When I was a teen in youth group, my youth pastor enjoyed getting a rise out of me by asserting that the fall of mankind was Eve’s fault. After all, Eve ate the forbidden fruit first.
A bit of a feminist in my earlier days(!), I could be counted upon to take umbrage at the remark, arguing that man and woman bore equal guilt.
Today, that youth pastor is the lead pastor of my church and one of my peers from youth group has succeeded him as youth pastor. To this day, either of them can count on me to raise my eyebrows, roll my eyes, or issue a little snort when they make such an assertion. (Please recognize that they make these remarks as a jest, so my “humph” response is not a sign of disrespect. They would be the first to tell you so.)
What Jason and Jeremy may not realize is that my reasons for disagreeing with that statement have changed over the years.
It started as a feminist response–“Hey, don’t try to pin the sin of mankind on us. Men and women alike are equal opportunity sinners.” But as I’ve studied the Word, specifically what Scripture has to say about women, I’ve revised my position.
While men and women may be equal opportunity sinners today (having all been born with a sin nature), God holds man (Adam) responsible for the first sin. Romans 5:12 states that “through one man sin entered the world”, and verse 14 clarifies that this was “the transgression of Adam.”
This might sound like I’m becoming even more rabid in my early tendencies towards feminism. Now I’m not only claiming that Adam shared equal fault with Eve–but that Adam was fully responsible for the first sin. Vilifying man, justifying woman. That’s what it might sound like if I leave the argument there.
But I won’t. The reality is that Eve deserves neither the praise that the aforementioned view would afford her, or the censure that my pastors would jestingly give her. Eve disobeyed God’s command. She ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil–which God had forbidden her and Adam from eating. She sinned and gave the fruit to Adam so that he also sinned.
God chose to hold Adam responsible for the sin of mankind. Why?
This is the tricky part. Adam was held responsible because God, even prior to the fall, ordained the headship of man. I Corinthians 11:3 states that the head of every man is Christ and the head of woman is man. Paul goes on to state that this is inherent in creation: “…but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head.”
The headship of man makes him responsible not only for his own sin, but also for the sin of his wife.
This concept, inherent in creation, is codified in Numbers 30, where God sets out laws for women who make vows. According to the law, if a woman makes a vow, her husband, upon hearing it, can declare that vow void. Neither he nor his wife will be held responsible for the vow she made. On the other hand, if her husband does not nullify the vow on the day that he hears it, he is now responsible to God for the fulfillment of that vow.
I Timothy 2:14 states that “the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression.” On the other hand, “Adam was not deceived.” Instead, he stood by as his wife was deceived; and then, not being deceived himself, he willfully took and consumed the fruit in opposition to God’s plan.
Eve was deceived and fell into transgression. Adam willfully chose to disobey the command of God, knowing full well what he was doing.
And God chose to hold Adam responsible not only for his own sin but for the sin of his wife. Thus, “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12)
Check back over the next week for Parts 2 and 3, discussing the implications of Eve’s susceptibility to deception and the headship of man.