- Mar 9, 2019
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I still don't think you have grasped the problem in this situation.Actually this does. Although Adam and Eve were sinless, they had the capacity to sin. One important observation that bears on the temptation in the garden, is the fact that they yeilded so easily. We might argue that their innocence is what made them so vulnerable to the serpent's enticement. But Eve's errant rebuttal reveals that perhaps they were not so innocent. Her response implies at least two things. One is that she forgot what God told them. Her other implication is that God is unreasonable.
This points to a potential neglect of faithfulness to God on Eve's part and perhaps Adam's as well as her spiritual leader.
This neglect is a principle that is manifested in all people when it comes temptation leading up to sin. It begins subtly with small compromises. When considering God's government over that awful event in the garden, we must take into account Adam and Eve's culpability. For without that, there would have been no capacity to sin, all external influences notwithstanding.
As far as the question of what measures God used, we are seeking to reach for something that transcends there mere event given in Genesis 3.
If Adam had the ability to freely choose to eat, or not eat, he would have total culpability. However, you keep skipping over the most important detail of this situation; that being the decree of God for Adam to eat. Since God is sovereign, and (according to Calvinism) God (the Alpha power) decreed that Adam (the Beta power) would eat. Hence, it was therefore impossible for Adam to NOT eat.
Let me give you an illustration to explain the problem Calvinism had created through this determinative decree by God, concerning Adam.
Illustration:
When electricity comes from the power company into a house, it goes to the "main" breaker. (This would be our Alpha power.)
From the main breaker, power is then directed to smaller breakers. (These would be Beta power)
When the main breaker is closed (On), power continues to the smaller breakers. As long as the main breaker is On, power can then be controlled by either opening, or closing, the Beta power supply.
However, if the the main (Alpha) breaker is open, (Off), no power continues to the Beta breaker, and it cannot supply power in either position.
By limiting (or stopping) the power at the Alpha power, the Beta position has no power period.
When (according to Calvinism) God decreed Adam to eat, He limited Adam's ability to NOT eat. The Beta power can never override the Alpha power, but the Alpha power can dictate the ability of the Beta power, simply by removing the power for the Beta power to operate in a manner other than it's desired purpose.
By God decreeing Adam to eat, Adam did not have the ability to NOT eat for ever. God (according to Calvinism) decreed, and determined exactly when, and how Adam would eat, in order to fulfill the decree of God.
This was a premeditated act on the part of God to insure that Adam would transgress. In a court of law this is known as "Common Purpose". When God decreed Adam to eat, and determined the place, and persons involved in getting Adam to eat, being the Alpha power, had control over the entire event. According to law, the doctrine of common purpose, common design, joint enterprise, or joint criminal enterprise is acommon-law legal doctrine that imputes criminal liability to the participants in a criminal enterprise for all that results from that enterprise.
In this case, (according to Calvinism) God (the Alpha power) decreed, and determined the event which occurred in the Garden of Eden, while Adam (the Beta power) had no idea that his actions had already been both decreed, and then determined in every detail. Adam was the lesser agent, who, according to Calvinism acted freely, even though he had no actual ability to do other than what he did, because the lesser Beta agent, can not ever override the greater Alpha agent.
Hence, since God did in fact control the actions of Adam, God legally must share in the culpability of the actions Adam performed. This is called, guilt by proxy.
Once again, I must be clear, this is not my position; but Calvinism does teach that God 1) did sovereignty decree Adam to transgress; and then 2) determine the actions of Adam, Eve, and the serpent (Satan). Therefore, God did participate in the actions of Adam by proxy, and therefore is culpable by common purpose, or principle.
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