JD Abshire

Good question.

First and very importantly, God did not say they could not touch the fruit but stated in Genesis 2:17: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Eve misrepresented what God said when she responded to the devil by saying: "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (Genesis 3:3). She added to the Word of God. This should speak volumes as to the importance of knowing and repeating what God actually said, not what "we think" he said or meant. We can be sincere but at the same time sincerely wrong. Remember, our Lord God is a God of jots and tittles (Matthew 5:18). 

"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9) 
Scripture reveals there were two trees. Although there was no restriction or commandment from God "not" to eat of the tree of life, it apparently had little attraction or desirability and was never a consideration by Adam and Eve. They could have freely eaten of it (Genesis 2:16). I'm not trying to read something into the passage that isn't there but it reminds me of the physical appearance of The Lord Jesus described in Isaiah 53:2 "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

In order for Adam and Eve to have lived eternally they would have had to eat from the tree of life. However, in their fallen condition God would not permit this.

Genesis 3:22 "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" 

Genesis 3:23 "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken."

Genesis 3:24 "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

February 18 2015 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Al Mari Private practice as a cardiovascular & thoracic surgeon

Somehow, a teaching by well-meaning people predominate among Christians. That is, had it not for this mistake of Adam, we would have lived forever. That, we were "created very good" (Gen. 1:31) but we died because of his sin. The basis of this teaching was that "sin entered the world because of one man's (Adam) sin (Rom. 5:12). 

I used to believe this until someone, a pediatrician, asked me, Can a newborn really sin? It caught me by surprise. After thinking about it and knowing the physical and capabilities of a newborn, I answered "No, nor can a a fetus nor a zygote in the womb. I continued, but the sin of Adam was passed down to that newborn so that even without sinning himself, that newborn will still die." Don't we all share this concept? That since Adam sinned, sin was passed down from one generation to another, so all have sinned and we are all sinners worthy of death?

How can one reconcile the fact that a newborn could not commit sin, yet became a sinner (all sinned, Rom. 3:23) as "sin was passed down" and therefore death "passed on" to him?

To resolve this question, one has to consider 2 things:
1. What death was referred to in Genesis and in Hebrews?
2. Whose sin was it that exacts death? Is it anyone's sin or a specific someone else's? And, why?

In answer to the preceding questions, one can read through the whole Romans 5, but specifically v-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" Notice, it was death that "passed down", not sin. It was the consequence of sin, which is death that we all died. 

Moreover, it was not anyone's sin but Adam's that was "counted" for the whole sin of mankind. This, so that on one man's death, i.e. Jesus' death, all mankind's death will also be "counted". This is the doctrine of "imputation" that the faith (of) Jesus in the Father is based on. Meaning, that the promise of the Father to Jesus was, "when you die, the sin of mankind would be paid for and that mankind would be reconciled to me". That promise of the Father is solid and Jesus anchored his faith on him that what he promised would be delivered with certainty.

The preceding having been stated, being "flesh and blood" humans, we will still die naturally as our life is finite. Adam and Eve are mortal, not immortal and will die, even without "sinning". Remember, "it was once appointed for man to die, then the resurrection"(Heb. 9:27). The death referred to in Genesis is the "eternal death" from which there is no resurrection.

February 18 2015 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Kenneth Heck

My opinion is that after Adam and Eve had not succumbed to temptation, they would begin to enlarge their realm of domination, generating children as part of the process. This would be accomplished through peaceful, nonviolent methods, in accordance with the divine plan.

The original idea was that they would subdue the earth and have dominion over all living things. It would not be accomplished in an instant, but over the course of time. The Garden of Eden was the beginning point, but the whole earth was the final objective.

Unfortunately, since the fall, dominion and subjugation of the earth have been tragically imposed by force, unspeakable violence, and mass death as a matter of course. This is spoken of in Romans 8:22 "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." It is prophesied to end with the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom 8:19).

February 06 2016 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report