Bible question: Do you think Adam was the first man God made?

Question

Let us take as a fact that Moses wrote the book of Genesis:

http://www.nwcreation.net/genesisauthor.html

Please read Genesis 1: 26 - 28

26
4 Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
27
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
28
God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."

Now please read Genesis 2:7

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Do you think Adam was the first man God made?

The only thing I stated as FACT was Moses wrote Genesis. I did not say what I think or didn't think. Thank you ALL for sharing.

Answer 1

Hello Zina Rae,

A section that you and I don't interact with each other in, I will agree with you that Moses is the author of Genesis (and the next four books and probably Job). This was likely captured through oral tradition from the captivity in Egypt. To your specific question, there is nothing that would stop an all-powerful God from making an Adam in the way described. So, it is possible. In its favor, would be the ideas of Hebrew genealogy, and the accounts that trace back to Adam. Going off verse 29 that you reference the question from that statement of be fertile (or more poetically fruitful) and multiply may have been occuring in a prelapsarian world (before the fall), and the account of Adam's lineage specifically through Seth was simply declared later to show the link to Noah.

Ok that said, Adam also means literally "man", so this could also be allegorical. In those cases, you would lose some of the NT dynamic between one man's fall and one man's restoration with Christ as the new Adam or second Adam (mostly in Romans). It could still work though. So, an allegorical story could be possible.

I do believe, In the beggining God created...I absolutely believe that. It could be either of those two ways. The days could be 24 hour or representative ages. I don't get hung up on the mode of creation--simply that God is the source that started it.

So in my view, Adam could have been the first man, or in a way allegorical, or the first man of the lineage leading to Noah--I can allow for different views, and not get worked up over it. Others are free to disagree, I just wanted to give you my thought process on it. I believe Christians can hold to varying views here and still be okay.

Sorry if that was too long winded.

Todd

Answer 2

You know you maybe right, it is really impossible to know for sure whether the Bible is truth or not. However, can you really afford to be wrong? I mean, I am reasonably intelligent. I would even like to think I'm slightly more intelligent than the average person. However, I believe in the Bible for one simple reason: If given the choice between believing in the bible and being wrong (In which case you lose nothing, but gain nothing), or not believing in the Bible and being wrong (In which case you get cast into burning unimaginable torment for all time), it seems the logical answer is obvious. I would rather believe and risk losing nothing than not believe and risk eternal damnation. I do agree that a person would have to be pretty nearsighted to take every word of the Bible literally. (I don't see to many people spreading lamb's blood over their doors at Easter). I would not say that Atheists are more intelligent on average than any religious person. I know some pretty smart Christians and I know some REALLY stupid Atheists. But in the end, it doesn't matter if the Bible is fictional or not. What does matter is that you treat other people with respect regardless of belief. That's what most religious texts are about anyway and I hope that you don't believe that message is fictional.

Answer 3

NO! In verse 28 of Gen-1 (KJV) uses the word replenish which means to refill.

How i view these quotes from chapter 1 & 2, i see it as speaking of 2 different beings.

The first Adam was given "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth". THE ENTIRE EARTH

The 2nd was placed in "a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man". IN A GARDEN ON EARTH- NOT THE ENTIRE EARTH.

The first was given "every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed". ALL VEGETATION ON EARTH.

The 2nd was commanded not to "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it". HE WAS LIMITED IN THIS ASPECT.

The 1st was created "male and female created he them".
But the 2nd was alone and God then said "[It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

The 1st pair (male & female) was created after the animals but the 2nd had to name them after. "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof."

After comparing these verses anyone can see that they are not parallel to each other.

The fact is we as a species have been in existance for millions of years and this Earth did go thru many changes. Genesis begins at the end of an earlier destruction and also gold was found in the land where the garden of Eden was "The name of the first [is] Pison: that [is] it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold"...a metal that takes millions of years to form.

Answer 4

Are you trying to imply that because Moses wrote it that he made up the whole thing? Yes Adam was the first man God created. In 1:26 God is saying, "Let us" make. The word of God says Jesus created everything and every living being. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be (or existed) through him. (Jesus). And without him nothing was made. So in Genesis 1:26 God and Jesus are agreeing together since they are one, to make man in their image. And since Jesus is God, he was not created. The whole lineage of Moses before him and after him is written and recorded. All the way From Adam to Jesus to probably those alive today related to them.

Answer 5

Of course. If you read about Adam and Eve, you will see that it was Adam that named the animals. They were the only two people on earth in the beginning of man. This is very clear in the bible. God bless

Answer 6

yes, When someone writes a book, they often refer to descriptive phrases of their theme, multiple times. A good author does not use the same words over and over again. What your seeing is just a continuation of the creation of man. I don't think the scriptures were numbered with verses when it was first written anyway.

Answer 7

Yes, Adam was the first man God made.

Answer 8

If you dig deep enough, you will find there are 2 creations in Genesis 1 and 2. You will also find evidence that 'something like this' was tried before. But what fun is it if I tell you EVERYTHING?????

Answer 9

On the sixth day god created man and woman...
The seventh day was the day-of-rest.
After that god planted a garden eastward in Eden.
Then god made Adam.

Answer 10

Yes adam was. It explicitly goes into detail the genesis creations and shows Adam was first, Eve 2nd.

You can try to read all kinds of extras into it, but it aint happening.