or other non1si-ling some!here else. 2e find e0am)les of a non1literal intent else!here in Romans. In verse 3:24 the 56V reads, "-eing filled !ith all #nrighteo#sness.....," !hereas NRSV ado)ts the more )arti&#lar, s)e&ifi& meaning, ".....every ind of !i& edness...." .s another e0am)le in the same -oo , 7a#l !rites that "all Israel !ill -e saved," (33:28*, -#t !e no! that many !ill not -e saved. .nd in 39:3:, 7a#l des&ri-es mem-ers of the Roman &h#r&h as "....filled !ith all no!ledge...." (&f. 3 /or 3:9 in 56V*, !hi&h &learly &annot -e ta en literally. +0am)les &o#ld -e m#lti)lied indefinitely, and are as a&&essi-le as the nearest Strong's /on&ordan&e. %he "e0&e)tion" ans!er is not satisfa&tory either &onsidering .dam and +ve !ere -efore there !as original sin and 6es#s !as God'' .nd $ary !as freed from original sin' .gain, I don't see ho! this is &om)elling at all. .ll yo#'ve sho!n is that there are e0&e)tions indeed. Granted, 6es#s is of &o#rse #ni"#e, -#t if ;e )roves an e0&e)tion to the r#le here, is it #tterly in&on&eiva-le that $ary &o#ld as !ell< S#re, .dam and +ve sinned, -#t they are #sed as e0am)les of imma&#late h#man -eings ho!ever short1lived it !as in their &ase' I agree that this verse &o#ld -e regarded as a "diffi&#lty," -#t I don't thin it is ins#rmo#nta-le. 2hat !o#ld -e irref#ta-le !o#ld -e a verse that read something li e: "a-sol#tely every h#man -eing !ho ever lived no e0&e)tions 1 has sinned......" %his !o#ld in&l#de 6es#s sin&e ;e is a h#man as !e are 1 =#st that ;e is also God (a >ivine 7erson*, and $ary. ?#t Romans 3:23 doesn't entail that logi&al &on#ndr#m. @ne &o#ld also say that $ary !as in&l#ded in the "all" in the sense that she &ertainly !o#ld have -een s#-=e&t to original sin li e all the rest of #s -#t for God's s)e&ial )reventive a&t of gra&e 1 a ")reem)tive stri e," so to s)ea . %his is !hy she &an rightly say that God !as her Savior too (A 3::B*. I don't thin that is stret&hing it, &onsidering that ;e-re! idiom !as not at all "s&ientifi&," ")hiloso)hi&al" nor e0&essively )arti&#laristi& as to literal meanings, as +nglish in o#r &#lt#re seems to -e today. I myself 1 in my admittedly relative ignoran&e of te&hni&al e0egesis 1 thin that this "e0&e)tion C original sin C ;e-re! idiom" e0)lanation is the most )la#si-le. It allo!s one to ta e "all" here in its most straightfor!ard, &ommon sense meaning, -#t !ith the )roviso that $ary !as s)ared from inevita-le sin -y means of a dire&t, e0traordinary intervention of God, and it is also in line !ith the tho#ght of A# e 3::B, as inter)reted -y /atholi& theology, in light of its a&&e)tan&e of the Imma&#late /on&e)tion. %hat said, I go no! to ling#isti& referen&e !or s. 5ittel's %heologi&al >i&tionary of the Ne! %estament (.-ridged +d.* states:

7as &an have different meanings a&&ording to its different #ses . . . in many verses, )as is #sed in the N% sim)ly to denote a great n#m-er, e.g., "all 6er#salem" in $t 2:3 and "all the si& " in ::2:. {)).B481B} See also $t 3:9, 23:3D, 2B:29, $ 2:33, 4:39, et&., et&., es). in 56V. Ai e!ise, %hayer's Gree 1+nglish Ae0i&on of the Ne! %estament gives "of every ind" as a )ossi-le meaning in some &onte0ts {).:43, !ord E3498}. .nd Vine's +0)ository >i&tionary of Ne! %estament 2ords tells #s it &an mean "every ind or variety." {v.3, ).:8, #nder ".ll"}. Nevertheless, I am in&lined to go !ith the "e0&e)tion" inter)retation I des&ri-ed a-ove. $y )oint here is sim)ly to ill#strate that )as doesn't ne&essarily have to mean "no e0&e)tions, so that $ary's sinlessness is not a logi&al im)ossi-ility -ased on the meaning of )as alone. 2e see 6e!ish idiom and hy)er-ole in )assages of similar meaning. 6es#s says: No one is good -#t God alone. {A 3F:34G &f. $t 34:3B} Het ;e also said: %he good )erson -rings good things o#t of a good treas#re .... {$t 32:39G &f. 9::9, B:3B12D, 22:3D} I#rthermore, in ea&h instan&e in $atthe! and A# e a-ove of the +nglish "good" the Gree !ord is the same: agatho. Is this a &ontradi&tion< @f &o#rse not. 6es#s is merely dra!ing a &ontrast -et!een o#r righteo#sness and God's, -#t ;e doesn't deny that !e &an -e "good" in a lesser sense. 2e o-serve the same dynami& in the 7salms: %he Aord loo s do!n from heaven on h#man ind to see if there are any !ho are !ise, !ho see after God. %hey have all gone astray, they are all ali e )erverseG there is no one !ho does good J;e-re!, to-K no not one. {7s 3::213G &f. 93:313 C 7a#l &ites these in Rom 3:3D132} Het in the immediately )re&eding 7salm, >avid )ro&laims I tr#sted in yo#r steadfast love.... {33:9}, !hi&h &ertainly is "see ing" after God' .nd in the very ne0t he refers to those !ho !al -lamelessly, and do !hat is right...... {39:2}. +ven t!o verses later he !rites that ... God is !ith the &om)any of the righteo#s. ('''* So o-vio#sly his lament in 3::213 is an indignant hy)er-ole and not intended as a literal #tteran&e. S#&h remar s are &ommon to 6e!ish )oeti& idiom. %he anonymo#s )salmist in 332:9 refers to a good man (;e-. to-*, as does the -oo of 7rover-s re)eatedly (33:23, 32:2, 33:22, 3::3:,34*, #sing the same !ord, to-, !hi&h a))ears in 7s 3::213. .nd referen&es to righteo#s men are inn#mera-le (e.g., 6o- 3B:4, 22:34, 7s 9:32, 32:33, 3::39, 3B:38,32, $t 4:33, 33:3B, 29:3B,:8, Rom 9:34, ;e- 33::, 6as 9G38, 3 )et 3:32, ::3F, et&., et&.*. ?#t #s /atholi&s agree !ith 7rotestants on the #niversality of sin, !ith =#st the one lone e0&e)tion of $ary among &reated h#man -eings. %hat's not too in&redi-le or im)la#si-le or #nthin a-le to imagine God doing, is it< %o ma e s#re that one solitary &reated )erson !as e)t from sin< .nd that -e&a#se she !as the %heoto os, the God1-earer< Ne!man said that it is far less diffi&#lt to hold that $ary !as freed from original and a&t#al sin than it is to a&&e)t the )ro)osition that all men are s#-=e&t to original sin. %he real mystery is !hy God !o#ld allo! the latter to ha))en, not that ;e !illed to restore ;is Son's earthly mother to a state !hi&h 1 -#t for original sin 1 !o#ld have &hara&teriLed every one of #s. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM @ne might also note 3 /orinthians 39:22: ".s in .dam all die, so in /hrist all !ill -e made alive" {NIV}. .s far as )hysi&al death is &on&erned (the &onte0t of 3 /or 39*, not "all" )eo)le have died (e.g., +no&h: Gen 9:2:G &f. ;e- 33:9, +li=ah: 2 5ings 2:33*. Ai e!ise, "all" !ill not -e made s)irit#ally alive -y /hrist, as some !ill &hoose to s#ffer eternal s)irit#al death in hell.

"Todos Tm Sinned. . (Mary?)

Eu escrevi o seguinte a um amigo protestant evangelical que tivesse desde convertido a Catholicism. Esta uma obje!"o protestant cl#ssica que tenha no passado incomodado me um bocado pequeno (mesmo como um catholic) tamb m. Romans 3:23: "... todos tNm sinned e short da "#eda do glory do de#s ." { NRSV } +# esto# )ro&#rando ainda #ma res)osta -oa no ")ara todo tenho sinned" a )erg#nta na &onsideraOPo a $ary. @ "t#do nPo signifi&a sem)re toda a" res)osta nPo Q satisfatRria desde "#e e# so# &erto "#e hS as referNn&ias onde t#do signifi&a t#do' +# nPo sigo. Se a )alavra "t#do" ( )as no grego* )#der &ertamente ter meanings diferentes (&omo faL em inglNs*, entPo )ode ter meanings diferentes' Im)orta nPo se signifi&a literalmente "&ada Tni&o" em alg#ns l#gares, se )#der signifi&ar algo mais menos do "#e "a-sol#tamente &ada" em o#tra )arte em S&ri)t#re. .ssim "#e isto for admitido, a seg#ir a e0&eOPo &atholi& )ara $ary nPo )ode ser dita ser lingUVsti&a o# e0egeti&ally im)ossWvel, mais do "#e os adel)hos ("irmPo"* "#e signifi&am o "si-ling" em rQg#as de #m l#gar )ara fora de #m meaning do ")rimo" o# do o#tro non1non1si-ling em alg#m l#gar mais. NRs en&ontramos e0em)los de #ma intenOPo non1literal em o#tra )arte em Romans. No verso 3:24 o 56V lN, "sendo en&hido &om todo o #nrighteo#sness.....," visto "#e NRSV adota o meaning mais )arti&#lar, mais es)e&Wfi&o,"... ti)o de..every do !i& edness...." /omo #m o#tro e0em)lo no mesmo livro, 7a#l es&reve "#e "toda a Israel estarS &onservada," (33:28*, mas nRs sa-emos "#e m#itos nPo estarPo &onservados. + em 39:3:, 7a#l des&reve mem-ros da igre=a roman &omo "....filled &om todo o &onhe&imento...."(&f. 3 &or 3:9 em 56V*, "#e &laramente nPo )ode ser feito e0ame literalmente. @s e0em)los )odiam ser m#lti)li&ados indefinidamente, e sPo tPo a&essWveis "#anto a &on&ordXn&ia forte a mais )rR0ima. . res)osta da "e0&eOPo" nPo Q satisfatRria #m o# o#tro .dam &onsiderando e o eve foi antes "#e ho#ve #m sin original e 6es#s fosse de#s'' + $ary foi livrada do sin original' @#tra veL, e# nPo v &omo este Q &om)elling em t#do. %#do "#e vo&N mostro# Q "#e hS #mas e0&eOYes &ertamente. /on&edido, 6es#s Q nat#ralmente original, mas se )rovar #ma e0&eOPo Z rQg#a a"#i, Q totalmente in&on&eiva-le "#e $ary )oderia tam-Qm< /erto, .dam e eve sinned, mas sPo #sados &omo e0em)los dos seres h#manos imma&#late entretanto short1 lived ele estavam em se# &aso' +# &on&ordo "#e este verso )oderia ser &onsiderado &omo #ma "difi&#ldade," mas e# nPo )enso "#e Q ins#rmo#nta-le. @ "#e seria irref#ta-le se=a #m verso "#e leia algo &omo: "a-sol#tamente &ada ser h#mano "#e vive# sem)re nenh#mas e0&eOYes 1 tem sinned......" Isto in&l#iria 6es#s desde "#e Q #m ser h#mano )or"#e nRs Q 1 a)enas esse Q tam-Qm de#s (#ma )essoa divine*, e $ary. $as Romans 3:23 nPo envolve esse &on#ndr#m lRgi&o. Se )oderia tam-Qm diLer "#e $ary estNve in&l#Wda no "t#do" no sentido "#e &ertamente seria s#=eita ao sin original &omo todo o des&anso de nRs mas )ara o ato )reventivo es)e&ial do de#s do gra&e 1 "#ma -atida )reem)tive," assim falar. Isto Q )or"#e )ode direita diLer "#e o de#s era se# savior demasiado (A 3::B*. +# nPo )enso "#e o estS esti&ando, &onsiderando "#e o idiom he-re! era de modo nenh#m "&ientWfi&o," "filosRfi&o" nem e0&essivamente )arti&#laristi& a res)eito dos meanings literais, &omo o inglNs em nossa &#lt#ra )are&e ser ho=e. I e# mesmo 1 em me# ignoran&e admittedly relativo do e0egesis tQ&ni&o 1 )ense de "#e estas "e0&eOPoCe0)lanaOPo sin originalCidiom he-re!" Q as mais )la#si-le. 7ermite "#e #m faOa e0ame de "t#do" a"#i em se# meaning do sentido o mais direto, o mais &om#m, mas &om o )roviso "#e $ary estNve )o#)ada do sin inevitSvel )or meio de #m direto, a intervenOPo e0traordinSria do de#s, e sPo tam-Qm na linha &om o )ensamento de A# e 3::B, &omo inter)retado )elo theology de /atholi&, na l#L de s#a a&eitaOPo do &on&e)tion imma&#late.

[#e dito, e# vo# agora aos tra-alhos de referNn&ia lingUWsti&os. >i&ionSrio de %heologi&al de 5ittel do testament novo (+d a-ridged.* estados: 7as )ode ter meanings diferentes de a&ordo &om se#s #sos diferentes. . . em m#itos versos, os )as sPo #sados no N% sim)lesmente denotar #m nTmero grande, )or e0em)lo, "todo o 6er#salem" em $t 2:3 e "todo o doente" em ::2:. { )).B481B } Ve=a tam-Qm $t 3:9, 23:3D, 2B:29, $ 2:33, 4:39, et&., et&., es). em 56V. >o mesmo modo, o lQ0i&o Grego1InglNs de %hayer do testament novo dS "de &ada ti)o" &omo #m meaning )ossWvel em alg#ns &onte0tos { ).:43, )alavra E 3498 }. + o di&ionSrio e0)ository da videira de )alavras novas do testament diL1nos "#e )ode signifi&ar "&ada ti)o o# variedade." { v.3, ).:8, so"t#do" }. NPo o-stante, e# so# in&lined ir &om a inter)retaOPo "#e da "e0&eOPo" e# des&revi a&ima. $e# )onto a"#i deve sim)lesmente il#strar "#e os )as nPo tNm "#e ne&essariamente nPo signifi&ar "nenh#ma e0&eOPo, de modo "#e o sinlessness de $ary nPo se=a #m im)ossi-ility lRgi&o -aseado no meaning dos )as soLinho. NRs vemos o idiom e o hy)er-ole =e!ish nas )assagens do meaning similar. 6es#s diL: Ning#Qm Q -om mas de#s soLinho . { A 3F:34G &f. $t 34:3B } /ont#do disse tam-Qm: . )essoa -oa traL &oisas -oas fora de #m teso#ro -om .... { $t 32:39G &f. 9::9, B:3B12D, 22:3D } .lQm disso, em &ada e0em)lo em $atthe! e em A# e a&ima do "-om inglNs" a )alavra grega Q a mesma: agatho . \ isto #m o &ontradi&tion< Nat#ralmente nPo. 6es#s estS e0traindo meramente #m &ontraste entre nosso righteo#sness e de#s, mas nPo nega "#e nRs )odemos ser "-ons" em )o#&o sentido. NRs o-servamos o mesmo dinXmi&o nos )salms: @ senhor olha )ara -ai0o do heaven no h#man ind )ara ver se ho#ver alg#m "#e for sS-io, "#e )ro&#ra a)Rs o de#s. %odos foram astray, eles sPo )erverse toda semelhanteG hS ning#Qm "#e nPo faLem -om J he-re!, to- K nenh#m nPo. { )i&oseg#ndo 3::213G o &f. 93:313C7a#l &ites estes em R@$ 3:3D132 } /ont#do imediatamente antes no )salm, >avid )ro&lama1me &onfio# em se# amor steadfast .... { 33:9 }, "#e &ertamente "estS )ro&#rando" a)Rs o de#s' + no m#ito seg#intes &ons#lta Z mang#eira de t "#e andam -lamelessly, e faL o "#e Q direito ...... { 39:2 }. $esmo dois versos mais tarde es&reve "#e... o de#s Q &om a &om)anhia do righteo#s . o ('''* assim o-viamente "#e his lament em 3::213 Q #m hy)er-ole indignant e nPo )retendido &omo #m #tteran&e literal. %ais o-servaOYes sPo &om#ns ao idiom )oQti&o =e!ish. @ )salmist anonymo#s em 332:9 &ons#lta a #m homem -om (to- de ;e-. *, &omo o livro dos )rover-s re)etidamente (33:23, 32:2, 33:22, 3::3:,34*, #sando a mesma )alavra, o to- , "#e a)are&e no )i&oseg#ndo 3::213. + as referNn&ias aos homens righteo#s sPo inn#mera-le ()or e0em)lo, tra-alho 3B:4, 22:34, )i&oseg#ndo 9:32, 32:33, 3::39, 3B:38,32, $t 4:33, 33:3B, 29:3B,:8, R@$ 9:34, ;e- 33::, 6as 9G38, 3 animal de estimaOPo 3:32, ::3F, et&., et&.*. $as nRs &atholi&s &on&ordam &om o 7rotestants &om o #niversality do sin, &om a)enas a #ma e0&eOPo solitSria de $ary entre seres h#manos &riados. Isso nPo Q demasiado in&redi-le o# im)la#si-le o# #nthin a-le )ara imaginar o de#s faLer, Q< 7ara &ertifi&ar1se de "#e #ma )essoa &riada solitary estNve mantida do sin< + isso )or"#e era o %heoto os , o >e#s1)ortador < Ne!man disse "#e Q mais menos difW&il distante )render "#e $ary estNve livrada do sin original e real do "#e deve a&eitar o )ro)osition "#e todos os homens sPo s#=eitos ao sin original. @ mistQrio real Q )or"#e o de#s )ermitiria "#e o Tltimo a&onte&esse, nPo isso "#e "#is resta#rar a mPe earthly do se# filho a #m estado "#e 1 mas )ara o sin original 1 &ara&teriLasse &ada de nRs. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

]m )^de tam-Qm anotar 3 /orinthians 39:22: "&omo em .dam t#do morra, assim "#e em /hrist todos serPo feitos vivos" { NIV }. %anto "#anto a morte fWsi&a (o &onte0to de 3 &or 39*, nPo "todos os" )ovos morreram ()or e0em)lo, +no&h: Gen 9:2:G &f. ;e- 33:9, +li=ah: 2 reis 2:33*. >o mesmo modo, "todos" nPo serPo feitos es)irit#al vivos )or /hrist, )or"#e alg#ns es&olherPo sofrer a morte es)irit#al eternal no inferno.