Tremper Longman III - Is There A Historical Adam - Part 12

Tremper Longman is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies. He came to Westmont in the 1998-99 school year after teaching for eighteen years at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. His teaching responsibilities at Westmont include Life and Literature of the Old Testament (a GE requirement) as well as various upper division classes. Representative of the latter is the course in Biblical Interpretation, Old Testament Psalms and Wisdom, the Pentateuch, and the Bible in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context. Dr. Longman has degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University (B.A.), Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Yale University (M.Phil.; Ph.D.). He has written a number of articles and books including Fictional Akkadian Autobiography, Introduction to the Old Testament, How to Read the Psalms, Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind, Old Testament Commentary Survey, Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation, and God is a Warrior. He has written a short commentary on the minor prophet Micah, as well as major commentaries on Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Daniel, and Nahum. In addition, he has teamed up with the psychologist Dan Allender to write four books: Bold Love, Cry of the Soul, Intimate Allies, and Bold Purpose. At present, he is engaged in research on the history of Israel, the biblical genres in the light of ancient Near Eastern literature, as well as commentaries on Proverbs and Jeremiah. He has also been active in the area of Bible translation, in particular he serves on the central committee that produced and now monitors the New Living Translation. Tremper and his wife Alice have three sons. In his spare time, he watches movies and plays squash.

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[paracletoII]

I am the Paraclete.

[RepresentingTruth]

This video is mocking the Lord Jesus Christ. Many cannot see this. So sad.

[RepresentingTruth]

This video is calling Jesus a liar. Don't believe me than read the gospels.

[RepresentingTruth]

This video is such a joke. To say that there was no Adam is to call Jesus a liar. This is a heretic pure and simple. One should actually read the bible first.

[TheRdmin]

I have read some great stuff Temper Longman III, but cannot see how he can make these statements in light of the rest of Scripture. Paul's argument in Romans 5 makes no sense if there is not a historical Adam and a historical fall. And the Sabbath itself is based upon a literal 6 day creation period.

[yUT2ube]

A breakthru in evangelical & reformed understanding of historicity about FirstAdam FirstHuman with male markings (a trace tho they may be, at least in the character of Adam in the two-fold narrative poem/s with the tale of temptation, fall, tried, and judged by the Lord. Bearing the image of the Almighty, yet now in His disfavour the forlorn-but-adventure-driven Adam becomes the fallen first human sinner (there had been angelic sinners prior to Adam the later expanded Bible mentions).

[zaomaster]

In all cases, I stand by my original assertion that, no matter what one's beliefs about the history of humanity and the literary nature of the Bible, the theological implications are the most important. If we lose the historical Adam, when does sin enter the story? If one could come up with a scenario in which an evolutionary processes was the means by which God created the world and yet sin was something which intruded in upon the original creation design then I'd be willing to discuss.

[zaomaster]

I use the word careless because of the position in which Longman finds himself. For one who is a paid theologian, working through the theological implications of one's historical and literary ideas on the scriptures is a must. I would be willing to grant a measure of slack if this is a new idea through which he is working. I know that his concerns are to read the Hebrew scriptures in their original contexts and to, in this case at least, meld that with our current understanding of the world...

[deogloria]

How would you say his thinking is careless?

[zaomaster]

(from before) I like Longman, but I find this particular aspect of his thought to be rather careless. He grants that he's still in process on this, yet one would assume that no matter one's particular view of the creation account the question of sin, for a confessing Jesus follower, would be a high priority.