OVERVIEW
As mentioned previously, I attempted to locate all of the verses that I felt were germane and harmonize them (with the belief that God did not write the Bible to contain contradictions nor non-relevant statements). I hope that it might serve as a starting point to reexamine Adam's and Eve's role and engender additional thoughts on the topic and, hopefully, to provide another perspective for examination.
More specifically, the following is an attempt to demonstrate the significance and meaning of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the fruit Tree of Life (from the Garden of Eden). They are fundamental to the entire Bible, extending far beyond just their roles in Genesis. They underlie all of the biblical events that transpired afterward and are the reasons for eternal spiritual judgment versus eternal spiritual salvation. Additionally, it attempts to decipher through a spiritual lens the symbolism and interpretation of these trees.
Taken to its ultimate form, I believe the biblical doctrine demonstrated is that any attempt, to the slightest degree, to justify ourselves for salvation to God (through our own perceived good works or good deeds), even when well-intentioned, demonstrates that we are the prisoners of Satan and not of God.
The gist of this post is that by eating the fruit of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil -- despite God's command not to do so-- Adam and Eve and hence mankind were placed under the authority of the Law of law. This Law of law is biblically named the Law of Sin and Death. Before the eating occurred, Law in any form did not apply to and was unknown by Adam and Eve in the garden.
The names of the trees provide us with extremely crucial information about them spiritually. If we closely analyze the name "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil," we can perceive that for "knowledge" to manifest, some criteria must also be present to define and distinguish what constitutes "Good," as opposed to "Evil." Law, with its force and authority, alone fulfills that role. The Law of law is actually, at the highest level, the concept of law, but still with its full complement of power of judgment.
This Law of law must be understood as the fruit of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since Satan deceived Adam and Eve into eating it, we can therefore be assured that it is Satan's law – and a law in direct contradiction with the Tree of Life and its fruit.
By eating its fruit, Adam and Eve brought that Law to fruition and thereby placed all subsequent generations in subjection to it. As soon as the Law of law manifested, Sin, which could not be imputed before that, could then be reckoned. The transgression itself is to be under the law; that is, this law brought sin into existence, and by so doing, is it the sin that caused God's condemnation: because, by law and our nature, we've been deceived by Satan into trusting in our works to achieve the "good" of the tree. Most importantly, we can see by its name that eternal life was not included as its attribute – and that, because of its law, only eternal judgment and death can result, not life.
The Bible informs us that God warned Adam and Eve (and us) that by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that everyone would "surely die": this death is eternal spiritual death. Why so? Because in violating God's commandment and being placed under the authority of Satan's law, Satan made us all the enemies of God.
As for the Tree of Life, we can see that it was completely free of law based upon the name God chose for it: its fruit produced only eternal life without any qualification or equivocation.
However, with Law came our natural desire to satisfy it by our own efforts. Ironically, by our very attempts to do so, we place ourselves in deeper violation of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ – the antithesis of the Law of Sin and Death. Because of our inherent deep desire to self-justify ourselves before God, any mention to the contrary is usually met with anger, disbelief, and rejection.
To summarize then, with The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Law alone is its fruit: Law can only bring spiritual death, never life. With the Tree of Life, spiritual life alone was its fruit, never death -- Adam and Eve brought in the Law, the Law brought in Sin, Sin brought in eternal spiritual death.
As mentioned previously, I attempted to locate all of the verses that I felt were germane and harmonize them (with the belief that God did not write the Bible to contain contradictions nor non-relevant statements). I hope that it might serve as a starting point to reexamine Adam's and Eve's role and engender additional thoughts on the topic and, hopefully, to provide another perspective for examination.
More specifically, the following is an attempt to demonstrate the significance and meaning of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the fruit Tree of Life (from the Garden of Eden). They are fundamental to the entire Bible, extending far beyond just their roles in Genesis. They underlie all of the biblical events that transpired afterward and are the reasons for eternal spiritual judgment versus eternal spiritual salvation. Additionally, it attempts to decipher through a spiritual lens the symbolism and interpretation of these trees.
Taken to its ultimate form, I believe the biblical doctrine demonstrated is that any attempt, to the slightest degree, to justify ourselves for salvation to God (through our own perceived good works or good deeds), even when well-intentioned, demonstrates that we are the prisoners of Satan and not of God.
The gist of this post is that by eating the fruit of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil -- despite God's command not to do so-- Adam and Eve and hence mankind were placed under the authority of the Law of law. This Law of law is biblically named the Law of Sin and Death. Before the eating occurred, Law in any form did not apply to and was unknown by Adam and Eve in the garden.
The names of the trees provide us with extremely crucial information about them spiritually. If we closely analyze the name "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil," we can perceive that for "knowledge" to manifest, some criteria must also be present to define and distinguish what constitutes "Good," as opposed to "Evil." Law, with its force and authority, alone fulfills that role. The Law of law is actually, at the highest level, the concept of law, but still with its full complement of power of judgment.
This Law of law must be understood as the fruit of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since Satan deceived Adam and Eve into eating it, we can therefore be assured that it is Satan's law – and a law in direct contradiction with the Tree of Life and its fruit.
By eating its fruit, Adam and Eve brought that Law to fruition and thereby placed all subsequent generations in subjection to it. As soon as the Law of law manifested, Sin, which could not be imputed before that, could then be reckoned. The transgression itself is to be under the law; that is, this law brought sin into existence, and by so doing, is it the sin that caused God's condemnation: because, by law and our nature, we've been deceived by Satan into trusting in our works to achieve the "good" of the tree. Most importantly, we can see by its name that eternal life was not included as its attribute – and that, because of its law, only eternal judgment and death can result, not life.
The Bible informs us that God warned Adam and Eve (and us) that by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that everyone would "surely die": this death is eternal spiritual death. Why so? Because in violating God's commandment and being placed under the authority of Satan's law, Satan made us all the enemies of God.
As for the Tree of Life, we can see that it was completely free of law based upon the name God chose for it: its fruit produced only eternal life without any qualification or equivocation.
However, with Law came our natural desire to satisfy it by our own efforts. Ironically, by our very attempts to do so, we place ourselves in deeper violation of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ – the antithesis of the Law of Sin and Death. Because of our inherent deep desire to self-justify ourselves before God, any mention to the contrary is usually met with anger, disbelief, and rejection.
To summarize then, with The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Law alone is its fruit: Law can only bring spiritual death, never life. With the Tree of Life, spiritual life alone was its fruit, never death -- Adam and Eve brought in the Law, the Law brought in Sin, Sin brought in eternal spiritual death.