Sin in the Garden
So, the Ask page is booming, which makes me feel pretty important (even if it is almost completely filled by one person). I’m going to try to get to all the questions posted within the next few days, but I wanted to start with the shortest. Chillinatthecabstand posed this question…
If the Garden of Eden is essentially the same as heaven, why was the evil, tempting snake in it?
I’m not sure where you came across the idea that the Garden is essentially the same as heaven, but regardless that is not the case. While God did spend time in the Garden before the fall, there is still a difference presented between the creation and heaven. The garden was perfect, but it was far from heaven. So Satan dwelling in the garden is not a shocking revelation. Now, there are passages that show that Satan had access to heaven in the Old Testament, but he is subject to God there and unable to tempt or even speak out of turn. Did this suffice?
April 28, 2008 at 12:39 pm
As you yourself say, the garden was perfect, and as is dictated, Eve and Adam started sin, thus there was no sin before they ate the apple, and Satan is the ultimate materialization of sin. The garden was, like Heaven, perfect union with God – they could even talk to him directly and he would give them what they wanted!
Also, if there were snake demons crawling around and it wasn’t a utopia, why was it so awful to be outside of the garden?
April 28, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Adam and Eve had no sin before they ate the fruit, this does not mean that there was no sin before this. Satan’s sin came before the garden and part of his punishment was being removed from residency in heaven. And being like heaven and being the same as heaven are two different ideas.
Also, I do hate snakes, but I think I hate spending money on food, clothes, shelter, etc. a little more.
P.S. I’m tryin to catch up on your questions, but they just seem to building up!
April 28, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Eating the fruit was original sin – original. The beginning, the first.
God created everything, good and evil, so if this was the beginning of his creation, that was the first sin, as we don’t see god in Genesis commanding animals or other creation not to do things, meaning that the humans were the ones who had commands that they could violate, making them the only ones with potential to disobey god’s commands, which is what sin is.
April 28, 2008 at 9:33 pm
It was original sin, the original…for man. Satan’s sin preceded the creation of man. Man’s first sin came as a result from the original sinner’s temptation.
April 29, 2008 at 12:43 pm
So why did God let the original sinner who should have been burning up in hell into his utopian garden?
April 30, 2008 at 11:44 am
Chris,
I have a blog now. You should check it out
-Ben
April 30, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Chillin: Why not? Obviously there was still a purpose in him being around or he would’ve been burning up.
Ben: I will. Right now.
May 1, 2008 at 12:55 am
Chris:
Why not? Because it would lead his creation into destruction. What, did god want that? It’s not like Satan’s served some greater purpose than that.
May 1, 2008 at 3:21 am
I think that the fall served a distinct purpose in the earth’s population and in human history. Thus, I think God allowed all this to take place in a purposeful manor.
May 1, 2008 at 12:50 pm
So god wanted his creation to be cursed with death and original sin?
May 1, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I don’t know if “wanted” is the right term, but without Him allowing the fall chances are most of us wouldn’t be here. What, with no one dying and all the earth would fill up rather quickly.
May 21, 2008 at 1:15 am
Paul made up original sin.
May 21, 2008 at 2:38 am
Not a very well backed argument wordofme…
May 21, 2008 at 5:10 am
Thanks
May 22, 2008 at 2:20 am
Hi Chris Dills,
This is a portion of my latest post relating to Original Sin.
The idea of Original Sin is based on Paul’s supposition that all humans are born sinful. It is not a theological concept that is brought up or mentioned in the original text of the Old Testament.
In the fifth chapter of Romans, according to Paul, humanity was cursed because Adam and Eve sinned when they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As Paul puts it:
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. Rom. 5:12
…or as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22
Of course I know this is old stuff to you, but a lot of people don’t have the slightest idea what lies beneath there faith. There is more
Peace
May 24, 2008 at 4:13 am
David understood original sin:
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalms 51:5
May 27, 2008 at 4:16 am
while I don’t know where in the Bible it states that the Garden of Eden was perfect or like Heaven, I can see why many feel it was. No need to work the land, no bills to pay, no worries about having enough food, no pain, no sickness – a veritable “don’t worry be happy place”. There is a physical place here on earth that is Eden and in it was a garden.
Some believe Satan, disguised as a serpent, was in the garden and tempted Eve who ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and then had Adam eat of it too. Others believe Satan influenced a serpent – either way it was a presence of evil trying to separate them from God.
As for “sin”, it was present before they ate of the fruit because it was satan’s sin of thinking he was the most beautiful of all the angels and wanting to be equal to God, that caused him to be cast out of heaven along with 1/3 of the host, but it was because of man’s sin that God banished Adam and Eve and the future of mankind from the garden. That is the sin that we understand as “original sin” which in my opinion was disobedience and in a sense a turning away from God.
just thought I’d add my 2 cents for what it’s worth…
May 28, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Briggie:
Thanks for the input. I think that there are a couple places that you are mistaken on the narrative, however. First, Genesis 2:15 tells us that God put man in the Garden to work and keep it. This was the first covenant God established with man, the covenant of works. All Adam had to do was live, fellowship with God and work. It was the fall that made this task turmoiltuous.
Also, in regards to Satan, I’m afraid that the passage in Ezekiel about him being the so called most beautiful angel is often taken out of context greatly. The writer is actually speaking in apocalyptic language and describing the king of Tyre.