[Milton-L] Query: Adam's 'Heroic' Self-Sacrifice for Love?

[James Rovira]

Adam's fall as sacrifice is also probably extrapolated from Paul -- 1
Tim. 2:14 argues that Adam wasn't deceived in the fall, but Eve was,
and on that basis (along with the order of creation) women should be
in submission to men in the church.  It's not hard to infer from the
assertion that Adam was not deceived that Adam sinned deliberately.
Milton making it into a sacrifice attributes positive motives to Adam
for this decision, which is necessary if he wants to maintain that
Adam's prelapsarian sin was in a state of innocence (no "fall before
the fall").  Before the fall you can only sin from right motives --
you have to be fooled, or you have to be noble.

I wouldn't doubt that period sermons on Genesis made assumptions along
these lines but I can't point you to any.  Probably in the church
fathers as well if you look up sermons on 1 Timothy.

Jim R