Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught that Adam won’t benefit from the ransom sacrifice Jesus made. They reason that Adam sinned intentionally, so no ransom could be offered for him. In this study, we will look at some of the arguments people use to say that Adam is not part of the ransom, and the reasons we believe Adam is included in the ransom sacrifice.
In March 1st, 1938 issue of the Watchtower on pages 69, 70 states:
The perfect man Adam sinned and was put to death. The perfect man Jesus was without sin and suffered death. Would that mean that Adam was redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus? No, it does not mean that, but exactly the contrary. Adam was a willful sinner. (1 Tim. 2: 14) For that willful transgression Adam was put to death, because that was God’s announced penalty for sin. There is no reason to conclude that Jehovah will reverse his judgment; because God changes not. (Mal. 3: 6) All the offspring of Adam were necessarily brought under the condemnation by reason of the fact that they inherited imperfection from Adam. They were not on trial, and the judgment of death was not entered against them; but being born in sin and shapen in iniquity, they must die because of inherited sin unless redemption is provided. The opportunity of salvation is given to Adam’s offspring through the shed blood of Christ Jesus, and in order to avail oneself of that opportunity he must comply with the conditions, to wit, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to obey God’s commandment.-Rom. 5:12,19. — The Watchtower, March 1, 1938, pages 69,70.
The issue with the reasoning above is that if Adam’s condemnation is eternal and there is no chance for redemption, then his descendants share the same fate. This means none of Adam’s children can be redeemed either. All are condemned through Adam, which implies that only one perfect, sinless man is needed to counteract Adam’s actions. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 2:2) If not, then Adam’s descendants are not condemned through him but through their own sins, which would necessitate a different sinless savior for each individual sinner; this scenario would require billions of saviors to atone for every sinner. Essentially, if Adam is not restored to life, it suggests that he did not die the death associated with Adam, but rather experienced the second death. This implies that the death in Adam is, in fact, the second death. Consequently, this would indicate that the entire human race was condemned in Adam to the second death. Thus, the contradiction in this reasoning becomes clear.
The statement said: “There is no reason to think that Jehovah will change his judgment; because God does not change.” (Watchtower, March 1, pages 69,70) This seems to be a way to distract from the Biblical foundation of Jesus’ ransom for everyone. The reality is that it is not just about Jehovah changing the judgment on Adam, but that the judgment is assigned to someone else. This is why Jesus offered his sinless body and blood for all time. As a human, with a glory slightly lower than the angels, Jesus Christ, in a sense, remains dead forever. (1 Corinthians 15:39-41; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9) He was killed in the flesh but brought to life in the spirit. (Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19; Romans 3:25; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 2:9; 9:14; 10:5,10; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5) Jehovah did not change his judgment on Adam and his descendants; instead, the judgment was assigned to another, who paid the cost for Adam and all who are dying in Adam, thus removing the judgment from Adam and all who are dying in Adam. — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.
The Watchtower mentioned: “All of Adam’s descendants were inevitably placed under condemnation because they inherited imperfection from Adam.” In this statement, the Watchtower Society acknowledges the truth, yet in context, they seem to contradict it. As a result, it seems they assign one type of condemnation to Adam and a different one to his descendants. However, Paul wrote, “through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life..” (Romans 5:18, World English).
The assertion was made about Adam’s descendants: “They were not on trial, and the judgment of death was not placed upon them.” This statement seems to reject the judgment of death on everyone due to Adam’s condemnation, which is clearly stated in Romans 5:12-19. The JW leadership clearly aimed to distinguish the judgment of death on Adam from that on Adam’s descendants. While we believe this is not their intended message, this statement would suggest that each person is judged separately from Adam and is therefore condemned to death for their own sins, implying that their sins are not part of Adam’s. This would effectively deny the foundation of the ransom sacrifice, which is that all were deemed condemned through one man’s sin, so that only one man was necessary to counteract the condemnation of all. It would imply that a separate sinless and obedient man would need to die for each person’s sin. (Refer to our study: Divine Economy in the Ransom) However, Romans 5:12-19 does indicate that Adam’s children were indeed judged in Adam. Paul supports this in 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.
The article goes on to say: “but being born in sin and shaped in iniquity, they must die due to inherited sin unless redemption is offered.” Here, he effectively indicates that Adam’s descendants were part of Adam’s trial, even though we are certain that was not his intention. How else could we be “born (or begotten, conceived) in sin, unless we had already been judged and condemned to death in Adam?
The Watchtower later stated in the same year:
Only Adam was tried and convicted and sentenced to death. His offspring were not on trial. The judgment was entered against Adam, and not against his offspring. However, his offspring being from the imperfect man Adam, all were born in sin and sinners because of inherited imperfections. All suffered the result of Adam’s sin. The life of the perfect man Adam was forfeited, and his offspring came into existence without the right to life. Adam cannot be redeemed and return and be released from the death sentence without God’s reversing his own judgment; and God does not change. (Mal. 3:6) The offspring of Adam, however, being subject to death, not because of their own wrongdoing, but by reason of inheritance, could consistently and properly be purchased and given life according to God’s will and purpose.– The Watchtower, May 15, 1938, page 149.
Once again, the statements provided contradict themselves; they suggest that only Adam faced judgment, and that the punishment for Adam’s sin did not extend to his descendants as Paul mentioned in Romans 5. However, the reality is that the death sentence resulting from Adam’s sin did affect all of his offspring. The fact is, either everyone is judged through Adam, or they are not. Either all of Adam’s children are dying because of Adam, or they are not dying because of him. The apostle Paul says that “the judgment was by one to condemnation” and “by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:16,18, World English). It is evident that Paul thought all humanity was condemned to die due to the judgment that fell on Adam; he did not think there was a separate judgment for Adam and another for the rest of humanity.
Jesus took on the debt for the condemnation that fell on Adam. This same condemnation that affected Adam also impacted all of humanity. (Psalm 90:3; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) There isn’t one type of condemnation for Adam and another for everyone else, as the Watchtower and some others suggest. Jesus covered the penalty that was on Adam. If he hadn’t, then none of us would be redeemed, because the penalty on Adam is the foundation of the ransom. If Jesus addressed the condemnation on Adam, and if the condemnation on humanity is different, then only Adam would be redeemed, leaving the rest of humanity in Adam unredeemed. Only if it is the same condemnation can the ransom apply to all of mankind. And since it is indeed the same condemnation, as shown in Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Corinthians 15:21,22, it follows that Jesus paid the price for Adam’s condemnation, meaning Adam is part of that ransom and entitled to the benefits it offers.
The statement is made in The Watchtower of February 15, 1991:
Neither Adam nor Eve, however, benefit from the ransom. The Mosaic Law contained this principle: “You must take no ransom for the soul of a murderer who is deserving to die.” (Numbers 35:31) Adam was not deceived, so his sin was willful, deliberate. (1 Timothy 2:14) It amounted to the murder of his offspring, for they now inherited his imperfection, thus coming under sentence of death. Clearly, Adam deserved to die, for as a perfect man, he had willfully chosen to disobey God’s law. It would have been contrary to Jehovah’s righteous principles for him to apply the ransom in Adam’s behalf. Paying the wage for Adam’s sin, however, does provide for the nullifying of the death sentence upon Adam’s offspring! (Romans 5:16) In a legal sense, the destructive power of sin is cut off right at its source. The ransomer ‘tastes death for every man,’ bearing the consequences of sin for all of Adam’s children.—Hebrews 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.
What this misses is that we share the same condemnation as Adam. Why is that? Theoretically, just as Adam sinned, we would also have sinned if we were in the same situation as him. Because of this, God, in His wisdom, is fair in condemning everyone through one man, so that only one sinless man is needed to redeem humanity from sin. If Adam gains nothing from the ransom, then neither does anyone else, as all are under his condemnation; if his condemnation is one for which no ransom can be given, then no ransom is available for anyone who is dying because of Adam’s disobedience, since all are under the same condemnation that Adam faced. — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.
Adam was not bound by the Mosaic Law Covenant; instead, he was under a covenant that required him to obey one command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. When he disobeyed, “sin entered into the world.” (Romans 5:12) The law covenant was established with the idea that anyone who followed that law could be justified and achieve everlasting life by adhering to the Law. Essentially, the Law covenant was introduced as a consequence of Adam’s sin and the overall condemnation of humanity due to that sin. We understand that the law covenant did not take effect to impose judgment until Moses, as it states: “until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed (counted, reckoned) when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13) However, Adam’s sin was counted before the law, as shown in Romans 5:14-19, meaning that all were made sinners because of Adam’s transgression.
To further illustrate that Adam was not bound by the Mosaic Law Covenant: Adam was completely righteous before he sinned; he was not considered a sinner until he committed sin, and therefore, he had no law to justify himself; the Law was intended for sinners, who became sinners because of Adam’s transgression; the Law Covenant was not designed for a righteous individual like Adam was prior to his sin, but it was created for sinners (1 Timothy 1:19), with the assurance that anyone who could follow the Law would, in effect, justify themselves and be freed from the condemnation brought by Adam, allowing them to live forever. (Leviticus 18:5; Mark 10:16-19; Romans 10:5) However, because of the flawed state (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13) and the futility imposed on humanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2,13,14; Romans 8:20) as a result of Adam’s sin, no one could perfectly adhere to that Law, and thus righteousness (justification) could not be achieved through the law covenant. — Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:11,21.
The foundation of the atoning sacrifice through Jesus is that He took on the consequences of Adam’s sin. This means that the debt for Adam’s sin was transferred to Jesus, allowing the burden to be removed from Adam and everyone who is dying because of Adam. To claim that Jesus paid for Adam’s sin while the consequences still rest on Adam is contradictory! It implies that the consequences of Adam’s sin are somehow different from what was passed down to his descendants!
Essentially, the Watchtower’s teaching about the ransom suggests that the condemnation affecting all humanity is viewed as separate from Adam’s own condemnation. If Jesus paid for Adam’s sin, then it is Adam’s sin that the payment addresses, not some other ‘wages’ that are thought to arise from Adam’s sin but do not actually pertain to Adam himself. Furthermore, if Adam’s sin is such that no ransom can redeem him, how could any of his descendants, who share in that sin, be redeemed?
In reality, the consequences of Adam’s sin (for both Adam and all his descendants) would have been everlasting if not for Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, which settled the debt of Adam’s sin. If Jesus’ ransom sacrifice does not eliminate the consequences of Adam’s sin for Adam, and/or if Adam is never freed from the consequences of his sin, it would imply that the ransom sacrifice did not truly settle that debt, meaning no one has been saved through Jesus’ redemption.
Someone has argued that Adam’s descendants bear Adam’s curse but never had the same choice as Adam because we were not “perfect” — we were born with limitations. This argument fails to recognize that all of us, if given the same experiences and knowledge as Adam, would have made the same choice he did. We all would have chosen the same way, and our initial choice is considered to have been made through Adam; Adam, lacking experience with sin, gave in to his desire for his wife and her belief in the serpent’s promise of wisdom. Therefore, Peter spoke of the “corruption that is in that world by [means of] lust.” (2 Peter 1:4) Paul stated that “knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, nor did they give thanks, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21) “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” — Romans 1:22.
Adam was not misled about the prohibition of the fruit; instead, he deliberately chose to follow his own desire for his wife and her wish to gain wisdom, which she believed would come from obeying the serpent instead of Jehovah. Paul suggests that by joining Eve in this folly, Adam shared in her foolishness. Eve trusted the serpent’s promise, and Adam complied with her wishes rather than honoring his Creator. (Romans 1:25) Consequently, God made all of Adam’s descendants flawed (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13; Philippians 2:15), trapped in a cycle of corruption from which they all need to be freed (Romans 8:21), subjected to futility. (Ecclesiastes 1:2,14; 2:11,17; Romans 8:20) “God gave them up to the desires of their hearts, leading to impurity.” (Romans 1:24) “God abandoned them to a depraved mind, to do things that are not proper; filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: who, knowing the decree of God, that those who practice such things deserve death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are that judges: for in judging another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” (Romans 1:28-2:1, American Standard Version) Paul further explains in the following chapters that all humanity, both Jews and Gentiles, are condemned because of Adam’s sin, stating: “we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” — Romans 3:9, World English.
Therefore, humanity’s initial opportunity for life — which includes all descendants of Adam — was forfeited due to Adam’s disobedience. The second opportunity for all humans, including Adam, arises from the promise of a seed that would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15), a promise that Adam and Eve were aware of. While the scriptures do not explicitly mention that Adam and Eve believed in this promise, Genesis 4:1,25 indicates that they had some level of faith in it.
Another point made is that after resurrection, we will be perfect, and if we were to sin afterward, we would face the second death. Therefore, if God grants Adam a second chance… since he was created perfect… then God would also need to offer any of us… after being resurrected perfect… a “second chance” if we were to sin.
This argument fails to recognize that we are all part of the “first chance” given to Adam, as we would have acted just like he did. What is suggested here would actually be a “third” chance, not merely “another” chance. This implies an assumption about Jehovah, that He would offer a third chance after already providing a complete individual opportunity in the “second chance.” In reality, God’s justice was not required to offer even a second chance, but His love was shown to fulfill justice through Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. However, once someone has received the “second chance”, whether in this life or the next, and has become “not of this world” that has been tainted by desire, but part of the new creation for the age to come, if this new creation sins willfully, there is no further sacrifice for sin. The new creature cannot revert to the condemnation of Adam, but instead faces a new condemnation, the second death. There is no ransom sacrifice available for those who fall under this new condemnation. It is the “second death” — not Adam’s death — that presents a “threat” to the new creature until they overcome. — Revelation 2:11.
What does Hebrews 10:26 say? Does it relate to Adam’s original sin? “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins.” Who is being referred to here? A clue is in the phrase, “there remains no more a sacrifice for sins.” Paul is addressing those who have already experienced the benefits of Jesus’ blood, as he mentions that such a person “has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace.” Did Adam receive the sanctification of the blood of the covenant through repentance? There is no record of Adam repenting and being sanctified by the blood of the covenant in his lifetime, nor that he regarded the blood as unholy. Therefore, Adam is not among those who, after being sanctified by the blood of the covenant, treated it with disdain. From Hebrews 6:5, we understand that believers experience the powers of the age to come.
The new creature in Christ is considered to be living in the future age, when “The old things have passed away. Behold, they have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:1-5) Generally, mankind is not condemned to the second death. The condemnation that came through Adam is the death in Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:15-19) Jesus physically died to save mankind from the death in Adam, often referred to as the “Adamic death,” which leads to the unaware state of hades/sheol (Ecclesiastes 9:5). (1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Romans 5:6,8,15-19) Mankind is saved from death and hades, not from the second death. — Hosea 13:14; Revelation 20:13.
No one can be condemned to the second death unless they are first “made alive” from the death in Adam. The full effect of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice applies not to this age, but to the age to come, during the regeneration (Matthew 19:28), when everyone will be revived on the resurrection day. (John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24; John 12:47,48; Acts 24:15) The world will generally be restored to life on the last day here on earth for the final judgment. (John 12:47,48; Isaiah 2:2-4) Jehovah will judge the people on the physical earth through Jesus. — Psalm 96:13; 98:9; Acts 17:31.
One can be considered justified and made alive in this time through faith in Jesus’ blood, viewing the powers of the future age as already present in him. (Romans 3:21,22,24; 4:5,17,24,25; 6:11,13; Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 6:5) Yet, even someone who hasn’t been recognized as alive by faith in this age will be made alive in the next, and their actions now can influence their chances of avoiding the judgment of Gehenna (the second death) in the future. (Matthew 5:22; 10:15; 11:22,24; 12:32; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12,14; 12:10) A Christian believer, however, in this age, until he has triumphed, until he has received incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:54), and until he has reached the perfection of faith and love (Philippians 3:12.14; Colossians 1:28; 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; Hebrews 6:1; James 1:4; 2 Peter 1:4-19; 1 John 4:17), risks being harmed by the second death (Revelation 2:11) if he returns to deliberate sin, as there is no further sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:18,26,27,29) Therefore, once someone falls under the condemnation of the second death, there is no longer any provision for that sinner. They remain lifeless forever. There is no more sacrifice for sin, and Jesus’ ransom sacrifice does not apply to those condemned to the second death. However, scripture does not indicate that Adam fell under the condemnation of the second death, and thus, for him, there would be no sacrifice for sin.
In the future, when the unbelievers are freed from hades (thanks to Jesus’ ransom sacrifice), they will be raised for judgment. (John 5:28,29; 12:47,48; Revelation 20:13) They are freed from Adam’s condemnation through Jesus’ sacrifice. On that day, they are not judged for that past condemnation, but are judged again based on what is written in the books that will be opened to them, according to their actions at that time. (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12) Those who do not attain incorruption at that moment (1 Corinthians 15:54) will face a new condemnation, known as the second death. They will not be saved from this condemnation, as there is no further offering for sin. They will be consumed in the second death. (Revelation 20:9; Hebrews 10:27) At that point, the prophecy will be fulfilled: “The wicked will be no more. Indeed, even if you search for his place, he will not be found.” — Psalm 37:10.
As previously mentioned, many argue that Adam was not deceived, and through some unclear reasoning, they claim that because he was not deceived, his sin is not covered by Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. The real issue is not whether Adam was deceived or not; that merely distracts from the main point. The crucial question is: What were the consequences of sin that Adam faced? This is significant, as whatever consequences he experienced are what he passed on to all his descendants.
None of the arguments made change the fact that, according to scripture, it is solely because everyone is part of Adam’s sin and the consequences of his sin that all his descendants are included in the ransom sacrifice. This application is why there is a ransom sacrifice for everyone; on the other hand, it is also due to this application that if the consequences of Adam’s sin are not taken away through Jesus’ corresponding price, then they remain for all of Adam’s descendants. However, since everyone is indeed condemned because of Adam’s wrongdoing, all, including Adam, are redeemed through the payment made for Adam and all his descendants. Remove that scriptural foundation, and you effectively remove the ransom sacrifice of Jesus for anyone.
Someone inquires if we are suggesting that the only way God can forgive us is to FIRST forgive Adam? No, not quite. What we mean is that we are all in the same situation as Adam; the same exact condemnation that applies to Adam applies to all of us. None of us deserve forgiveness based on our own actions; if the condemnation on Adam was such that he could not be redeemed, then none of us can be redeemed, as we all share that same condemnation.
If Adam is not saved by Jesus’ payment for sin, which is equivalent to Adam’s condemnation, it implies that we are not condemned due to Adam’s disobedience. Instead, each of us dies because of our own sins. We all share the same penalty as Adam, which is why only one sinless man is required to offer the ransom for sin. Conversely, if we do not share the same penalty and Adam’s punishment differs from that of his descendants, then every sinner would need a personal redeemer for their own sins. This means that 20 billion sinners would require 20 billion sinless individuals to sacrifice their sinless lives to atone for the sins of those 20 billion.
Since Adam’s sin, it is stated, “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin; so death spread to all men because all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12, RLIV) The sin that all humanity carries is through Adam, as Paul further explains: “Until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way as Adam, who is a type of the one to come.” (Romans 5:13,14, RLIV) Death affected humanity because they inherited the condemnation from Adam’s sin, as Paul illustrates in the next verses, stating, “through the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one.” (Romans 5:17), even though they did not sin in the same way Adam did. Before his sin, Adam was a type of the one to come, Jesus, who was conceived by the holy spirit in Mary’s womb (Matthew 1:20) and was not born into this world like the rest of humanity. (John 8:23) Jesus’ body was uniquely prepared by God, free from the corruption of this world. — Hebrews 10:5; 2 Peter 1:4.
As Paul mentions, “by means of the trespass of the one the many died.” (Romans 5:15, RLIV) This had to happen, or else they wouldn’t be able to be saved by the ransom sacrifice of the one man who was equal to the first man before he sinned. We should praise Jehovah for his wisdom in this! The many refers to every one of Adam’s descendants.
Paul also says: “through one trespass the judgment came upon all men to condemnation.” (Romans 5:15, RLIV) He does not imply that there was one judgment and condemnation for the first man, and a different one for the rest of humanity. All are under the same judgment and condemnation. Once again, we should praise Jehovah for this, as it is only through this that Jesus can be our Savior!
Furthermore, Paul stated: “through the disobedience of one man, many became sinners.” (Romans 5:19, RLIV) Indeed, all his descendants – the many – became sinners, not due to their own actions, but because of the first man’s disobedience. Consequently, it is said that “through the obedience of one, many will be made righteous.” The same “many” who became sinners will also be made righteous through the blood of Jesus. This includes Adam, every man, woman, child, embryo, baby, insane person, Buddhist, Nazi, Muslim, Catholic, Shintoist, Sodomite, and so forth. Certainly, while believers in this age receive the blood of the covenant through faith, the ransom sacrifice will also be applied to all non-believers in this age so they can be raised in the resurrection of judgment. If this were not the case, then no one would have a resurrection of judgment, and the parts of the Bible discussing a future judgment day should be removed! However, Jesus said: “If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.” (John 12:47, World English) Therefore, those who do not believe in this age will be saved by Jesus’ blood; this is precisely what Jesus conveys in this verse. What does the salvation of the world entail? Jesus added: “He who rejects me and does not accept my words has someone who judges him. The word I spoke will judge him on the last day.” (John 12:48) This refers to the judgment day Paul mentions in Acts 17:31, which is also predicted in Psalm 96 and Psalm 98, along with Isaiah 2:2-4; Matthew 25:32-46; Revelation 20:11-15, and many other scriptures. If the ransom sacrifice of Jesus is not applied to unbelievers, then their judgment day would not occur, as they would not be considered justified and thus unable to be raised from the dead for that judgment.