Of the Fall of ManOf the Fall of Man

The 1689 Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, Par. 1:The 1689 Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, Par. 1:

““Although God created man upright and perfect, Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof, yet he did not long abide in this breach thereof, yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam,”subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam,”

Of the Fall of ManOf the Fall of Man

The 1689 Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, Par. 1:The 1689 Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, Par. 1:

““who, without any compulsion, did willfully who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the transgress the law of their creation, and the command given unto them, in eating the forbidden command given unto them, in eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased, according to his wise fruit, which God was pleased, according to his wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory.”order it to his own glory.”

Of the Fall of Man This chapter contains teaching on two related

subjects: The nature of the Fall (The Adamic Administration) The result of the Fall

The key text for the first subject is found in Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17; 3:1-13; 22-24.

The Adamic Administration 1. The historical background to Ch. 6, par. 1.

A. The Reformed and Puritan understanding. B. The “Covenant of Works”. C. This name’s absence from this chapter. D. An explanation for this absence. E. Why this explanation cannot be correct.

1. The term’s use elsewhere in the Confession. 2. The view of the editor(s) and signers of the

Confession. F. The “Adamic Administration”.

The Adamic Administration 2. Three aspects of the Adamic Administration.

A. Its Goal. B. Its Means. C. Its Significance.

The Adamic Administration A. Its Goal.

Elevated existence for Adam and his posterity.

Objection – what could be better than God’s creation of man upright and perfect?

Objection – does this cast a negative light on God’s creative activity?

The Adamic Administration A. Its Goal: Elevated existence for Adam The objections answered:

1. By the nature of Adam’s moral state of unconfirmed holiness.

2. From a consideration of the Genesis account: God’s purposes have goals. Negative threats imply positive blessings. The significance of the Tree of Life. The parallels between Adam and Christ.

The Adamic Administration B. Its Means.

God used an ethical probationary period focusing on the prohibition to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

How long did this probation last? It must have been temporary. Compare to the 2nd Adam’s test period.

The Adamic Administration B. Its Means. God used an ethical probationary period focusing on

the prohibition to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The arbitrary nature of this test. The moral backdrop is the internalized law of God. “Just trust and obey”.

The Adamic Administration B. Its Means. God used an ethical probationary period focusing on

the prohibition to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Why is the tree called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”?

The “knowledge of good and evil” means maturity. In this story it stands for moral maturity.

The Adamic Administration C. Its Significance.

It teaches us that the original goal of God in creation was to confirm man in righteous life.

It teaches us the nature of redemption is to reverse the effects of the fall and attain the primal goal.

It teaches us about the cosmic nature of Christ’s work.