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metmom:

That is not what you said. You said there was no distinction of sin in the Bible. There are lots of “words not in the Bible” including the word “Bible”

Original Sin is a theological term that of course has its origin in the fall of man [Adam and Eve] in the Garden. Thus, all humanity because of Adam and Eve’s fall lost original justice and it should be understood not as a positive inclination do doing moral evil, but the lack of facility for doing good [Grace is what reorients man back to God]

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans [3: 0-12; 3:22-23; 5:12-19; 5:13-25] presents a theology of original sin and it was an appeal to Romans that Saint Augustine argued against the Pelagians in the debates about Adam and his sin and whether it passed to the rest of humanity. The Pelagians argued Adams sin only caused his death, it did not result in a sin that resulted in the death of the rest of humanity. Orthodox agree with this, they don’t say the rest of humanity inherited guilt, as the West does, but they do also accept the Doctrine of Original sin. The Councils of Carthage in 418 and Orange 529 affirmed the doctrine in the West [Trent reaffirmed both those early Councils].

Mortal and Venial again are theological terms. The distinction of types of sin is well supported in the NT.

In the Gospels [Mt 12:31-32; Mk 3:39] we see an unpardonable sin “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” not forgiven in this age or the age to come.

In Luke 12:47-48 there is the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant, one gets a severe beating one gets a light beating. In John 19:11, Jesus clearly states “he who delivered me to you has the GREATER sin”. Saint Paul in several places lists serious sins [cf Gal 5:19-22; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 5:5-6].

In the other epistles, we see in 1 John 5:16-17 “if anyone sees his brother coming what is not a deadly [mortal] sin, we will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not deadly. There is a sin which is deadly; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin ,but there is a sin which is not deadly”.

For the record, most Catholic theologians see “the deadly sin here” as someone who was part of the Church and follower of Christ who has fallen into apostasy and went totally wayward, etc.

James 5:20 indicates that a Christian who brings back a sinner from their error “will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins”. Note multitude of sins [i.e. great number], not all sin, so this is consistent with acts of penance and charity towards someone.

Saint Peter in 1 Peter 4:8 presents a theology that is consistent with Saint James above when he writes “Above all hold unfailing you love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Taken collectively, the NT does make distinctions of the type of Sins starting with Christ himself in the Gospels as we saw unpardonable sin and greater sin [which means there is a lesser sin in that context]. Saint John speaks of deadly sin and sin that is not deadly and then both Saint James and Saint Peter indicate that and acts of charity to bring a sinner back and acts of charity/love of your fellow humanity covers “multitude of sins”, which are in the context of the other distinctions of sin, are not “deadly” sins.

Given the what I have posted above, it is my view that the NT does make a distinction of sin. To provide support for my statement, Greater Christian minds than me read the same NT and came to that conclusion long before you and I were born. For example Saint Augustine in “Sermons on the Creed, Chapter 15”; “The Spirit and Letter Chapter 48”; his “Homily on the Epistle of John Homily 6} clearly speaks of distinction of sin, using the term venial, original, etc

http://newadvent.org/fathers/1307.htm

http://newadvent.org/fathers/1502.htm

http://newadvent.org/fathers/170201.htm

Saint Jerome in his work “Against Jovinian Book 2 Chapter 30” uses the theological terms mortal and venial and of course cited 1 John 5:16-17.

I could go on, but I think this is enough to provide support for my claim.