I saw these questions posted on a Bible discussion group, “List, is this statement wrong? 'Sin entered the world via Satan and Eve's seduction?' I have often puzzled over Adam being charged with it as if she and the devil had nothing to do with it.”
This is a very good question that I imagine has puzzled many throughout the centuries.
This may help to explain your question as to why Adam is held responsible for what Eve and Satan did. In a nutshell, I believe it all goes back to how God always wanted men to be the spiritual leaders in the home.
It is clear from Scripture that Eve transgressed first. Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:12-15 [ESV]) But it is equally clear from Scripture that it was because of Adam that sin and death entered the world, NOT Eve. 0 (Romans 5:12-14 [ESV]) 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 [ESV])
I believe Adam is held responsible for sin and death entering the world because Adam failed in being the spiritual leader of his home. He failed to put God first. He knew fully well that it was wrong for him to eat that fruit, whereas Eve was deceived into eating it. Remember, it was not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). Adam had experienced loneliness already. He did not want to be lonely again. He also knew that God had said they would die if they ate of that fruit (Genesis 2:17). God had told Adam this BEFORE He had created Eve. We do not have record of God telling this directly to Eve, but we know she had learned of it somehow (Genesis 3:3). I have often wondered if this might be the first recorded case of people adding to God's word. Adam is told by God in Genesis 2:17 that to eat of the fruit will cause death, and when Eve is confronted by the Serpent we see the words added, "Neither shall you touch it" (Genesis 3:3 [ESV]) which are not found in the original command. This makes me believe that this is another reason why Eve is not held as culpable as Adam is. I see a scenario developing in which Adam told Eve what God had commanded. I could see her then responding innocently with, “You mean we really can't eat of THAT tree or we will die?” and Adam responding in his anxiety with, “NO, Woman! Absolutely not! Don't even touch it or you will die!” So now when Eve is approached by the Serpent to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and when she reaches out and touches it for the first time and nothing bad happened, it becomes even more understandable why she would then go ahead and take a bite. So far, what she had been told was NOT true. Maybe this Serpent creature was on to something. Maybe he was the one who was telling her the truth! Maybe she could be like a god after all if she ate it (Genesis 3:5)! So Eve, although deceived, took a bite out of that fruit. And as the saying goes, “All Hell broke loose,” although literally in this case.
We know what happens next. Eve takes some of the Forbidden Fruit back to her husband, Adam, and Adam eats of it (Genesis 3:6). It was not, however, until Adam ate of that fruit that the eyes of BOTH of them were opened (Genesis 3:7), once again demonstrating the culpability of Adam's actions, not Eve's, into bringing sin and death into the world.
There are some interesting points I would like to make here, and the first is that in Genesis chapter one we are not given the names of Adam and Eve. These names do not both appear together in the same verse until chapter four. What else is quite interesting is that the name “Eve” does not appear until Genesis 3:20. Up to this point she is only known as “Woman.” She does not become "Eve" until after the Fall. The Hebrew word translated “Eve” is very similar to the word for “alive” or “living.” After God’s pronouncements of punishment for their sins are made, Moses writes, “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20 [KJV]). Considering that Adam believed they would die when they ate of the Forbidden Fruit since he was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), it is almost as if he is making an exclamation of surprise that Woman was not only still alive, but that she would be the source for the One to come Who would be the Redeemer, the Seed, Who would be able to defeat the Serpent, and bring them back to life from their separation (death) from the Lord (Genesis 3:15). Therefore, although our tradition teaches that this means Eve was the mother of all those physically alive, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the “mother of all living” in this verse is in reference to those who are spiritually alive in Christ, her Seed Who would bruise the head of the Serpent. We must never forget that Jesus Christ is the central theme running throughout the entirety of Scripture. This interpretation places the focus on Jesus Christ where it rightfully belongs.
In a sense, this is the greatest and most tragic of all human love stories. Adam willingly sacrificed himself in order to be with Eve since he felt she was going to die. To me, the first sin committed by Adam was not in the eating of the Forbidden Fruit. No, the first sin he committed was in his not trusting in the lovingkindness and grace of God. Adam willingly sacrificed himself in order that he would not be alone, so there was selfishness about his sacrifice, too. Jesus, the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), willingly sacrificed Himself in order to become the most lonely person ever, even to the point of being separated from the Father (Matthew 27:46) as He bore the sins of mankind on the Cross of Calvary, and as He was separated from all of mankind, suspended on that cruel Cross. His was the ultimate act of selflessness ever performed throughout all of history.
So men please do not abscond in performing your God-given responsibilities to be the spiritual leaders of your homes. Your wife and children are depending on you. And even more importantly, your Father has commanded you!
So this is my explanation to the questions above as to why Adam is held accountable for what transpired with Eve and the Serpent. But I concede I could be wrong.
This is a very good question that I imagine has puzzled many throughout the centuries.
This may help to explain your question as to why Adam is held responsible for what Eve and Satan did. In a nutshell, I believe it all goes back to how God always wanted men to be the spiritual leaders in the home.
It is clear from Scripture that Eve transgressed first. Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:12-15 [ESV]) But it is equally clear from Scripture that it was because of Adam that sin and death entered the world, NOT Eve. 0 (Romans 5:12-14 [ESV]) 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 [ESV])
I believe Adam is held responsible for sin and death entering the world because Adam failed in being the spiritual leader of his home. He failed to put God first. He knew fully well that it was wrong for him to eat that fruit, whereas Eve was deceived into eating it. Remember, it was not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). Adam had experienced loneliness already. He did not want to be lonely again. He also knew that God had said they would die if they ate of that fruit (Genesis 2:17). God had told Adam this BEFORE He had created Eve. We do not have record of God telling this directly to Eve, but we know she had learned of it somehow (Genesis 3:3). I have often wondered if this might be the first recorded case of people adding to God's word. Adam is told by God in Genesis 2:17 that to eat of the fruit will cause death, and when Eve is confronted by the Serpent we see the words added, "Neither shall you touch it" (Genesis 3:3 [ESV]) which are not found in the original command. This makes me believe that this is another reason why Eve is not held as culpable as Adam is. I see a scenario developing in which Adam told Eve what God had commanded. I could see her then responding innocently with, “You mean we really can't eat of THAT tree or we will die?” and Adam responding in his anxiety with, “NO, Woman! Absolutely not! Don't even touch it or you will die!” So now when Eve is approached by the Serpent to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and when she reaches out and touches it for the first time and nothing bad happened, it becomes even more understandable why she would then go ahead and take a bite. So far, what she had been told was NOT true. Maybe this Serpent creature was on to something. Maybe he was the one who was telling her the truth! Maybe she could be like a god after all if she ate it (Genesis 3:5)! So Eve, although deceived, took a bite out of that fruit. And as the saying goes, “All Hell broke loose,” although literally in this case.
We know what happens next. Eve takes some of the Forbidden Fruit back to her husband, Adam, and Adam eats of it (Genesis 3:6). It was not, however, until Adam ate of that fruit that the eyes of BOTH of them were opened (Genesis 3:7), once again demonstrating the culpability of Adam's actions, not Eve's, into bringing sin and death into the world.
There are some interesting points I would like to make here, and the first is that in Genesis chapter one we are not given the names of Adam and Eve. These names do not both appear together in the same verse until chapter four. What else is quite interesting is that the name “Eve” does not appear until Genesis 3:20. Up to this point she is only known as “Woman.” She does not become "Eve" until after the Fall. The Hebrew word translated “Eve” is very similar to the word for “alive” or “living.” After God’s pronouncements of punishment for their sins are made, Moses writes, “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20 [KJV]). Considering that Adam believed they would die when they ate of the Forbidden Fruit since he was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), it is almost as if he is making an exclamation of surprise that Woman was not only still alive, but that she would be the source for the One to come Who would be the Redeemer, the Seed, Who would be able to defeat the Serpent, and bring them back to life from their separation (death) from the Lord (Genesis 3:15). Therefore, although our tradition teaches that this means Eve was the mother of all those physically alive, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the “mother of all living” in this verse is in reference to those who are spiritually alive in Christ, her Seed Who would bruise the head of the Serpent. We must never forget that Jesus Christ is the central theme running throughout the entirety of Scripture. This interpretation places the focus on Jesus Christ where it rightfully belongs.
In a sense, this is the greatest and most tragic of all human love stories. Adam willingly sacrificed himself in order to be with Eve since he felt she was going to die. To me, the first sin committed by Adam was not in the eating of the Forbidden Fruit. No, the first sin he committed was in his not trusting in the lovingkindness and grace of God. Adam willingly sacrificed himself in order that he would not be alone, so there was selfishness about his sacrifice, too. Jesus, the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), willingly sacrificed Himself in order to become the most lonely person ever, even to the point of being separated from the Father (Matthew 27:46) as He bore the sins of mankind on the Cross of Calvary, and as He was separated from all of mankind, suspended on that cruel Cross. His was the ultimate act of selflessness ever performed throughout all of history.
So men please do not abscond in performing your God-given responsibilities to be the spiritual leaders of your homes. Your wife and children are depending on you. And even more importantly, your Father has commanded you!
So this is my explanation to the questions above as to why Adam is held accountable for what transpired with Eve and the Serpent. But I concede I could be wrong.
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