Did Adam and Eve know Good and Evil before they ate the fruit?

[jamannor]

Genesis 2:9 and 17 says before eating the fruit, the knowledge was in the fruit.

Genesis 3:22 says man became knowing good and evil only after eating the fruit.

You said, they knew good and wrong. (Even though you didn’t give me any reference)

Either Bible is true or you are true. both cannot be true at the same time. tell me who is true.

Read 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

They knew of good and evil but they didn’t know good and evil. They knew it was wrong to eat of the tree, because God told them so. If you look up the word knew you find it is derived from the Hebrew word yada. Yada has lots of definition like our word knew, and one of them is in an intimate way as is Adam knew his wife, and than bore a child.

 

[dessert]

Why GOD said ‘NOW man become knowing good and evil’ (Gen 3:22) if they knew good and evil before? Before eating the fruit, Adam and eve didn’t know good and evil. Because knowledge of Good was in the fruit as per Genesis 2:9 and 17.

I prefer Bible reference rather than interpretations or assumptions.

God saw all that He made and it was very good. Gen 1;31
Gen;2;18 And God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.

I believe that man knew what good was but not evil.
Pagans would have us believe that man was only created to be mortal, but God had other plans as man is made in the image of God. He wanted to make the man immortal so He gave them a choice like the angels who said oh no look what we did when you gave us a choice, some fell.
God only makes good. The evil came from their choice to listen to Satan.
And you see that Satan must have been a creature at first that walked on the earth because his punishment was that he would now have to crawl. Gen 3;14 So the Lord said to the serpent Because you have done thisCursed are you… eat dust…enmity between you and the WOMAN . ( you shall triumph girl)
Archialogical study bible

notice in Gen4;25 Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to son whom SHE called Seth.
“God has granted” me offspring (name removed by moderator)lace of Abel. " she said, “because Cain slew him”.
NAB New Catholic Answer Bible
I call this a new covenant with Eve but that is IMHO.Dessert

 

[cathgal]

They were created good and know only good, and so do only good. But the devil came along and entice them with irresistible temptation, and being creatures with free will, they choose their desire over God.

 

[dessert]

They were created good and know only good, and so do only good. But the devil came along and entice them with irresistible temptation, and being creatures with free will, they choose their desire over God.

:yup:

 

[MHalsey]

Did Adam and Eve knew good and Evil before they eat the fruit? Bible doesn’t say they knew.

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” (SIV)

GOD said ‘NOW man become knowing good and evil’. I think, before eating the fruit, Adam and eve didn’t know good and evil. Because knowledge of Good was in the fruit as per Genesis 2:9 and 17. In both case, whether they did know or didn’t know good, they didn’t know what evil and its temptation is. How could Adam and eve be responsible for what they did, which they didn’t know that it is a sin, since it was the result of the temptation of serpent and Adam or Eve didn’t know how to handle the evil temptation? How could GOD consider them as sinners for something that they didn’t know?

I think the difference here is that knowledge is not the same as experience. Try to define **good **to a child without using any references to something bad (evil). I know from experience, you’ll only get a blank stare.

Adam and Eve experienced good (life in the garden), but couldn’t define it until they experienced evil. God gave them a command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve made a conscious decision to disobey that command. Once the fruit was eaten, they experienced sin (disobedience to God’s commands), which is evil. Hence **knowledge **of both good and evil.

 

[Valke2]

IMO, Adam and Eve knew right and wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After eating, the moral/ethical aspect of good and evil became part of their knowledge.

 

[Benadam]

Exactly. They didn’t know what is good and what is evil completly. Did they know even a little bit about evil? I don’t know. can you give a reference from Bible If they knew it?

Gen 2-18 And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone:

By this passage we know Adam knew suffering, but being in a state of innocense he was incapable of judging it as an evil. “We know not how empty is our cup untill it is filled.” That’s not a bible quote by the way. But notice that God does judge it as ‘not good’. Because as God said "like us knowing good and evil. One could argue that if Adam was aware that his loneliness lacked good he may have settled for something available to him on earth as a helpmeet. But it seems he was ok with the fact that nothing in God’s creation was suitable. In Adam’s mind perhaps what he had was good . But in God’s sight the situation lacked good, because God is capable of conceiving of a higher good than what is currently created.

So in light of this reasoning anyway, Adam and Eve were incapable of knowing even a tiny bit of evil. Even if it happened they couldn’t recognize it as such.

 

[Khalfan]

Must you try everything first hand to know if certain things are good or bad? Is not trust good enough with the person whom you have a good relationship with?

That’s the way it was with AdamEve and God. They DID NOT TRUST Him after alllll He did for them. They didn’t eat the fruit for the sake of tasting it. No, it was an opportunity to be ‘like gods’ that the temptation was too hard to pass up. What arrogant !

Instead of becoming ’ like gods ', they became fools !

I am sorry. I am not asking what they did or what happened to them after eating. My question is,

Did they knew how to handle the temptation of Serpent/Evil?

Even today, sometimes we are helpless in front of evil temptations. We really need help of God to surpass it. We pray for that always. What you do to know, how to face evil temptations? You go to the Bible. What do you find in the Bible?

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

2 John10-11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Prov 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

We do find a lot of instructions how to face temptations. Have Adam and Eve had this guidance?

God knows we need this guidance. That’s why he revealed it in the Bible. Did God reveal it to Adam and Eve before eating the fruit?

I think I am very clear. Please read my question twice before you answer.

 

[LilyM]

I am sorry. I am not asking what they did or what happened to them after eating. My question is,

Did they knew how to handle the temptation of Serpent/Evil?

Even today, sometimes we are helpless in front of evil temptations. We really need help of God to surpass it. We pray for that always. What you do to know, how to face evil temptations? You go to the Bible. What do you find in the Bible?

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

2 John10-11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Prov 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

We do find a lot of instructions how to face temptations. Have Adam and Eve had this guidance?

God knows we need this guidance. That’s why he revealed it in the Bible. Did God reveal it to Adam and Eve before eating the fruit?

I think I am very clear. Please read my question twice before you answer.

There is no question - absolutely they knew, absolutely they had the guidance, even if it wasn’t written down yet, absolutely God told them everything they needed to know to avoid sin and resist the devil.

And no, it is not Christian theology that we are ever helpless in the face of evil temptations. Something that literally cannot be avoided or resisted is by definition not evil. God doesn’t condemn us for things that we can’t avoid nor control. And God also makes allowances for things that are very difficult for us to avoid and control, and usually won’t condemn us for those either.

Absolutely in Adam and Eve’s case they had all the guidance and the ability they needed to resist.

 

[Khalfan]

Read 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

They knew of good and evil but they didn’t know good and evil. They knew it was wrong to eat of the tree, because God told them so. If you look up the word knew you find it is derived from the Hebrew word yada. Yada has lots of definition like our word knew, and one of them is in an intimate way as is Adam knew his wife, and than bore a child.

Did they knew how to handle the temptation of Serpent/Evil?

Even today, sometimes we are helpless in front of evil temptations. We really need help of God to surpass it. We pray for that always. What you do to know, how to face evil temptations? You go to the Bible. What do you find in the Bible?

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

2 John10-11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Prov 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

We do find a lot of instructions how to face temptations. Have Adam and Eve had this guidance?

God knows we need this guidance. That’s why he revealed it in the Bible. Did God reveal it to Adam and Eve before eating the fruit?

 

[Khalfan]

God saw all that He made and it was very good. Gen 1;31
Gen;2;18 And God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.

I believe that man knew what good was but not evil.
Pagans would have us believe that man was only created to be mortal, but God had other plans as man is made in the image of God. He wanted to make the man immortal so He gave them a choice like the angels who said oh no look what we did when you gave us a choice, some fell.
God only makes good. The evil came from their choice to listen to Satan.
And you see that Satan must have been a creature at first that walked on the earth because his punishment was that he would now have to crawl. Gen 3;14 So the Lord said to the serpent Because you have done thisCursed are you… eat dust…enmity between you and the WOMAN . ( you shall triumph girl)
Archialogical study bible

notice in Gen4;25 Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to son whom SHE called Seth.
“God has granted” me offspring (name removed by moderator)lace of Abel. " she said, “because Cain slew him”.
NAB New Catholic Answer Bible
I call this a new covenant with Eve but that is IMHO.Dessert

Your answer is good. You said they knew Good. But they didn’t know what evil and its temptation is. They had no idea how to deal with evil temptation. They didn’t know who Serpent was. You said they didn’t know evil. God told them ‘…If you eat, you surely die’. That’s the only instruction they got in regards to the fruit. Did they know what death is? No. Because death is the result of sin.

In short, they didn’t know Serpent. They didn’t know evil temptation. They didn’t know what they gonna do is Sin. They didn’t know Death. What they didn’t knew is more important than what they knew. To face test of choice, thay had to know well about the choices. But they didn’t know and God knew that they don’t know.

How could Adam and eve be responsible for what they did, which they didn’t know that it is a sin, since it was the result of the temptation of serpent and Adam or Eve didn’t know how to handle the evil temptation? How could GOD consider them as sinners for something that they didn’t know?

 

[Khalfan]

They were created good and know only good, and so do only good. But the devil came along and entice them with irresistible temptation, and being creatures with free will, they choose their desire over God.

Free will is a power and they didn’t knew how to use it. You said, they knew good but they didn’t know the other side of thier free will, evil and its temptation. They were not guided, how to use the power of free will. What they knew is only good.

How could they be responsible for what they did, which they didn’t know that it is a sin, since it was the result of the temptation of serpent and Adam or Eve didn’t know how to handle the evil temptation?

 

[Khalfan]

I think the difference here is that knowledge is not the same as experience. Try to define **good **to a child without using any references to something bad (evil). I know from experience, you’ll only get a blank stare.

Adam and Eve experienced good (life in the garden), but couldn’t define it until they experienced evil. God gave them a command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve made a conscious decision to disobey that command. Once the fruit was eaten, they experienced sin (disobedience to God’s commands), which is evil. Hence **knowledge **of both good and evil.

Then it is Good. Adam and Eve learned somthing. Then why God claimed it a sin? Is learning a sin?

You lack one more point here. The evil temptation. Were they guided enough to make the choice? They did know good (obey). But they didn’t know evil (disobey). They evil what they didn’t know about. What was intruction they got if they eat; death. Did they know what is death? No.

 

[Khalfan]

IMO, Adam and Eve knew right and wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After eating, the moral/ethical aspect of good and evil became part of their knowledge.

Can you give me it from the Bible?

Why Genesis 2:9 and 17 says, knowledge of Good and evil was in the fruit? Why GOD said ‘NOW man become knowing good and evil’ in Gen 3:22 if they knew it even before?

 

[Khalfan]

Gen 2-18 And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone:

By this passage we know Adam knew suffering, but being in a state of innocense he was incapable of judging it as an evil. “We know not how empty is our cup untill it is filled.” That’s not a bible quote by the way. But notice that God does judge it as ‘not good’. Because as God said "like us knowing good and evil. One could argue that if Adam was aware that his loneliness lacked good he may have settled for something available to him on earth as a helpmeet. But it seems he was ok with the fact that nothing in God’s creation was suitable. In Adam’s mind perhaps what he had was good . But in God’s sight the situation lacked good, because God is capable of conceiving of a higher good than what is currently created.

So in light of this reasoning anyway, Adam and Eve were incapable of knowing even a tiny bit of evil. Even if it happened they couldn’t recognize it as such.

Thank you. You agreed with me on that.

Did they knew how to handle the temptation of Serpent/Evil?

 

[jack_hawkins]

ah - Khalfan who also posts on FFI???
What is sin? Disobedience to God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God knowingly. They did not need to eat the fruit of the tree to know that was wrong, and we know they knew this as they hid when God came back to the garden.

 

[Khalfan]

There is no question - absolutely they knew, absolutely they had the guidance, even if it wasn’t written down yet, absolutely God told them everything they needed to know to avoid sin and resist the devil.

Do you believe what is not written in the Bible???

And no, it is not Christian theology that we are ever helpless in the face of evil temptations. Something that literally cannot be avoided or resisted is by definition not evil. God doesn’t condemn us for things that we can’t avoid nor control. And God also makes allowances for things that are very difficult for us to avoid and control, and usually won’t condemn us for those either.

We will face tests and temptations.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Only God can Help us with the guidence.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

You said ‘God doesn’t condemn us for things that we can’t avoid nor control’.

Were Adam and Eve guided how to control evil temptation?

Absolutely in Adam and Eve’s case they had all the guidance and the ability they needed to resist.

Give me the Bible reference for it. I don’t want assumption.

 

[Khalfan]

ah - Khalfan who also posts on FFI???
What is sin? Disobedience to God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God knowingly. They did not need to eat the fruit of the tree to know that was wrong, and we know they knew this as they hid when God came back to the garden.

FFI???

My dear,

I know that they disobeyed. My question is, did they know it is sin? Were they guided how to handle evil temptation? Did they know who is Serpent? Did they know what is death -the result if they eat?

 

[SFH]

Did Adam and Eve knew good and Evil before they eat the fruit? Bible doesn’t say they knew.

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” (SIV)

GOD said ‘NOW man become knowing good and evil’. I think, before eating the fruit, Adam and eve didn’t know good and evil. Because knowledge of Good was in the fruit as per Genesis 2:9 and 17. In both case, whether they did know or didn’t know good, they didn’t know what evil and its temptation is. How could Adam and eve be responsible for what they did, which they didn’t know that it is a sin, since it was the result of the temptation of serpent and Adam or Eve didn’t know how to handle the evil temptation? How could GOD consider them as sinners for something that they didn’t know?

Adam and Eve knew the difference between good and evil when they ate of the forbidden fruit in a preceptual rather than experiential manner. Otherwise, their actions would not have been a sin. In other words, Adam and Eve did not know what evil was from experience, but they know what evil was from God’s commandment.

By eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve asserted their right to DETERMINE what is good and evil. It wasn’t so much that they sought to acquire the knowledge of good and evil, but rather, they sought to acquire the authority to determine for themselves what was good and evil. That is why their sin was a sin of pride.

 

[Benadam]

Thank you. You agreed with me on that.

Did they knew how to handle the temptation of Serpent/Evil?

Yes. God didn’t forbid dialogue with the serpent. I believe this is because love requires freedom and God made us and the angels self determined creatures. Evil existed and God did what love required by giving the command to not eat of it. Since Adam and Eve enjoyed the full revelation of God as it pertained to their state of being and also enjoyed the fullness of the gifts of grace to maintain union with God, they were already endowed with the ability to handle temptation. God punished them for not handling it so we know they were culpable for it. They like Satan had the full revelation of God yet rejected Him. What more could God do? This is the sin against the Holy Spirit. Satan, being created in an eternal state made an eternal decision against God. Man being in a state of ‘becoming’ by the mercy and plan of God could avoid this eternal damnation by being cast out of the garden and not having access to the tree of life.