Tree of Knowledge question

[newbeliever02072005]

I've got a question.

In Sunday School this past week I got to thinking about something that was mentioned. It was mentioned that we have never been revealed where heaven is. It wasn't part of the knowledge that God wanted us to know about. That got me thinking about the tree of life and tree of knowledge. And I was wondering what exactly is the knowledge that Adam/Eve discovered by eating of the fruit. It says in Gen 2:5 ".....tree of the knowledge of good and evil"

Ok....so the knowledge is an awakening of what is right and wrong. A moral conscience. My question is this.....Did we not have a moral conscience before this? How was it that they were persuaded to eat of the fruit if they weren't able to discern between right and wrong to begin with?????

Thanks for your help here :)

Newbeliever :wave:

[Abbadon]

Well, I'd say it was the ability to know right and wrong. Since after eating the fruit, Adam and Eve were capable of realizing what they did was wrong, they were capable of being judged (kind of like if a mentally handicapped fellow on drugs kills someone, he's not going on death row, because he didn't know better).

This could explain why God really only gave them one "don't." There wasn't much they could have done that they could be judged for.

However, the fruit wasn't just from the "tree of the knowledge of good," it was from the "tree of the knowledge of good and EVIL." Adam and Eve may not have been fully capable of doing anything actually evil before than. They could have been comparable to animals, maybe.

[rainbowpromise]

Ok, a baby is born and it's parents begin teaching the baby day to day rules. In the kitchen, the stove is hot. The baby does not know this. He only knows what mommy and daddy have told him. Mommy and daddy said don't touch the stove or it will hurt. But one day there is something bright and shiney on the stove and the baby touches it. It hurts. Baby has now learned that what hurt means.

Now change the story.

Ok, Adam and Eve were created and God began teaching Adam and Eve day to day rules. In the garden, the tree of knowledge is dangerous. Adam and Eve don't know this. They only knows what God has told them. God said don't touch the or you will die. But one day serpent tempts them and they eat of the tree. Now they understand why God said no.

Once you are a parent and you see your child injured and hurting, you realize the agony that God went through at that moment and continues to feel when any of us choose to turn our backs on Him.

[Flynmonkie]

I've got a question.

In Sunday School this past week I got to thinking about something that was mentioned. It was mentioned that we have never been revealed where heaven is. It wasn't part of the knowledge that God wanted us to know about. That got me thinking about the tree of life and tree of knowledge. And I was wondering what exactly is the knowledge that Adam/Eve discovered by eating of the fruit. It says in Gen 2:5 ".....tree of the knowledge of good and evil"

Ok....so the knowledge is an awakening of what is right and wrong. A moral conscience. My question is this.....Did we not have a moral conscience before this? How was it that they were persuaded to eat of the fruit if they weren't able to discern between right and wrong to begin with?????

Thanks for your help here :)

Newbeliever :wave:


I believe that the knowledge that is spoken of is a sense of the negitive side. They were naked and they were embarrassed. Because they knew something was wrong.
Before, there was only positive thought, and no thought to being naked as being "bad" or "embarrassing".

I follow this up with the verses indicating we cannot "know" good without God, so therefore, we would only know evil. IOW Someone may be unsaved, however they may do good "deeds" this does not make them "good".

I have asked this question and received answers all over the place.. :sigh:

In Christianity
In Christian theology, the tree is closely connected to the doctrine of original sin. The Apostle Paul wrote that sin and death entered the world through Adam, but that Jesus saved us from the penalties of sin and death (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Western Christianity generally affirms St. Augustine's doctrine that all of humanity has inherited both sin itself and the guilt for Adam and Eve's sin.[citation needed] By eating of the fruit of the Tree, Adam and Eve chose to substitute their own knowledge of good and evil for God's. However, since human knowledge is limited, human morality is inherently flawed. From God's perspective, human morality is depraved, although different denominations debate whether this depravity is total or partial, and to what degree humanity can freely choose to follow God's morality.[citation needed] By contrast, Eastern Christianity believes that the fruit of the tree distorted humanity's nature; sin itself is inherited, but not the guilt for Adam and Eve's sin.[1] A minority of Christians affirm the doctrine of Pelagius, which states that while Adam and Eve set a bad example by eating from the tree, their sin does not directly affect the rest of humanity. Rather, Pelagianism states that we all face the same choice between sin and salvation that Adam and Eve faced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Knowledge_of_Good_and_Evil

[mlqurgw]

I believe that they knew what evil was, disobedience to God, but not by experience. Adam wasn't deceived he went into it knowing he was disobeying. They then knew by experience what evil was. The fruit didn't open their eyse their disobedience did. They were ashamed at their nakedness because now they had no covering for their sin. Before they didn't need any. But in a beautiful picture of salvation in Christ, God covered them with the skin of another who died in their place.

[Flynmonkie]

I believe that they knew what evil was, disobedience to God, but not by experience. Adam wasn't deceived he went into it knowing he was disobeying. They then knew by experience what evil was. The fruit didn't open their eyse their disobedience did. They were ashamed at their nakedness because now they had no covering for their sin. Before they didn't need any. But in a beautiful picture of salvation in Christ, God covered them with the skin of another who died in their place.

:thumbsup: This is true. They knew better than to disobey God... actually, I remember thinking of this before.. hmmm

[JPPT1974]

Disobeying God is much more trouble
Than you will ever know and know
Better than to do!

[Sweet Pea]

Interesting thread :)