Apologetics
Was there Death Before Adam Sinned?
Was there death in the original creation?
To answer this question, we must first understand a little about what the original, pre-fall
creation was like.
1. The Bible teaches that when God created the universe, it was perfect.
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who
does no wrong, upright and just is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and
there was morning-the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)
If there was any kind of death (animal or human) in creation before Adam sinned, then death
must be a good thing since God declared all of creation “very good”- it would just be a
normal part of God's perfect and righteous creation and not a punishment.
2. The Bible teaches that all of creation was affected by Adam's sin, not just humanity.
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the
creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one
who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to
decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the
whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present
time. (Romans 8:19-22)
Creation is in turmoil, it is no longer the way it was before the fall. It is no longer “very
good.” If creation has always been this way (with death, disease, etc.) then there would be
no need to restore it. And what would it be restored to? Millions of years of death and
suffering?
3. The Bible teaches that in the original creation, both man and animals were vegetarian.
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the
beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the
ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for
food.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:29-30)
There weren’t any carnivores before the fall. Therefore, the fossil record could not have
been laid down millions of years before Adam and the fall since it contains many instances of
animals with the remains of other animals in their stomachs.
Plants are not “alive” in the biblical sense. The phrase “nephesh chayyah” is used to
described animals, fish and birds (often translated “living creatures”) and man (often
translated “living soul”) but never to describe plants or invertebrates.
So where exactly did death come from?
The Bible teaches that death is a consequence of Adam's sin:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care
of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the
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garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when
you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23)
Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,
they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice
them. (Romans 1:32)
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in
this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12)
For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and
the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again,
the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin
and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought
justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man,
how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift
of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as
the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of
righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the
disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience
of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass
might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin
reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:15-21)
The Bible also teaches that God is not pleased with death
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the
death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from
your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)
Is the Bible referring just to spiritual death or to physical death as well?
The Bible teaches that both physical death and spiritual death are consequences of sin:
But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because
of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,
he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the
sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you
will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive
a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And
by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are
God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I
consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be
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revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by
the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated
from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of
God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth
right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption
of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all.
Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait
for it patiently. (Romans 8:10-25)
o These verses tell us several things:
1. All of creation suffers physically because of Adam's sin. Creation did not just
continue as it was from the beginning.
2. When Christ lives in us (i.e. when we are born again) we are made spiritually
alive (this can be seen when Paul tell us that "if Christ is in you...your spirit is
alive" and when he tells us that we already "have the firstfruits of the Spirit").
However, our bodies are still considered "dead because of sin". This shows us
that our bodies are suffering physical consequences because of sin.
3. One day our bodies will be redeemed from sin, just as our spirits already have
been ("we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies").
If our bodies were not physically affected from the fall, they would not have to be
redeemed since there would be nothing wrong with them. They would be no
different from the bodies God originally gave Adam and Eve.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them
at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love
for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-5)
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen
asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also
through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in
his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then
the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has
destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his
enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:20-
26)
o Looking at these Ephesians and 1 Corinthians passages together, we see that:
1. Paul links the physical death that resulted from Adam to the physical resurrection
that we will eventually have (“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a
man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”)
2. When we were unsaved, we are told that we were spiritually dead. When we
become saved, we are told that we have been made spiritually alive (“you were
dead in your transgressions and sins…God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive
with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”)
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3. The Bible talks about death as being the last enemy that Jesus will defeat.
Therefore, if spiritual death was the only consequence of sin, then:
a. Physical death would not be an enemy that needs to be conquered, it would
just be normal.
b. The Bible would speak of death as being already conquered since we already
have been made spiritually alive through Christ. Instead, the Bible tells us
that death will eventually be the last thing Christ conquers. Additionally, in
the previously mentioned Romans 8 passage, we are told that we are still
awaiting “the redemption of our bodies”—it hasn’t happened yet!
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal
with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been
swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:53-56)
o This passage is referring to our physical bodies. It tells us that once we receive our
glorified bodies and we can no longer die, death will be defeated. In order to have
victory over it, it must have been an enemy to us!
o Here, Paul links physical death to sin.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care
of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when
you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17)
o In the Hebrew, the phrase translated “surely die” is muwth-muwth (die-die) with two
different verb tenses (dying and die). It can be literally translated as “dying you shall
die.” This describes the beginning of the dying process which ultimately results in
death. When they sinned, Adam and Eve began to die and would return to dust.
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I
commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through
painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles
for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat
your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are
and to dust you will return." Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the
mother of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife
and clothed them. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the
Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the
man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword
flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:17-24)
o From this passage, we see that
i. Adam would now return to the dust (die)
ii. God blocked Adam from living forever by not allowing him to eat from the tree
of life. Before this, it was available to him to eat from.
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Why is physical death a consequence of sin?
The Bible teaches that Jesus’ physical death was a major part in His atoning work. In the
same way our justice system has penalties for breaking the law, God has penalties for those
who break His law. Blood (i.e. physical death) is described as a part of His penalty for sin.
The Bible states that without blood, there cannot be forgiveness of sins.
The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to
whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our
Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life
for our justification. (Romans 4:23-25)
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went
through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not
a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he
entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal
redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those
who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much
more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we
may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:11-14)
In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a
will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who
made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took
the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and
sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which
God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the
tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly
everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:16-22)
Spiritual death was only part of the consequences of sin. If we only needed to be redeemed
from spiritual death, Jesus would not have had to physically die on the cross; He could have
experienced just the spiritual death of separation from God and that would have been enough.
Instead, we learn that his blood (i.e. his physical life) was required as part of our redemption.
The Curse of physical death is merciful in the sense that we do not have to live in a
permanent state of sin.
Information from:
1. Biblically, Could Death Have Existed before Sin? By Bodie Hodge
https://answersingenesis.org/death-before-sin/biblically-could-death-have-existed-before-sin/
2. Refuting Compromise by Jonathan Sarfati
3. Why Didn’t Adam and Eve Die the Instant They Ate the Fruit? By Bodie Hodge
https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/adam-and-eve/why-didnt-adam-and-eve-die-the-
instant-they-ate-the-fruit/
4. Genesis 2:17—“You Shall Surely Die” by Dr. Terry Mortenson
https://answersingenesis.org/death-before-sin/genesis-2-17-you-shall-surely-die/
