Unit Review

Studying God’s Word

Every tenth lesson in the curriculum is designed to be a review lesson. The younger grades will be doing various activities and reviewing the teaching. You may choose to do some sort of review activity, have a time of discussion reflecting on what has been taught in the unit, or use the following video resources to extend or reinforce the concepts that have been taught.

Apologetics Focus: “Adam: The First and the Last” (53 minutes)

In this unit, we have seen the birth of the church and the early ministry of the apostles. Once Jesus ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell and empower the believers, both Jew and Gentile. As the gospel spread, the Spirit made it clear that there was no distinction between Jew and Gentile; justification comes by faith, not works of the law. As we saw with the Jerusalem council, the apostles and church leaders recognized the importance of establishing foundational doctrine that was grounded in the authority of God and his Word. Our video today will explore the importance of a historical and supernaturally created Adam and the significance of that doctrine as it relates to core Christian beliefs, including belief about Jesus.

After showing the video, use these questions to engage the class in discussion.

Discuss various answers. Some claim Genesis 1–3 is symbolic, so Adam and Eve are archetypes, literary figures, or representatives of humans or tribes. Some believe that Genesis 1–3 should be interpreted in light of other ancient Near East literature, drawing on the mythology and literary legends of other cultural works. Others claim that Genesis 1 and 2 are contradictory accounts if taken literally, and so they cannot be read as historical narrative. There are many variations of these philosophies of interpretation. Discuss various interpretations that students have encountered and why they fail to do justice to the biblical account.

Discuss various answers. The video includes several specific examples of biblical and apologetic defenses of a historical Adam. Take the time to engage with any doubts that students had or may still be struggling with. Ultimately, we can be sure that Genesis is true, historical, and relevant because it is the inspired Word of God. He told us how he created the world and the first people. Help students to understand that many doubts arise when we elevate man’s word above God’s Word. Rather than reinterpret God’s Word, we should use God’s Word to evaluate the words of men.

Discuss various answers. Luke’s genealogy links Jesus to a literal Adam. Jesus cited Genesis to define marriage (Matthew 19:4–5). Christ had to die for our sins because sin and death entered the world through Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21–22). Jesus and the New Testament authors point to the foundation of Adam as the foundation of the gospel. Christ believed Genesis to be accurate and literal. Paul began his gospel presentation with the need for salvation based on the sin and death that originated with Adam. He also drew on the history of Adam to explain our need for the gospel and to demonstrate the great exchange as Jesus justifies us and gives us his righteousness (Romans 5:12–21).

Discuss various answers. The gospel has its foundations in the book of Genesis. If we compromise in Genesis, we have compromised the foundation. If we cannot trust the Word of God about creation, why can we trust what he tells us about salvation? Further, the gospel cannot be separated from creation. Our need for a Savior began with Adam’s sin. Genesis 3:15 is the first mention of the gospel. Scripture calls Jesus the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). Even our future hope of resurrection and glorification is tied to Adam, as Paul used the first man Adam and the last Adam (Christ) to explain the difference between the natural body and the spiritual body. If we believe that Adam was not historically and literally the first man, specially created by God, then the entirety of the Christian message of hope falls apart. We must hold fast to a literal Genesis and a historic and supernaturally created Adam.

Discuss various answers. There are many apologetics offered in this video, including characteristics of historical narrative, reason and logic, citations from the New Testament, and even external support from scholars and science. While these may be helpful in helping others to begin the process of thinking through the significance of the topic, we should not forget to direct the conversation to the gospel. For those who are Christians, we can reveal how undermining the literal view of Genesis and Adam undermines the gospel. Many may have not considered the implications of compromising on a historical Adam. For those who are unbelievers, we can use the question about origins and a historical Adam to direct them to the most important conversation—the need for salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.