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Postanak 3:22 – Kao jedan od nas, poznavajući dobro i zlo

Jahve Bog reče: “Evo, čovjek je postao kao jedan od nas, poznajući dobro i zlo. Sada, da ne bi pružio svoju ruku i uzeo sa stabla života, jeo i živio zauvijek...” — Postanak 3:22, svjetski engleski prijevod Biblije. Tvrdi se da se u ovom stihu Jahve Bog deklarira kao "NAS", a ne kao "ja" i da ovaj stih pokazuje da je Bog iz iskustva poznavao dobro i zlo i da nije jedna osoba, i tako potvrđuje trojstvenu tvrdnju da je Jahve tri osobe. Postavlja se pitanje: Tko smo „mi“ i kako se to čovjek stidi spoznaje da su dobro i zlo svojstvo Boga? Bilo je, naravno, i drugih s Jahvom u duhovnom carstvu u vrijeme stvaranja čovjeka. Jedno od tih duhovnih bića postalo je zlo u srcu i djelovalo je na to zlo komunicirajući preko zmije kako bi natjeralo Evu da ne posluša Boga. Stoga je spoznaja o zlu bila poznata u duhovnom području prije nego što su bila poznata Adamu i Evi. — Izaija 14:12,13; Otkrivenje 12:9. Također možemo rezonirati prema Svetom pismu da je Jahve intuitivno znao za načelo zla prije nego što je itko ikad bio neposlušan, ili prije nego što je nastupilo bilo kakvo moralno zlo. Sama činjenica da je On dao naredbu u vezi s jedenjem stabla spoznaje dobra i zla pokazuje ovo, jer da nije imao takvo intuitivno znanje, zašto bi dao takvo (stablo) i dao naredbu o tome da On sam nije imao znanja? — Postanak 2:9,17. Sam Jahve, međutim, nikada nije imao iskustveno znanje o moralnom zlu. Bog do danas nije, niti će ikada imati takvo iskustvo sa zlom. “Bog se ne može iskušati [moralnim] zlom.” (Jakovljeva 1:13) Habakuk 1:13 govori nam o Jahvi: “Ti koji imaš čistije oči nego vidjeti [moralno] zlo i koji ne možeš gledati izopačenost.” I čitamo: “Pravedan je Jahve na svim putovima svojim.” — Psalam 145:17. Predljudski Logos Božji (Otkrivenje 19:13), također je bio tamo, budući da je bio u obliku [vanjskog izgleda] theosa (Ivan 1:1,2; Filipljanima 2:6), imajući slavu kod jedinog istinitog Boga pred svijet čovječanstva je stvoren, i znao bi za neposlušnog i tako imao znanje o Sotoninom zlu promatranjem. —Ivan 17:1,3,5. Stvar njihove sramote je ipak malo drugačija od pukog poznavanja dobra i zla, ali njihova sramota se ne tiče navodnog priznanja da Bog ima svojstvo poznavanja dobra i zla. Sveta pisma pokazuju da su se posramili zbog vlastite neposlušnosti i kao rezultat vlastitog iskustvenog spoznavanja zla u svom činu neposluha. Pavlova poslanica Rimljanima bavi se ropstvom pokvarenosti i podložnosti uzaludnosti koja je došla na čovječanstvo zbog Adamova grijeha i dobro odgovara opisu palog čovjeka kako ga je Salomon dao u Propovjedniku. Možemo početi gledajući: Rimljanima 1:28 – Čak i kad su odbili spoznati Boga, Bog ih je prepustio pokvarenom umu da čine ono što ne priliči. — Svjetski engleski prijevod Biblije.

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Pavao pokazuje da su Adam i Eva imali spoznaju o Bogu; poznavali su Boga (Rimljanima 1,21), ali nisu mu uspjeli odati slavu za ono što je učinio, i nisu se dokazali zahvalnima Onome koji im je dao život i dobro koje su uživali. Umjesto da služi Stvoritelju, Eva je služila zmiji pokoravajući se zmiji; Adam je zauzvrat služio Evi umjesto Stvoritelju. Oni nisu poslušali Onoga kome su trebali pokazati najvišu ljubav i poslušnost, i kao rezultat toga Bog ih je predao pokvarenom umu. Grčka riječ iz koje je prevedena riječ "prokletnik" je Adokimos. Ova riječ znači: nije izdržao ispit, nije ispravno odobren korišteni od metala i kovanica ono što se ne dokazuje onakvim kakvim bi trebalo neprikladno za, nedokazano, lažno, pokvareno Novi američki standard prevodi riječ "Adokimos" kao "iskvaren", dakle "pokvaren um", um koji je postao niži od svog izvornog dizajna. Naravno, Jahve je znao točan trenutak kada su Adam i Eva otkazali poslušnost; ništa Mu nije skriveno. Dakle, u trenutku neposluha, imamo razloga vjerovati da ih je Jahve okrenuo pokvarenom umu, tako da su, kao rezultat toga, osjetili sramotu. Kao takvo, u Rimljanima 1:28, nalazimo stanje čovječanstva u Adamu, što, što se tiče našeg tijela, uključuje tebe i mene, i svakog drugog Adamovog potomka. To se može vidjeti iz Pavlove izjave u Rimljanima 2:1: “Stoga nemaš isprike, čovječe, tko god da si, koji sudiš. [bilo poganin ili Židov] Jer u onome što drugoga osuđuješ, sebe osuđuješ. Za vas koji sudite prakticirate iste stvari.” U jednom ili drugom trenutku svi smo prakticirali stvari koje ne bismo trebali prakticirati, i bili smo lišeni Božje slave zbog grijeha. (Rimljanima 3:23) Pavao postavlja pozadinu za ono što kasnije predstavlja, kao što kaže: “Prethodno smo optužili i Židove i Grke da su svi pod grijehom.” (Rimljanima 3:9) Cijelo čovječanstvo je pod osudom grijeha, i, zbog toga, je također pretvoreno u um koji je lišen slave Božje, ne uspijevajući dokazati da je onakav kakav bi trebao biti. (Rimljanima 3:23) Ovo uključuje i tebe i mene, i sve ostale koji su potekli od Adama. Rođeni smo u ovom svijetu podložni njegovom sadašnjem suncu uzaludnosti/taštine u nepravednom, krivom stanju. (Propovjednik 1:2,3,13-15; Rimljanima 8:20), pod ropstvom korupcije. — Rimljanima 8:21. Apostol Pavao, govoreći o čovječanstvu predstavljenom u praroditeljima, Adamu i Evi, kaže da “spoznavši Boga, ne proslaviše ga kao Boga niti mu zahvališe, nego postadoše isprazni u svojim rasuđivanjima, i njihovo nerazumno srce potamni. . Izjavljujući se da su mudri, postadoše ludi i zamijeniše slavu neraspadljivog Boga za obličje kipa raspadljivog čovjeka, i ptica, i četveronožaca, i gmizavaca.” (Rimljanima 1:20-22, WEB) Kao rezultat toga, Bog ih je "u požudama njihova srca predao nečistoći" (Rimljanima 1:24, WEB), i tako je Bog podvrgao stvorenje ispraznosti pod ropstvom korupcije , korupcija koja je sada u sadašnjem zlom dobu kroz požudu. — Rimljanima 8:20,21; Galaćanima 1,4; 2. Petrova 1:4.

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Budući da ih je Bog učinio krivim (zbog  Adamovog grijeha), cijelo čovječanstvo umire putem Adamovog grijeha. (Rimljanima 5:12-19; 1. Korinćanima 15:21,22) Prema Propovjedniku 1:15; 7:13, međutim, ono što je Bog učinio krivim, neopravdanim, ne može se ispraviti. Znači li to da uopće nema nade za čovječanstvo, da se cijelo čovječanstvo, iskrivljeno u Adamu, nikada ne može ispraviti? Kao umiranje u Adamu, ovo je istina: nitko se ne može ispraviti, i s tog stajališta, stajališta sadašnjeg sunca i njegove taštine, čitamo izjave u Propovjedniku. Ali Bog je poslao svog sina Isusa da zauzme Adamovo mjesto kao žrtvu pomirnicu (Rimljanima 3:25; 5:12-19; 1. Korinćanima 15:21,22; 1. Timoteju 2:5,6; 1. Ivanova 2:2; 4: 10), i tako on za nas postaje "posljednji Adam" (1. Korinćanima 15:45), sredstvo pomoću kojeg Bog može donijeti preporod čovjeku. (Matej 19:28; Titu 3:5) Dakle, obećanje je o novom suncu, suncu pravde (pravednosti, čistoće), koje izlazi s iscjeljenjem u svojim krilima, kroz koje sve stvari postaju nove. (1. Korinćanima 5:18; 2. Korinćanima 5:17; Otkrivenje 21:5) Ovo novo sunce pravde pružit će novi život, dok pod sadašnjim suncem pokvarenosti/taštine o kojem se govori u Propovjedniku 1:9, nema ničega novi. – –Malahija 4:2. Čovjekova priroda nije bila izvorno grešna. Bog je izvorno stvorio čovjeka s namjerom da bude moralno ispravan, pošten, pravedan, u savršenom skladu [opravdan] s Božjom pravednošću. (Propovjednik 7:9) Nije imao nedostataka u karakteru, ali je njegov karakter bio u savršenom skladu s likom njegovog Stvoritelja. On je bio "ovjenčan slavom" i u to vrijeme nije bio "lišen slave Božje". (Psalam 8:5; Rimljanima 3:23) Ipak, iako je Adam stvoren neiskvaren, bio je potkupljiv, odnosno postojala je mogućnost da postane moralno pokvaren, što je i učinio, te je tako doveo čovječanstvo u “ropstvo korupcija." (Rimljanima 8:21) Tek nakon što je Adam bio neposlušan, služeći stvorenju, a ne Stvoritelju, Bog ih je “predao [čovječanstvo, kao što je predstavljeno u Adamu i Evi] pokvarenom [pokvarenom] umu”. (Rimljanima 1:28) Od tada, čovječanstvo, otuđeno od Boga, po prirodi su djeca neposlušnosti, djeca gnjeva, čije je tijelo po prirodi grešno. — Rimljanima 8:3; Efežanima 2:2,3. Prvi sud nad čovječanstvom predstavljen je u Adamu. Za čovjekovo vlastito dobro i sklad, Bog je dao jednostavnu zapovijed kojom je Adam mogao dokazati svoju odanost, svoju ljubav, svoju poslušnost svom Stvoritelju. Zapovijed je zapravo bila savez s Adamom, a time i Evom. Da su poslušali, mogli bi nastaviti živjeti zauvijek; ako ne poslušaju, umrijet će. Takva bi zapovijed bila potrebna kako bi inteligentno stvorenje, koje je dobilo mogućnost izbora neposlušnosti, priznalo izvor moći, izvor pravednosti, itd. Takva je zapovijed bila potrebna za dobrobit čovječanstva, tako da sklad i mir se mogao održati. Bez takve naredbe, stvorenja sa slobodnom voljom bila bi zauvijek u kaosu, a mnogi bi prisvajali pravo da vladaju nad čovječanstvom. Većina zna biblijsku pripovijest. Jedan od anđela je odlučio da će se uzvisiti da bude "kao Svevišnji" (Izaija 14:14), i predložio je vještičarenje, lukavu (prepredenu) mudrost, putem drugačijeg saveza s Evom, s mišlju da takav neposluh ne bi joj donio smrt, već da bi postala mudra poput ELOHIMA [vjerojatno se misli na anđeoska duhovna bića] ako jede sa stabla, a također i tvrdnjom da ju Stvoritelj vara i čuva od nečega što ona trebao tražiti imati. Tako je nastojao potaknuti želju [požudu -- 1. Petrova 1:4] u Evi za onim protiv čega je Bog zapovjedio. Eva je mogla mnogo toga pomisliti, ali je razmišljala o onome što je zmija rekla, sve dok nije u sebi razvila žudnju da jede taj plod. (Jakovljeva 1:14,15) Eva je jela, misleći pritom da je učinila nešto dobro i da je postala mudra. Izjavljujući se da su mudri, Pavao kaže, postali su budale. — Rimljanima 1:22. Adam je mogao položiti test. Imao je sredstva da prođe. Mogao je poslušati, ali nije imao dovoljno vjere i ljubavi prema svom Stvoritelju. Nije imao dovoljno iskustva. Nije imao dovoljno povjerenja u svog Stvoritelja. Adam je stvoren "dobrim" - u punoj slavi Božjoj sve dok nije odlučio biti neposlušan; kada je Adam bio neposlušan, čovječanstvo je tada postalo “posude gnjeva stvorene za uništenje” (Rimljanima 1:25-31; 9:22), po prirodi su postali “djeca gnjeva,” “sinovi neposluha,” (Efežanima 2:2,3). ) i cijelo čovječanstvo u Adamu lišeno je Božje slave, te su osuđeni kao grešnici i na svoju kaznu u Adamu. —Rimljanima 1:25-31; 3:23; 5:15-19; 1. Korinćanima 15:21,22.

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Pavao ukazuje da je Adam stvoren sa znanjem o "dobru", ali ne i o zlu. On to čini kada govori o poganima, govoreći da oni čine "po prirodi" ono što je predviđeno zakonom, te da su oni primjer zakona koji je zapisan u srcu čovjeka. (Rimljanima 2:14,15) Pavao pokazuje da ovaj zakon zapisan u srcima ljudi koji nemaju Mojsijev zakon služi da ih osudi zbog grijeha, jer kaže: “prije smo optužili i Židove i Grke da svi su pod grijehom.” (Rimljanima 3:9) “jer su svi sagriješili i lišeni su slave Božje.” — Rimljanima 3:23. Adam, iako je bio nepokvaren prije nego što je sagriješio, bio je pokvaren. Adam je postao pokvaren, nepravedan, kriv, neispravan, kada je sagriješio. S druge strane, Isus se kao čovjek pokazao nepotkupljivim; dokazao je svoju ljubav i odanost Bogu bez ikakve sjene sumnje, i tako je obukao neraspadljivost, iznoseći život i neraspadljivost na vidjelo za čovječanstvo. (2. Timoteju 1:10) Kao takav, on je neraspadljivo sjeme, Logos Jahvin koji živi zauvijek (1. Petrova 1:23), jer je Jahve rekao: “Stavit ću svoje riječi u njegova usta, i on će govoriti sve što ću mu zapovjediti." (Ponovljeni zakon 18:15-19) On je sada duh koji daje život i otac ljudskog roda u smislu da je preuzeo Adamovo mjesto kao "posljednji Adam". — 1. Korinćanima 15:45. Kada netko postane Isusov sljedbenik i primi sveti duh, on, na neki način, ima dva uma, pokvareni um tijela još uvijek je s njim, ali kao novo stvorenje u Kristu on također ima um duha. . (Rimljanima 8:5-7; Kološanima 2:18; 3:2) Novo stvorenje, novi čovjek (2. Korinćanima 5:17; Rimljanima 4:24; 6:6; Efežanima 4:22; Kološanima 3:9, 10) je hodanje za duhom, a ne za grešnim tijelom. Usprkos tome, odvija se bitka umova, da li biti podložan umu duha, ili treba biti podložan umu tijela, tjelesnog uma. (Rimljanima 6:19; 8:6,7; 1. Korinćanima 3:1,3; 4; 2. Korinćanima 10:4) To je novo stvorenje, novi čovjek, s umom duha, a ne tijelom od mesa. sa svojim pokvarenim umom, koji Bog prepoznaje i s njim se nosi, iako Isusova krv pokriva grijehe tijela, čijom se smrću stari čovjek računa kao mrtav, to je novo stvorenje koje je živo, a novo stvorenje se očekuje vladati tijelom od mesa i njegovim pokvarenim željama. —Rimljanima 6:6,11; 1. Korinćanima 6,20; 2. Korinćanima 5,10; Galaćanima 2:19,20; Kološanima 3:3-5. Međutim, Bog je svoje ljudsko stvorenje podvrgao ropstvu pokvarenosti, pokvarenosti (suprotno od opravdanog), ispraznosti i uzaludnosti, kako bi se lekcije takve podložnosti naučile jednom za sva vremena, ali ne bez nade. (Propovjednik 1:2,13; Rimljanima 8:20,21) Kako ovo ne bi dugo trajalo, sažet ću govoreći da biblijski izvještaj otkriva da je Bog stvorio čovjeka bezgrešnim i čestitim, zemaljsku sliku samog sebe; da je čovjek tražio razne izume i oskvrnio se (Postanak 1,27; Rimljanima 5,12; Propovjednik 7,29); da svi kao grešnici, rasa nije bila u stanju pomoći sama sebi, i nitko ni na koji način nije mogao otkupiti svog brata ili dati Bogu otkupninu za njega (Psalam 49:7,15); da je Jahve u suosjećanju i ljubavi to učinio; da je prema tome Sin Božji postao čovjekom i dao čovjeku otkupnu cijenu; da je, kao nagrada za ovu žrtvu, i kako bi veliko djelo pomirenja bilo dovršeno, bio visoko uzdignut, čak na razinu iznad anđela; i da će u dogledno vrijeme dovesti do obnove rase do izvornog savršenstva i do svakog blagoslova koji je tada posjedovao. Ove stvari su jasno naučene u Svetom pismu, od početka do kraja, ali ova tema se ponavlja s različitih gledišta nekoliko puta u Pavlovoj poslanici Rimljanima, i dobro se uklapa u sadašnje sunce pod kojim imamo taštinu, pokvarenost, nepravdu, tog Salomona govori u knjizi Propovjednika, u suprotnosti s obećanim suncem pravde (pravo, pravedno), o čemu je govorio Malahija. — Malahija 4:2.

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Genesis 3:22 – Like One of Us, Knowing Good and Evil

Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” — Genesis 3:22, World English Bible translation.

The claim is made that in this verse Yahweh God declares himself as “US” and not “me” and that this verse shows that God had known by experience good and evil and is not one person, and thus corroborates the trinitarian claim that Yahweh is three persons. The question is raised: Who are the “us” and how is that man is ashamed in knowing that good and evil is an attribute of God?

There were, of course, others with Yahweh in the spirit realm at the time of the creation of man. One of these spirit beings had become evil in heart, and acted upon that evil by communicating through the serpent in order to get Eve to disobey God. Therefore, the knowledge of evil was known in the spirit realm before it was known to Adam and Eve. — Isaiah 14:12,13; Revelation 12:9.

We can also scripturally reason that Yahweh knew intuitively of the principle of evil before anyone ever disobeyed, or before any moral evil had come about. The very fact that He gave a command concerning eating of the tree(s) of the knowledge of good and evil shows this, for if He did not have such intuitive knowledge, why would he have provided such (a) tree(s) and have given a command concerning such that He Himself had no knowledge? — Genesis 2:9,17.

Yahweh himself, however, has never had an experiential knowledge of moral evil. God, to this day, has not, nor will He ever have such an experience with evil. “God can’t be tempted with [moral] evil.” (James 1:13) Habakkuk 1:13 tells us of Yahweh: “You who have purer eyes than to see [moral] evil, and who cannot look on perversity.” And we read: “Yahweh is righteous in all his ways.” — Psalm 145:17.

The prehuman Logos of God (Revelation 19:13), was also there, being in the form [external appearance] of theos (John 1:1,2; Philippians 2:6), having a glory with the only true God before the world of mankind was made, and would have known of the disobedient one and thus had knowledge of Satan’s evil by observation. —John 17:1,3,5.

The matter of their shame is a little different, however, than just knowing of good and bad, but their shame is not concerning an alleged recognition that God has an attribute of knowing good and evil. The scriptures show that they became ashamed because of their own disobedience, and as a result of thier own experientially knowing evil in their act of disobedience. Paul’s letter to the Romans deals with the bondage of corruption and the subjection to futility that came upon mankind due to Adam’s sin, and corresponds well with the description of fallen man as given by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. We can start by looking at:

Romans 1:28 – Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting. — World English Bible translation.

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Paul shows that Adam and Eve had a knowledge of God; they knew God (Romans 1:21), but they failed to give him glory for what he had done, and they did not prove themselves thankful to the One who given them life and the good that they enjoyed. Instead of serving the Creator, Eve served the serpent by obeying the serpent; Adam, in turned served Eve instead of the Creator. They disobeyed the One they should have shown supreme love and obedience to, and as a result God gave them up to a reprobate mind.

The Greek word from which the word “reprobate” is translated is Adokimos. This word means:

not standing the test, not approved properly
used of metals and coins
that which does not prove itself such as it ought
unfit for, unproved, spurious, reprobate

The New American Standard renders the word “Adokimos” as “depraved,” thus a “depraved mind,” a mind that has become lowered from its original design.

Of course, Yahweh knew the exact moment that Adam and Eve disobeyed; nothing is hidden from Him. Thus, at the moment of disobedience, we have reason to believe that Yahweh turned them over to a reprobate mind, so that, as a result, they felt shame.

As such, in Romans 1:28, we find the the condition of mankind in Adam, which, as far as our flesh is concerned, includes you and I, and every other descendant of Adam. This can be seen from Paul’s statement in Romans 2:1: “Therefore you are without excuse, man, whoever you are who judge. [whether Gentile or Jew] For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.” At one time or another we all have practiced the things that we should not practice, and have fallen short of the glory of God due to sin. (Romans 3:23) Paul is laying the background for what he presents later, as he states: “We previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) All mankind are under the condemnation of sin, and, and because of such, have been turned over to a mind also that falls short of the glory of God, falling short of proving itself to be as it ought to be. (Romans 3:23) This includes both you and I, and everyone else who has descended from Adam. We are born into this world under the subjection to its present sun of futility/vanity in an unjust, crooked, condition. (Ecclesiastes 1:2,3,13-15; Romans 8:20), under the bondage of corruption. — Romans 8:21.

The apostle Paul, speaking of mankind as represented in the first parents, Adam and Eve, says that “knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:20-22, WEB) As a result, God “gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness” (Romans 1:24, WEB), and thus God subjected the creation to vanity under the bondage of corruption, the corruption that is now in the present evil age through lust. — Romans 8:20,21; Galatians 1:4; 2 Peter 1:4.

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Being made crooked by God (due to  the sin of Adam), all mankind are dying by means of Adam’s sin. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22) According toEcclesiastes 1:15; 7:13, however, that which God has made crooked, unjustified, cannot be made straight. Does this mean that there is no hope at all for mankind, that all mankind, made crooked in Adam, can never be made straight? As dying in Adam, this is true: none can be made straight, and it from this standpoint, the standpoint of the present sun and its vanity, that we read the statements in Ecclesiastes. But God sent his son Jesus to take Adam’s place as an atoning sacrifice (Romans 3:25; 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 2:2; 4:10), and thus he becomes to us the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), the means by which God can bring regeneration to man. (Matthew 19:28;Titus 3:5) Thus, the promise is of a new sun, a sun of righteousness (justness, straightness), who arises with healing in his wings, through whom all things are made new. (1 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5) This new sun of righteousness will provide new life, whereas under the present sun of crookedness/vanity that is spoken of in Ecclesiastes 1:9, there is nothing new. – –Malachi 4:2.

Man’s nature was not originally sinful. God originally made man with a design to be morally upright, straight, righteous, in perfect alignment [justified] with God’s righteousness. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) He had no flawed character, but his character was in perfect accord with likeness of his Creator. He was “crowned with glory”, and had not at that time fallen “short of the glory of God.” (Psalm 8:5; Romans 3:23) Nevertheless, although Adam was created incorrupt, he was corruptible, that is, there was a possibility of his becoming morally corrupt, which he did, and thus he brought mankind into a “bondage of corruption.” (Romans 8:21) It is only after Adam disobeyed, in serving the creature rather than the Creator, that God “gave them [mankind, as represented in Adam and Eve] up to a reprobate [depraved] mind.” (Romans 1:28) Ever since then, mankind, alienated from God, are, by nature, children of disobedience, children of wrath, whose flesh by nature is sinful. — Romans 8:3; Ephesisans 2:2,3.

The first judgment upon mankind was represented in Adam. For man’s own good and harmony, God gave a simple command by which Adam could prove his loyalty, his love, his obedience to his Creator. The command, in effect, was a covenant with Adam, and by extension, Eve. Had they obeyed, they could continued to live on forever; if they disobeyed, they would die. Such a command would be needed in order for the intelligent creature, having been given the ability to choose to disobey, to acknowledge the source of power, the source of righteousness, etc. Such a command was necessary for mankind’s own good, so that harmony and peace could be maintained. Without such a command, creatures with freewill would be forever in chaos, with many claiming the right to rule over mankind.

Most know the Bible narrative. One of the angels decided that he would exalt himself to be “like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14), and proposed witchcraft, cunning (crafty) wisdom, by means of a different covenant with Eve, with the thought that such disobedience would not bring her death, but that she would become wise like the ELOHIM [probably referring to the angelic spirit beings] if she ate of the tree, and also with the claim that the Creator was deceiving her, and keeping her from something that she should be seeking to have. Thus he sought to promote a desire [lust -- 1 Peter 1:4] in Eve for that which God had commanded against. Eve could have thought many things, but she pondered over what the serpent had told, until she developed in herself the lust to eat that fruit. (James 1:14,15) Eve ate, thinking thereby that she had done something good, and had become wise. Professing to be wise, Paul says, they became fools. —Romans 1:22.

Adam could have passed the test. He had the means to pass. He could have chosen to obey, but he didn’t have enough faith and love for his Creator. He didn’t have enough experience. He didn’t have enough confidence in his Creator. Adam was created “good” — in the full glory of God until he chose to disobey; when Adam disobeyed, mankind then became “vessels of wrath made for destruction” (Romans 1:25-31; 9:22), became by nature “children of wrath,” “sons of disobedience,” (Ephesians 2:2,3) and all mankind in Adam fell short of the glory of God, and are condemned as sinners and to its penalty in Adam. —Romans 1:25-31; 3:23; 5:15-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22.

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Paul indicates that Adam was created with a knowledge of “good,” but not evil. He does this when speaking of the Gentiles, saying that they do “by nature” the things of the law, and that they are example of the law being written in the heart of man. (Romans 2:14,15) Paul is showing that this law written in the hearts of man who do not have the Law of Moses serves to condemn them because of sin, for he says: “we previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23.

Adam, although he was incorrupt before he sinned, was corruptible. Adam became corrupt, unjust, crooked, unstraight, when he sinned. On the other hand, Jesus, as a man, proved himself incorruptible; he proved his love and loyalty to God beyond any shadow of a doubt, and thus he put on incorruption, bringing life and incorruption to light for mankind. (2 Timothy 1:10) As such, he is the incorruptible seed, the Logos of Yahweh who lives forever (1 Peter 1:23), for Yahweh said: ” I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) He is now the life-giving spirit, and father to the human race in the sense of his taking Adam’s place as the “last Adam.” — 1 Corinthians 15:45.

When one becomes a follower of Jesus, and receives the holy spirit, he, in a sense, has two minds, the depraved mind of the flesh is still with him, but as a new creature in Christ he also has the mind of the spirit. (Romans 8:5-7;Colossians 2:18; 3:2) The new creature, the new man (2 Corinthians 5:17;Romans 4:24; 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9,10) is walking after the spirit, not the sinful flesh. Nevertheless, a battle of the minds takes place, whether to be in subjection to the mind of the spirit, or whether to be subjection to the mind of the flesh, carnally minded. (Romans 6:19; 8:6,7; 1 Corinthians 3:1,3;4; 2 Corinthians 10:4) It is the new creature, the new man, with the mind of the spirit, not the body of flesh with its depraved mind, that God recognizes and deals with, although the blood of Jesus covers the sins of the flesh, by whose death the old man is reckoned as dead, it is the new creature that is alive, and the new creature is expected to rule over the body of flesh and its depraved desires. —Romans 6:6,11; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 2:19,20;Colossians 3:3-5.

However, God subjected his human creation to a bondage of corruption, crookedness (the opposite of justified), vanity, and futility, that the lessons of such a subjection might be learned once for all time, but not without hope. (Ecclesiastes 1:2,13; Romans 8:20,21) To keep this from getting too long, I will sum up by saying that the Bible account reveals that God created man sinless and upright, an earthly image of himself; that man sought out various inventions and defiled himself (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12; Ecclesiastes 7:29); that all being sinners, the race was unable to help itself, and none could by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him (Psalm 49:7,15); that Yahweh in compassion and love had made provision for this; that accordingly, the Son of God became a man, and gave mans ransom-price; that, as a reward for this sacrifice, and in order for the great work of atonement to be completed, he was highly exalted, even to a plane above the angels; and that in due time he will bring to pass a restoration of the race to the original perfection and to every blessing then possessed. These things are clearly taught in the Scriptures, from beginning to end, but this theme is reiterated from different standpoints several times in Paul’s letter to the Romans, and harmonizes well upon the present sun under which we have vanity, crookedness, injustice, that Solomon spoke of in the book of Ecclesiastes, as contrasted with the promised sun of righteousness (straightness, just), as Malachi spoke of. — Malachi 4:2.

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