Garden of Eden, Tree of Knowledge, not quite literal

by EndofMysteries 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • EndofMysteries
    EndofMysteries

    I share this hoping motivates some into some bible reading, and stimulating your critical thinking. Is the concept of the tree of life and knowledge of good and bad anywhere in the bible? Read Ezekiel chapter 31, the entire chapter. I thought possibly could be symbolic, from many other things, but I ran into that. (although 'some' things in the bible, seem to have been or least shown as actual events, with a symbolic future fulfillment)

    Now most all Christian faiths I 'think' teach it was all literal. Know JW's do, being one, so also put that there, so those who no longer believe in anything in the bible (IF) it is based off of "well I can't believe Genesis happened that way, so it's def a man's book", might take a look again if they knew perhaps that it's 'true' message could not be found reading it that way.

  • EndofMysteries
    EndofMysteries

    ***Is the concept of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil as SYMBOLIC anywhere in the bible?

  • moshe
    moshe

    Catch 22- If the Story of Eden is imaginary, then the later NT story of a man-god savior for fallen humans is probably imaginary, too.

  • EndofMysteries
    EndofMysteries

    Maybe, maybe not.

    The story of Eden, apple or not, they sinned. For example, (not saying what I currently believe or believe is the truth of Eden, but this is merely an example), lets say the trees were symbolic of books, scrolls, angels who would teach, etc.

    Romans 14:1 Welcome the [man] having weaknesses in [his] faith, but not to make decisions on inward questionings. 2 One [man] has faith to eat everything, but the [man] who is weak eats vegetables. (Here we see in regards to spiritual food, the act of eating as symbolized by it. One for 'everything', and one for vegetables).

    Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not be judging one another any longer, but rather make this YOUR decision, not to put before a brother a stumbling block or a cause for tripping. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; only where a man considers something to be defiled, to him it is defiled.

    Romans 14:22Happy is the man that does not put himself on judgment by what he approves. 23 But if he has doubts, he is already condemned if he eats, because [he does] not [eat] out of faith. Indeed, everything that is not out of faith is sin.

    Romans 3:19 - (Romans 3:19) Now we know that all the things the Law says it addresses to those under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become liable to God for punishment. - (So what does the Law ACCOMPLISH here?)

    (1 Corinthians 15:56) The sting producing death is sin, but the power for sin is the Law. (What produces death? What does it get its POWER from?)

    (Galatians 2:16) knowing as we do that a man is declared righteous, not due to works of law, but only through faith toward Christ Jesus, even we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be declared righteous due to faith toward Christ, and not due to works of law, because due to works of law no flesh will be declared righteous. - (The law says just ONE sin equals what?

    (Hebrews 10:26) For if we PRACTICE SIN willfully after having received the accurate KNOWLEDGE of the truth(Good and Evil?), there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left.

    So, back to Garden of Eden and eating of the tree. Whether the fruit was real and made their minds realize good/bad, OR they took in knowledge they were not supposed to have, because by being like God, KNOWING good and evil, things started to become sin for them. Just the act of taking in that knowledge when the only thing they were told not to do, was the first sin, and started the curse of death. As seen in the above scriptures, the law exposes all sin, and impossible to not err even once for us.

    Those on earth now who may want to reject knowing the truth, are not free either, Romans 2:12 - For instance, all those who sinned without law will also perish without law; but all those who sinned under law will be judged by law. 13 For the hearers of law are not the ones righteous before God, but the doers of law will be declared righteous. 14 For whenever people of the nations that do not have law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. 15 They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused. 16 This will be in the day when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare.

  • cult classic
  • Mall Cop
    Mall Cop

    Endof mysteries. First you are using scripture to get your points across. I would recommend that you read two very good eye-openining books.

    1) The Bible Unearthed Archaeology's new vision of ancient Israel and the origin of its sacred texts. By Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman.

    2) Who wrote the Bible. By Richard Elliot Friedman.

    Google both books and read something about them that others have said and then decide if quoting scriptures to find out the truth about such things as the garden of eden, tree of knowledge, adam and eve, etc. leads to knowledge of God or knowledge of a people who wrote these texts.

    Blueblades

  • moshe
    moshe

    E-o-M, I would say you need to give some weight to the Jewish explanation for what happened in Eden, since Genesis is still their book.

    from whatjewsbelieve.org

    ... The Christian concept of Original Sin is that since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, all human beings are born not only with a tendency to sin, but they are also born with the guilt of Adam and Eve, and for this guilt, all human beings die (see I Corinthians 15:21-22). In other words, Adam and Eve brought death into the world as a result of their sin, and because of this sin, all human beings die.

    This is simply UnBiblical. The Biblical text tells us that Adam and Eve were not removed from the Garden of Eden because they sinned. (Please note that the first time the Bible uses the term, "sin," it is NOT in reference to Adam and Eve, it is in reference to the jealousy of Cain against Abel in Genesis 4:7.) Rather, Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden because there was another tree in the Garden from which God did not want them to eat. That tree was the Tree Of Life.

    But think about this logically! If Adam and Eve had to eat the fruit of the Tree Of Life to become IMmortal, then God made them mortal to begin with. Adam and Eve were created in such a way that Death was a natural part of their existence, from the moment of their Creation!

    The Biblical text of Genesis 3:22-24 tells us that Adam and Eve were almost like God and the Angels. They were almost like God and the Angels because they knew the difference between Good and Evil. Both God and the Angels know the difference between Good and Evil, but both God and the Angels are IMmortal as well. Because Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of The Tree Of the Knowledge Of Good And Evil, they, like God and the Angels, knew the difference between Good and Evil. However, Adam and Eve were not yet IMmortal because they had not yet eaten from the Tree Of Life. Therefore God separated Adam and Eve from the Tree Of Life by kicking them out of the Garden. This means that Adam and Eve did not bring Death into the world! We Human Beings do not die because of their sin, we die because God made Death a part of life from the moment of Creation. There is no such thing as Original Sin!

    And the Etrnl 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: Therefore the Etrnl God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 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. [Genesis 3:22-24]

    Remember also that no one else can die for your sins. This is discussed in Question 1. This means that even if one believed that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (which they didn't), their descendants cannot die, and do not die, for the sin of Adam and Eve.

  • EndofMysteries
    EndofMysteries

    MallCop - Ofcoarse I would use scripture to get my points across, and the question was, "WITHIN the bible itself, is there evidence that the tree of knowledge of good and bad, could have been symbolic other then literally interpreted." With that being said, I won't quote from any other book or use anything other then the bible itself, which I did. So my only goal in that was to show that what people base on accepting or rejecting, may not always be the content itself, but how they were taught it was to be understood.

    Thanks for your books, I'll take a lot at them. On a unrelated note, I've been doing much research into ancient beliefs, mythology, etc, so curious what I'll see in that compared to what I've found so far.

  • EndofMysteries
    EndofMysteries

    Thanks Moshe,

    I do believe the bible does show death least once, as shown below as well.

    Hebrews 9:27 And as it is reserved for men to die once for all time, but after this a judgment, 28 so also the Christ was offered once for all time to bear the sins of many; and the second time that he appears it will be apart from sin and to those earnestly looking for him for [their] salvation.

    Now Moshe,,,,,,,I'm asking since you seem to have done more research, or maybe have a jewish background. This is a puzzle so far can't find answer to online, why would there be 'concealed' and a LOT in Genesis, of hidden prophecies and such heavily linked to Revelation, Ezekiel, etc? Things which Jews don't believe?

  • tec
    tec

    Are you asking if the people in the bible ever referred to Adam and Eve/Tree of knowledge as being symbolic?

    I don't remember reading anything that supports that they did. But they didn't have the scientific knowledge that we have also, and so would probably have had no reason to think it was anything other than literal. The message was what mattered.

    Also, I think there are a lot of Christians that teach this as symbolic. In fact, I'm pretty sure Catholics teach this as symbolic even.

    Burns?

    Also, the story can be symbolic without losing its meaning. That at some point man chose to disobey God, and that we continue to do so, and so the significance of Jesus obedience and sacrifice is still just as meaningful.

    Tammy

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit