More On Skepticism & Reality

[Reformer]

More On Skepticism & Reality
Buff Scott, Jr.

[Part 3 of 3 Parts]

A Fictional Adam And Eve?

    I have been exchanging e-mails with a fellow who holds to the view that Adam and Eve were fictional characters, not literal or natural—that God did not create them as the account reads. His assertion is not an isolated case, for there are many thousands, even some within the Christian community, who claim large portions of the biblical stories are to be understood figuratively or fictionally.
 
    I'm not disputing the fact that the scriptures contain figurative, symbolic language. We have only to turn to the Book of Revelation to confirm this truth. The Book of Daniel also contains sections of highly symbolic speech. Jesus, on occasions, used figurative language to demonstrate and illustrate His messages. What bothers me is what follows:

    When we take the creative events in Genesis, and other supernatural and miraculous wonders recorded throughout the scriptures, and pigeonhole all or most of them as figurative and fictional, we wind up trying to limit God's power and reduce those supernatural phenomena to natural or fictional occurrences. In short, we "explain away" God's power and lower heaven's testimony to a mere human novel.

King David: Real Of Fictional?

    If Adam and Eve were fictional, why not King David? To be sure, we have both internal and external evidence that King David was real. In an October, 1999 issue of U.S. News and World Report, it was announced that archaeologists had discovered an Assyrian stone tablet in Northern Israel dating from the ninth century B.C. Interestingly enough, the Aramaic inscription listed Assyria's enemies. In that list were the words "king of Israel" and "house of David." This is only one of many examples in the archaeological field that confirms the authenticity of the biblical records and accounts.

Final Remarks

    In conclusion, allow me to quote from the Man of whom we are speaking. If Jesus lied when he made the following statement, hardly anything He taught would be trustworthy. If, on the other hand, he told the truth, we might wish to seriously consider placing our trust in him.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" [John 14:6].

[Alan]

I believe Adam and Eve to be figurative beings that represent the onset of humanity in the world. There is a plethora of historic literature that vastly predates any of the Hebrew texts. As well, various Paleolithic periods around the world that have been discovered show early humans that date back as far as 30,000 years.

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

I believe Adam and Eve to be figurative beings that represent the onset of humanity in the world. There is a plethora of historic literature that vastly predates any of the Hebrew texts. As well, various Paleolithic periods around the world that have been discovered show early humans that date back as far as 30,000 years.

I believe the story of Adam & Eve to be about the onset of the Edomites.  It is essentially a story of "why did we move from a lush valley to the middle of this desert and stop farming?"  While the story has been somewhat mythologized, the elements of a real history seem to underly it.

The Edomites left Lebanon/Gilead/Bashan because they were forced out after they chose the wrong tree... uh, I mean ALLIANCES... in the war between the Egyptians and Hittites for control of the area.

Gen 36:  Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

Remember, every marriage in the Bible is also an alliance!