Introduction to 7

The 7 Deadly Sins
- Introduction -

The History of the Seven Deadly Sins

~ The 7 Deadly Sins do not find their origin in the Bible
~ Evagrius was the 1st man we know of to make such a list
~ Thomas Aquinas discussed the 7 extensively
~ Gregory the Great formalized the 7 Deadly Sins
~ Early Protestants rejected the list, but now it is mostly embraced

The Value of the Seven Deadly Sins

~ They create an agreeable starting point for discussing humanity
“The doctrine of original sin is the only empiracly verifiable Christian doctrine.” (Reinhold Niebuhr)

~ They focus on ‘my’ sin rather than ‘your’ sin
“G. K. Chesterton was asked by a British newspaper to contribute an essay on the subject ‘What is Wrong with the World?’ Chesterton sent back a two-sentence essay: ‘What is Wrong with the World? Me.’”

~ They focus on the ‘disease’ rather than the ‘symptoms’
“What makes the Seven so deadly is their generative quality… The Seven are ‘leaders of wicked armies…’ [they are the] head, the necessary first step toward other sin.” (Will Willimon)

~ They establish our need for Christ
“Jesus made the rather astounding claim that, when it comes to sin, it’s the thought that counts… the main reason to spend all this effort talking about sin is so that we can name it, claim it, and move on to more significant lives than if we had lied about ourselves… So that we may be on our way to fulfillment of God’s great promise to God’s people, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’” (Will Willimon)