Though Enns’ Genesis book doesn’t address the issue of the implications of his view of Adam for Paul (and especially the difficulty of Romans 5), I agree that this is the obvious and fascinating issue that it will raise for many. For many others, similar questions are raised by evolution and the growing consensus that there was no first human or couple. Christianity Today about two months ago ran a cover on the issue of Adam, with one writer I’m not recalling surprising me by arguing there doesn’t need to be a literal Adam. It reminded me of Fuller’s J. R. Daniel Kirk’s article, “Does Paul’s Christ require a Historical Adam?” in the Spring 2013 issue of “Theology, News & Notes” (fuller.edu/tnn). Kirk also wrote “Jesus Have I loved, but Paul? A Narrative Approach to the Problem of Pauline Christianity.”
In brief, I recall understanding them to argue that while Paul may well have believed Adam was the first man, and responsible for our sin, this is not what he is seeking to proclaim in Romans 5, nor does it depend on such a reality. He emphasizes that Paul’s encounter with Christ as risen transforms his whole understanding, such that he read the O.T. through eyes transformed by Christ (and not vice versa). Thus Jesus provided Paul with the vision to see and be proclaiming that He was the solution to humankind’s sinful predicament. Then, it’s not necessary to worry about the age-old mystery of how Adam’s original sin gets transmitted to everyone, etc. The only thing significant about his reference to Adam is the assumption that this story is consistent with the reality of our universal predicament as sinners. But proclaiming Christ as the solution for this doesn’t need any view of Adam or original sin. It need only rest on our empirical observation (everyone we know sins!) a reality quite consistent with even Enns and the Jewish interpretations of Genesis.
And I’d agree with Steve that this makes room for more of a soul-making theodicy such as John Hick proposes. For if the story is not so much about regaining Adam’s clean slate and perfection, but about addressing to the universal struggle with our self centered nature that Adam pictures, then our theology of the human need may change. I suspect it may influence our wider interpretations of the atonement and the nature of salvation. It then won’t do to simply have a penal substitute who cancels the consequences of sin and somehow amazingly restores us to Adam’s original righteousness. Rather, the mission of Jesus and his cross may be to actually change how we live, and to enable in some sense what Enns sees as Israel’s concern of becoming a righteous and obedient people. Or, have I confused you and your concerns in this area?