[Biblemat] What are the seven deadly sins? (question/answer)

[Don Martin]

Hello Matt,

Thank you so much for your question and for making use of Bible Questions.
Please do so again. http://www.biblequestions.org  Please check out Bible
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You asked:

What are the "seven sins" and each of there meanings?

Reply:

It is believed that by Charles Panati, Greek monastic theologian Evagrius of
Pontus first drew up a list of eight offenses and wicked human passions:.
They were, in order of increasing seriousness: gluttony, lust, avarice,
sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory, and pride. Evagrius saw the escalating
severity as representing increasing fixation with the self, with pride as
the most egregious of the sins. Acedia (from the Greek "akedia," or "not to
care") denoted "spiritual sloth."

In the late 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great reduced the list to seven
items, folding vainglory into pride, acedia into sadness, and adding envy.
His ranking of the Sins' seriousness was based on the degree from which they
offended against love. It was, from most serious to least: pride, envy,
anger, sadness, avarice, gluttony, and lust. Later theologians, including
St. Thomas Aquinas, would contradict the notion that the seriousness of the
sins could be ranked in this way. The term "covetousness" has historically
been used interchangeably with "avarice" in accounts of the Deadly Sins. In
the seventeenth century, the Catholic Church replaced the vague sin of
"sadness" with sloth.

Such classification can be dangerous and is at best arbitrary, as the
scriptures do not thus present sin.  For more biblical information regarding
sin, I suggest you read, "Sin" located in www.bibletruths.net   When on the
home page, enter through the door and click on "Archives and Index" in the
directory.  When on the Archives page, click on the letter "S."  Here is an
excerpt from the article:

     "...Sin is a matter that pertains to every responsible individual
because "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 23).
There are many different views of sin. Some think they have no sin, the more
sin, the more grace enjoyed, and they believe they can cover sin
(I Jn. 1: 8-10; Rom. 6: 1, 15; Prov. 28: 13). What exactly is sin? One
noun translated sin is hamartia. Hamartia is simply defined as, "a failing
to hit the mark" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, pg. 30). The
scriptures teach thus regarding sin: "Every one that doeth sin doeth also
lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness" (I Jn. 3: 4, ASV)....."

Thanks again for your good question and for your interest in spiritual
matters. I recommend that you print out this email for future reference (web
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Cordially,
Don Martin