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Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Last updated on: October 9, 2024 at 11:59 pm by Kermit Zarley

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Could Jesus Have Sinned? 2024-10-09T23:59:12-07:00 Kermit Zarley

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The question, “Could Jesus Have Sinned?” has been much debated in church history. Thus, Christians have not agreed about it’s answer—yes or no. Most have been taught by scholars and pastors that Jesus could not have sinned. But many believers in Jesus have not accepted that teaching because it seems to conflict with many things, such as just being a complete human being.

Did Jesus Ever Sin?

Now, the main question about Jesus and sin should be, “did Jesus ever sin?” For people who identify as “Christian” or “believer” in Jesus, they should be able to answer a resounding “no.” That is because Christians should base their faith on the Bible, and it says Jesus never sinned as the following New Testament texts state:

Jesus—”Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46 NRSV)

Apostle Paul—Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Author of Hebrews says Jesus was “tested as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15)

Apostle Peter says of Jesus—”He committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:2; cf. Isaiah 53:9)

Author of 1 John—”In him,” referring to Jesus, “there is no sin” (1 John 3:5)

Jesus could not have died for our sins as an atoning sacrifice if he was a sinner. That is what it means for Jesus to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The sacrificial lamb priests offered on the altar had to be “without spot and blemish,” which lack of perfection is symbolic of our human sins.

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Secondary to this is the question, could Jesus have sinned? Some Christian theologians say Jesus could have sinned, but he didn’t. But throughout church history, probably most Christian theologians have said that Jesus could not have sinned. Their main reason for saying that is that they believed Jesus was both man and God and God cannot sin. It is reasoning like this that I think suggests Jesus was not God. (See my book, The Restitution: Biblical Proof Jesus Was NOT God.)

Were Jesus’s Temptations “Real”?

I believe Jesus could have sinned or else his temptations to sin—such as Satan’s temptations of him in the wilderness, recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13—were not “real.” We have just seen that regarding this—temptation to sin—Jesus was “tested as we are.” If Jesus could not have sinned, he could not have been tested as we are. And besides, James, Jesus’ brother, writes, “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). So, if Jesus was God, he could not have been tempted; yet Matthew and Luke clearly report that Jesus was tempted three times with specific sins.

Furthermore, many Trinitarians claim Jesus had to be God to save us. Yet that cannot support that assertion with any biblical references. Actually, that assertion was put forth by some 4th century church fathers, and they may have gotten the idea from the Gnostic Redeemer Myth that originated in present Iran in the 2nd century.

Jesus Had to Be Like Us Humans to Save Us

But the author of Hebrews states just opposite, that for Jesus to save us “he had to become like like his brothers and sisters in every respect” (Hebrews 2:17. That is, Jesus have to be just as human as we are in order to be our Savior.

And the apostle Paul compares Jesus to the first man, Adam, in such as way that it appears that Paul could not have made this comparison if he had thought Jesus could not have sinned.

What Did Jesus Conquer?

Moreover, Revelation 1:17b—3:22 is a series of messages by the risen Jesus in heaven to seven churches on earth. Five times in this extended proclamation, Jesus mentions the idea of “conquer” or “overcome” as Bible translations differ in rendering it. The meaning is to conquer or overcome the temptation to commit certain sins Jesus mentions that apply to the different churches (Revelation 2:17, 26, 28; 3:12, 21. Jesus says those who conquer or overcome will be greatly rewarded in the afterlife. For example, if they conquer Jesus “will give some some of the hidden manna and a white stone” (2:17), “I will also give the morning star” (2:28), and “I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God” (3:12).

Finally, the risen, heavenly Jesus says of himself to the seventh of the seven churches, the church at Laodicea wherein some are guilty of the sin of being only lukewarm in commitment, “To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

Thus, from this text we learn that not only did Jesus conquer being less than fully committed to God’s purpose and mission for his life, God greatly rewarded Jesus for this conquering by inviting him to sit with him on his throne, a great honor that the writer of Hebrews says God never offered to any of the angels (Hebrews 1:13).

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think scripture overwhelming reveals that Jesus really did overcome the temptation to sin, and he could not have done this if he could not have sinned.