Is the story of Adam and Even literal, or symbolic? Explain.?

Answer 1

Actually, it's pure fantasy.

Answer 2

It is both. It is not always easy to know where the literalness and the symbolic begin and end, but I do accept is as truth, God inspired wisdom. Life itslef is full of symbols. I accept that there are both aspects and even if we do not know it all, we are right in accepting it all as true, even if we do not know for certain the exact sense in which each part is to be taken.
The symbolic parts if taken literally by mistake do not hurt you, because there is the seed of truth and the analogy that exists between symbol and literal truth otherwise it could not be put into language. For the most part I take it as literal. I find an interesting parallel in Revelation concerning the women and child.

I accept that God created the world and gave the command for all things in it to be created and though the God inspired scriptures do not go into detail they do state this truth in a very believeable way.God said it and that is it, it doesn't get into trying to explain things in a ridiculous way, it just reports.

One should always keep in mind the practice of the art of communication in earlier times, the time of our honorable spiritual ancestors and patriarchs, poetic language and literal meaning were often intertwined and metaphors were commonly employed. In fact there is a verse in the scriptures of the prophet Hosea which says such a thing.
Hosea 12:10
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets." KJV
The NIV version says it this way:
"I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them"

Answer 3

Genesis is history. Like all history, it is interpretive. It is theological history, or facts narrated in a framework of the divine plan. It has been well said that "history is His story."

Though Genesis is the first book of the "law" there is very little legal material in it. It is "Law" (Torah, Heb. for instruction) in that it lays the foundation for Exodus through Deuteronomy and God's giving of the Law through Moses. In fact, it lays the foundation of all Bible history—yes, of history itself.

The twin themes of blessing and cursing are carefully woven throughout the fabric of Genesis, and indeed, the whole word of God. Obedience brings enrichment of blessing, and disobedience the opposite.

The great curses are the penalties of the fall, the universal Flood, and the confusion of tongues at Babel.

The great blessings are the promise of a Redeemer, the salvation of a remnant through the Flood, and the choice of a special nation to be a channel of God's grace, Israel.

If Genesis is factual history, how could Moses have known all the ancient genealogies, conversations, events and correct interpretation of these events?

First, let it be said, that archaeology has supported (not "proved" but confirmed and illustrated) the Genesis account in many areas, especially regarding the patriarchs and their customs.

Moses no doubt used accounts left by Joseph, and the tablets, parchments, and oral translations brought from ancient Mesopotamia by Abraham and his descendants. These would include the genealogies, the major sections, known as "the generations of Adam," etc.

In the final analysis this is still not enough. The Holy Spirit of God inspired Moses to choose exactly the right materials and to ignore the rest. He probably supplied details of conversations and other things by direct revelation.

It comes down to a matter of faith. Either God is capable of producing such a work through His servants or He is not. Believers of all generations from primeval times to today have set their seal that God is true.

Archaeology can help us reconstruct the culture of the patriarchs to make the Bible accounts more vivid, but only the Holy Spirit can illuminate the truth of Genesis to our hearts and daily lives.

Answer 4

The Story of Adam and Eve was told around the campfires of the Israelites as they traveled through the desert for 40 years. Before that it was told orally for hundreds of years. The word Adam means men - kind and Eve means - women - kind. Is was a story, a myth, told by the ancients who had no knowledge like we do today of dinosaurs or cave people, to explain to people who could not read or write, how humankind came to be. To people living in the desert, a beautiful garden where there was plenty of food and water, would be paradise.

Answer 5

Yes, it is symbolic. To "create" means to put and keep something in existence. God is Creator because He puts and sustains everything in existence. He is the maker and final goal of everything that exists, all things visible and invisible.

The truth of creation means that God's loving creativity builds into each of us a meaning, purpose and destiny which nothing can take away from us.

Does the Genesis account of creation contradict the scientific theory of evolution? No. In affirming that God is the ultimate cause of all that exists, Genesis gives its ultimate meaning and purpose - "Why" the world exists. It does not "how" the physical world came to be in its present condition, which the theory of evolution tries to explain.

Grace and peace!

Answer 6

odd and even? or Adam and Eve? All the stories in the bible are true! I don't expect everyone to agree with that until they are enlightened. I can only explain by saying, read the bible, you'll know by the time you get to the end, that it's true, and it's all in there. It proves itself to those who are enlightened. I can't prove the word of God, If God doesn't choose to PROVE HIS word, I certainly can't. God expects His followers to believe by faith, and if you don't have faith, you won't believe.

Answer 7

It must be literal because Jesus referred to them when he quoted Gen. 2:24. He said: “Did you not read that he who created them from [the] beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.
Matt. 19:5, 6

Answer 8

You must be kidding--that's akin to asking if Peter Pan or Santa Clause was literal or symbolic.We can't put aside our accumulated knowledge just because it doesn't agree with some ancient book--that would be silly.

Answer 9

It's a matter of opinion, I would say most of the old testament was symbolic.

Answer 10

It's metaphorical, I'm not going to explain because I would just state evidence for evolution, and there are plenty of other questions dealing with that.