Were there people before Adam?

January 5, 2021

Anthony asked: I believe people existed before Adam and Eve, but my pastor tells me I’m wrong. Can you please elaborate on this?

Hi Anthony,

I agree with your pastor that there were no human beings on earth before God created Adam and Eve. Adam was the first man and Eve was the first woman. All of the human race came from that first couple.

And Anthony, this is very significant theologically. The Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the second or last Adam. From him comes a new race. Paul describes this for us in Romans. The first Adam sinned and fell. He represented us all, and we are all fallen because of Adam’s sin. Jesus, the second Adam was perfect. He is God the Son who secured our salvation. And by faith, He represents us before the Father. If Adam was not the father of the human race, much of what the Bible teaches loses it's meaning.

The days of creation were six, literal, 24-hour days. In Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3, you have the description of creation, which includes the creation of Adam and Eve. But chapter two is where you might have gotten confused. When you get to chapter two, it isn't sequential. Chapter two gives us more details about what God did after the creation of human beings.

So, keep this in mind Anthony. Genesis 1 is the beginning of the universe and the account of God creating it. Genesis 2 is not another creation. It's more of the details regarding what happened in chapter one.

I hope that helps you,

Stephen

Go Deeper:

Were There People on Earth Before Adam? A Conservative Biblical Perspective

Introduction

The topic of pre-Adamic humans—were there people on earth before Adam—has been a subject of discussion, debate, and controversy among theologians, scientists, and laypeople alike. Some people entertain this concept as a way of reconciling the biblical account of creation with scientific evidence of human life that predates the traditionally believed timeline of Adam and Eve. This article will explore this question from a conservative biblical perspective, staying close to the biblical narrative as traditionally understood by conservative Christian theologians.

The Genesis Account

The narrative found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, forms the foundation for understanding the creation of humankind from a biblical perspective. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Following this, in Genesis 2:7, we find the detailed account of the creation of Adam, "then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."

According to these passages, Adam was the first human being, directly created by God, and Eve was the first woman, formed from Adam's rib (Genesis 2:21-22). All subsequent humans are descendants of this original couple, as suggested by Genesis 3:20, where Adam names his wife Eve "because she was the mother of all living."

The theological significance of Adam and Eve

The theological implications of viewing Adam and Eve as the first human couple are significant within the framework of Christian doctrine. The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians, contrasts Adam and Christ, presenting Adam as the progenitor of humanity who brought sin and death into the world and Christ as the second Adam who offers salvation and life to those who believe in him (Romans 5:12-21, 1 Corinthians 15:22,45).

This "federal headship" of Adam—that is, his representative role for all humanity—forms the basis of the doctrine of original sin and also highlights the salvific work of Christ. If there were humans before Adam, it would undermine this foundational Christian doctrine, which requires that Adam be the first human and the representative head of the human race.

Conclusion

From a conservative biblical standpoint, the evidence in Scripture points to Adam and Eve as the first humans, directly created by God. This belief is crucial for maintaining core Christian doctrines such as original sin and the atoning work of Christ. While questions about the timeline of human history according to scientific discoveries persist, it's vital for Christians to remember that science does not account for the miraculous. In the Christian worldview, God is omnipotent and performs wonderful miracles. Creation is one of those miracles.

Add a Comment

Comments

Dwight Osborne says:

Many otherwise sound Bible teachers including J. Vernon McGee and Warren Wiersbe wrongly teach a pre-existent earth and people before Adam and Eve due to Genesis 1:2. They read into this verse an event that supposedly happened between verse 1 and 2, namely that satan was cast out of heaven due to his rebellion. The controversy comes from the use of the Hebrew word "hayetah" (a form of the verb HAYAH). This word occurs 1320 times in the OT and 24 times it means "to be" and in this instance they claim it must be rendered became rather than "was". However, according to Biblical facts this view just isn't tenable. Genesis 1:1 says on day 1 He created the heavens and the earth. Exodus 20:11 indicates that everything associated with the "heavens" (includes all the different levels of the heavens) was created in 6 days. Andaccording to what we glean from Job 38:4-7 this includes the "morning stars" which according to Isaiah 14:12 are the angels. The angels then were created after the heavens but before the earth. The Bible teaches creation ex nihilo with the exception of man who was created out of the dust of the earth. Hence, those who teach a prior earth age are proven wrong from the New Testament passages of Romans 4:17, 1 Corinthians 1:28 and Hebrews 11:3. They now know they were wrong, the most of them being deceased

Lavern Jones says:

Im so confuse. science have predated human 5 million years ago. Perhaps they had some human similarities, and not quiet the essence of Adam & Eve or in likeness of God. But bones were discovered. Also animals dated 230 million years ago i.e dinosaurs. There was life before Adam & Eve …certainly, perhaps not humankind & perhaps soul-less life. How do you explain this? I also… do not take Genesis 1, literally. I feel that God created the heaven & the earth millions of years ago in human time, he later, decided okay… there are no longer life, let me clean up the earth & bring new life to it. This is after the extinction of dinosaurs etc. then birth the creation store explained in Genesis. But you cannot say.., nothing exist before Adam & Eve because it is absolutely not true. Dunno, I just read & the understanding comes.

Mikey says:

Jeremiah verse 4:23-28 speaks of a judgement in the past before Adam and Eve.

Tammy R Everidge says:

In chapter 1, God told them to go and replenish the earth and chapter 2, God placed them in the garden which limited them. I have questions

Susie fisher says:

If Adam and Eve were the first humans. Who did Cain marry.

chris chapankwani says:

Also Genesis 4:14-17 may be more confusing, Cain was warned by God that who ever finds him, will be killed giving a picture of others who lived before him also note that CAIN left his family and got married. This proofs that human beings existed before Adam. Pastor kindly Elaborate more on this sir.

Anita says:

just so I'm clear in genesis 1 God created man in his own image both male and female. Chapter two God formed the garden of Eden formed Adam out of dust breath life into him. Made Eve from Adam's ribs. Now when Adam and eve sinned he banish them from His garden. Eve had Cane and abel cane kills abel. God banish cane, question 1. Who did God form in his image, 2. Who did cane marry and have children with? Most say his mother eve, but that would be incest or a relative?