Today more than ever the world is denying the veracity of the Genesis account of Creation and the Fall. In fact, the faith of many is being undermined by the supposedly more accurate scientific world. To undermine the first three chapters of the Bible is to undermine the whole of Christianity; we would have no explanation for our debt of obedience to God or the inherent sinfulness of humankind. In studying the origin of man, we learn about our most basic relationship to God—creature to Creator.

1. I believe God called all things into existence from nothing by specific acts of special creation spread across six literal, consecutive days, culminating with the creation of man and woman, after which God ceased His creating activity. The earth is less than 10,000 years old; its apparent age may be accounted for by its creation with apparent age and/or the effects of the Flood. (Gen. 1:1-2:3; Ex. 20:11)

2. I believe humans were created in the image of God, making them distinct from the angels and from every other creature on the earth. This image is reflected in a human’s ability to reason, his ability to make moral choices, and his immaterial makeup. This image was not lost as a result of the Fall, but it is marred by the pollution of sin. (Gen. 1:26-27; 9:6)

3. I believe humans consist of two primary parts—the material and the immaterial. The material is the body, which will die. The immaterial is the life—the soul and spirit—of the human; it will live eternally. Body, soul, and spirit encompass the whole of a person. (Matt. 4:4; Gen. 3:19; Matt. 22:32; 1 Thess. 5:23)

4. I believe Adam and Eve were created equal in worth and standing before God, though their roles and positions of authority were different. For the sake of comparison, within the Godhead exist different roles and positions of authority, but the three Persons are still of equal standing and merit. (Gal. 3:28; 1 Cor. 11:3)

5. I believe Adam’s role as the head and Eve’s role as the helper were not a result of the Fall but instead were made unbalanced by the Fall. Because of sin, the man would not only be the head but he would also rule his wife, and the woman would not only be a helper but she would also desire to take control of her husband. (Gen. 2:18, 23; 3:16)

6. I believe that Eve was deceived by the serpent in the Garden, but Adam ate of the fruit with full knowledge of his disobedience. Through Adam’s single act of disobedience, sin and death entered the world. All people are born dead because all have sinned in Adam. (1 Tim. 2:14; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 5:12-19)

7. I believe Adam and Eve were created mortal but capable of living indefinitely. (Gen. 3:8, 22)

8. I believe the souls of newborn babes are transmitted from their parents through natural generation. While no solid Biblical evidence can be given for this assertion, the Bible seems to indicate that actions performed by Adam and Abraham were equally performed by yet unborn descendants. (Rom. 5:12, 18; Heb. 7:9-10)