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[Maestro]

Were Adam and Eve real people? Does evolution allow for this or is it in contrast. (I am aware there are different types or theories of the overarching theory of evolution, if you need to, specify which ones allow and disallow Adam and Eve.

I only ask because they essentially need to be real people or at least represent or symbolise something real for original sin to exist.

How do you answer this for yourselves?

[jimwalton]

I believe Adam and Eve were real people. They are historical. I also believe in evolution. What I don't believe is that Adam and Eve were the first and only humans. I believe Genesis 1-3 are telling us about how God ordered creation to function, not about how it came to be in existence. So I take the Genesis text literally. It's literally about function, not manufacture. Day 1 is about how the light and dark function (in regular alternating sequence, as day and night, evening and morning) to give us time. Day 3 is about how the Earth functions: to bring forth vegetation, for our survival. Day 4 is about how the sun, moon, and stars function: to mark the times and seasons. Day 6 is about how we are to function: to rule the Earth and subdue it. Function, not manufacture.

Therefore, we are not told how long God took to create, nor what processes he used. Therefore evolution is a possibility. Therefore Adam and Eve weren't necessarily the first human beings, but the first hominids who had evolved to the point of being spiritually capable and morally culpable. Out of the pool of hominids, God took them and placed them in his presence (Gn. 2.15ff.) and revealed Himself to them. He explained to them about sin. So when the historical Adam & Eve sinned, original sin came to be. From now on all humanity would have a sin nature.

So we have a literal historical Adam & Eve, we have evolution as told to us by science, and we have bona fide theological original sin.