Genesis chapters 1 & 2 again

Watch the video clip: What are we to make of Adam & Eve

Prof Alister McGrath (Kings College London, theologian and former biologist) explains how he views the earliest chapters of the Bible and in particular Adam & Eve. He makes a good point about Adam & Eve being stereotypes – people in whom we see ourselves. This he develops to speak about the “Second Adam”, Jesus, who is able to transform our human experience.

Those who believe in a literal first couple, placed on the Earth by God, face some difficult questions even if they feel they are being more faithful to the story as it is recorded:

When did this happen? If you take the couple as literal, then do you also take the timing to be ca. 4000BC (to fit in with various biblical genealogies)? The other set of notes on science and faith raise serious questions about the age of the universe and the Earth.
What else do you take as literal? A talking snake – or is this figuratively the devil? The apple? Interesting, isn’t it, most people believe Eve ate the forbidden apple but the Bible just says ‘fruit’!
Why do they have such ‘representative’ names? I know we use the name ‘Adam’ as a forename these days but in this context it simply means ‘human being’.
Where do we suddenly acquire the community that can supply wives for Cain & Abel? This problem disappears if you assume that this is a story about humanity in general.
My main point is that Genesis 1-3 is not intended to be read literally. The Bible contains many genres of literature – histories (e.g. 1&2 Kings, Acts) but also apocalyptic (Revelation) and Wisdom literature (Job).

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Six Big Questions Rev John Hibberd sixbigquestions@throughfaithmissions.org