What We Got Wrong About Sin

Cain and Abel, "Original Sin," and what scripture really says about Christian identity

Public Theology is based on the work of Zach W. Lambert, Pastor of Restore, an inclusive church in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Amy Lambert, contribute to and moderate this account. All of the content available at Public Theology is for those who identify as Christian, as well as those who might be interested in learning about a more inclusive, kind, thoughtful Christianity.

Zach’s first book, Better Ways to Read the Bible, will release on August 12, 2025 and is available to preorder today.

Better Ways to Read the Bible is currently on sale through Baker, or you can receive a signed copy when ordering through Book People. (For signed copies: include the name of the person to whom you would like the book signed in the comments field during checkout at bookpeople.com; not yet available to those in the EU, so sorry!).

Every preorder qualifies for an instant download art print as well as a free copy of the audiobook upon release. Please complete this form to receive your preorder bonuses!

Lastly, we are happy to cover subscription costs for anyone who needs it but can’t afford it at this time. If you would like to join the Public Theology community and gain access to our paid subscriber content (which we keep behind a paywall for the privacy and connection of our community) but cannot afford to do so, please message Amy Lambert directly.

We’re glad you’re here.

---

Have you ever heard the Bible verse where Paul says, “My good deeds are like filthy rags before God”?

I have. I’ve heard it lots of times in sermons, devotionals, and references from other Christians.

Or at least I thought I had. But guess what I discovered when I tried to find Paul’s oft-quoted words? Paul doesn’t say it anywhere. In fact, the closest thing to that sentence is found in the letter to the Philippians:

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

Philippians 3:8

That doesn’t say that our good deeds don’t matter to God. So, since it wasn’t in any of the Pauline letters, I searched more broadly in the New Testament. Nothing. Nowhere in any of the twenty-seven New Testament books does it say anything remotely close to “my good deeds are like filthy rags.”

I’ll be honest: I had a moment. I walked into my coworker’s office and mentioned it to him. He couldn’t believe it either, to the point where he, too, began searching. And guess what? He couldn’t find it, either. He texted me later that day: “Man I still can’t believe the filthy rags passage is not in the New Testament.”

I would have bet you $1000 that Paul said those exact words and the phrase existed somewhere in the New Testament. I don’t get surprised by much anymore when it comes to the Bible, but this shocked me. The idea that even my good deeds were like filthy rags before God was taught to me as a foundational truth during the formative years of my faith.