Adam is held responsible because Scripture says sin and death entered the world 'by one man' — Adam — who was the federal head of the human race.
Romans 5:12 explicitly names one man as the point of entry: 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.' Les Feldick teaches that the human race did not come under sin by virtue of Eve, even though she ate first; rather, sin came upon the whole race through Adam. Eve was in Adam and inherited the sin nature from him, because Adam was the federal head from whom everyone descends.
Romans 5:12 — This is the key verse directly answering the question — it says sin entered the world 'by one man,' not by one woman.
Genesis 3:6 — Records that Eve ate first and gave the fruit to Adam — yet the responsibility for sin's entrance is assigned to Adam.
Romans 5:12 states: 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' The verse names one man — not one woman, and not the pair together — as the point of entry for sin and death. Genesis 2:18 records God's words, 'It is not good that the man should be alone,' and the account that follows shows Eve being formed out of Adam — Adam existed first and Eve came from him. Genesis 3:6 records that the woman saw the tree, took of its fruit, did eat, and gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat. Romans 3:23 declares, 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.' The New Testament consistently traces the human condition back to Adam — Romans 5:12 says death passed upon all men because all sinned.
Les Feldick's answer is that Scripture deliberately identifies Adam — not Eve — as the one through whom sin and death entered the human race. He points to Romans 5:12, which says 'as by one man sin entered into the world' — and he stresses the wording: 'not one woman, don't you lay the blame on Eve, it's Adam's fault' (Clips 2, 3). Les grounds this in Adam's position as the 'federal head of the human race.' Eve came out of Adam, so everyone — including Eve — descends from Adam's line. 'The human race didn't come under sin by virtue of Eve, even though she ate first. But sin came on the whole human race by way of Adam' (Clip 1). Les adds that God 'insulated' Eve from the blame: she inherited her sin nature not from her own act of eating — which she did in ignorance — but because she was in Adam (Clips 1, 6). Les also frames the arrangement as God's sovereign design. The forbidden tree was a means of testing Adam and Eve's obedience. When Adam flunked that test, a sovereign God declared that all his offspring would inherit the sin nature (Clips 4, 5). God permitted the alternative of sin so that the human race would have genuine choice rather than being robots (Clip 7).
Romans 5:12 is the watershed verse: 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' Les Feldick highlights the phrase 'by one man' — not one woman. In his teaching on this passage he says, 'don't you lay the blame on Eve, it's Adam's fault' (Clip 2). He also observes that before Adam ate, death was an unknown entity; once he ate, sin came in and with it death, and 'death passed upon all men' because we have all been born of Adam (Clip 3).
The Scriptures record that Eve ate first (Genesis 3:6), yet they never assign the entrance of sin to her. Les Feldick emphasizes, 'The human race didn't come under sin by virtue of Eve, even though she ate first. But sin came on the whole human race by way of Adam' (Clip 1). He adds that God kept the fault from Eve and 'insulated her' from it — she inherited her sin nature not from the act of her own eating, which she did in ignorance, but because she was in Adam (Clip 6).
Les Feldick teaches that Adam had to be the 'federal head of the human race, so that everybody, including Eve, would now come from that line of Adam' (Clip 1). Eve came out of Adam, and Adam was created a complete three-part entity — body, soul, and spirit — a copy of the Trinity (Clip 0). Because the entire race was in Adam, his disobedience determines the standing of every descendant.
Les Feldick teaches that the moment Adam took the forbidden fruit he 'immediately became a sin-natured individual,' and every human being has inherited that nature ever since (Clip 5). He summarizes: 'We are not sinners because we break the law but we break the law because we're sinners and we're sinners because we are sons of Adam' (Clip 5). Romans 3:23 confirms, 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.' God sovereignly declared that all of Adam's offspring would inherit the sin nature (Clip 4).
Les acknowledges that people object — how can God call me a sinner because of what Adam did thousands of years ago? He answers that he cannot fully explain that, but God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Clip 4). God sovereignly set this all in motion: He gave Adam and Eve one simple test of obedience, and He permitted the alternative of sin so that the human race would have genuine choice rather than being robots (Clip 7).
Adam as a Three-Part Creation
Les teaches that Adam was created as a complete entity — body, soul, and spirit — setting the stage for Eve to be taken out of Adam.
The Federal Headship of Adam
Les explains that Eve came out of Adam because Adam was the federal head of the race, and that sin came on the whole human race by way of Adam — not Eve, even though she ate first.
Romans 5:12 — 'By One Man, Not One Woman'
Les stresses that Paul deliberately wrote 'by one man' and instructs, 'don't you lay the blame on Eve, it's Adam's fault.'
Sin Brings Death Through Adam
Les teaches that death was unknown before Adam ate; once he ate, sin entered and death spread to all men because all are born of Adam.
God's Sovereign Test and Declaration
Les explains that the forbidden tree was a test of obedience, and a sovereign God declared that all of Adam's offspring would inherit the sin nature.
Sons of Adam, Not Lawbreakers
Les teaches that Adam immediately became sin-natured and all humans have inherited it; we are sinners because we are sons of Adam, not because we break the law.
Eve Insulated from the Curse
Les teaches that God kept the fault from Eve and insulated her from it; she inherited the sin nature through Adam, not through her own ignorant act of eating.
Sovereignty and Genuine Choice
Les teaches everyone is a sinner because it started with Adam, and that God sovereignly permitted the alternative so humans would not be robots.
Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The core verse answering the question — it attributes the entrance of sin and death to one man, Adam.
Genesis 3:6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Shows Eve ate first and gave the fruit to Adam — the event that raises the question of blame.
Genesis 2:18: And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Reveals Adam was alone before Eve was created, establishing that she came from him.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Confirms that the consequence of Adam's sin — sinfulness — reached every person.
Yes. Genesis 3:6 records that the woman took the fruit, did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. Yet Romans 5:12 does not assign the entrance of sin to Eve — it says sin entered 'by one man.' Les Feldick explains that the human race did not come under sin by virtue of Eve, even though she ate first (Clip 1).
Les Feldick teaches that God kept the fault from Eve and insulated her from the curse (Clip 6). She inherited her sin nature not from the act of her own eating — she ate in ignorance — but because she was in Adam. Since Adam was the federal head of the race, her line, like everyone else's, comes through Adam (Clips 1, 6).
It means sin and death entered the world specifically through Adam, not through Eve and not through both together. Les emphatically teaches this: 'don't you lay the blame on Eve, it's Adam's fault' (Clip 2). Before Adam ate, death was unknown; once he ate, sin came in and death passed upon all men (Clip 3).
Les Feldick teaches that when Adam took the forbidden fruit he immediately became a sin-natured individual, and every human being since has inherited that nature (Clip 5). We are not sinners because we break the law — we break the law because we are sinners, and we are sinners because we are sons of Adam. This is the sovereign way God set it in motion (Clips 4, 5).
Watch the Teaching: Genesis 1:26-27: Who Are "Us"? The Trinity in Creation