OK, I'll stop trying to define you and your beliefs.
The snake of Genesis 3:1
by Halcon 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Rattigan350
"Eve breaks the Mosaic Law, the Law against stealing"
There was no Mosaic Law at Eve.
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blondie
Rattigan350,, good point, no Mosaic Law then, no need for 2 so-called perfect people. My husband always wondered why a perfect person would talk to a snake, ignorant it must be something else.
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Halcon
Kaleb, thank you for responding with much detail.
The bits about the Torah ending with Moses East of Eden in relation to the events described in Genesis are fascinating. Interestingly, while reading your comments I felt that some parts were familiar even tho I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps I had a very basic and very general idea about the purpose of the Law, altho it was very much like a puzzle piece way over on the side of the table and seldom thought of. And this is after reading the Torah at least 10 times. Altho I read it for mainly spiritual purposes, not so much for history. Your explanations help put pieces of the puzzle together so I appreciate it.
I do place greater importance on the 'spirit' and meaning of a supposedly literal event or thing. To me, this is the realm of God.
Did a literal talking snake exist? It doesn't matter. But what was insinuated by it, whatever it (the snake) was, does. And when you read about the concept described in Genesis 3:1 in other unrelated and unassociated sources (such as with Plato) it is my personal belief that there is a spiritual truth underneath (intentional or not) all the words and symbolisms. In this case, the concept of man's inferiority to God vs man's equality with God (equality sometimes accomplished by reducing God to the level of man).
Altho the words of Genesis 3:1 themselves can be easily discarded, as they usually are, their implication is felt throughout history precisely because it's a thing related to the part of man that is intellectual, conceptual, psychological.
Instead of performing a "mitzvah" or a good deed, Adam and Eve do what is wrong. Instead of living up to their potential in the "image of God," they ruin this reflection and end up being cast out in shame. It isn't literal.
This thought implies that indeed Adam wasn't God. That perhaps he could live up to a potential. Wether literal or not, the concept of the questions brought up stands. We know the literal flesh perishes. But what about the mind and spirit? God said they too will perish, whereas the snake said no they wouldn't.
It's a question that actually doesn't need any symbolisms although they perhaps help.
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Las Malvinas son Argentinas
Read the Book of Jubilees. Interesting read and it picks up some of the gaps Genesis laid blank. In Eden all animals had the ability to speak, and only lost that ability after the expulsion from Eden. It would seem to explain why Eve didn’t seem to think a serpent speaking to her was a big deal.
Not arguing for or against the validity of these accounts, but my question has always been why is Genesis considered canon and not Jubilees? Both make some fairly bold and fantastic claims.