Responsibility for Sin in Ezekiel 18:21-28

This article discusses the problem of responsibility in Ezekiel 18:21-28. In the first part of the article, the author presents the principle of collective responsibility in ancient Israel. The second part shows the teaching of the prophet Ezekiel, who contrasts the former universally applicable principle of collective responsibility with his completely novel concept of individual responsibility. According to this new principle, everyone is personally responsible for his own behavior. A sinner can save his life by converting and entering on the path of a real spiritual life. For centuries the Catholic Church has interpreted Ezekiel’s encouragement to convert as an indirect invitation for the modern listener to be open to Christ.