I just want to put into words some of my thought processes about a topic that seems to be very much under scrutiny right now, not only in the Christian church world but also in the academic and theological community.
As I see scripture, that is the interpretation of what has come to be known as “Holy Scripture,” there are three events that shape the Christian thought process and upon which all other events hang.
Those three events are 1) the disobedience by Adam in the garden and the subsequent “fall” of the human species, 2) the birth of Jesus by way of a virgin, and 3) the resurrection of Jesus from being dead.
I see these three events as hinges on a very large impenetrable door that leads to salvation in the Christian thought process. At the bottom, is the resurrection of Christ, the point at which the other events point to and by which the others are anchored. At the top, the event leading into the others, is the “fall” of Adam. In the center acting as a stabilization or bridge event is the birth of Jesus.
The crucifixion is not a hinge point event. The typical death sentence in the days of Jesus was carried out by crucifixion. Now it seems by accounts and scripture that Jesus suffered far more abuse and torture leading up to and in his actual crucifixion, but thousands of condemned criminals and undesirables were crucified in Roman times. So Jesus execution was not unusual for the day.
Now after 60 plus years of being in constant sermons, revivals, camp meetings, conferences, Bible studies and every other kind of indoctrination setting church leaders can dream up I have heard a host of illustrations about the kingdom. Even Jesus used illustrations of the kingdom. Matthew alone has a number of illustrations of the kingdom. In chapter 13 Jesus likened the kingdom to a mustard seed, a man seeking pearls, a net cast into the sea, a king taking account of his servants, and more.
But every earthly, man conceived or man illustration of the kingdom of heaven breaks down at some point. Nothing we can conceive of, hold in our hands, visualize or vocalize can compare to the kingdom of heaven at all levels. Simply because the kingdom is divine and spiritual. Our world is earthly and fleshly.
So my door illustration is imperfect. And it really breaks down when we begin to examine each hinge.
The top hinge, Adam's transgression and “fall,” has some troubling components to me. Since to Christian theology it is the single most important event in influencing Christian thought in the Old Testament, I would seriously believe it should stand alone within the Old Testament. Well, surprise, it doesn’t. Carefully read the entire sequence of events and no where within the Old Testament will you find any mention of Adam’s guilt or sinful nature being transmitted or somehow handed off to subsequent generations. In fact, a large body of scriptures emphatically say that the sins of the fathers will not be accountable for by their offspring.
A side bar to this, why isn’t it Eve’s problem? She was in fact the first to disobey. If you point out that man had dominion over the woman, you are living in a fantasy world. From before time began the plan of God was to have every individual accountable for their own relationship with God. Men have never been able to justify others, wives, daughters, mothers, anyone before God. In the Old Testament the man brought the sacrifice to the temple or the tabernacle for his family, but that type was imperfect and breaks down in the kingdom of heaven. Don’t even go there. The tabernacle was a prototype, quite imperfect and inadequate to fully be compared to the kingdom of heaven. To believe otherwise is ludicrous.
The idea that Adam was the genesis of a fallen nature or some kind of inherited sin is not mention at ALL until Paul, some 4100 years after the so called event, begin to write about something he had no knowledge or understanding. Paul may have been an educated Pharisee, but he was weak in understanding the kingdom. Paul expressed personal views on many things that have had the church in turmoil for pretty much 2000 years. I hope to be able to ask Paul one day, “What were you thinking?”
Other glaring errors in this idea of a fallen nature are babies and those who have never heard of the gospel of salvation. You can make up elaborate scenarios all you like, but you are wasting your brain. Don’t make up some kind of special grace for babies when it is never mentioned in scripture. You aren’t that smart. And don’t regale us with some kind of philosophy about instinctive laws that peoples who have never heard of Jesus have to not cross in order to be given a special grace. And yes there are people groups who have never heard. We keep finding them in remote areas.
Why is it so hard to understand we alone are responsible for our spiritual condition? Don’t blame me because Adam had a stupid wife and he gave in to her. Besides, who knows, he may have understood more than we know and he like most men was anxious to see her naked. Don’t tell me she already was, he didn’t know that!
So if everyone that has come after Adam shares in his quilt, just what percentage of his guilt do I need to be worried about?
When you come to your senses and find out that Adam is an illustration of early man’s relationship with God and not a real person you will find a freedom you never knew. If you don’t believe me, email the Apostle Paul at apaul@heavn.org. If you can’t get through, keep trying. Maybe you aren’t trying hard enough. Say a couple of Hallelujahs or twist a couple of beads.
