Objectives
- Explains how current genetic knowledge reinforces evolutionary theory and is used as an assault on the historicity of Adam and Eve.
- Exposes you to the discussion within evangelicalism about the relationship of genetics to the historicity of Adam and Eve.
- Explains how and why some scientists who specialize in genetics embrace a historical Adam and Eve.
Pre-work
- Watch:
Additional Resources
- Articles:
- Michael S. Heiser, Comments on Romans 5:12
- Todd Charles Wood, Theory and Application of Protein Homology (dissertation)
- Links:
- Series of Posts on Romans 5:12 on drmsh.com
Heiser Comments on Romans 5:12
I’m also on record that I don’t see Romans 5:12 as teaching the idea of the original guilt of all humans. (See my archive on that issue and fuller discussions on the summary that follows here). That is, while the biblical story does describe a fall, and Romans 5:12 alludes to that fall, Romans 5:12 does not teach that all humans need Jesus because they inherited Adam’s guilt. The text never actually says that. That has been read into the text for centuries. What it does say all humans inherit is death (i.e., mortality). Read it — it’s quite clear that what “passed upon all mankind” is death. The passage never says humans became guilty before God because of Adam; it says we all die because of Adam. Further, like the post-Fall Adam and Eve, we have no inherent access to the divine presence that would enable us to resist sinning for any meaningful amount of time (as it apparently did with Adam — though it obviously didn’t prevent him from willingly sinning altogether). We get that presence via the Spirit when we become believers (that is why we can resist sin, albeit imperfectly since we still live in an unredeemed body). The result of the fall is being a mortal human, and (pardon the pun) the fallout proceeding from that is “all have sinned” (i.e., every human invariably and inescapably will sin — and that is where our guilt before God comes from — what we do, not what Adam did). The exceptions to this guilt are: Jesus and humans who never get to sin.
Refutes:
- Misses God’s universal plan for human history
- Compare Genesis creation to ANE creation myths are about stories of humanity
- Text is clear, no other people around therefore God created Adam & Eve
Josh:
- No inherent conflict between science and Genesis
- De novo - forms Adam out of dirt (not committed to the view)
Refutes:
- Not committed to having people outside the Garden
Josh:
- How does it fit with Orthodox Christianity?
Refutes:
- Hominids are not human?
- Neanderthals?