# Adam and the Tree of Knowledge



## VanVos (May 14, 2004)

If Adam fulfilled all obedience and in turn was confirmed as Justified, would that have giving him the judical right, not only eat of the tree of life, but to eat of the tree of Knowledge?. As the tree of life was the sacrament of Adam's obtaining everlasting life, could the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil be the sacrament of Adam's right to judge. If he had risisted the temptation of the devil would that have giving him the right to judge between good and evil because of his submission to God's Law. Just as believers will one day judge because of the work of the Last Adam 1 Cor 6:3, Rev 2:26.? 

VanVos


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## Contra_Mundum (May 14, 2004)

*I think there would have been no reason to eat of it ever*

It is evident that Adam was expected to eat of the Tree of Life, for it was among the many Garden trees, all but one which had been placed off limits being given to him for food. It was a special tree meant to be eaten in obdience (and, I agree, in particular sacramental worship). The judicial sacramental purpose of the Tree of Knowledge was to be [i:b75d56b5a9]fully realised also[/i:b75d56b5a9] by Adam in his not eating of it. Both Trees were to be [i:b75d56b5a9]used[/i:b75d56b5a9] in the manner and for the purpose God intended them. The Tree of Life was a sacrament for the eating. The Tree of Knowledge was a sacrament for judgment. And it was so without the eating of it at all. Here is Keil &amp; Delitzsch:
[quote:b75d56b5a9]The tree of knowledge was to lead man to the knowledge of good and evil; and, according to the divine intention, this was to be attained through his not eating of its fruit. This end was to be accomplished, not only by his discerning in the limit imposed by the prohibition the difference between that which accorded with the will of God and that which opposed it, but also by his coming eventually, through obedience to the prohibition, to recognize the fact that all that is opposed to the will of God is an evil to be avoided, and through voluntary resistance to such evil, to the full development of the freedom of choice originally imparted to him into the actual freedom of a deliberate and self-conscious choice of good. By obedience to the divine will he would have attained to a godlike knowledge of good and evil, i.e. to one in accordance with his own likeness to God. He would have detected the evil in the approaching tempter; but instead of yielding to it, he would have resisted it, and thus have made good his own property acquired with consciousness and of his won free-will, and in this way by proper self-determination would gradually have advanced to the possession of the truest liberty. But as he failed to keep this divine appointed way, and ate the forbidden fruit in opposition to the command of God, the power imparted by God to the fruit was manifested in a different way. He learned the difference between good and evil from his own guilty experience, and by receiving the evil into his own soul, fell a victim to the threatened death. Thus through his own fault the tree, which should have helped him to attain true freedom, brought nothing but a sham liberty of sin, and with it death, and that without any demoniacal power of destruction being conjured into the tree itself, or any fatal poison being hidden in its fruit.[/quote:b75d56b5a9]


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## Puritan Sailor (May 15, 2004)

I agree with Bruce here. There was nothing really that Adam would have gained in eating from the tree of knowledge. It was sin to do so. God had banned it. I don't think the bann would have been lifted had he been faithful and rewarded. Plus, another point of the tree was whether or not Adam would trust God to teach him good and evil, or try to take it upon himself to learn it.


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## VanVos (May 16, 2004)

Interesting comments and I think I agree, although some have said other wise.

I recommend a read of Meredith G. Kline book called kingdom prologue http://www.twoagepress.org/books.htm

Also here's a quote from James Jordan (although he is mono-covenantal)

Jordan's view, like Kline's, sees the gift of the covenant as an expression of God's nature, but for Jordan, it is an expression of the inter-Trinitarian love. Adam is created into a covenant relationship with God and he is to mature in that relationship until he becomes more like God so that he, too, understands good and evil and is able to rule in kingly glory. The prohibition of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, since it was a matter of probation, was temporary and for the purpose of educating Adam. The temptation from the serpent should have awakened Adam to the nature of good and evil, just like the test of naming the animals awakened Adam to the broad bio-cultural gap between himself and the animal world, preparing him for the blessing of a wife. If Adam had passed the test, he would, presumably, have been dressed in robes of glory and allowed access to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for he would have matured to the place that he understood its meaning.

God Bless VanVos

[Edited on 5-31-2004 by VanVos]


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## Irishcat922 (May 17, 2004)

Thomas Watson on the tree of knowledge comments:
&quot;The holy leaves of Scripture are for the healing of our souls. The Scripture is profitable for all things. If we are deserted, here is spiced wine to cheer the heavy heart; if we are pursued by Satan, here is the sword of the Spirit to resist him; if we are diseased by sins leprosy, here are the waters of the sanctuary, both to cleanse and to cure. Oh, then search the Scriptures! There is no danger in tasting of this tree of knowledge. Gen 2:17 says that in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die. There is no danger from plucking from this tree of Holy Scripture; if we do not eat from this tree we will surely die. Oh, the read the Scriptures! Time may come when the Scriptures may be taken from us.&quot;

I don't know if this has anything to do with this discussion but I sure like this quote.:bs2:
Quote from Body Of Divinity

[Edited on 5-17-2004 by Irishcat922]


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