Every person familiar with the Bible knows the events that resulted in Adam and Eve being banished from heaven. However, if questioned regarding who is to blame for those events’ occurrence – Adam or Eve – many people will find it difficult to answer correctly. Chronologically, Eve did sin before Adam, and this fact is hardly questionable. In her temptation, she took the fruit from the tree of knowledge and ate it. Consequently, she gave the same fruit to Adam, her husband, so he could feel and see what she has learned. However, a closer inspection of the following events can show that the Bible blames Adam responsible for the ultimate fall of humanity.
Several reasons contribute to the Bible’s verdict in this case. God created Adam first and then decided to create Eve to be Adam’s suitable helper. In this context, God made Adam responsible for the family he received. It was Adam who God was looking for when the pair decided to hide out of shame due to being naked. Furthermore, God demanded answers from Adam after their eventual discovery. Despite Eve being the first to sin, Adam was the leader of their family. Thus, he takes the blame for what happened to them.
Adam’s responsibility for both his and Eve’s actions was not the only responsibility he had. Specifically, God gave the initial command not to touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil directly to Adam. Moreover, it happened before God decided to create Eve. Of course, Eve knew about the restriction, as Adam made sure to inform her. However, Adam heard it straight from God, which is incomparable.
There is another peculiar difference between Adam’s and Eve’s sins. Adam was not deceived in this situation – it was Eve who was deceived first and could not resist the temptation. In other words, the reason behind her sin was deception. On the contrary, there was no deception in Adam’s case, meaning it was his personal decision. When Eve gave Adam the fruit, he completely understood the situation. Eve did not mislead or misinform him in any fashion; thus, he decided to trust his wife instead of listening to God and rebelled against the established rules.
Finally, the terms and references the Bible makes afterward solidify Adam’s fault. Adam, being the first of humankind, respectively represented all the people. After the banishment from heaven, the human race had to face all the hardships of the real world. The Scripture then mentions a Savior, the one who can redeem humanity and save it from death and suffering. Most importantly, a Savior is referred to as the last Adam – Adam in the sense of the head of humankind responsible for his vast family. The title of the last Adam belonged to Christ; this and many other references and comparisons of Adam and Christ connect the original sin to the ultimate salvation, respectively.
Overall, it becomes clear why Adam is held responsible for humanity’s fall. First, it was Adam’s responsibility to protect his family and answer for their actions. Second, the command not to touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given to Adam by God directly. Third, Adam decided to sin himself, knowing he opposed God’s will. Fourth, Biblical references and symbolism finalize the discussion, transparently confirming Adam’s fault.