The virgin birth of Christ and His physical resurrection from the dead are basic tenets of the Christian faith. Although both defy physical laws as we know them, there is no room for compromise here. Both events require an omnipotent God capable of acting outside the laws of science, and both reinforce the deity of Christ.  Again, there is no wiggle room with these basic tenets. Either they occurred or they did not. If they are false, there is simply no Christian faith, and Jesus was nothing more than just another prophet.  

Since modern science cannot prove or disprove these events, one must rely on faith, the accuracy of Scriptures, and eyewitnesses of the day. Given the credibility of numerous eyewitnesses as well as the accurate account of these events by multiple Gospel writers, I think the evidence weighs heavy on the affirmative.

In other words, I believe. I also embrace the fact that all Scripture is the inspired Word of God. But we often disagree as to the meaning or interpretation of His Word.

That said, was there really a single man (Adam) followed by a single woman (Eve) made from a rib of Adam? I honestly don’t know. I suppose an omnipotent God capable of raising the dead and bringing about a virgin birth, is certainly capable of placing a fully developed man and woman together in a garden as the first true representatives of Homo sapiens.   

But what if God was using this story as a means to communicate the fall of man, his subsequent sinful nature and his need of a redeemer? The critical point here is the “fall of man”, for this represents a third basic tenet of the Christian faith. Without the fall, there would be no need for salvation and Jesus the Savior. To me, it is the “fall” that is paramount here, not the historicity of Adam and Eve. Did God create them ex nihilo and place them in the garden or did He use an evolutionary process to place them there? One could provide credible arguments for either method. But where the proverbial rubber meets the road is that as believers we must agree that man is, by nature, sinful and in need of redemption - without exception.   

My biggest concern with the ongoing bickering among evangelical Christians over interpretation of Scripture is that we are repelling thousands of serious seekers around the world on a daily basis, rather than attracting them to investigate the truths of God further. In a sense, this could be seen as a sad reversal of the Great Commission.  

What is more important, an intellectual victory over another regarding the historicity of Adam and Eve, or seeing someone embrace an omnipotent, loving God Who sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins so that we who believe can have everlasting life?

While many organizations espouse and promote specific Biblical interpretations over others, the Center for Faith and Science International (www.cfsint.org) is dedicated to the pursuit of truth, and in so doing welcomes multiple interpretations and thoughts relative to our single loving and omnipotent God. Make no mistake, it is God and God alone Who has all the answers and Who represents pure unadulterated and absolute truth, not us!