For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who was to blame for original sin?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes indicate a Bible contradiction:
Eve
“And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” (1 Timothy 2:14)
Adam
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible. See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions. Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do. But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
- The skeptic tries to pit 1 Timothy 2:14 against Romans 5:12. 1 Timothy 2:14 was cited as support for the claim that the Bible taught “Eve was to blame for original sin.” Meanwhile Romans 5:12 was cited as support for the claim that the Bible taught”Adam was to blame for original sin.”
- The skeptics cited correctly 1 Timothy 2:14 as the basis for the claim “Eve was to blame for original sin.” Likewise the skeptic cited correctly Romans 5:12 as support for the claim that the Bible taught “Adam was to blame for original sin.”
- Still these passages don’t contradict one another. In order for them to contradict at least one of these passages have to say “ONLY Eve was to blame for original sin” or “ONLY Adam was to blame for original sin” or “Eve was NOT to blame for original sin” and “Adam was to blame for original sin.” But the verses do not state any of this.
- To further understand how the claim “Eve was to blame for original sin” and “Adam was to blame for original sin” it is helpful to look at Genesis 3. Genesis 3 is the chapter on man’s fall and the chapter giving the narrative account of how sin first happened in the world. Genesis 3 is the source material being referenced in the two passages the skeptic cited. In Genesis 3 both Adam and Eve sinned. It specifically mentioned Eve ate the forbidden fruit first and then Adam also ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3:6.
- In light of Genesis 3:6 giving the account of how both Adam and Eve were involved with original sin we see there is not a contradiction when the Bible in two different place states “Eve was to blame for original sin” and “Adam was to blame for original sin.”
- Also Adam and Eve were both to blame for original sin in different ways that are not contradictory.
- Eve was to be blamed for original sin for being the first one to eat of the forbidden fruit.
- According to Genesis 2:15 it says “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” The verb “keep” is best translated from the Hebrew as “guard.” Adam was supposed to protect the garden of Eden. That means he should have not let Eve sinned by eating of the fruit. He’s failed in this area as a leader. He further failed by eating the forbidden fruit himself as well. So Adam is to be blamed for not only eating the forbidden fruit but also for his failure of leadership.
- Thus we don’t have a contradiction here.
- We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity. The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible. In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview. Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”
[…] Who was to blame for original sin? […]
Well researched. Much of life is not either/or but yes/and. Blessings.
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You have created a flawless argument against the purported contradiction. Thanks.
Additionally, you could argue that (1) Adam was given the responsibility of acting as the caretaker of Earth (which would include Eve), (2) Adam was with her during the temptation of Eve that there is no seeming gap when “she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6 NASB),” and (3) it was not until after they had eaten and he had abandoned his caretaker/leadership role that their eyes were opened and they realized they had sinned.
Hence, as you pointed out, they both had their “hands in the till.”
Mark excellent input! That was very helpful and was a contribution I appreciated. I hope others looking for answers would also read your comment. Have a blessed day brother
That’s true! So often there is the picture of Eve and the serpent, with Adam who-knows-where, but the Bible does say he was there with her and apparently said nothing. The commandment was given to Adam before Eve was created (Genesis 2:16), he was still in charge.
Excellent.
Thanks! I hope you stay dry and warm with this cold rain coming in!
Sunny but cold this Friday. Hope it stays sunny thru weekend.:)
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Thanks for the thorough research! Once again, Steve/Stephen Wells resorts to the false dichotomy fallacy!
The incredible amount of either/or fallacy he commits on his list of Bible contradictions is incredible. If I had a dime for every kind of fallacy he commits (and sometimes there’s multiples for one alleged contradiction) I be able to buy books with it. Hope it’s not 20 degrees for you today in February!
A heat wave today. 34. Lots of snow predicted for tomorrow AM.
This exposes the skeptics have more an agenda than actual grounds in interpreting these two verses as a contradiction.
Great post. When studying the Bible, one needs to study in relation to the rest of the Bible so you don’t take it out of context which is so easy to do. Again great post.
Amen brother about the importance of context. How are you with your sickness?
I’m better now, not great. Good enough to be back at work though. Thanks for asking.
Reblogged this on RG's 2 Cents Studios and commented:
Thanks for this, Jim! I’ve never thought of these passages as contradictory. Seems an incredible stretch for someone to think of them as such.
Some atheists claim that God was responsible because he created Adam and Eve knowing they would sin.
Great discussion! Scripture documents the “fall” of both Adam and Eve in their sin. Together, they completed the act of original sin.
[…] 2.) Bible Contradiction? Who was to blame for original sin? […]
How true! Great discussion. I’m starting to get tired of all the ‘See? See? The Bible is riddled with contradictions!’ that I hear a lot over the Internet.
I’ve been working on refuting these alleged Bible contradictions on our blog and try to write at least one post for week. I think I first interacted with your brother online through one of my posts refuting alleged Bible contradictions. So its neat how his younger sister is reading this and commenting them also! Say hi to him for me (SlimJim) in person yeah?
Very good. It is important to do that.
🙂 Yeah, I think I might remember that, actually, when you and he started talking.
Okay, I will.
Excellent response! (As usual.)
One word: Rekt.
[…] This is not the first time in Scripture we see this kind of credit given to two individuals in which one was a leader of the other. See our post Who drove the Anakim from Hebron?. This is not only true with positive credit but also responsibility for error and sin; see our post Bible Contradiction? Who was to blame for original sin?. […]
This is another good example of logical fallacies committed by the skeptics similar to your expose on “Who made the ark of the covenant?” when they say its a contradiction
The atheist can’t exegete
Some people just want to say the Bible have problems so they can continue on with their unbelief and sin
[…] Who was to blame for original sin? […]
[…] Who was to blame for original sin? […]
[…] to the Domain for Truth, this particular alleged contradiction is an important illustration of a basic fact that is too […]