Is the story of Adam & Eve a parable?

[NotTheRock]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

 

[Bob]

Thank you for your question.

The Bible says two people began the entire human race.
(But perhaps you have trouble with the time needed versus the time allocated. You are encouraged to try some population calculations, as well as migration times required for travel from, say, The Garden to South America.)

Anthropologists also say the human race started with two people. (Details available if your interested.)

Peace.

 

[NotTheRock]

Thank you for your question.

The Bible says two people began the entire human race.
(But perhaps you have trouble with the time needed versus the time allocated. You are encouraged to try some population calculations, as well as migration times required for travel from, say, The Garden to South America.)

Anthropologists also say the human race started with two people. (Details available if your interested.)

Peace.

Well, there was also the flood and so Noah and his companions on the ark were, apparently, this world's first humans after life on the first world was wiped out.

Where it gets tricky (at least for me) is the belief that a male and a female of one race will produce people of another race.

I don't have the answers and it's irrelevant with regard to salvation. Just for fun!

 

[ReChoired]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

The Toledoth's of Genesis are not allegory, but historical narrative. Adam and Eve are two real persons/beings, created by God, approximately 6,249 (as of AD 2024) years ago - Age Of The Earth : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, as well as each writer, understands Genesis in the historical (not allegorical) narrative. Paul even explains that the natural is first, then follows the spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 15:46). This is even explained as such, not only by most Christians throughout history - Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine but even also by certain catholic writers, such as Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica, which has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur of Rome.

It is not possible "that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable", for it would violently wrest (Psa. 56;5; 2 Pet. 3:16) not only the context itself, but also the contexts of all the other writers/speakers on the subject, in scripture. There would be no need for a singular new man (Adam - Jesus; 1 Cor. 15:47), if there were not the original singular first man Adam. They are linked in type and antitype, among other things.

Colouration is simply genetic variation built into the original Adam, from the beginning that is affected by various conditions, such as diet, locale, population, other pressures which affect melatonin levels, and other factors. So, yes, we are to understand that "white, black, Indian & Asians" are all descendants of one singular pair of persons/beings (Adam & Eve). Evolutionism is the myth.

Gen_3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.​

​

Act_17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;​

We are all related to the singular - Adam, as well as to Noah (bottleneck of the global flood).

Creation documentation - Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

Adam & Eve, in their existence and marriage represent the JEHOVAH Elohiym, or the eternal heavenly Trio, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost/Spirit. Adam, as Head of mankind, represents the Father. Eve, from the side of Adam, represents the Son who is always submitted to the will of His Father by love, and is of the nature of the Father, and their love is bound together by God, who is represented by the Holy Ghost/Spirit between them. If, the beginning is a myth, or allegory, this is all destroyed, and the perfect image and likness of JEHOVAH Elohiym is distorted into myth/allegory as well.

Allegorizing Genesis, vaporizes, not only the rest of history into the same, for where will one draw the line?, it also vaporizes the need of the Gospel, Salvation, Redemption, for what need would there be of those things, based upon the myth/allegory of that which is not in fact actual:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.​

​

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.​

 

[NotTheRock]

The Toledoth's of Genesis are not allegory, but historical narrative. Adam and Eve are two real persons/beings, created by God, approximately 6,249 (as of AD 2024) years ago - Age Of The Earth : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, as well as each writer, understands Genesis in the historical (not allegorical) narrative. Paul even explains that the natural is first, then follows the spiritual understanding (1 Cor. 15:46). This is even explained as such, not only by most Christians throughout history - Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine but even also by certain catholic writers, such as Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica, which has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur of Rome.

It is not possible "that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable", for it would violently wrest (Psa. 56;5; 2 Pet. 3:16) not only the context itself, but also the contexts of all the other writers/speakers on the subject, in scripture. There would be no need for a singular new man (Adam - Jesus; 1 Cor. 15:47), if there were not the original singular first man Adam. They are linked in type and antitype, among other things.

Colouration is simply genetic variation built into the original Adam, from the beginning that is affected by various conditions, such as diet, locale, population, other pressures which affect melatonin levels, and other factors. So, yes, we are to understand that "white, black, Indian & Asians" are all descendants of one singular pair of persons/beings (Adam & Eve). Evolutionism is the myth.

Gen_3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.​

​

Act_17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;​

We are all related to the singular - Adam, as well as to Noah (bottleneck of the global flood).

Creation documentation - Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

Adam & Eve, in their existence and marriage represent the JEHOVAH Elohiym, or the eternal heavenly Trio, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost/Spirit. Adam, as Head of mankind, represents the Father. Eve, from the side of Adam, represents the Son who is always submitted to the will of His Father by love, and is of the nature of the Father, and their love is bound together by God, who is represented by the Holy Ghost/Spirit between them. If, the beginning is a myth, or allegory, this is all destroyed, and the perfect image and likness of JEHOVAH Elohiym is distorted into myth/allegory as well.

Allegorizing Genesis, vaporizes, not only the rest of history into the same, for where will one draw the line?, it also vaporizes the need of the Gospel, Salvation, Redemption, for what need would there be of those things, based upon the myth/allegory of that which is not in fact actual:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.​

​

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.​

Ok. Thanks!

 

[Aunty Jane]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women?

No….if it was allegory, then there was no reason for Jesus to come in the flesh and give his life for mankind.
Rom 5:12…
”That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”

If Adam wasn’t real…then neither was Jesus….

Jesus came in the flesh to pay back what Adam lost for all his offspring…..he paid the exact price demanded to fulfill God’s law……a perfect, sinless human life, so that his descendants could be reconciled to God (alienated by sin) and finally have the opportunity to live as God first purposed for the human race……everlasting life in paradise on earth.

Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable?

Again NO. The first humans were created without defect.…so, we are all descended from those two….even after the flood wiped out the majority of humans alive at that time, Noah and his wife and children too were descendents of Adam and inherited his sinful condition…….so then did all who came from them. It’s the only thing that explains why we all carry the burden of sin. God does not create things that are imperfect or defective….by their disobedience, the first humans brought that on themselves…and by extension, on to all of us.

Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

Yes it is biologically possible for skin color, facial features, and hair color to be produced if the genetics contain all the components necessary for that variety…..God created humans to display a variety of traits and colorations, so why do you think it’s impossible for him to do so? Look at the world he create…it’s full of variety.

I breed chickens and the variety of chicks produced just blows me away….when their parents are supposedly one breed, but the genetics for the ones who were their ancestors are all still in the gene pool….and they come out every so often to surprise us….they look nothing like their parents.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
The Phylogenetic Tree is an interesting diagram that traces all forms of life
back to a singular genetic heritage regardless of species. In other words; if
you started with a raccoon, and followed its branch down the tree far
enough, you'd eventually intersect with another branch that you could then
trace to mushrooms. The tree is sort of the equivalent of a Big Bang of living
things.

The branch on that tree that interests me the most is the one that traces
human life. According to the diagram; any two people you might select-- no
matter what their age, race, or gender --if traced down the tree far enough,
will eventually link to a common ancestor.
_

 

[Deborah_]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

All the scientific evidence points to modern humans having originated in one place (probably somewhere in east Africa), from which they migrated all over the world. Genetically there's very little variation between the different human races (things like skin colour and facial shape, which seem 'big' to us, are actually very tiny differences on a genetic level). Just look at the many different breeds of dog - all descended from a common ancestor, yet amazingly diverse (far more so than humans!)
So there's no reason to suppose that the story of Adam and Eve is pure fiction. Even if they weren't the only humans in the world but representatives of a larger population (say 1000-2000), it would only take a few generations of intermarriage before all humans would be descended from them.

 

[Rockerduck]

A few years ago, a DNA study showed that everyone shared one strand that came from the same DNA origination. In other words, everyone from this wide study can trace their DNA to the same parents. One male and one female that started it all.

 

[DJT_47]

It's history

 

[Webers_Home]

.

Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two
humans, Adam & Eve?

Jesus' atonement works for Adam's posterity because Christ is one of
Adam's paternal grandsons, i.e. Adam's offspring are Jesus' kinsmen.

There's quite a few races out there, and Jesus would need to be kinsman to
each one in order for his atonement to be of any use to them-- potentially
amounting to +/- sixty cycles of birth and crucifixion throughout the world.
Well; that would not only be very inconvenient but really too much to ask of
Jesus to endure.

* I'm not even going to hazard a guess what to do with all those
resurrections of his +/- sixty crucified dead bodies. The problem is: they
won't go away because according to Rom 6:9 those resurrected bodies
would be immortal.
_

 

[Jericho]

I believe it's literal. Even science accepts the idea that we originated from a common ancestor, whom they refer to as Mitochondrial Eve, though they stop short of accepting the biblical narrative. The bible doesn't say where all the races came from, really ethnicities, as we are all part of the same human race, but we can conclude the genes to produce all the races were present in Adam and Eve.

It is likely microevolution (not to be confused with macroevolution, i.e., Darawnism). Microevolution is just gene expression and the adapatability of a species. It's like the peppered moth. Most of these in England were light colored, and it helped them to blend in with their environment. But after the Industrial Revolution and industrial pollution caused the trees to be darkened by soot, the light-colored moths were no longer camflouged and were eaten by predators. Only the darker-colored moths remained, and as they bred, they produced even darker colored moths. It's the same thing with humans. It's not a coincidence that darker-skinned humans orginate closer to the equator, where the sun is brightest, while lighter-skinned humans orginate further north.

Another example is canines. Science also says dogs had a common ancestor. Yet today, they come in all different sizes and colors. Some breeds have come about naturally, while others are bred for certain characteristics. If you want the biggest dog breed possible, you simply pair two naturally big dogs who will likely produce larger than average offspring. Then you repeat the process until you reach the gene limit at which a dog can grow. The genes for both a chihuahua and a German shepherd were present in the first canine; they just weren't expressed.

 

[NotTheRock]

Another example is canines. Science also says dogs had a common ancestor. Yet today, they come in all different sizes and colors.

Great point!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

Nope! Adam and Eve are the first two people who ever walked the earth! Yes we are to believe the races came from just Adam and Eve and there is ample scientific evidence to back it up!

 

[Bob Estey]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

I tend to take the Bible at face value. Otherwise, how can you trust it? There is figurative language in the Bible - like "I was caught up in rushing waters" - but I don't think the Bible lies.

 

[Windmill Charge]

Is Adam & Eve an allegory for the beginning of all men and women? Is it possible that God placed humans throughout the world and that the story of the garden is a parable? Are we supposed to believe that white, black, Indian & Asians all evolved from just two humans, Adam & Eve?

If the garden of Eden is a mythical story with a moral meaning, then Christianity is not true.
There would be no single origin of the human race, no single reason for man's estrangement from God,
no promise of a coming saviour.
These are all dependant on a literal garden of Eden.

So if no Eden, where do you find sin and a saviour in the bible, that does not look back to eden?

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Where it gets tricky (at least for me) is the belief that a male and a female of one race will produce people of another race.

The Human DNA was designed with seemingly endless, diverse potential for changes.
Micro- evolution is change within one kind ( not into another kind). We can accept this because we see it. We just can't accept Macro-evolution ( one kind changing into another kind, no matter how much time is factored into the equation).The idea that mindless nature (sun, water, air, chemicals, electrical and electro-magnetic energy, etc., could choose beneficial mutations comes from a flawed theory. Rather think of the genetic code designed by God to include adaptive mechanisms.
The environment and food has much of an effect on size and skin color. Those closer to the equator are obviously darker. Eskimos have adapted to the cold. How? They consume lots of fat and must put it on to survive. Samoans consume lots of pork, which is why they're huge. A family of early nomads migrating to the east ( of Mt. ARARAT) may have encountered high windstorms causing them to squint their eyes. Their adaptive mechanism kicked in and there you have it _ generations later _ Asians with squinty eyes pasted down. OR it is just simply God's unique and diverse designs intended - I'd prefer that explanation. Everyone looks different, 8 billion of us look different with the exception of identical siblings. The genetic code is vastly complex as much as two snowflakes not being alike. Remember, Adam and Eve were given one language and that continued to Babylon. Then God confused their language and created instantly hundreds and they were scattered. He evidently did not want us united. Imagine one day waking up speaking a new language. GOD literally downloaded hundreds of different languages into their minds among different family groups. Must have reprogrammed their memories as if it was always their language too. ??? What about the people they knew? All of a sudden they spoke differently and could not communicate to them or did God delete them from their memories? I don't know, but it certainly was confusing for them. My point is, God intended for diversity, ethnically, culturally, racially, mentally, physically, etc.
All dogs came from wolves. How many breeds are there and how different do they look?

Genesis is foundational. It is a story about our beginnings. God is telling us literally how things began. He doesn't want to confuse us, it is not an allegory. Those who ponder that Theistic evolution is somehow reasonable are flawed in their thinking. They must distort, change or view Genesis in another way and not take it literally to accept this flawed theory.
Furthermore, if one can just dismiss the Genesis account or change it, then they will likely treat the rest of the Bible that way. Did Jesus really say this or mean that? Did he really do this or really raise from the dead. They will attempt to pass off anything they want to as allegorical/ symbolic and come up with outlandish interpretations. The truth becomes a lie and they seem to dwell in this fabricated alternate universe which Isaiah warned us about. ( Isaiah 5:20-21)
LIberals typically pick and chose the scriptures they like, that fit in with their reality, style, agenda and dismiss or distort the rest. They don't want anything to interfere with their ways of living or thinking.

 

[Wrangler]

no single reason for man's estrangement from God,
no promise of a coming saviour.
These are all dependant on a literal garden of Eden.

After going to the Ark Encounter, there is another implication of a non-literal Adam and Eve; an immoral God.

According to evolutionists, death and disease pre-dates humans by millions of years. God pronounced his Creation good in Genesis BEFORE sin, death and disease.

IF Genesis is not literal history, it means God is so bad as to pronounce millions of years of death and disease as good.

 

[Rockerduck]

The bible is the oldest book. It cannot be refuted by theories. Adam and Eve are real and DNA has proved all people came from the same, common to all, male and female originally.

 

[TheHC]

Well, there was also the flood and so Noah and his companions on the ark were, apparently, this world's first humans after life on the first world was wiped out.

Where it gets tricky (at least for me) is the belief that a male and a female of one race will produce people of another race.

I don't have the answers and it's irrelevant with regard to salvation. Just for fun!

Well, we have Genesis 3:20.
“The mother of everyone living” sorta narrows it down!