Genesis 3:19 Is Adam in hell?

[Jeffrey Hoos]

Genesis 3:19 reads as such:

"By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

With the particular portion that reads return to the ground, my Macarthur commentary says this:

"Return to the ground I.e., to die. Man, by sin, became mortal. Although he did not die the moment he ate (by God's mercy), he was changed immediately and became liable to all the sufferings and miseries of life, to death, and to the pains of hell forever. Adam lived 930 years."

I thought this may be an interesting topic: where does John Macarthur deduce this idea that Adam is in hell. Is Abel the only one of this family unit that went to heaven, because God accepted his sacrifice? Could it also be, since we obviously believe in unconditional election, that God may have elected Adam and we just don't know if he is in hell or not? I need some opinions so I can round out my conclusions, also of course to make clearer how Macarthur came to his conclusions that Adam is in hell.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

I doubt the verse-note means to teach readers that Adam, per se and definitely, is in hell. By Adam's sin, Man (mankind) became "liable to all the sufferings and miseries of life, to death, and to the pains of hell forever." The reference to 5:5 (930 yrs) also starts a sad refrain, "...and he died." Death is a result of the fall, to which all without exception are liable, except for Christ (who died anyway, as a sacrifice). Hell, too, results from the same curse of 3:19; but does not come upon all mankind, thanks be to God.

Although the eternal destiny of Adam is not spelled out for us in so many words in Scripture, Seth's birth (4:25-26) is rather indicative of a faithful and hopeful response to the tragedy of Cain and Abel. Seth is established as the chief one who carries on the faith bound up in the word of promise, 3:15. His mother is more clearly rendered than Adam as a person of faith (in naming Seth); but it seems charitable to think of Adam and Eve as partners in rearing a believing child. Someone taught Seth the hope of the Seed.

Adam is also listed at the head of the line of the faithful, 5:4-32. He is not mentioned in Cain's line, 4:17-24, a hopeful sign.

 

[Logan]

I concur. I grew up under MacArthur's teaching and I don't think he's trying to say Adam is in hell, but rather that he (and his posterity) became susceptible to such punishments. He's echoing the language of the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

What Bruce and Logan well said (and I'll not belabor).

Please look again carefully at JM's note. He's simply saying that Adam did indeed die (return to the ground), at the age of 930. Adam's sin made man liable to all that JM, following the WSC, notes. It says nothing about Adam going to hell. JM is simply not saying in this note that Adam went to hell, but that man was made liable to such due to Adam's sin.

I do not find JM unclear here, but since you mistook what he taught, rather than asking "where does he get this?" "how does he teach this?" would it not have been better to say "Is JM teaching that Adam went to hell? It seems to me that he might be but I need help in clarifying his teaching."

Peace,
Alan

 

[Peairtach]

The reason Adam isn't mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, is because he's not a good example of a hero of faith. He's an example of falling from original righteousness into sin; in fact THE example of falling from original righteousness into sin.

But inspite of that there are a number of signs in Scripture, that subsequent to his Fall, Adam exercised saving faith.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

The reason Adam isn't mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, is because he's not a good example of a hero of faith.

Really, Richard? There are plenty of godly biblical characters not mentioned in Hebrews 11 and some of the ones who are had real problems: just think of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah. Hardly unblemished men, though, indeed, men of faith.

Remember, faith involves looking away from all that one is and has and does and looking to Christ alone. These men all did this (proleptically, as OT figures), relying on the Lord and not themselves.

We have no reason to think that Adam was not such a man and to say "he's not a 'hero of the faith'" is, I fear, moralistically misguided.

Peace,
Alan

 

[whirlingmerc]

Adam lived centuries and approximately up to the birth of Noah.

Perhaps Adam became faithful witness to what had happened... if he looked forward to the time the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. he could have been redeemed
We don't know and why assume? Everyone who is redeemed had very real problems

 

[Jeffrey Hoos]

Wow thanks everyone! I should have worded this a bit better! But I am glad you folks are here to help. You cleared a lot up for me! So thankful to God for this forum!

 

[Peairtach]

The reason Adam isn't mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, is because he's not a good example of a hero of faith.

Really, Richard? There are plenty of godly biblical characters not mentioned in Hebrews 11 and some of the ones who are had real problems: just think of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah. Hardly unblemished men, though, indeed, men of faith.

Remember, faith involves looking away from all that one is and has and does and looking to Christ alone. These men all did this (proleptically, as OT figures), relying on the Lord and not themselves.

We have no reason to think that Adam was not such a man and to say "he's not a 'hero of the faith'" is, I fear, moralistically misguided.

Peace,
Alan

I agree, Alan. I just meant that what is outstanding in the biblical record we have of him is that he is famous for falling into sin.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2

 

[One Little Nail]

I just meant that what is outstanding in the biblical record we have of him is that he is famous for falling into sin.

Agreed, Adams sin was probably the greatest, the fact he broke the Covenant of Works & ruined his posterity in the process. The verse says that death reigned before the giving of the Law, & it has reigned since, and nobody has still sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression.

Romans 5:14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

 

[clark thompson]

The scriptures show God showed him mercy by not letting him die, if He showed him mercy then why would God not show mercy when he most needed it, I think if Adam chose to receive God's mercy he would go to heaven.

 

[FederalBaptist]

The reason Adam isn't mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, is because he's not a good example of a hero of faith. He's an example of falling from original righteousness into sin; in fact THE example of falling from original righteousness into sin.

Good thought! It would have been harmful to the author of Hebrew's argument in ch.11 to put forth Adam as an example of faith when his ultimate example of unbelief is what brought us to our plight in the first place.

 

[FederalBaptist]

Federal Argument for Adam in Hell

Here is what I believe would be the best case for stating that Adam is in hell:

1. Adam has transgressed the covenant, thereby bringing death into the world through his sin, even before the appearance of the law. (Rom. 5:12-14)
2. Jesus Christ has come, dying on the cross to bring the free gift of life in his name to everyone who believes. (Rom. 5:15-17)
3. Being found in Adam leads to eternal death. (Rom. 5:18) Being found in Christ leads to eternal life. (Rom. 5:19)
4. Therefore, if Adam is found to be in the Covenant of Grace, it would make Paul's use of Adam as the federal head of all who have sinned, since he would be a forgiven federal head. This means that all who are found in him as the FORGIVEN federal head would, by proxy, be found in Christ. This is universalism.
5. Therefore, God deemed it necessary to keep Adam in bondage, under sin, so that he would act as the federal head of all those who stood condemned, whether for eternity or until they were effectually called to stand under the federal headship of Christ.

I'm not sure if I believe that this is the case, but this would be strongest federal argument for Adam being in hell.