Genesis 1-2: Adam and Eve Creation Theology

1. Were Adam and Eve the first Human Beings  2. Were Adam and Eve real people or just a typological example  3. What about Science  4. How should we best interpret the story of Adam and Eve?   MY BASIC PREMISE:  1. I believe God created Adam and Eve by His direct hand and in His image and that they were actual people but also serve as a typology, they were the first priests in the line of the Messiah but likely not the first people on earth.  2. God inaugurated creation in 7 days as a cosmic temple  3. The focus of Genesis 1-3 is God’s relationship with humankind and not necessary the details of building the creation. The Bible therefore becomes the love story of God reclaiming the treasured possession of humanity that was lost. (house vs home story)  4. Genesis 1-3 (specifically) should be read in light of its intended audience (Ancient Near East Mesopotamian) Israelite culture.   We mostly struggle with the concept of Adam and Eve and ancient things because we think in terms of western cosmology and Platonic logic.  We don’t think like the ANE authors of Genesis did.  We want to read the Bible like a history or science book and that simply isn’t what the Bible is or how it was intended to be read.  The Bible describes the earth as sitting above deep waters with spheres connecting the heavens.  Does this make the stories mythology?  In most cases God meets people and even allows them to be part of the story.  Sometimes that means borrowed words, and ideas become part of the story and we find that God in his mercy goes along with a lot of man’s ways.  The nature of God and his mission to reclaim what was lost reads a whole lot more like a love story that isn’t overly concerned with painting any other pictures.  To get the whole story we have to find our place in the culture. Our goal should be to understand the story as it was given to the intended audience and figure out how we are impacted and fit in.  What does God desire of you based on the story we are given?  As you explore the possibilities, I pray that you will find you are also falling in love with the Word and the Word is Jesus.  This is the pre-emanate calling of the New Testament, to grow deeper in intimacy with Jesus and lead others to also embark on that beautiful journey.  May the Lord Bless you and Keep you. -Dr. Will Ryan