Was Sex the Original sin?

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Many People will answer yes; they believe that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was a symbol of sex relations, and that Adam and Eve sinned by committing a sexual act.The idea isn’t new. According to Historian Elaine Pagels, “the claim that Adam and Eve’s sin was to engage in sexual intercourse” was “ common among such second century teachers as Tatian the Syrian, who taught that the fruit of the tree of knowledge conveyed carnal knowledge.” Also to Christendom’s Church Father Augustine of the fifth century C.E., sin had its beginnings in sexual desire on Adam’s part. In fact Psychology Today says, “ Adams sin was carnal knowledge.” Many do not know that these interpretations flatly contradict the context of the Genesis account. Let’s consider first the idea that God’s prohibition in Eden was really one against sexual relations. (Gen 2:16,17)

At the time this command was given to Adam, he was alone in the garden, because the creation of woman isn’t mentioned until later in the account. So a person could wonder how this command could pertain to sex relations when Adam was the only human on earth?

The narrative of Gen. chapter 3 provides still further evidence against the forbidden fruits being sex relations. Verse 6 states that the fruit was good for food. The fruit of a literal tree could be stated as being good for food, not sex relations. Also Eve didn’t give any of the fruit to Adam until she had eaten some of it her self. Since Eve wasn’t with Adam when she ate the fruit, how could the forbidden fruit have been sex relations with her husband?

Interpreting the command about the forbidden fruit to signify sex relations, also contradicts the positive command given to the pair in chapter one verse 28. They were told to be fruitful and become many and fill the earth. It would have been unreasonable, unjust and unloving for Jehovah God to encourage the filling of the earth, then to prohibit under the pain of death, the having of sex relations.

There are areas of behavior the bible does warn us about concerning sex, however. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 starting in verse 3 reads “For this is what God wills, the sanctifying of you, that you abstain from fornication; 4. that each one of you should know how to get possession of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5. not in covetous sexual appetite such as also those nations have which do not know god”, and Romans chapter one verses 24, 26, and 27 “24.Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, ……..26. That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27. and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error.” (NWT) These scriptures are straightforward and concise, showing the proper limits God placed on sex, but not that all sexual relations are sinful.