The Naked Truth About Nakedness
Paul’s reading of the Genesis narratives can be, at times, quite confusing. It appears that he might just be reading more into the Scripture text than what is actually there. A Roman governor once said to him: “Your great learning is driving you mad!” Does Paul go off the rails at times, driven by an excess of passion and creativity? Some think so.
But carefully observing what is underneath the English translation can eliminate the confusion and actually verify Paul’s use of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
Romans 5:12 is a case in point. Observe:
For this reason, just as sin came into the world through one human being (ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου) and death through sin…” Romans 5:12a
Paul is reading from the story in Genesis 3, the Fall of Humanity. How did he conclude that the events described in Genesis 3 were in fact the catastrophic events of our downfall, the entrance of sin into all of humanity? After all, the story appears to be about Adam and Eve eating fruit from a tree. How did Paul interpret this one event as the downfall of our human race into guilt and condemnation? Was he reading something into the story of fruit picking?
Well, it is important to understand that Paul was not reading from an English translation of the Bible, but from his Hebrew Bible, the same Bible Jesus read from. And, therein lies a ray of sunshine to burn away this fog. The clue is to observe the use of the double use of the word “naked.”
Observe the first use of the word “naked”.
And the two of them were NAKED, the human and his woman, and they were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25
The word “naked” is explained further by their innocence, their being unashamed. Adam and Eve are unclothed and they are not embarrassed. So far so good. But their innocence is lost and they become ashamed, guilty, as revealed in the next use of the word “naked.” Let’s examine the next episode.
The serpent (Genesis 3:1), taking advantage of Eve’s lack of precision with God’s Word (Gen 3:2-3), a vulnerability he exploits, successfully persuaded the couple to trust in their own evaluation of what was good and to take and eat the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6).
The aftermath of the failure of their faith—they knew that they were naked--is pivotal to understand how Paul came to his conclusion in Romans 5:12. Observe:
And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were NAKED, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves tunics.[1] Genesis 3:7.
In our English versions of the Bible, it might be assumed that the word NAKED in 2:25 and in 3:7 are exactly the same: NAKED … NAKED. So, did Adam and Eve simply become aware that they were unclothed? Looks like it. Right? Well, not so fast. Assumptions need to be examined. So, let’s do that.
The first use of the word NAKED means just that—unclothed (2:25).
But the second term for nakedness in 3:7 (erom) is different in form and meaning, distinguished by its use in Deuteronomy 28:48. It means more than just “unclothed.” The word carries the idea of being guilty, now exposed and vulnerable to God’s judgment. Observe:
Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore, in hunger and thirst, in NAKEDNESS (erom—same word used in Genesis 3:7) and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. Deut. 28:15[2]
The use of the term erom—nakedness in Genesis 3:7, in the aftermath of their disobedience to God, is the perceptive clue to the meaning of the story. Adam and Eve quickly realize far more than just being unclothed. They both know they are guilty, under God’s judgment. This is precisely why they tried to run away from the sound of God’s voice and hide from Him in the trees (Gen. 3:8). In the same way, when a guilty man knows that he has a warrant out for his arrest, and he hears the sound of a police siren, he, too, runs away and tries to hide. Guilt prompts us to look for hiding places.
This is what Paul read and understood from his Hebrew Bible. Adam and Eve’s nakedness in Genesis 3:7 exposes their guilt before God; it issues in judgment, condemnation, and death.
So, when understood from the Hebrew Bible, Paul’s words in Romans 5:12 are not confusing at all. He read nothing into the Genesis text. Under the Spirit’s inspiration, he faithfully took what he observed in the Hebrew text at face value. Nakedness means guilt, condemnation, and death.
But that is not the last word about nakedness and guilt. Augustus Toplady reminds us that in Jesus Christ, there is a fresh wardrobe for us, a cover for our nakedness and guilt.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die!
Thank you for reading.
[1] The word translated “tunics” is the exact same word used of the garments mandated to be used by priests—to cover their nakedness--only when they served inside the Tabernacle or Temple, dwelling places of God. Without wearing these garments, they would incur guilt and die (Exod. 28:42). This means, of course, that Adam and Eve were both depicted as priests, able to enjoy immediate access to God in the Garden. But once they sinned, their nakedness required a covering made by God.
[2] See also Ezekiel 16:39; 23:29.