I have been taking the time to think things over once again.
I can define 3 versions of the (Gen 1-3) creation story.
1a. A&E are real historical people.
• Gen 3:20 - The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
• Gen 5 - Adam’s descendants to Noah
and…
1b. The fall is a real historical event.
• Rom 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
• 1 Cor 15:21-22 - For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
• 2 Cor 11:3 - But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning
• 1 Tim 2:3-4 - For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Seems to me Paul considered the story in Paradise as a real event.
[2] The creation story and fall in a symbolic way explains a) that living in a polytheistic world with hundreds of gods there is only one true God that created all and b) Gen-3 explains why there is suffering and ultimately is death. No further theology. As such 2b reads at first glance and was told in my youth. I reject it because of the Bible passages as listed in 1b.
[3] It’s clear (at least to me) Genesis 1 is written in a Jewish framework, God working 6 days, then resting on the 7th day, more symbolism I guess, John 5:16-17 comes to mind, God working on the Sabbath. A theory would be that A&E were chosen by God as the first 2 Jewish people from which the nation of Israel would arise as God’s chosen people and A&E were the only 2 people who were tempted. Gen 6 and Isa 53 could be seen as evidence for the theory;
• Gen 6 - The sons of God (offspring of A&E) start to mix with the daughters of man (those who Cain feared)
• Isa 53 - Contrary to Christianity Isa 53 is interpreted by Jews as the nation of Israel. In context (and from their point of view) it is defendable, they suffer for their sins (and some say even for the sins of the whole world) upon this day, anti-semitism after AD 70 is rampant and well documented and was peaking during the Holocaust. The Jews are the most persecuted people throughout history.
Objections:
• In the OT sons of God are creatures created by God, not by mankind.
• Gen 3:20 - The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Nevertheless looking at Gen 1-3 from a 100% Jewish perspective can’t hurt.
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And there is another point why I only will accept evolution when it is proven in a lab. I have a hard time accepting something as a (scientific) fact that I don’t (fully) understand, not my cup of tea, your mileage may vary. Belief =/= fact.
And so I stick to option 1.