Why Did God Want Adam and Eve to Not Have Knowledge of Evil?

Dorothy Mae

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?
He wanted them to have that understanding by choosing good in the moment of choice.
 
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ReuleauxMan

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?

It seems Adam and Eve must have had minds that were non-dualistic, not capable of conceiving opposites of good and evil, this and that, etc., and flesh that was not corrupted by sin but pure and good and so did not provide itself temptation. God is Holy and hates evil, so without Adam and Eve being able to even fathom or recognize evil, they could do no evil except eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

After eating the fruit, instead of being in a pure state of blissful innocence doing only what is in line with the Will of God, they were capable of being lords of their own lives, calling their own shots and "going to the beat of their own drum" instead of being "slaves" to the goodness in them that afterwards was corrupted. They were stewards of God's Will but afterwards became stewards of their own selves. God did not design them, or their descendants, to handle the knowledge of good and evil and be capable of leading perfect sin-free lives with that new mind. So sinning for them and the human race was inevitable once they ate the fruit.

After eating the fruit, not only were they capable of apprehending, "if this is good to think or do then I automatically know its evil opposite," also, their sin-corrupted flesh compelled them and the human race to sin with lustful desires (see 1 John 2:16, "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].") The Amplified Bible. (1987). (1 Jn 2:16). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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The first sin is the trap of duality-good and evil, flesh and spirit, God and Nature. We see division where in fact there is only One, the One Soul in All.

It's actually a very profound story.
Are we also seeing division where in fact there is none in the concepts of left versus right, up versus down, east versus west?
 
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Shiningstar89

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This is actually one question I've had in the back of my mind for years. One would think that to better appreciate goodness and holiness, one must also experience or know what evil is. It's like light and dark -- we really can't have one without the other because they are essentially defined by what they are not, if that makes sense.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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This is actually one question I've had in the back of my mind for years. One would think that to better appreciate goodness and holiness, one must also experience or know what evil is. It's like light and dark -- we really can't have one without the other because they are essentially defined by what they are not, if that makes sense.
I’ve heard this argument before and I think it’s not correct. Light, for example, is not the absenden of dark. It is itself energy and needs no counter to be understood. It pushes out darkness. Darkness cannot extinguish light.

Good does not need evil to be understood. One doesn’t need to be hated to know what being loved is like. One needn’t experience abuse to know what being cared for is like. One doesn’t learn how dark doing is evil is by doing it. Doing Evil removes understanding, not increasing it. Doing good increases understanding.
 
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Hawkins

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?

Instead of teaching them what murder is, what raping is etc. the best way to protect them from Law is to keep them as innocent as possible, that is, "not to know good from evil". Satan exploited into this to tempt them to sin. Since then we have to know good from evil as we are not under the direct protection of God and no longer inside God's realm. In this realm we are told that Satan is the god of this world.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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Instead of teaching them what murder is, what raping is etc. the best way to protect them from Law is to keep them as innocent as possible, that is, "not to know good from evil". Satan exploited into this to tempt them to sin. Since then we have to know good from evil as we are not under the direct protection of God and no longer inside God's realm. In this realm we are told that Satan is the god of this world.
I actually think the best way to impart an understanding of moral right and wrong is to choose right when tempted to do wrong.
 
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Hawkins

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I actually think the best way to impart an understanding of moral right and wrong is to choose right when tempted to do wrong.

Genesis is more about what Law could mean. It is put in a story form in order to be a true account of human testimony as humans have no ability to convey a theory. Ancient history all turned to myths in today's world. Ancient humans can only keep stories till written form of history emerged and especially after the invention of paper.

That said. God's Law before the creation of humans is for angels to obey. After creating humans the same Law retains and applicable to all kinds of creations including humans. The factor introduced by Satan is that the more capable and more intelligent angels can have an influence on the less capable humans. This influence will inevitably results the fall of humans as humans are futile in front of angels' manipulation. Satan is to screw God's plan by causing all humans to fall such that humans as a creation cannot set foot on the soil of the final Heaven (Law and Judgment of Law is for the qualifying of entities to enter this final Heaven).

This is the big picture. God chose the best way to protect humans from the action of Law while Satan tried his best to cause all humans to fall in front of Law. That's what Genesis would like to said (one of the many folds). This however can only be conveyed in story form by the incapable humans.
 
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Dorothy Mae

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Genesis is more about what Law could mean. It is put in a story form in order to be a true account of human testimony as humans have no ability to convey a theory. Ancient history all turned to myths in today's world. Ancient humans can only keep stories till written form of history emerged and especially after the invention of paper.

That said. God's Law before the creation of humans is for angels to obey. After creating humans the same Law retains and applicable to all kinds of creations including humans. The factor introduced by Satan is that the more capable and more intelligent angels can have an influence on the less capable humans. This influence will inevitably results the fall of humans as humans are futile in front of angels' manipulation. Satan is to screw God's plan by causing all humans to fall such that humans as a creation cannot set foot on the soil of the final Heaven (Law and Judgment of Law is for the qualifying of entities to enter this final Heaven).

This is the big picture. God chose the best way to protect humans from the action of Law while Satan tried his best to cause all humans to fall in front of Law. That's what Genesis would like to said (one of the many folds). This however can only be conveyed in story form by the incapable humans.
Hard to know where to begin. First, historical accounts as well as
untrue accounts were recorded in stone before paper.

Second I work in science and humans are very capable of conveying theory.

Third “ancient history” never becomes myth unless man decides not to believe it anymore. History doesn’t become myth (untrue.)
 
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ToBeLoved

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Disobeying God might be considered evil by some. Certainly sinning, which is usually equated with evil. So we do know that prior to eating from the tree, they had the capacity to sin or do evil. Some suggest that the tree may not have had any special qualities at all and was simply a test. It's interesting to think about.
How would it not be considered evil when this is how sin and death, as well as separation from God occurred because of this.

Adam and Eve walked with God before the fall.
 
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ToBeLoved

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Genesis is more about what Law could mean. It is put in a story form in order to be a true account of human testimony as humans have no ability to convey a theory. Ancient history all turned to myths in today's world. Ancient humans can only keep stories till written form of history emerged and especially after the invention of paper.

That said. God's Law before the creation of humans is for angels to obey. After creating humans the same Law retains and applicable to all kinds of creations including humans. The factor introduced by Satan is that the more capable and more intelligent angels can have an influence on the less capable humans. This influence will inevitably results the fall of humans as humans are futile in front of angels' manipulation. Satan is to screw God's plan by causing all humans to fall such that humans as a creation cannot set foot on the soil of the final Heaven (Law and Judgment of Law is for the qualifying of entities to enter this final Heaven).

This is the big picture. God chose the best way to protect humans from the action of Law while Satan tried his best to cause all humans to fall in front of Law. That's what Genesis would like to said (one of the many folds). This however can only be conveyed in story form by the incapable humans.
This is not a Biblical account.
No where in the Bible does it say or indicate that the Laws of God that were given by God to mankind has anything to do with what God indicated to angels or other principalities.
This is not correct
 
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TedT

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?

Adam and Eve had to have had an understanding of the difference between good and evil, especially after the command was given where they had to apply this knowledge. To make a free will decision they had to know the reported consequences of each option but without proof which would coerce their choice and destroy their free will in that decision.

But there is a great difference between knowing about something or someone and knowing it experientially. This is exemplified by Christ's claim to never have known some who were supposedly serving Him though He knew them implicitly as their creator.

To eat of wisdom, folly or revelation is a common biblical metaphor from its start to its finish. It means to ingest the ideology and thus make it your own. This refers to moving from an understanding about the topic to a deep internal acceptance of it.

So it is clear that though they did understand intellectually what GOD meant by good and evil, they were being warned not to prove HIS definitions of them by choosing to know by experience the difference between them, ie not to choose evil by rebellion.
 
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Gene Parmesan

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How would it not be considered evil when this is how sin and death, as well as separation from God occurred because of this.

Adam and Eve walked with God before the fall.
That was the question I was originally asking. Was the choice to disobey evil? If so, they were capable of committing evil prior to eating the fruit.
 
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Confused-by-christianity

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That was the question I was originally asking. Was the choice to disobey evil? If so, they were capable of committing evil prior to eating the fruit.
I don't know who Adam and Eve were, where the real story came from or what the original versions would have read. I'm not even sure I understand the point properly. I tend to think the following:
a) Not sure I believe all that "fall of man" stuff.
b) Not sure I believe the bible literally as some do.

I think i use the bible as something of an instrument to help me spiritually find God, find wisdom, look to it for stories about Jesus, insights into love/spiritual matters etc. I wouldnt say I naturally just believe the exact story of adam and eve.

Probably - lots of people would say I'm not a christian if they knew that about me.

What do you think the story is?
 
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mmksparbud

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?


Would you want your children to know about evil? Why? Evil is ugly. and lies. God only wanted us to know beauty, and truth. We only want what is best and good for our children.
 
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mmksparbud

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That was the question I was originally asking. Was the choice to disobey evil? If so, they were capable of committing evil prior to eating the fruit.


They were given free will. Without free will, it is not love, it is force, it is slavery. Love can only exist when it can be freely given. Otherwise, it is slavery.
 
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zoidar

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I don't know if this is what is supposed to be interpreted in Genesis. But if it is, why did god not want Adam and Eve to have knowledge of Evil?

I understand it as having knowledge by personal experience of evil, iow to get a fallen nature.
 
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