God did not create multiple pairs of people in Eden, and this is directly connected to the singular nature of Jesus’ ransom. God’s plan was meticulously designed from the beginning, including the solution for sin.

• Creation of Humanity:

    ? God created one man, Adam, in His own image, giving him moral intelligence, the capacity to reason, love, and a sense of justice. Adam was the pinnacle of earthly creation and was given dominion over the earth. God made “from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). This single pair was intended to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it,” (Genesis 1:28) making them the parents of the entire human family.

• The SINGULAR Entrance of Sin and Death:

    ? Adam, a perfect man, chose to disobey God’s clear command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9, 16-17, Genesis 3:1-5) resulting in sin and death for him and all his offspring. The entire human race was doomed to the prison of death in order to satisfy justice – Adam paid the penalty of his disobedience to God. (Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death…”) All of our race are either dead or dying.

Without the intervening sacrifice of Jesus, the cycle of sin and death would continue in misery until eventually the human race died out.

The death of the perfect man Jesus became the substitute or corresponding price for Adam. Jesus willingly volunteered to die and thereby paid the ransom by his perfect obedience to God. The man Jesus would take Adam’s place in death, thereby satisfying justice. This single act of disobedience by one man, Adam, (“as in Adam all die” 1 Corinthians 15:22), resulted in sin and death entering the world and spreading to all humanity. All mankind inherited “Adamic sin,” imperfection, and a death sentence.

• The Necessity of a Single Ransom:

    ? To counteract the sin introduced by one man, a corresponding price was required: the sacrifice of one perfect man, Jesus. Jesus was “without sin” (1 Peter 2:22). This is why Jesus is called the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), picking up where the first Adam left off. He was offered once to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. His sacrifice was a “one time for all” offering.

    ? This “legal equivalency of a perfect life (Adam) for a perfect life (Jesus) satisfies justice and allows for the resurrection and opportunity for everlasting life for all mankind. “All who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth” (John 5:28), resurrected in God’s future kingdom. 

    ? The sacrifice of Jesus is for ALL of humanity (1 Timothy 2:3-6, Hebrews 2:9), not just a select few, because ALL were condemned through Adam. This is a “one for one” relationship—ALL in Adam die, so ALL in Christ are made alive.

The creation of humanity through a single pair and the provision of a single ransom through Jesus are central to God’s unified plan for reconciling humanity back to Himself.

• The Problem with Multiple Pairs and Additional Ransoms:

    ? If God had created multiple perfect pairs, and each pair individually sinned (and multiply this probability with all of their descendants throughout all of time), the principle of a “corresponding price” would theoretically require a distinct, perfect ransom for each original perfect human who sinned. God gave his ONLY begotten son—singular.

    ? God’s plan for salvation through Jesus was foreknown before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The entire human race was “redeemed with precious blood…the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-25). This pre-ordained plan is built on a singular origin of sin (Adam) and a singular solution (Jesus’ ransom) that is sufficient for “all men” because all were condemned through the “one man’s disobedience.” Any additional ransoms are unnecessary.

    ? An additional ransom would have required a different divine design. What God provided for us shows how Jesus’ was sacrifice was sufficient to “take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The purpose of God’s plan is to restore the whole of His creation back into the harmony it had left behind through this single act of righteousness.

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1327: “If Jesus’ Resurrection Saved the World, Why Is It Such a Mess?”
Tracing how Jesus DID save the world without saving the world
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes