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

[Gene Parmesan]

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.

Does that at all change the statement I made, "So we do know that prior to eating from the tree, they had the capacity to sin or do evil"?

 

[TedT]

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.

Every free will choice implies an equal ability and opportunity to choose any option available to the choice as a free will cannot be constrained nor coerced and all results arise solely from the desires and hopes of the individual.

Iow, the choice was not sinful but the decision to follow that option certainly was.

Ever wonder why Adam, Eve and the serpent were called `rm, a word that is translated naked for Adam and Eve but cunning in evil for the serpent? Curious, no?

OR why when their eyes were opened to their sinfulness, they saw their nakedness which they had from GOD before they ate and not their eating???

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Every free will choice implies an equal ability and opportunity to choose any option available to the choice as a free will cannot be constrained nor coerced and all results arise solely from the desires and hopes of the individual.

Iow, the choice was not sinful but the decision to follow that option certainly was.

Ever wonder why Adam, Eve and the serpent were called `rm, a word that is translated naked for Adam and Eve but cunning in evil for the serpent? Curious, no?

OR why when their eyes were opened to their sinfulness, they saw their nakedness which they had from GOD before they ate and not their eating???

Is there a part of my statement you disagreed with?

EDIT: I was just making a comment originally. I wasn't challenging anything and I don't want to turn this into a debate. That's not the point of this thread/forum.

 

[mmksparbud]

Does that at all change the statement I made, "So we do know that prior to eating from the tree, they had the capacity to sin or do evil"?

Yes---you can not sin unless you have the ability to do so. If Jesus had not had the capacity to sin, He could not have been tempted to sin. He never did sin though. He freely chose not to sin. Lucifer had the same choice. But he gave in to his temptation, as did Adam and Eve. Then Lucifer talked 1/3 of the angels to side with him, 2/3rds chose not to. Temptation is not a sin. Giving in to it is.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Yes---you can not sin unless you have the ability to do so. If Jesus had not had the capacity to sin, He could not have been tempted to sin. He never did sin though. He freely chose not to sin. Lucifer had the same choice. But he gave in to his temptation, as did Adam and Eve. Then Lucifer talked 1/3 of the angels to side with him, 2/3rds chose not to. Temptation is not a sin. Giving in to it is.

Yeah. They had the capacity to sin before they ate the fruit. That's literally the only thing I said. What's there to disagree with? Their decision to disobey was "evil." This is only a clarifying statement since some people think that Adam and Eve only knew good from evil after eating the fruit. That view doesn't make sense. It's likely not the one you hold though.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

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.

Adam and Eve walked with God after as well. The freedom to choose is good even if the choice can lead to evil. There is only freedom to choose or not freedom to choose. No freedom to choose is not good.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Yeah. They had the capacity to sin before they ate the fruit. That's literally the only thing I said. What's there to disagree with? Their decision to disobey was "evil." This is only a clarifying statement since some people think that Adam and Eve only knew good from evil after eating the fruit. That view doesn't make sense. It's likely not the one you hold though.

Even though knowing good from evil was only clear after they choose evil is true, they did know the difference between obeying and not obeying. Same as small children know the difference between obeying and disobeying although not moral good or evil.ö

 

[mmksparbud]

Yeah. They had the capacity to sin before they ate the fruit. That's literally the only thing I said. What's there to disagree with? Their decision to disobey was "evil." This is only a clarifying statement since some people think that Adam and Eve only knew good from evil after eating the fruit. That view doesn't make sense. It's likely not the one you hold though.

The capacity to sin is not knowledge of it. What they knew was God said---do not eat this---the snake said something else and they had a choice at that time. But knowledge of good and evil they did not have---they only had knowledge of good and knowledge of what God said. So not arguing with you just clarifying a very fine point.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

The capacity to sin is not knowledge of it. What they knew was God said---do not eat this---the snake said something else and they had a choice at that time. But knowledge of good and evil they did not have---they only had knowledge of good and knowledge of what God said. So not arguing with you just clarifying a very fine point.

Makes sense. They were not aware that what they were doing was evil. That opens some theological questions but that'll get OP's thread off-topic. Thanks for the answer.

 

[mmksparbud]

Makes sense. They were not aware that what they were doing was evil. That opens some theological questions but that'll get OP's thread off-topic. Thanks for the answer.

Disagree----they knew they were disobeying a direct command from God. The total ramifications of what they were doing was not necessary to know. Just the basic---obey or disobey. And that they knew.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Disagree----they knew they were disobeying a direct command from God. The total ramifications of what they were doing was not necessary to know. Just the basic---obey or disobey. And that they knew.

They were aware their choice was evil then?

 

[mmksparbud]

They were aware their choice was evil then?

They were aware they were disobeying God. They certainly were not aware of all the ramifications. All God asked of them was obedience.

 

[Landon Caeli]

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?

Because once you "know" it... You can never forget it... Thus it is a part of you.