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Answer
Let us consider for a moment that the story of Adam and Eve should not be taken literally. What would be the consequence? Would Christianity remain fundamentally unchanged with a non-literal interpretation of the Adam and Eve narrative? No, it would actually have significant implications for almost every belief and principle of the Christian faith. If Adam was not a real person, then sin did not enter the world through one man as stated in Romans 5:12. So, how did sin actually enter the world? Moreover, if the New Testament is mistaken about the origin of sin, what else could it be mistaken about? If Romans 5:12 is inaccurate, how can we trust that the entirety of Romans 5:8–15 is not also incorrect?
If the account of Adam and Eve is not meant to be taken literally—if they did not truly exist—then there would have been no rebellion, and no fall into sin. Satan, the ultimate deceiver, would be pleased for people to believe that the Bible is not to be taken literally and that the story of humanity’s fall is merely a myth. Why? Because once we begin to reject parts of the Bible, we undermine our confidence in its entirety. Why should we have faith in anything that God’s Word conveys if we cannot rely on all of its teachings?
Jesus taught that God created one man and one woman, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.” (Mark 10:6) and referenced Abel, a son of Adam and Eve, in Luke 11:51. Was Jesus incorrect in His teachings? Or was He aware that there were no literal Adam and Eve, and He was simply adapting His teachings to align with the beliefs of the people (i.e., deceiving)? If Jesus was mistaken in His teachings, then He cannot be God. If Jesus was intentionally misleading people, then He was sinning and therefore could not be the Savior, “but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (
That is why this is such a significant issue. To reject the historicity of Adam and Eve is to position oneself against Jesus and the apostle Paul. If someone dares to assert that they are correct while Jesus and Paul are mistaken, then Jesus would be considered a sinner, not God or the Savior; the apostle Paul would be deemed a false prophet; and the Bible would not be considered inspired, without error, or reliable.
The Bible clearly portrays Adam and Eve as real individuals who lived in an actual Garden of Eden. They genuinely defied God, truly believed Satan’s deception, and were genuinely expelled from the Garden «So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.», (Genesis 3:24). They had real offspring, all of whom inherited the sinful nature, which has been transmitted to subsequent generations to this day. Thankfully, God pledged a real Savior to deliver us from that sinful nature «and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. », (Genesis 3:15). This Savior is Jesus Christ, referred to as the “last Adam” «And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. », (1 Corinthians 15:45), who died on a real cross and genuinely rose again. Those who have faith in Christ will experience real salvation and will dwell eternally in a genuine heaven.
Christians who dismiss the account of Adam and Eve essentially renounce their own faith. Refusing the literal understanding of the Bible’s historical accounts is a dangerous path. If Adam and Eve did not exist, then weRegarding Cain and Abel, were they real individuals? Did Seth truly exist, and did he sire a righteous lineage that extended to Abraham and eventually to Jesus Himself? At what point in Luke’s genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) do the names transition from actual persons to mythical figures? Dismissing Adam and Eve as allegorical undermines the credibility of Luke’s gospel, raises doubts about Moses’ historical account, and undermines the basis of the entire Bible.
The Word of God asserts its truthfulness: “Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalm 119:160). Jesus Christ affirmed the truth of God’s Word: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17). All of Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), including the narrative of Adam and Eve.
