Early Christian Beliefs About Eve and the Fall

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

...ld, you die like men, and fall like one of the princes,’ to show the disobedience of people—meaning Adam and Eve—and the fall of one of the princes, i.e., the one called the serpent, who fell greatly because he deceived Eve. However, my point here is not to focus on this aspect, but to prove to you that the Holy Spirit reproaches people because they were made like God, free from suffering and death, as long as they followed His commandments, and were considered worthy of being called His sons, but they, like Adam and Eve, bring death upon themselves; you may interpret the Psalm as you prefer, yet it demonstrates that all people are considered worthy of becoming “gods,” and having the power to become sons of the Highest; and will each be judged and condemned like Adam and Eve. Now I have shown extensively that Christ is called God.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

Arise, O God! judge the earth, for Thou shalt inherit all nations.’ But in the version of the Seventy it is written, ‘Behold, ye die like men, and fall like one of the princes,’ in order to manifest the disobedience of men,—I mean of Adam and Eve,—and the fall of one of the princes, i.e., of him who was called the serpent, who fell with a great overthrow, because he deceived Eve.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

...p and urging men to sin. First, in the book of Genesis, the serpent is described as having deceived Eve. About this serpent, in the work called The Ascension of Moses, a little treatise of which the Apostle Jude makes mention in his Epistle, the archangel Michael, when disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, says that the serpent, being inspired by the devil, was the cause of Adam and Eve's transgression. Some also raise this question: who was the angel who, speaking from heaven to Abraham, said, "Now I know that you fear God, and on my account you have not spared your beloved son, whom you loved"? For he is clearly described as an angel who said that he then knew Abraham feared God and had not spared his beloved son, as Scripture declares. Yet he did not say that Abraham had done this on account of God, but on his own, that is, on account of the one speaking. We must also find out who it was of whom it is said in the book of Exodus that he wished to slay Moses because he was departing for Egypt. We must also ask who is called the destroying angel, as well as who it is in the book of Leviticus that is called Apopompæus, that is, Averter, regarding whom Scripture says,

Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Direct teaching

After Adam was driven out of Paradise, while he was in that condition, he knew Eve his wife. God had formed her for him as a wife out of his rib. God did this, not because He was unable to make his wife separately, but because God knew beforehand that man would call on many gods. Since He knew this in advance, and knew that through the serpent error would bring in many gods that did not exist—for there is only one God, and even then error was trying to spread the idea of many gods, saying, "You shall be as gods"—therefore, so that it would not be thought that one God made the man and another made the woman, He made them both. And God made the woman together with the man, not only to show the mystery of God's sole rule, but also so that their love for each other might be greater. Therefore Adam said to Eve, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." Besides this, he also prophesied when he said, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they two shall be one flesh." This also is fulfilled in us. For who is there that marries lawfully and does not set aside mother and father, and his whole family connection, and all his

Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Direct teaching

...he Lord God had made. And the serpent said to the woman, “Why has God said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat from every tree of the garden, but about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, and you shall not touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for making one wise. So she took its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and they ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said to Him, “I heard Your voice in the ga

Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Direct teaching

This Eve, on account of her having been in the beginning deceived by the serpent, and become the author of sin, the wicked demon, who also is called Satan, who then spoke to her through the serpent, and who works even to this day in those men that are possessed by him, invokes as Eve.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Supporting witness

regarding whom, in the work entitled The Ascension of Moses (a little treatise, of which the Apostle Jude makes mention in his Epistle), the archangel Michael, when disputing with the devil regarding the body of Moses, says that the serpent, being inspired by the devil, was the cause of Adam and Eve's transgression.

Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness

Then the serpent, who was one of the servants of God, envying man because he was made immortal, enticed him by stratagem to transgress the command and law of God.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

And first he enticed the woman by fraud to take the forbidden fruit, and through her instrumentality he also persuaded the man himself to transgress the law of God.

Genesis 3:1 Direct teaching

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:6 Direct teaching

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:13 Direct teaching

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

... has been born committed fornication. Or how did one who has done nothing fall under the curse from Adam? It remains, then, as it seems, for them to say consistently that generation is evil, not only of the body, but also of the soul, through which the body exists. And when David said, "In sins I was conceived, and in iniquities my mother conceived me," he is indeed speaking prophetically of mother Eve. And Eve was the mother of the living. And if he was conceived in sins, yet he himself was not in sin, nor indeed was he himself sin. But whether anyone who turns from sin to faith is also said to turn to life from the habit of sinning as from a mother, one of the twelve prophets will bear witness for me, who said, in Micah 6:7, "Shall I give my firstborn for ungodliness, the fruit of my womb for the sins of my soul?" He does not accuse Him who said, in Genesis 1:28, "Increase and multiply." Rather, he calls the first impulses after generation acts of ungodliness, during the time when we do not know God. But if anyone says for that reason that generation is evil, let him also say that it is good, since in it we come to know the truth. "Wash yourselves rightly, and do not sin." "Fo

Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Supporting witness

...nd of Him who would suffer on it. For unless they put their trust in Him, they would be defeated forever. So, Moses placed one weapon on top of another on the hill and, standing on it, stretched out his hands, thus enabling Israel to gain victory. But when he lowered his hands, they were defeated again. Why? So they would understand that they could not be saved unless they trusted in Him. In another prophet, it is declared, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to an unbelieving and contrary people.” Moses again creates a type of Jesus, signifying that it was necessary for Him to suffer and that He would be the source of life to others, even when they believed they had destroyed Him on the cross when Israel was falling. Because Eve had sinned through the serpent, the Lord allowed serpents of every kind to bite them, and they died, to show them that their transgression led them to death. Moreover, when Moses commanded, “You shall not have any graven or molten image for your God,” he was revealing a type of Jesus. Moses then made a bronze serpent and placed it upon a pole, calling the people together. When they gathered, they asked Moses to offer sacrifices and pray for thei

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

...nts to be saved? Yet He remains free from unrighteousness. Through this, as I mentioned before, He revealed the mystery, showing that He would break the power of the serpent that led to Adam's transgression and would bring salvation to those who believe in Him, who was foreshadowed by this sign—the one who was to be crucified—from the fangs of the serpent, which are wicked deeds, idolatries, and other unrighteous acts. If this is not the case, then give me a reason why Moses made the bronze serpent as a sign and instructed those who were bitten to look at it, and they were healed; even though he had been commanded not to make any likeness of anything."

Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Supporting witness

Then Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, whose name was Cain. And she said, "I have gotten a man from God." Then she bore a second son, whose name was Abel. He began to be a keeper of sheep, but Cain worked the ground. Genesis 4:1-2 Their history is told very fully, yes, even with a detailed explanation. Therefore the book itself, which is called The Genesis of the World, can inform more accurately those who are eager to learn their story. Then Satan saw that Adam and his wife were not only still living, but were also having children. He was carried away with spite because he had not succeeded in putting them to death. And when he saw that Abel was pleasing to God, he worked on the heart of his brother Cain and caused him to kill his brother Abel. And so death got its beginning in this world, and found its way into every race of mankind, even to this day. But God was pitiful, and wished to give Cain, as He had given Adam, an opportunity for repentance and confession. So He said, "Where is Abel your brother?" But Cain answered God defiantly, saying, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" God, being made angry with him, said, "What have you done? The voice o

Genesis 3:14 Direct teaching

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:17 Direct teaching

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 3:8 Direct teaching

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:24 Supporting witness

And he cast out Adam and caused him to dwell over against the garden of Delight, and stationed the cherubs and the fiery sword that turns about to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 3:20 Supporting witness

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Genesis 3:7 Supporting witness

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:23 Supporting witness

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 Supporting witness

Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: And they that are of his side do find it.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching

...as disobedient; for she did not obey even when she was a virgin. And just as she, having a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless still a virgin (for in Paradise "they were both naked, and were not ashamed," since they, having been created a short time before, had no understanding of having children: for it was necessary that they should first reach adulthood, and then multiply from that time onward), became disobedient, she was the cause of death for both herself and the entire human race. Likewise did Mary, having a man engaged to her, and being nevertheless a virgin, by being obedient, become the cause of salvation for both herself and the whole human race. Because of this, the law calls a woman engaged to a man, the wife of him who had engaged her, even though she was still a virgin; this reveals the connection back from Mary to Eve because what is joined together could not be separated other than by reversing the process by which these bonds were formed, so that the former ties be undone by the latter, allowing the latter to set the former free again. And it has actually happened that the first agreement is undone by the second tie, but the second tie takes the place of the

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Direct teaching

... was clearly coming to His own and sustaining them through creation, which He supports, and He was reversing the disobedience connected with a tree through His own obedience on the tree, thus undoing the deception that misled the virgin Eve, who was engaged to a man. This was joyfully announced through the truth spoken by the angel to the Virgin Mary, who was also engaged to a man. Just as the former was led astray by the word of an angel and fled from God after disobeying His command, the latter received the news through an angelic message that she would bear God, being obedient to His word. While the former disobeyed God, the latter chose to be obedient, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate for the virgin Eve. Thus, as humanity fell into the captivity of death by a virgin, it is redeemed by a virgin; virginal disobedience is countered by virginal obedience. Similarly, the sin of the first-created man is corrected by the First-begotten, and the serpent's deception is overcome by the innocence of the dove, breaking the chains that bound us to death.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise “they were both naked, and were not ashamed,” inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race;