God's purpose in creation - ancient Christian doctrines in ancient texts

[Clearly]

There are many, modern Christian theories regarding God's purpose in creation including the fall of Adam. Even Historical Restorationists, interested in a return to early Christian doctrines regarding Adam will have difficulties BECAUSE of those many competing voices and multiple competing traditions.

Regardless, I do not believe any “modern” Christian models or theories are any clearer, nor more logical nor have any other advantage over the earliest Judao-christian doctrines and beliefs regarding Adam and Eve and the “fall of mankind”. I think the early Judao-Christian doctrines have many profound contextual advantages over modern theories. For example, consider the fall of Adam and Eve if one simply adds two simple, but important ancient contexts.


The first principle is reflected by the Prophet Sedrach’s observation to God the Father that : “It was by your will that Adam was deceived, my master” (The Apocalypse of Sedrach 5:1-7). The second principle was the early doctrine that Adam partook of the “TREE OF WISDOM” (1st Enoch 32:3-6). It was not simply the tree of "knowledge”.

The implications of both ancient principles was the basis of an entirely different paradigm. Combined and paraphrased, this ancient doctrine was : “IT WAS ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL THAT ADAM ACQUIRED WISDOM”.


Just as the origin of Satan is not to be understood outside of pre-mortal Christian theology, I do not think the fall of Adam can be well understood without considering the ancient doctrine of Pre-mortality; what God was attempting to do with Adam (and the rest of us) and the role of gaining moral wisdom in God’s plan for mankind. I believe that a correlation of the ancient texts could help us understand the early Christian concept that “It was according to God’s will that Adam acquired wisdom”.




A) PRE-CREATION CONDITIONS RELATING TO ADAM - “GOD WAS IN THE MIDST OF SPIRITS”

According to this early Christian doctrine, before the creation of this world, God was in the midst of spirits. Early textual testimonies describe innumerable spirits existing in “heaven” before creation and, they describe what God intended to do with these innumerable spirits. Regarding pre-creation heaven, Enoch records :

"No one could come near unto him [God the Father] from among those that surrounded the tens of millions (that stood) before him". (1 En 14:23)

Enoch continues :

"I saw a hundred thousand times a hundred thousand, ten million times ten million, an innumerable and uncountable (multitude) who stand before the glory of the Lord of the Spirits". (1 Enoch 40:1-2)"

In this ancient doctrine, God was in the midst of spirits of all the spirits who ever lived or will live on this earth. The spirit that was to be clothed in Adam’s body was among these spirits. Jewish haggadah relates :

“...With the soul of Adam the souls of all the generations of men were created. They are stored up in a promptuary, in the seventh of the heavens, whence they are drawn as they are needed for human body after human body.” (The Haggadah (The Soul of Man)

The pre-mortal Jesus is among these spirits as well. Enoch describes his vision of seeing the pre-mortal Jesus with the Father. Upon seeing these two individuals, Enoch asks who this individual (the pre-mortal Jesus) was and what role he had in the Father's Plan :

"At that place, I saw the Beginning of days [i.e. the Father] And his head was white like wool, and there was with him another individual, whose face was like that of a human being. His countenance was full of grace like that of one among the holy angels. And I asked the one – from among the angels –who was going with me,..."Who is this and from where could he be, and for what reason does he go with him who precedes time?" And he answered me and said to me, "This is the Son of Man, to whom belongs righteousness, and with whom righteousness dwells...the Lord of the spirits has chosen him, and he is destined to be victorious before the Lord of the spirits in eternal uprightness...." (1 Enoch 46:1-4)

The fact that the original plan called for a savior to redeem meant that it was known from the very beginning that man would both fall and need a redeemer to save them from the fall. Early texts such as Jewish Zohar confirm this doctrine that it was known from the beginning that some of these spirits would do evil (and thus a redemptive mechanism was going to be needed) :

"At the time that the Holy One, be blessed, was about to create the world, he decided to fashion all the souls which would in due course be dealt out to the children of men, .... Scrutinizing each, he saw that among them some would fall into evil ways in the world. ” (The Zohar - The Destiny of the Soul)

Regarding the doctrine that “IT WAS ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL THAT ADAM ACQUIRED WISDOM”

B) GOD THE FATHER’S PLAN FOR MANKIND - “TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THINGS”

If the early Christians were correct that spirits existed prior to creation, then one may ask what a moral and loving God would plan regarding these spirits?

The ancient Jewish doctrine that God had instituted a divine plan is interwoven into multiple texts :

"Before all things came to be, he [God] has ordered all their designs" (Dead Sea Scrolls 4Q255-264)

“....I (the Father), in the midst of the light (glory), moved around in the invisible things, like one of them, as the sun moves around from east to west and from west to east. But the sun has rest; yet I did not find rest, because everything was not yet created. And I thought up the idea of establishing a foundation, to create a visible creation." (2nd Enoch 24:4)

The Prophet Enoch describes the earliest stages of God’s plan before it was known among the heavenly host :

"for not even to my angels have I explained my secrets, nor related to them their origin, nor my endless and inconceivable creation which I conceived." (2nd Enoch 24:3)

However, in this ancient Christian model, once God sets in motion his great plan, God seems to take great care in both the planning of and in ensuring the deep involvement of the Heavenly Hosts (for whose benefit the plan existed).


Early records also describe the great authority and various roles the pre-mortal Jesus fulfilled in administrating much of the Father’s plan from early on (God’s "right hand" was one of the Pre-Creation Jesus’ appellations). For example, Diognetus relates :

"And when he (God) revealed it (his plan) through his beloved Child and made known the things prepared from the beginning, he gave us to share in his benefits and to see and understand things which none of [us] ever would have expected.” (Diog 301:8-11)

Such early Christian texts explain that the purpose of the plan was to “share in the benefits and see and understand things”; i.e. to gain wisdom. This is the very thing Adam and Eve sought to gain FROM the tree of wisdom.

If the gaining of wisdom WAS the very thing God wanted to share with man, then it was as much a Jewish doctrine as a Christian one. In fact, the dead sea scrolls celebrate God’s giving of knowledge and understanding (wisdom) to Adam :

“…You have done wonders of old, and awesome deeds long ago. You fashioned Adam, our father, in the image of Your glory; You breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and filled him with understanding and knowledge. You set him to rule over the garden of Eden that you had planted…and to walk about in a glorious land…” (Dead Sea Scrolls - The words of the heavenly lights - 4Q504 - 506)

In explaining Adam’s assignment upon the earth, God says of the pre-eminent Adam :

“...(as my) image he knows the word like (no) other....11 and on the earth I assigned him to be a second angel, honored and great and glorious. 12 And I assigned him to be a king, to reign on the earth, and to have my wisdom. “ (2nd Enoch 30:10-12)

God continues explaining to Enoch regarding Adam :

“And there was nothing comparable to him on the earth, even among my creatures that exist.... I gave him his free will; and I pointed out to him the two ways –light and darkness. And I said to him, ‘this is good for you, but that is bad’.... “ (2nd Enoch 30:13-15)

The text continues on to explain reasons WHY God wanted to give Adam (and all of the rest of us) knowledge and wisdom :

“...so that it might become plain who among his race loves me. 16 Whereas I have come to know his nature, he does not know his own nature. That is why ignorance is more lamentable than the sin such as it is in him to sin.” (2nd Enoch 30:15-17)

There was something even “more lamentable” about an eternal existence in moral ignorance and social unrest than a temporary and limited sin IF it contributed to mankind acquiring moral wisdom sufficient to live in eternal social joy and harmony. The texts also make clear that mankind had to understand moral law BEFORE mankind could understand EITHER moral reward OR moral punishment BASED on moral law. When the Prophet Baruch complains about apparent inconsistencies in reward and punishment in mortality, God explains the principle underlying this moral education. God tells Baruch :

“... your judgment about the evils which befell those who sin is incorrect. ... ....listen and I shall speak to you; pay attention and I shall let my words be heard. It is true that man would not have understood my judgment if he had not received the law and if he were not instructed with understanding. But now, because he trespassed, having understanding, he will be punished because he has understanding. And with regard to the righteous ones,... this world is to them a struggle and an effort with much trouble. And that according which will come, a crown with great glory.” (The Apocalypse of Baruch 15:1 and 5-7)

If man was not educated regarding good and evils they do, they would not understand the rewards nor the punishments that follow moral actions nor would they have understood the ultimate justice of God’s judgment.

The Zohar explains this doctrine of moral education of spirits leaving heaven for earth for a short time, to become educated, only to return to heaven.

“It may be wondered, if they are thus preeminent on both sides, why do they descend to this world only to be taken thence at some future time? “This may be explained by way of a simile: A king has a son whom he sends to a village to be educated until he shall have been initiated into the ways of the palace. When the king is informed that his son is now come to maturity, the king, out of his love, sends the matron his mother to bring him back into the palace, and there the king rejoices with him every day.....” (THE ZOHAR - A SEAL UPON YOUR HEART)

I’ll have to continue tomorrow if I can find time - I’ve run out of time tonight

Clearly

 

[Clearly]

POST TWO



(“IT WAS ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL THAT ADAM ACQUIRED WISDOM&#8221

C) THE UNITING OF ADAM’S BODY AND SPIRIT WAS AN INAUGURATION OF GOD’S PLAN ON EARTH

According to the early Judo-Christian textual themes, after enduring some controversy (e.g. the war in heaven - descriptions of which are themselves, wonderful reading), the plan of the Father progressed through the creation of the various planets and the preparation of the earth all of which were created in preparation for the placing of mankind on the earth. After the great preparations were made, the appointed time of inauguration of mankind upon the earth with Adam takes place. Multiple texts describe this time period in great detail. The texts describe a time of great excitement as Adam’s body is created and Adam’s spirit is placed into his body to become a “living” (embodied/incarnated) being, and since Adam was created in the image and appearance of God, Adam is beautiful and honored.




D) EMBODIED ADAM IS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD THE FATHER

In Christian Bartholomew, God tells Michael

"Bring me earth...And when Michael had brought them to him, he formed Adam in the east, and gave form to the shapeless earth, and stretched sinews and veins, and united everything into a harmonious whole. And he showed him reverence for his own sake because he was in his image. And Michael also [honored] him. (The Gospel of Bartholomew Ch IV)

Christian Abbaton describes the event similarly :

"And He put breath into him in this way : “He (God) breathed into his (Adams) nostrils the breath of life three times, saying, “Live! Live! Live! According to the type of My Divinity.” And the man lived straightway, and became a living soul, according to the image and likeness of God. And when Adam had risen up he cast himself down before [My] father, saying, “My Lord and my God! Thou hast made me to come into being [from a state in which] I did not exist.”Thereupon My Father set him upon a great throne, and he placed on his head a crown of glory, and he put a royal scepter [in his hand] (Discourse on Abbaton)

Many ancient Christian records describe the great and wonderful beauty of Adam, in his immortal state. The Christian Cave of Treasures text says :

“God formed Adam with His holy hands, in His own Image and Likeness and when the angels saw Adam's glorious appearance they were greatly moved by the beauty thereof. For they saw Fol. 5a, col. 2 the image of his face burning with glorious splendor like the orb of the sun, and the light of his eyes was like the light of the sun, and the image of his body was like unto the sparkling of crystal... There he was arrayed in the apparel of sovereignty, and there was the crown of glory set upon his head, there was he made king, and priest, and prophet, there did God make him to sit upon his honorable throne, and there did God give him dominion over all creatures and things.... And the angels and the hosts of heaven heard the Voice of God saying unto him, "Adam, behold; I have made thee king, and priest, and prophet, and lord, and head, and governor of everything which hath been made and created; and they shall be in subjection unto thee) and they shall be thine, and I have given unto thee power over everything which I have created." And when the angels heard this speech they all bowed the knee and [honored] Him.” (Cave of Treasures - chapt on Creation of Adam)

In fact, Adam's appearance and image was so much like that of God the Father, that he is actually mistaken FOR the Father until it’s realized he is human. Jewish Haggadah gives a version of this occurrence :

“When Adam opened his eyes the first time, and beheld the world about him, he broke into praise of God, “How great are your works, O Lord!” But his admiration for the world surrounding him did not exceed the admiration all creatures conceived for Adam. They took him to be their creator, and they all came to offer his adoration. But he spoke : “Why do you come to worship me? Nay, you and I together will acknowledge the majesty and the might of him who has created us all. ‘The Lord reigns,’ “ he continued, “‘he is apparelled with majesty.’” And not alone the creatures on earth, even the angels thought Adam the lord of all, and they were about to salute him with “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, “ when God caused sleep to fall upon him, and then the angels knew that he was but a human being. (The Haggadah -Woman)

The point in such descriptions from the early texts is that the early Christian doctrines commonly taught that Adam held a position of pre-eminence and honor and he was not merely a “pet of a lonely God”, but he was chosen to inaugurate the most important part of God’s pre-creation plan up to that point in history. In these early Christian themes, Adam was not an arbitrary choice among the myriads of existing spirits, but he was chosen and assigned from among them. Keep in mind God’s description of Adam’s assignment :

“...(as my) image he knows the word like (no) other....11 and on the earth I assigned him to be a second angel, honored and great and glorious. 12 And I assigned him to be a king, to reign on the earth, and to have my wisdom. “ (2nd Enoch 30:10-12)

(“IT WAS ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL THAT ADAM ACQUIRED WISDOM&#8221

E) ADAM’S DESIRE TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM WAS NOT EVIL - “I (god) assigned him (adam) to be a king, to reign on the earth, and to have my wisdom. “ (2nd Enoch 30:12)

When we consider the moral knowledge or wisdom Adam was given by having eaten of the fruit of the tree, Sedrach’s reminder, changes our viewpoint as to what happened. When the Prophet Sedrach said to God : “It was by your will that Adam was deceived, my master”; he said this, knowing that God COULD HAVE STOPPED THE FALL OF MAN. The Prophet then asks God :

“If you loved man, why did you not kill the devil, the artificer of all iniquity? Who can fight against an invisible spirit? He enters the hearts of men like a smoke and teaches them all kinds of sin. He even fights against you, the immortal God, and so what can pitiful man do against him.....” (The Apocalypse of Sedrach 5:1-7)

In this ancient view, man eventually would have “fallen”. Sedrach understood that God himself created the very essential precondition for Adam and Eve partaking of the tree of wisdom by expelling a vengeful Lucifer from heaven and then placing the clever lucifer in close proximity to the guileless but inexperienced Adam and Eve. And Sedrach ultimately understood that there was a perfectly legitimate reason for God to have done so.

One might consider that there is nothing inherently wrong with the specific desire to have knowledge and wisdom. Ignorance was never a positive virtue. Knowledge and wisdom regarding good and evil and their discernment seems to be an essential characteristic of divinity. Lucifer’s specific promise to Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes should be “opened” and they would then “be as the gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5) was not a lie since God himself confirms that, having eaten of the fruit of the tree, “the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” (Gen 3:22).

It is partly the ongoing discoveries of ancient contexts that caused later scholars to consider such histories from the view point of the ancients who described their beliefs in multiple ancient texts. For example, Gordon and Rendsburg write :

"If we examine the story in Genesis objectively, we see that, while many elements go into making up the whole picture, it is not so much an account of the “Fall of Man” but rather of the rise of man halfway to divinity."

Their logic is that Adam DID obtain one characteristic of divinity (moral knowledge) and, when he obtains immortality, he will have gained another essential characteristic of divinity.

Thus, it makes perfect sense for Adam to relate to Seth, what god said to him after Adam became mortal :

“...He (god) spoke to me about this in Paradise after I picked some of the fruit in which death was hiding: ‘Adam, Adam do not fear. You wanted to be a god; I will make you a god, not right now, but after a space of many years. I am consigning you to death, ...But after a short time there will be mercy on you because you were created in my image, and I will not leave you to waste away in Sheol. (Testament of Adam 3:1-4)

The Descension of Jesus during the three days in the tomb where God makes good on this promise by sending his son into sheol, I have already treated in the thread “Enoch’s treatment of ancient Christian Themes” (though perhaps I’ll add them here later since the threads may be separated in the future...)

In all such statements, in fact even during the period where God explained to Adam and Eve the many consequences of having eating of the tree of wisdom, no strict judgment is given regarding Adam’s character, but rather God gives Adam and Eve an objective description of the changed conditions their choice to gain wisdom entails. The elements of disobedience is present in the story, but only circumstantially. The modern tendency to stress “evil” and overlook the “good” in the text would have seemed unjustified to the ancients.

Nor does god abandon Adam and Eve after they eat from the tree of wisdom, but he continues to teach them to care for themselves; to sacrifice the firstfruits of Adam’s flocks and many other things :

"And during the first week of the first jubilee Adam and his wife had been in the Garden of Eden for seven years tilling and guarding it. And we gave him work and we were teaching him to do everything which was appropriate for tilling...And he was guarding the garden from the birds and beasts and cattle and gathering its fruit and eating...” (Jubilees (the book of division) 3 15-16)

Jewish Haggadah relates that

“ he (Adam) was in very truth a prophet, and his wisdom a prophetic quality....for mankind owes all crafts to him,...(The Haggadah -The Ideal Man)

The ancient Christians understood that, after the Fall, God continued to Give Adam, the very knowledge and wisdom Adam sought, not only by the spirit of God, but by visitations of Angels. In the Apocalypse of Adam, Adam relates to his son Seth:

“... I was sleeping in the thought of my heart, and I saw before me three men whose appearance I could not recognize because they were not from the powers of the God who created me. They surpassed [those powers in their] glory. The men [spoke] , saying to me, ‘Rise up, Adam, from the sleep of death, and hear about the aeon and the seed of that man to whom life has come, the one who came forth from you and from Eve your wife (that is, her progeny).... Then the vigor of our eternal knowledge perished in us, and feebleness pursued us. For this reason the days of our life became few, for I knew that I had become subject to the power of death. “Now then, my son Seth, I will reveal to you what was revealed to me by those men whom I once saw before me. (The Apocalypse of Adam 2:1-6-7, ch 3:1)

Adam then teaches Seth regarding the future and the evils that will occur among the children of men and the disastrous consequences of evil. He tells Seth about the redeemer. Again, these are the very things that Adam wanted to know and importantly, it is God who is seeing that Adam obtains this knowledge.

Adam was not only given knowledge by God but he says to the God regarding God’s son :

"And behold, your word came to me and the Lord said to me, ‘Because your days are numbered, you have been made to cherish knowledge; ...” (Life of Adam and Eve (Vita) 27:2-3 (“your word” is a euphamism for the pre-mortal messiah)

To these ancients, the gaining of moral wisdom by partaking of the tree of wisdom was not a terrible mistake. It was part of God’s plan and original intention Thus the filling of Adam with “understanding and knowledge” was celebrated in the dead sea scroll text :

“…You have done wonders of old, and awesome deeds long ago. You fashioned Adam, our father, in the image of Your glory; You breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and filled him with understanding and knowledge. You set him to rule over the garden of Eden that you had planted…and to walk about in a glorious land…" (The words of the Heavenly Lights 4Q504 - 506)

Though modern Christian theorists may certainly argue that modern Christian theories are an improvement over the early doctrines, or that the ancient Christians were wrong in their beliefs and their descriptions regarding Adam’s having gained knowledge and wisdom by eating of the tree of wisdom, still, I’ve never seen any modern theory regarding Adam that more coherent and sensible than the ancient versions.


Clearly
vitzmm

 

[Jesse12]

I have. The Bible. Thanks for sharing

 

[Clearly]

Hi Jesse12;

Rather than simply posting a claim that you have a theory that is more coherent and sensible than early (e.g. first century) Christian theory, please SHARE your theory with accompanying data so as to allow some comparisons. Tell us WHY your theory is superior and more coherent and sensible than early christian theory Jesse12. Offer us data so as to describe your theory and give us data so as to allow us to understand and compare your claim to ancient christian theory.

Simply baiting with a claim to have a superior theory and then withholding it from us is not helpful.

Clearly

 

[Hairy Tic]

I have. The Bible. Thanks for sharing

## I don't think any theory that does not give Jesus Christ a central, fundamental, & indispensable significance, function & place in God's purpose can be adequate. The creation is Christomorphic, for He is the Source & Goal of all of it. To judge from the NT.

Just MO.

 

[Clearly]

Hairy Tic said in post #5 - “I don't think any theory that does not give Jesus Christ a central, fundamental, & indispensable significance, function & place in God's purpose can be adequate. The creation is Christomorphic, for He is the Source & Goal of all of it. To judge from the NT.

I very much agree with these sentiments.

If the ancient Judao-Christians were correct, that Jesus was with his Father before creation and that, at his Father’s command Jesus administrated much of the creation and plan for mortality; and at his Father's command, Jesus administrates the Fall of Lucifer in the pre-creation “heaven”; and that Jesus accomplished the redemption of fallen mankind; and that Jesus accomplished his descensus during the three days after his death; and that Jesus is to be given the position of Judge of mankind by his Father, THEN these are incredibly profound roles Jesus the Son accomplishes for God the Father.

Jesus IS then (besides God his Father, whose sends his son and whose will Jesus obeys), the central character to this great plan of salvation of God the Father.

Clear
viacsehg