PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Could Adam have stopped Eve from sinning? 1 Timothy 2 is an admonition against women usurping authority; but is it more than that? Paul’s conclusion is reasoned from primogeniture, Adam was created first. Notice carefully what Paul says next,

1 Timothy 2:14 (HCSB) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.

Contrary to how traditionally this verse has been interpreted, Paul is not giving a second reason why women are not leaders in the church; that is women are like Eve, gullible and easily deceived. No, what Paul is doing is reciting what happened in Genesis 2-3 and how Adam’s first-born rights were overturned – something he did knowingly! Notice the parallel progression:

• Genesis 2:7,21-22 – 1 Timothy 2:13 (HCSB) For Adam was created first, then Eve.
• Genesis 3:1-13 – 1 Timothy 2:14 (HCSB) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed.
• Genesis 3:16 – 1 Timothy 2:15 (HCSB) But she will be saved through childbearing, if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with good judgment.

Paul uses history as an example to back up the admonition to Timothy to warn others against making the same error Adam and Eve made. What was Adam’s error?  It has to do with him not being deceived. Like Paul, let’s return to the scene of the spiritual crime to find clues.

Either the following phrase is superfluous; or it is essential to interpreting more clearly what happened: “with her”.

Genesis 3:6 (NASB) “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Here are three explanations given for the phrase “with her.” The list is structured from the least likely to the most likely (in my opinion):

• “With her” refers to their conjugal relationship of being “one flesh.” Does that really fit the scene?
• “With her” is unnecessary to the narrative and therefore unimportant and redundant. Linguistically, extra words are common in language, including Hebrew
• “With her” is just emphasizing Adam and Eve’s relationship was “with” each other. In its favor, when confronted by God Adam says, “the woman you gave to be with/immad (5978) me” (3:12). In 3:6 “with her” is im (5973).
• “With her” is letting the reader know, at the very end, that Adam was with Eve at the very beginning of the temptation. To me, this is the strongest inference.

Let’s look more closely at Genesis 3:1-6. It consists of the serpent tempting, Eve looking at the fruit and believing the serpent, then eating, and giving to Adam and him eating. That is the chronological order. The question is, was Adam “with her” the entire time or only at the end? Here are three possible time-tables:

• There are 3 different time sequences. Eve was tempted; Eve ate; Eve gave to Adam and he ate. Therefore, Adam was “with her” only after the interaction with the serpent and after she ate.
• There are 2 different time sequences. Adam was only “with her” after the initial interaction; but “with her” when she ate.
• There is 1 time sequence. Adam was “with her” the entire time which is the point of saying he “was with” her.

Admittedly, some translations think the phrase “with her” so insignificant they leave it out (GNT, Douay-Ryeims, AMPC, TLB, RSV). Leaving it out, therefore rendering it insignificant, results in – rather intentionally or not – assigning all blame to Eve. If Eve is to blame, that again raises the question, could Adam have stopped Eve from sinning?

I take the position that Adam was “with her” the entire time but did nothing to stop her even he knew she was deceived and he was not. I am suggesting the inspired writer wants us to know that Adam failed, and that’s why he includes Adam this important phrase. Here are six reasons, from weakest to strongest (in my opinion) to support that Adam was “with her” during the temptation:

• Although the serpent addresses Eve, he includes Adam (“you” is plural in 3:1-5); and Eve does too (“we” – 3:2; “you” – 3:3). That means the serpent includes both in his temptation. Does not necessitate Adam’s presence? No, but it does suggest the possibility.
• There is nothing in the text that demands or requires a time separation between the temptation, her eating, and giving to her husband. Inserting separate time periods requires reading into the text something not there.
• Paul blames Adam and not Eve for sin entering the world (Romans 5). If Adam was not “with her” when she was deceived, how is he to blame? It is theoretically possible he only showed up after the serpent tempted Eve and before she ate, but that requires inserting something into the text not there.
• The phrase “with her” then meaning and is not superfluous.

Let’s take the opposite position and ask, is it possible Adam was not there? Yes. To conclude that requires:

• Interpreting “with her” as unnecessary in interpreting the text.
• Inserting into the text what is not there – two or three different time periods.

There are more reasons to conclude “with her” has important meaning than not. It is also the more natural interpretation. If such reasoning is correct, why conclude something different? What advantage is gained suggesting she was alone? The only reason suggested is – and this has been done historically – to blame Eve more than Adam for the fall.

Since there are more reasons for than against “with her” having a significant place within the narrative, I have concluded this is an adverbial phrase which has great meaning. It helps the reader understand what really happened. Sadly, that means Adam could have stopped Eve since he “with her” and not deceived. Instead, he abdicated his leadership (Genesis 1-2) and allowed her to usurp his authority.

Even today, in everyday life, this historical example and inspired warning is lived out. Too many men neglect their God-given responsibility to lead. Adam was “with her” the entire time physically; but when Eve needed him, he was absent spiritually.

Tags: Role of Women

This entry was posted by PHall on Monday, February 4th, 2019 at 9:35 am and is filed under Bible, Genesis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.