Adam and Eve: Real People
by Ivan Maddox
Atlanta, GA
Let's start our look at the Fall by making it clear that when we talk about Adam and Eve, we are talking about real people.
I understand that this is a subject under debate in theological circles; but the Word of God leaves no room for an alternative viewpoint here. Those who argue that the Biblical record of Adam and Eve is a myth (our polite way of saying "a lie"!) clearly don't understand mankind's problem with sin, as described in the scriptures, or God's solution to this problem through Jesus Christ.
In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul takes a look at the roots of our sin problem.
Romans 5:12-21.
5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
According to Paul, our sin problem and our redemption center around two men: Adam and Jesus Christ. It was by one unrighteous act of one man that we were made subject to sin and death, and it was by one righteous act of one man that we were give justification, righteousness and life. Paul's whole analysis of man's sin problem and of our redemption in Christ, hinges on Adam being a real, literal human being. Take that away and the whole plan of redemption as laid out in the Bible falls apart.
Jesus did something similar when he was asked about divorce. He could have based his teachings on divorce on any other section of scripture he chose, or he could have taught it as standing upon its own authority. Instead, he based it squarely on the scripture's record of the marriage of Adam and Eve. He did not merely make a passing reference to them, which could safely be ignored by the skeptic while leaving the rest of his teaching on this subject intact.; nor did he merely use them as examples, which could have been safely ignored. Instead, he identified theirs as the first marriage, and used the record of that marriage to show what God intended marriage to be. This means that if Adam and Eve were not real people, if their history as given in Genesis is not true, then Jesus' teachings on the nature of marriage and divorce are without foundation, and are null and void.
Recognizing Adam and Eve as real, flesh and blood people is vitally important to us for another reason. The record of their fall is the first record in scripture of man being confronted by his arch-enemy, the devil. In most records in scripture, he is hidden from view, and his actions must be inferred by what we see in the lives of people and the situations and circumstances confronting them. Here, in his initial encounter, he is exposed for all to see, and his methods are put on public display. Refuse to recognize Adam and Eve as real people, and this record, which is a treasure trove of revelation and information about our adversary the devil and his purposes and methods, becomes nothing more than a myth, a fairy tale, and our most dangerous enemy fades into the background, not to be seen openly again until we get to the book of Job.
Romans 15:4.
15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
God has placed this record of Adam and Eve, two very real human beings, in the scriptures for our learning. He has placed the credibility of the two most important people in the New Testament -- Jesus, his only begotten son, and Paul, his premier apostle and the author of most of the New Testament -- on the line on this issue of the historical reality of Adam and Eve. Let us learn, then, not only from what they did wrong, but from what they did right as well. And let us learn as much as we can about our enemy -- his methods, his actions, his motives, his objectives -- here, where we can see him right out in the open, without his protective covering of darkness, so that we will not be ignorant of his devices, and so that we can successfully withstand the wiles of the devil.
Most importantly, let us learn from them why we need a savior, and what it is that God accomplished for us through the life, death and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ.
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