2023 #4
Twitter. There’s a part that’s good. There is a part that is bad, and there is a part that you wouldn’t believe. Twitter, along with other social media platforms can be used for good. But, there are a lot of things you can find on Twitter’s Christian circles that are not that good. Perhaps you have seen comments on social media that are contrary to the Christian worldview. I’d like to take a look at those statements and comments to see if we can give an answer
“…it’s obvious that god ought to have made eve smarter than a snake. if eden had worked out, wouldn’t we ALL have been bound for paradise? god has perpetrated a major injustice.” (Capitalization and spelling original.)
The original post contained two statements concerning the pre-Fall state of mankind. In the author’s opinion, both statements lead to a major conclusion.
Eve and the snake. Adam and Eve were the pinnacle of God’s creative activity. They were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). The snake, or serpent, is described as crafty and cunning (Gen. 3:1). It is generally agreed by Biblical interpreters that the serpent is the personification of the devil. This is the person Eve confronted in the Garden of Eden. In this encounter, we might be willing to forgive Eve for her naiveté, but in her exchange with the serpent, she managed to mangle God’s command. Also, in her desire to be wise, Eve sought wisdom outside of God’s provision (Gen. 3:6). We can conclude that she was not as smart as the thought she was.
Life in paradise. The next sentence goes into speculation which supposes that the Fall had never taken place. But, drawing from the Biblical account, some things can be said. Eden was not supposed to be the permanent home for mankind. After their creation, God spoke to the man and the woman, giving them a command to “fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). This indicates that life outside of Eden was different from the Garden that God had planted (Gen. 2:8). The word “subdue” suggests that man needed to bring the earth under control. The skills necessary to subdue the earth would, of necessity, be learned in the Garden of Eden. If man had not sinned, then we might say that Eden would have become a base of operations in man’s commission to bring the earth under control. If they had remained faithful in following God’s command, the Tree of Life stood before them. The man and woman could have lived forever, but, alas, it was not to be.
Injustice? Does the assertion of Eve’s ignorance and speculation of man without the Fall lead to an accusation of injustice on God’s part? The charge is vague, but the answer must be a resounding no. Two questions arise from the writer’s statement. First, was God unjust to place the first man and woman in a place where they could sin? The answer is no. The man and woman were created with free will. Giving him a command not to eat of a particular tree suggests this. Adam and Eve always had the option to obey God. Also, was God unjust when He removed Adam and Eve from the Garden as a penalty for their sin? Again, no. God introduced physical death to mankind in this way to limit an individual’s sin and that sin’s effect on others. God’s provision and judgment on mankind’s sin was part of His plan to bring about the end of evil and man’s salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Far from unjust, this shows God’s love and care for His creation.
Mark Riser - Apologist 