Adam and Eve

Gen. 1-2 makes it clear that Adam and Eve were equals and two parts of the whole as rulers and subduers over the creation. This is seen in the following points.

• In Gen. 1:27 Yahweh created both male and female in the image of Yahweh.
• The fact that a bone was taken from Adam’s side to create Eve suggests that Eve was to stand alongside him as his counterpart, as his equal. She was not taken from his head to rule over him, nor from his feet to be trod upon.
• Yahweh declared that in their union, Adam and Eve were to become “one flesh,” the same being in their union (equals).
• Yahweh made it clear that man alone was not a good thing. This is the only time that Yahweh declares something as “not good” before the fall of humanity and creation.
• Eve was created to be Adam’s helper. The term “helper” is not a demeaning term, for it is also used of Yahweh when He is called man’s helper in Ps. 10:14; 54:4. Likewise, to need a helper suggests that you are incapable of doing something on your own; Adam needed Eve.

Gen. 2:25 states that Adam and Eve were naked before each other and without shame. Their naked condition refers to the physical, psychological, and emotional oneness and transparency that existed in their relationship. What makes this unique is that they are completely exposed and vulnerable before each other in every way and yet feel no fear of rejection or shame about who they are.

Yet Genesis also makes it clear that Adam had headship over creation and Eve.

• The fact that Adam was created before Eve and named the animals without her shows that he had a unique authority that she did not have. In the ancient Near East naming something gives you authority over it. Yahweh endows Adam with rulership over His creation by allowing Him to name the animals.
• Adam was also responsible for naming Eve, which gave him authority over her.

The reason that Adam has to have headship is so that there would be order in the creation. If two people disagree about how to rule in a certain situation, there has to be some kind of headship (tiebreaker) in order to maintain order. However, because Adam and Eve were one with each other and naked before each other, Adam did not abuse his headship. Later in Eph. 5:22-33 and 1 Pet. 3:1-7 the husband is called to love, build up, serve, and sacrifice everything for his wife in the same way Christ did for the Church.

Finally, Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply. They were to multiply the image of Yahweh in order to rule and subdue the creation in His name. Thus one sees an earthly reflection of the trinity in the makeup of the family. Father (father), Son (mother), and Holy Spirit (children). Just as the members of the trinity are equal and unified, so must the family be. And just as there is hierarchy within the trinity without subjugation or devaluing, so there is to be within the family.