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By Hank Walker | Pastor at Peach City Fellowship

A pastor friend asked for my feedback on so-called “generational curses.” My reaction was visceral. I’ll lay my cards on the table: I HATE false-teaching that puts people in bondage or gives them a reason to play the victim! The myth of generational curses does both.

What is a GENERATIONAL CURSE? It is a ‘sin-curse’ that passes from parents to successive generations. If, for instance, you struggle with sexual sin and your father was promiscuous, you have (supposedly) inherited a generational curse.

Where does this idea come from? Exodus 34:7 is usually quoted: “…visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Someone ignorant of biblical context might buy into this nonsense, but it is entirely unacceptable for church leaders to teach such things.

First off, Exodus 34 tells of Moses warning the Israelites—the ONLY recipients of this warning—that if THEY continued to worship idols and marry pagans, the consequences would be dire. God followed through on this warning when He sent Israel into bondage. In context, then, this verse refers not to a CURSE but to CONSEQUENCES for national Israel.

Second, ALL of us were born under the curse of Adam. We ALL have the natural desire to sin: “…every intention of the thoughts of their [mankind’s] hearts was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). If YOU are still “in Adam,” you will die one day, and YOU will pay for YOUR sins.

Third, the promise of the New Covenant specifically answers this error: “The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them” (Ezek. 18:20), or “In those days [of the New Covenant] people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Instead… whoever eats sour grapes—their OWN teeth will be set on edge” (Jer. 31:29-30).

Jesus, “the second Adam” (Rom. 5; 1 Cor. 15), came that we might be “born again” (John 3)—to change our genealogy. In Him, we need not fear superstitious generational curses—NOR the curse we inherited from the first Adam. That is Good News!

Grace and peace, y’all.

Soli Deo Gloria