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- Jul 13, 2015
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- 19,199
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- Western Australia
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- Single
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- Yes
If those men prior to Jesus were truly sinless, they would have been the ones to die on the cross. Only the lamb without blemish could do that.
One ought to be careful with the meaning of words such as "sinless", because Job and Enoch are praised by Jehovah with words like "perfect and upright" as well as "pleased Jehovah" and (in the case of Enoch) being received into heaven apparently without physically dying, since one may be completely free of actual sins (sinful acts that a person chooses to do him/her self) yet still be a descendant of Adam and thus under the curse and subject to death. Romans chapter five teaches about this very matter:
Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned-- sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12-21)