HISTORICAL ADAM AND THE ORIGINAL SIN

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

One of the features of the Scofield Reference Bible is the date at the top of the center reference column on each page. That year date is significant because it originated from research the church has possessed for hundreds of years. The dates are taken from Anglican Archbishop James Ussher’s history of the world first printed in 1650. Archbishop Ussher is considered one of the world’s greatest historians and his Annals of the World is a comprehensive history of biblical and significant ancient historical events.

One of the Ussher’s most prominent dates is 4004 BC (as seen in Genesis 1 and 2) as the year of the creation of the earth and the first man. Liberal theologians and atheistic evolutionists have ridiculed Ussher’s dates for decades; however, interestingly, a few years ago Ussher’s work was reopened by credible historians. After meticulous research they found that Ussher’s dates were very close to our more advanced records of ancient history. So was Adam really created in 4004 BC? Perhaps, or very close to that date.

Most of the major doctrines in the Bible are based on the reality of Adam. Many scriptures speak of the historical reality of Adam and Eve in the context of the original sin (Genesis 3:1-7). To remove this reality is to remove the reason for the cross and the rationale of the resurrection. Had Adam and Eve never existed, they would have never sinned; hence, Christ would have never had to come to die on the cross because salvation would have never been necessary (1 Peter 3:18).

We are all sinners (Romans 3:10, 23) and our sin is linked to the original sin committed by Adam in the garden (Romans 5:12). So how is it that God ties Adam’s sin 6,000 years ago to our sins today? Theologically, Adam was placed as the representative head of all of God’s human creation (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Simply stated, Adam acted on behalf of all persons born after him, so that what he did curses all of us (Romans 6:23). But the gospel message is that faith in Christ releases us from the curse of the original sin (Romans 10:9-13). Think about it.