In this profound sermon, Pope Shenouda III clarifies the Orthodox teaching about the inheritance of original sin and refutes the false idea that humanity inherited only a corrupted nature and not sin itself.
He explains that we inherited both sin and the corruption of nature, citing Romans chapter 5, where Scripture says, “By one man’s sin, sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death passed to all men because all sinned.”

The Pope teaches that being “in Adam’s loins” means we were part of his nature at the time of the fall; therefore, we inherited his fallen state. He also quotes King David: “In sin my mother conceived me,” to show that the original sin is inherited from birth. This is why infants are baptized even though they have committed no personal sins, for they are born with the fallen nature.

God, however, did not leave humanity under the rule of death; through redemption and baptism, He granted forgiveness and renewal. Marriage, the Pope emphasizes, is not an instrument of sin transmission but a sacred union that can bring forth children of God and members of Christ’s Body.

The essence of salvation, he teaches, is that Christ’s crucifixion was not only an act of love but also the fulfillment of divine justice. On the Cross, Jesus bore the punishment of sin in our place and died for the sinners, granting us forgiveness and reconciliation. The Cross was therefore a sacrifice of both love and justice, where mercy and truth met perfectly in Christ.

Finally, the Pope warns against teachings that deny the reality of punishment, redemption, or depict the Old Testament God as harsh and the New Testament God as only loving. God is one and unchanging—just and merciful at all times. Redemption revealed His justice and love in their fullest form through the blood of Christ shed for our salvation.