Bible Study Adam and Eves sin realy a sin?

[greyfeather]

If Adam and Eve didn't know what was good or bad, then how did they sin? How did they know they were doing wrong when they disobeyed God and ate from the tree knowledge of good and evil? If they did not know that it was a bad thing to do what God told them not to do, how was that a sin? When God told them they would surely die if they ate from the tree , how did they even know what death was,up to that point they had no knowledge of death, it dosen't say anything in Genisis that they had ever seen anything die.
Can anyone anserw this or give opinions , because I just don't see how they sinned without knowing what was good , bad or right and wrong. :-?

 

[Blazin Bones]

The reason sin is sin is not a right or wrong question, sin is all that goes against the commands and instruction of God. People in third word nation, without the Bible, have not heard what God has said. So they do not know what sin is, and are believed to be held blameless by God. Adam and Eve knew that God had said not to eat of the tree. Evenso, they did.

 

[liafailrock]

The answer to that is the same in regards to a little child. Adam and Eve were created innocent--- and they were told what not to do. The same goes with a child. The child may not understand the whole concepts of right and wrong, but they know enough to listen to their parents. If the child disobeys, it is wrong---- that concept is the condition and has nothing to do with understanding what happened.

By the way, Eve was deceived but Adam was disobedient. Adam should have known better and stopped Eve, but the sluggard was not doing his job right.

 

[evanman]

The fruit itself was not supposed to be eaten.

God knew--one simple instruction--the ONLY thing they weren't supposed to do and they just had to do it!

Adam didn't have to listen to his wife. If he hadn't have God would have probably given him another wife.

 

[liafailrock]

The fruit itself was not supposed to be eaten.

God knew--one simple instruction--the ONLY thing they weren't supposed to do and they just had to do it!

Adam didn't have to listen to his wife. If he hadn't have God would have probably given him another wife.

Or...... to be speculative, maybe Adam could have eaten from the tree of life--- and he might have died for his wife (as Christ did for the church). Since Adam would have had eternal life, he would have resurrected again the same as Christ--- who knows if the WORD would have decided to incarnate into Adam and become God's Son as Jesus did when he was born. But....... we'll never know for sure about the "what if's" until one day all will be revealed.

 

[Featherbop]

They knew to obey God. They acted to sin in spite of the fact that they knew not to.

 

[greyfeather]

Adams and eves sin realy sin

Ok Ive read all the replies , but I still can't see how someone who dosen't know what sin is can sin. IT reminds me of the story of Job. Maybe that is it, maybe it was a test for Adam and Eve, or else why would God have allowed the serpant in the garden anyway? He had to know what the serpant would do for God knows all things.

 

[Vice]

Sin is disobedience to God, regardless of whether or not you know what you are doing wrong (Romans 2:14-16). Toddlers and little children sin all the time (greed, defiance, etc), and even though they aren't cognizant of their sin, it's still sin.

Also, even if God foreknew that they would sin, it still doesn't let them off the hook as non-sinners.

 

[archer]

Is the first lie a child tells a sin? Of course. There is no differences in willingly and unwilling sinning. Your post broke back the memory of my first childs first lie. She was a little over 2 years old. I nor my wife taught her to lie. She never was around other kids enough to learn to lie. So where did it come from. It opened my eyes to the fact that we are all born into sin and that even an innocent child doesn't learn to sin. The will to sin is in us from the first breath we take.

 

[JM]

Is the first lie a child tells a sin? Of course. There is no differences in willingly and unwilling sinning. Your post broke back the memory of my first childs first lie. She was a little over 2 years old. I nor my wife taught her to lie. She never was around other kids enough to learn to lie. So where did it come from. It opened my eyes to the fact that we are all born into sin and that even an innocent child doesn't learn to sin. The will to sin is in us from the first breath we take.

Right on, right on. ;-)

 

[greyfeather]

Adam and Eves sin realy a sin

I do not believe a child knows how to lie , hate , love or anything else from birth. I think all things like that are learned things from parents or others around them.
Take for example if a child is not shown love or given love I should say from its parents , that child will not learn to love. Children imulate their parents first, because thats who they are around a big part of the time.
For anyone too say a child learns to lie on thier own is a little far fetched.

 

[Vice]

Re: Adam and Eves sin realy a sin

I do not believe a child knows how to lie , hate , love or anything else from birth. I think all things like that are learned things from parents or others around them.
Take for example if a child is not shown love or given love I should say from its parents , that child will not learn to love. Children imulate their parents first, because thats who they are around a big part of the time.
For anyone too say a child learns to lie on thier own is a little far fetched.

Without meaning to sound confrontational, I'd have to disagree. That children can sin (ie, lying, hating, being disobedient, etc) is both biblical and commonly observable.

My wife and I have four children. We've raised all of them in the most loving but firm environment as we could. They've always gone to church/ Sunday School with us on a very regular basis. They've always heard our Christian radio shows throughout the week. Both I and my wife have sat down with my kids many times throughout their lives and taught them about Jesus, from bedtime bible stories to actually sitting down and reading the Bible with them. They're all in a Christian school that dedicates time to learning about the word.

Yet even in this kind of environment, they already knew how to do things like LIE to us (if they knew that what they did was a no-no), be DISOBEDIENT (ie, throw a tantrum to get their way), CHEAT (when playing games with their siblings and wanting to win). These things are sins, regardless of whether or not children are committing them. And neither I nor my wife taught them how to sin in these ways; it was pretty much instinctive for them to do these things.

Thus, getting back to your original post, whether or not Adam and Eve knew what a sin was, a sin is still a sin; naivety doesn't matter.

 

[DrDiotte]

My wife and I have four children. We've raised all of them in the most loving but firm environment as we could. They've always gone to church/ Sunday School with us on a very regular basis. They've always heard our Christian radio shows throughout the week. Both I and my wife have sat down with my kids many times throughout their lives and taught them about Jesus, from bedtime bible stories to actually sitting down and reading the Bible with them. They're all in a Christian school that dedicates time to learning about the word.

Do you honestly believe you have hid them from all sin? You don't think they have been exposed to some kinds of sins? Lies, seen people being disobedient, cheating in some sort of way? That is really hard to believe in this day in age and if that is the case and you have managed to do what almost no one else can do. Boy don't they have a reality check to face one day :

Yet even in this kind of environment, they already knew how to do things like LIE to us (if they knew that what they did was a no-no), be DISOBEDIENT (ie, throw a tantrum to get their way), CHEAT (when playing games with their siblings and wanting to win).

I have to disagree with you. Now don't get me wrong EVERY single person has the ability in them to do any of those things. But they do not understand how to use them and only when they see it working will they understand the how.

 

[Vice]

My wife and I have four children. We've raised all of them in the most loving but firm environment as we could. They've always gone to church/ Sunday School with us on a very regular basis. They've always heard our Christian radio shows throughout the week. Both I and my wife have sat down with my kids many times throughout their lives and taught them about Jesus, from bedtime bible stories to actually sitting down and reading the Bible with them. They're all in a Christian school that dedicates time to learning about the word.

Do you honestly believe you have hid them from all sin? You don't think they have been exposed to some kinds of sins? Lies, seen people being disobedient, cheating in some sort of way? That is really hard to believe in this day in age and if that is the case and you have managed to do what almost no one else can do. Boy don't they have a reality check to face one day :

Maybe I should stick to NOT sharing aspects of my non-internet life with this board, so as not to invite condescending comments. :roll: :evil: :x

I should have been a little more specific and state that from their earliest years (ie, toddler years) my wife and I never taught them how to sin, nor did we--according to you--hide them from it. Yet they've done it naturally from early on. Who taught them at the age of 2 and 3 to "cover up" things that they shouldn't have done by lying? Not us. But it's just one example of a few sins that children are capable of committing. It also gives me greater insight into the Psalmist's words: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5)

And for your information, my response underwent several revisions to refrain from responding rudely to you.

Yet even in this kind of environment, they already knew how to do things like LIE to us (if they knew that what they did was a no-no), be DISOBEDIENT (ie, throw a tantrum to get their way), CHEAT (when playing games with their siblings and wanting to win).

I have to disagree with you. Now don't get me wrong EVERY single person has the ability in them to do any of those things. But they do not understand how to use them and only when they see it working will they understand the how.

And I have to disagree with you. Adam and Eve may have had the potential and ability to do wrong in the Garden of Eden, but did they SEE disobedience acted out in the Garden with their very eyes and then copy it? No. They turned a temptation into an act of disobedience without anyone to model it for them.

Likewise, a little child can turn a situation into an act of disobedience without anyone to model it for him/her. And believe it or not, it's still a sin.

 

[DrDiotte]

Who taught them at the age of 2 and 3 to "cover up" things that they shouldn't have done by lying? Not us. But it's just one example of a few sins that children are capable of committing.

Who taught them it? The first time you said NO, the first time you said that is bad, the first time you restricted them they started to LEARN them.



Why did they lie or try to cover it up? To avoid the punishment they would have received. And no I am not saying you should let them do things that are wrong I am just pointing out the HOW/WHY. If you never punished them or told them no or anything along those lines they would have no reason to seek out the ability they have in them to try an avoid the punishment. So NO children are not born sinners.

And for your information, my response underwent several revisions to refrain from responding rudely to you.

If I came over rude to you in any way I am sorry because it was not meant to be.

 

[evanman]

Adam and Eve were not little children.

They lied because they knew how to sin. They'd eaten the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and knew evil!

 

[greyfeather]

Adam and eves sin

evanman,

Adam and Eve may not have been children in body , but they sure were in mind. Then after they ate of the tree they knew all things God knew both good and evil , and were punished for disobeying God. The point is they did not know up to that point. Their decision wasn't made because they wanted too sin against God it was made because niether knew any better and the serpent was smarter then them and tricked them.

 

[Vice]

Why did they lie or try to cover it up? To avoid the punishment they would have received. And no I am not saying you should let them do things that are wrong I am just pointing out the HOW/WHY. If you never punished them or told them no or anything along those lines they would have no reason to seek out the ability they have in them to try an avoid the punishment. So NO children are not born sinners.

First of all, I'm not quite sure I understand your reasoning. The impression I'm getting from your statement is that if I never told them there'd be a consequence/ punishment for certain actions of theirs, then they'd never use their ability to "sin more" after their first "sin." I'm not sure that makes sense to me.

And as for claiming that children are not born sinners..... hmmmmm.

Psalm 51:3-5
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. (NAS)

Ephesians 2:1-3
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (NAS)

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned--for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

If I came over rude to you in any way I am sorry because it was not meant to be.

Thank you. I forgive you.

 

[evanman]

They did know--God had told them.

Eve's response to the serpent shows this:

Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Gen 3:3 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.

Eve was seduced by the serpent--Adam listened to his wife.

Both of them preferred to believe the serpent rather than God.

 

[DrDiotte]

First of all, I'm not quite sure I understand your reasoning. The impression I'm getting from your statement is that if I never told them there'd be a consequence/ punishment for certain actions of theirs, then they'd never use their ability to "sin more" after their first "sin." I'm not sure that makes sense to me.

I mean would the child lie if there was no reason to lie? In order to sin it has to be triggered by something. And one thing that triggers it is punishment.

And as for claiming that children are not born sinners..... hmmmmm.

How can a child be born a sinner? Please explain to me what a 1 week old does that is a sin?