Bible Instruction on Adam and Eve’s Conduct

LESSON 12

BIBLE INSTRUCTION AS TO ADAM’S AND EVE’S CONDUCT.

90. After the fourth chapter of Genesis, Eve is never referred to again in the O. T., and Adam is mentioned only twice,—in Job 31:33, “If I, like Adam, covered my transgression, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,” and Hosea 6:7, (R. V.), “They, like Adam, transgressed the covenant.” But when we come to the N. T., there is a striking contrast between the estimate put upon Adam’s and Eve’s conduct. Of Adam it is plainly said that his conduct brought sin into the world. Theologians infer disastrous results to the world from Eve’s conduct, but there are no clear statements to that effect in the Bible. We presently discuss the lawfulness of these inferences.

91. We will place all passages referring plainly to Adam and Eve in the N. T. in parallel columns:

ADAM.	EVE.
1. “,Adam was not deceived,”                                     —1 Tim. 2:14.	1. “The woman being [thoroughly] deceived was [literally, "became"] in the transgression.” Weymouth renders this, more accurately, “was thoroughly deceived, and so became involved”                   — 1 Tim. 2:14.
2. “In Adam all die,”  —I Cor. 15:22.
3. “By one man [person] sin entered into the world,”             —Rom. 5:12.
4. “Through the offense of one many be dead,”                        —Rom. 5:15.	2. “the serpent beguiled [literally, "thoroughly deceived"] Eve through his subtlety.” —2 Cor. 11 :3.
5. “—it was by one that sinned,”                                       —Rom. 5:16.	Both these passages employ the same verb in the Greek original,—”to deceive,” with a prefix meaning “thoroughly.” The verb itself is the same one which is used of Adam in our first quotation regarding him, excepting that in Adam’s case there is no prefix, as in Eve’s case We give the sole references to Eve in the Bible, after the Genesis story. Nor is Eve even remotely referred to elsewhere in the Bible.
6. “The judgment was by one to condemnation,”                   —Rom 5:16.
7. “By one man’s offense death reigned,-”
8. [death reigned] “by one,”                                        —Rom. 5:17.
9. “By the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation,”                                       —Rom. 5:18.
10. “By one man’s disobedience-                                    “ —Rom. 5:19.
11. “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.”—Rom. 5:14.

Eight times over, Paul declares “one person” alone was accountable for the Fall, and twice mentions that person as “Adam.”

92. Some one may claim that “Adam” and the “one” spoken of in the Roman passages means “mankind.” But anthropos, not “Adam” is the Greek, or the N. T. equivalent for “mankind.” Besides, Paul’s argument is this: “What one did of mischief, another One [Christ] is well able to undo;” and if we conceive, that, after all, Paul means “two,” we reduce Paul’s forceful statement to inanity. The Bible here teaches that “one person,” whom it explicitly states to be Adam, caused the Fall, or else no meaning can be found for its words. All the teaching of the N. T., in which Adam and Eve are mentioned, is to the effect that Adam was the chief offender, as the one “not deceived,” when the forbidden tree was partaken of. The greater culpability of Eve as causing the Fall is taught by tradition only.

93. But remember, we are now discussing the conduct of Adam and Eve at one point-in one incident only-of their lives. But that incident is the sin which has been held to have produced the Fall of the entire world of human beings. We again assert: The Bible nowhere holds Eve accountable for this particulate deed; and it does, in the plain, definite language we have just quoted from the N. T., hold Adam accountable for that deed.