How is Genesis 2:7 interpreted then?

How do TEists explain the writings of 1&2 Peter? He says, he recieved divine revelation from writings of the prophets, ministryof christ, and from God directly...then goes on to say Noah was saved from a flood thatwiped out all life on earth, Lot was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorah, and satan and his angels were cast out of heaven to this earth. Can't call that an allegory...these are all ststements of historical fact he makes...so Peter agrees with the literal reading of Genesis. Peter became the first leader of the Christian church he is its foudding father!

@Adam I don't have any problem believing that there was a cataclysmic flood, that Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, and that Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven.

@Mark perhaps there's a particular angle you're looking for on Genesis 2:7? I don't see any difficulty reading it through an OEC or TE lens. I added a section to the post to discuss.

@HoldToTheRod I'm curious to see what other people think: hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/95100/56622

@akostadinov You may want to take a look at this question: hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/95100/56622

@HoldToTheRod Just to clarify, are you saying that this multi-step process could have taken millions of years?

@Mark I'm agnostic on that question. I don't know, and I don't think God has given us enough information to be sure.

@HoldToTheRod But in your answer you said that the evidence suggests God didn't create man in a short span of time, which sounds like you are agreeing with the mainstream view that it took millions of years (from abiogenesis to the evolution of the first homo sapiens). Can you please clarify?

To be more specific: on the one hand, you are saying that you are agnostic on this, but on the other hand, you are saying that we can be confident based on the evidence that it wasn't a short time span, which doesn't sound very agnostic.

@Mark My post proposes that He chose to create life on earth over a lengthy span of time. Let's consider 2 options (there are others). 1) Genesis 2:7 speaks of the creation of human DNA through an evolutionary process lasting millions of years. 2) Genesis 2:7 speaks just of the creation of Adam's body, which presumably took somewhere between an instant (if Adam's body was a special act of spontaneous creation from scratch) and ~9 months (if Adam's body developed through normal gestation).

@Mark I suppose you could increase or decrease the upper bound of that range any number of ways (are we talking about development from a zygote to a mature adult, are we just talking about whatever time period--if any--elapses before the spirit enters the body, etc.).

@Mark not sure if I directly answered your question, but let's say, for sake of argument, that the timespan from the first living organism to Adam is 1.5 billion years. I'm agnostic on the question of whether Genesis 2:7 refers to the whole 1.5 billions years, or just the very last step. I doubt Moses would have cared either way, especially if the purpose of the record was to describe the why, rather than the when or how.

@HoldToTheRod You are epistemically open to a wide range of possible interpretations. What are your thoughts on the answers to the linked question that suggest that there isn't that much wiggle room for interpretation?

@Mark I'm game to follow the truth wherever it leads. I'll see if I can carve out some time to write an answer tomorrow.