There are plenty of reasons to dismiss the Genesis 3 account of the Garden of Eden as a myth or perhaps a metaphor. Obviously, no one was there to record the events. The story seems simplistic and sounds more like an ancient people’s myth to explain creation, sin, and death. I would dismiss it too, if it were not for Jesus’ use of Genesis and the ability of God to inspire biblical teaching. As such, I take Genesis 3 to be historical, if not still a simple account of the need-to-know information. Is that a backward point-of-view? Let’s see.
First of all, Adam and Eve. Do we all really descend from two people? Actually, the science says, “yes”. Looking at mitochondrial DNA of people from all over the world and estimating the degree that there should be genetic diversity in the world’s population, it would seem that we must have all descended from one woman. So cousins, that would actually be Noah’s wife. But we are also descended from Eve. That is nice from the fact that we should see ourselves as the family of mankind. It is a bummer in that we have inherited their sinful nature.
Next the talking serpent. Nobody believes that snakes talk. Not even Harry Potter. The snake in Genesis 3 is possessed by someone far worse–Satan. Can a being from a parallel universe possess an animal? Apparently. Eve doesn’t seem alarmed at this because she is a totally naive individual. I, on the other hand, would not take up conversation with a snake. God wanted an eternal being (humans in this case) with a free will to choose to love, trust and obey Him. He knew it would not work out that way. That is why the plan of Jesus, and for the gift of eternal life was already made. Eve walks right into Satan’s rebellion against God.
What is the problem with eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? How can simply eating forbidden fruit be so bad and so damaging? For one, it was the simple act of defying God’s only command. It was willfully deciding that God was not trustworthy. That hurt. That a tree the transforms you into something evil sound very mythy (to coin a word), but consider this possibility. Our DNA contains information that makes us what we are. DNA can be edited. Could the contents of the fruit be something capable of editing DNA like a virus can? Sin comes from sinful nature. Sinful nature is very, very, likely genetic. The ability to die, the loss of our created ability to understand God and transmit His will, the ability to be accessible to Satan’s influence, the tendencies to be attracted and addicted to behavior that God defines as evil, could all be genetic.
Other than that, what is so hard to believe about the story? Adam then does what his wife says. We all do that. History is then set in motion to be the ugly story that it is. “Origin sin” is not so much taking blame for the bad decision of our ancestors. It is receiving the genetics that make us sinful in nature and in practice.
How can we be blamed for this? We need to get out of our head a model of sin that is exclusively willful disobedience. Sin is also what we are. A departure from our created plan. Sin is like an inherited disease. It may not have been our choice, but we are diseased none-the-less and we need a cure if we are going to be with God.
When did this happen and where? Don’t know and don’t care. It is nothing more than curious facts. I doubt that this is simply 6000 years ago like the Bishop Usher calculation from the genealogies in Genesis. Comparing the genealogies of Jesus with Old Testament genealogies shows that the Bible uses genealogies in ways that are different from us. If this happened 100,000 years ago, it would make for quite a tediously long list. I’m also sure it wasn’t millions of years ago, that kind of number comes from a misuse of radiological decay and a need for time to have Darwin make sense.
The Genesis 3 story also shows the patience and kindness of God to Adam and Eve and us. He could have wiped out humanity right there. Instead, He conveys a plan of actually having His Son become human. Jesus is Eve’s “offspring” or “seed”.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
Genesis is not a science book, but there is certainly science to it. It should not be readily dismissed. It conveys critical information about what we are, what is our problem, why the world is the way it is, what we are up against, and where our hope lies. It lies with Jesus.
Giving Christ 