How come Adam gets the blame and not Eve? I've heard a several different explanations, which make assumptions about what was going on (Adam forgot to tell Eve the directions, Adam was standing right there, Adam was head-of-household responsible for what Eve did) that resolve into making Adam the main culprit. But if we're making assumptions, why not assume that Paul is rhetorically using the first man as a stand-in for us all, since the Romans passage goes on to say that all sin. That's been the implicit assumption in most discussion of Romans 5, might as well make it explicit.
In Romans 4:11-12 Abraham is described as the father of both the circumcised and uncircumcised believers. In 18-20 he is described as having unwavering faith that God would give him a child. If I read Genesis correctly, he, impatient, got part of that a little confused and tried a shortcut with Hagar (at Sarai's suggestion). So perhaps Abraham is also the father of those of us who believe but get things a bit confused sometimes.
Which, of course, leads into Zacharias vs Mary: "How will I know" vs "How can this be" aka "Can you show me some ID?" vs "What do I need to do?" With answers "OK, you'll be the proof" and "Nothing." Abraham might have done better to ask "How will this be?" and get details clear.
And somehow the question of whether there can be peace without freedom came up at table today. That reminded me of a famous song, which I may not be remembering entirely correctly...
The crown has made it clear The climate must be perfect all the year A law was made a distant moon ago here July and August cannot be too hot And there's a legal limit to the snow here In Camazotz The winter is forbidden till December And exits March the second on the dot By order summer lingers through September In Camazotz
1 comment:
Adam ‘gets the blame’ from Eve, AFTER he refused to disown her, but suffer exile and die with her. BEFORE she transgressed he asked her not to go off on her own, and after the Fall, she blames him for not making her stay.
‘That’s my line and I’m sticking to it’, Eve says. The first politician.
You don’t have to.
From Milton’s Paradise Lost:
Would thou hadst heark’nd to my words, & stai’d
With me, as I besought thee, when that strange Desire of wandring this unhappie Morn,
I know not whence possessd thee; we had then
Remaind still happie, not as now, despoild
Of all our good, sham’d, naked, miserable.
Let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve The Faith they owe; when earnestly they seek
Such proof, conclude, they then begin to faile.
To whom soon mov’d with touch of blame thus EVE.
What words have past thy Lips, ADAM severe,
Imput’st thou that to my default, or will Of wandering, as thou call’st it, which who knows
But might as ill have happ’nd thou being by,
Or to thy self perhaps: hadst thou bin there,
Or bere th’ attempt, thou couldst not have discernd
Fraud in the Serpent, speaking as he spake; No ground of enmitie between us known,
Why hee should mean me ill, or seek to harme.
Was I to have never parted from thy side?
As good have grown there still a liveless Rib.
Being as I am, why didst not thou the Head Command me absolutely not to go,
Going into such danger as thou saidst?
Too facil then thou didst not much gainsay,
Nay, didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Hadst thou bin firm and fixt in thy dissent, Neither had I transgress’d, nor thou with mee.
Post a Comment