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Without definite article 5 as personal name (4:25; 5:1a, 3, 4, 5; 4:1*) 4 as humanity (generic / en masse; 1:26; 2:5; 5:1b, 2; 1:27*) With definite article 20 archetypal individual (2:7 – 3:24) 3 with preposition (2:20; 3:17, 21) 34 occurrences in Genesis 1-5
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Literary introduction: This is the account (toledoth) of the heavens and the earth (2:4) None recapitulative If sequel, people in Gen 1 not necessarily Adam & Eve 2 nd account does not need to fit into day 6 RefRelation Connection 5:1parallel/sequelCain → Seth 6:9sequelPre-flood condition → Noah 10:1sequelNoah and sons → Table of nations 11:10recursiveTable of nations → Shem’s descendants 11:27sequelShem’s descendants → Terah/Abraham 25:12sequelAbraham → Ishmael 25:19recursiveIshmael → Isaac/Jacob 36:1sequelIsaac/Jacob → Esau’s family 36:9sequelEsau’s family → Esau’s line 37:2recursiveEsau’s line → Jacob’s family
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proposal: archetypal functions Everything in Gen 2 regarding human origins is first and foremost archetypal Not just prototypes The “forming” accounts are most relevant to Adam and Eve as archetypes rather than as individuals Identified as archetypal if it refers to everyone, not just individuals
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Events planned long ago (Isa 37:26) Heart formed (= thoughts, Ps. 33:15) Days ordained by God (Ps. 139:16)
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The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person...
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Not chemistry or craftsmanship Dust = mortality (Gen. 3:19) Immortal people would not need a tree of life
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Every human is formed from dust First man of dust and all from dust (1 Cor. 15:47-48) “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14, NIV)
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Being formed from dust does not describe material formation Being formed from dust would not preclude being born of woman Not material origin but identity Intended to communicate what all humans are, not what Adam uniquely is “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14, NIV)
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“Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” Architectural term: one side of a pair Aramaic, LXX, Vulgate all ambiguous 3 rd – 4 th c. Rabbi Samuel ben Nahmani
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Tardemah: Deep Sleep Visionary state: Unresponsive to human realm and correspondingly responsive to communication from the divine realm Abraham in Genesis 15 (Eliphaz, Daniel) LXX: ekstasis; Vulgate: sopor (as early as Tertullian)
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That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh
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Serve and Keep (Gen. 2:15) “Helpmeet” – Eve to help Adam in sacred task As priests they are representatives of all humans Priestly representation differs from archetypal representation Priests as Israel is a kingdom of priests: mediating knowledge of God and access to God’s presence
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If the details of the “forming” apply to the archetypes, we have no information about the forming of the individuals Archetypal identity does not negate the existence of the individual—Adam and Eve are individuals, but more importantly are archetypes. Appropriate question is not “Is this really what happened?” but “Is this what people really are?” (focus on identity, not event)
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Humankind was created with mortal bodies Humankind was provisioned by God (garden) Humankind was given the role of serving in sacred space (implies relationship with God) Humankind was divided into male and female and so would seek out new family relationship message of genesis archetypes
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If Genesis 2 has an archetypal focus, there is no biblical account of material human origins Does not mean that common descent is true, only that it would not contradict the biblical record Special, direct creative work of God is found minimally at functional level Endowing with image of God Creation of spiritual being Designating as priests
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Romans 5:12-14 Sin entered through one man Death for people through sin Sin not charged when there is no law Does not clarify how or when all sinned Nothing necessitates Adam was first or that we are all genetically derived from him No claim about material origins of humans
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1 Corinthians 15:22 Death and its solution came through a man In Adam all die; in Christ all made alive Neither suggests genetic relationship No claims about human origins Christ achieved what Adam failed to achieve
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At the right time in his purposes God conferred his image on all people. This identity and function given by God made humanity distinct from its genetic predecessors. Adam and Eve were real people in a real past, our representatives through whose actions we all became accountable for sin and therefore subject to it. We are consequently doomed to death without the remedy of the death of Christ, provided for our salvation. Putting Together the Theological Issues
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God’s creation of humans involved a long process conceived, designed and executed such that it resulted in phylogenetic continuity between species via change over time from a common ancestor. We are more than what we are made of: ontogeny ≠ ontology “God did it” and “it evolved” are not mutually exclusive No need to accept any particular evolutionary model since the mechanisms posited by the current models remain uncertain and controversial even among scientists. Such a position is compatible with faithful interpretation of the biblical text and can be consistently maintained within the framework of orthodox theology. Putting Together the Scientific Issues
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Importance of recognizing biblical claims Acceptance of those who choose differently Acceptance of science does not require rejection of Bible or faith
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