44 CLC,

You said:

2. Second, my NIV translation makes it seem like only women fell into sin: “14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” We all know that Adam also became a sinner. Paul himself has said so many times. It makes me question my Bible’s translation.

The Greek grammar for “became” a sinner or in the transgression is in the perfect tense.

perfect — The verb tense used by the writer to describe a completed verbal action that occurred in the past but which produced a state of being or a result that exists in the present (in relation to the writer). The emphasis of the perfect is not the past action so much as it is as such but the present “state of affairs” resulting from the past action.

This means that “the woman” that is being described by Paul in verse 14 is still at that very moment, in her transgression. It is an ongoing problem and this is the “she” that Paul is stopping from teaching her error. It cannot be Eve as Eve is dead and gone and cannot be continuing in her error and deception.

Paul’s words about Adam and Eve are a reference to the first couple who had a deceived/not deceived dilemma. Adam did nothing about Eve’s deception and the husband of this woman is also not deceived and also not doing anything about her deception. Unless someone steps in to help out with the problem, the same scenario will happen to the problem couple in Ephesus.

4. What do they mean that women will be saved through childbearing? That makes no sense. We are saved by grace alone, period.

This is where the patriarchists run into problems because Paul never said that “women” will be saved….Paul said that “she” would be saved. It was a specific situation involving false teaching, a deceived teacher and a remedy to deception. In my DVD “Women in Ministry Silenced or Set Free?” DVD #3 goes through this passage point by point to show what verse 15 can and cannot mean within this context.

You said:

11 A woman should learn with quiet grace and great humbleness. 12 I don’t want a woman to be lecturing men with false authority; she must be humble. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived (i.e. had more knowledge by being born before her); it was the woman who was deceived (did not have knowledge) and became a sinner because of her lack of knowledge. But she will be saved through childbearing (as in reference to “the woman’s seed striking the head of the snake”?) — if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

It’s what I’ve been thinking of…; but yours is interesting…. What do you think? (Sorry if I’m not totally clear…..)

It is important to note that verses 11 & 12 are singular for both “woman” and “man”. It isn’t until verse 15 that Paul suddenly switches back to the plural in the middle of a sentence. In verse 12 the Greek word “authenteo” is much more sinister than just “false authority”. It is a term that is never, ever used in the New Testament for anyone to use towards another person. The mere presence of this Greek word makes this passages extremely out of the ordinary. It is such a unique term that it is rarely found in the literature of that day. When it is found it is never found in a positive usage.

You said:

Where is that in the second chapter? No mention of it. Why? Probably because he created a second set of animals to dwell with Adam and Eve in the garden. (This would, however, negate your theory that God created the female counter parts in the second chapter, as there are definitely female fish and reptiles and insects etc.)

There is no doubt that God created female fish and reptiles and insects. However it appears that these creatures were not brought to Adam to name in the garden. The question we need to ask is if God created the exact same animals again after Adam or if he created the female counterparts for the animals that God brought for Adam to name. Since Adam was looking for a counterpart, it seems reasonable that the animals that were “formed” from the dirt after Adam were the females. He found no female animal that was a counterpart to himself. Apparently there must have been females created of the fish of the sea and of the birds because God told them to multiply. We do know though that animals were created after Adam because of the inspired Hebrew words. And we do know that whatever Adam saw God do before Eve was created was enough to immunize Adam from being deceived by the serpent.

I’ve heard that Jews consider any part of the day to still be that day.

It isn’t the day problem that is the real problem. It is finding three “nights” since Jesus said he would be three days and three “nights” in the heart of the earth. The bottom line is that we are to believe the bible as the truth whether we completely understand how it can be true. Our own understanding is not the measuring stick.

You are also right in that we do not know exactly how old the earth is to the day and year. ….but we do know that animals were created after Adam and that creates a whole set of problems for those who believe that animals lived and died for millions of years before Adam. Ah, but then that is another subject for another blog 🙂