How do those who believe in no death before the fall understand the Tree of Life

[Rubiks]

What purpose does it serve?

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Are you asking "What purpose does death serve?" ?

 

[section9+1]

Maybe it served no purpose before sin entered, but it does since. And we will be able to eat from the tree of life.

 

[Resha Caner]

What purpose does it serve?

Good question.

 

[JackRT]

As long as there has been life, there has been death. Aside from death by accidents or predation, natural death is a consequence of the imperfect replication of cells.

 

[Resha Caner]

As long as there has been life, there has been death. Aside from death by accidents or predation, natural death is a consequence of the imperfect replication of cells.

What makes it imperfect?

 

[JackRT]

What makes it imperfect?

Perfect is a very human word. In nature nothing is completely perfect and in a living organism these imperfections eventually add up and lead to death. Organisms actually seem to be programmed to die after a certain lifespan. For dogs it is about 10-20 years. for humans it is about 80-100 years.

 

[mmksparbud]

What purpose does it serve?

We were not created immortal, but were created for immortality--difference is---there is no immortality of the soul. The tree apparently gives to humans the ability to live forever, and Adam and Eve did die after the fall. They lived to over 900 years from what they had already eaten, But they were denied access to it after they fell. Had they had access to the tree after they fell, they would have lived forever as sinners.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 

[Resha Caner]

Perfect is a very human word. In nature nothing is completely perfect and in a living organism these imperfections eventually add up and lead to death. Organisms actually seem to be programmed to die after a certain lifespan. For dogs it is about 10-20 years. for humans it is about 80-100 years.

I accept the existence of death before the Fall - to a certain extent. So, you don't have to convince me in that regard. I was focused on the word "imperfect". If it's a human word as you said, then isn't it humans who are judging it to be imperfect?

 

[JackRT]

We were not created immortal, but were created for immortality--difference is---there is no immortality of the soul. The tree apparently gives to humans the ability to live forever, and Adam and Eve did die after the fall. They lived to over 900 years from what they had already eaten, But they were denied access to it after they fell. Had they had access to the tree after they fell, they would have lived forever as sinners.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Interesting theory but Gen 3:22 doesn't suggest that he had to keep putting forth his hand in order to live forever.

 

[Resha Caner]

Interesting theory but Gen 3:22 doesn't suggest that he had to keep putting forth his hand in order to live forever.

They were allowed to eat from the tree of life. My view is much the same.

 

[JackRT]

I accept the existence of death before the Fall - to a certain extent. So, you don't have to convince me in that regard. I was focused on the word "imperfect". If it's a human word as you said, then isn't it humans who are judging it to be imperfect?

Does one have to be perfect to know that something is imperfect? My wife knows that I'm imperfect, does that mean that she is perfect?

 

[Resha Caner]

Does one have to be perfect to know that something is imperfect? My wife knows that I'm imperfect, does that mean that she is perfect?

This is starting to feel like a dance. If that's not the case, can I be permitted to ask my question again? I don't feel I'm getting an answer. Is it a judgement of humans that it's imperfect, or is there an objective standard against which it can be established as imperfect?

I'm not trying to hide my cards. I would use a different word. I would simply say that all created life is finite. It was created good - perfect - but it was finite.

 

[JackRT]

I'm not trying to hide my cards. I would use a different word. I would simply say that all created life is finite. It was created good - perfect - but it was finite.

I would agree except for that word "perfect".

 

[Resha Caner]

I would agree except for that word "perfect".

Never mind.

 

[mmksparbud]

Interesting theory but Gen 3:22 doesn't suggest that he had to keep putting forth his hand in order to live forever.

And what does it suggest to you?

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 

[JackRT]

And what does it suggest to you?

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Well, first the Bible does not say "the LORD God", it says "Elohim" which refers to the pantheon of Middle Eastern gods of which the Hebrews regarded El as the chief God. They did not want Adam to live forever so they threw him out lest he eat of the Tree of Life.So, like every other living thing, Adam was born to die. It also suggests that to be a god all that was needed to know good from evil and to live forever. It is a very poetic and metaphorical story.

 

[mmksparbud]

Well, first the Bible does not say "the LORD God", it says "Elohim" which refers to the pantheon of Middle Eastern gods of which the Hebrews regarded El as the chief God. They did not want Adam to live forever so they threw him out lest he eat of the Tree of Life.So, like every other living thing, Adam was born to die. It also suggests that to be a god all that was needed to know good from evil and to live forever. It is a very poetic and metaphorical story.

Baloney---But you are entitled to your opinion--such as it is. The Hebrews did not ever consider that there was more than one God. Adam was not born to die, death came in when they fell.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

[JackRT]

Baloney---But you are entitled to your opinion--such as it is. The Hebrews did not ever consider that there was more than one God. Adam was not born to die, death came in when they fell.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

But he didn't. Nor did Eve.

 

[Kaon]

What purpose does it serve?

The Tree of Life is a Living Entity.

All of the trees were metaphor for living entities in which to indulge. Remember what the blind man saw when the Word of God wiped his semi-healed eyes?

Guess who the Tree of Life is?