Originally posted by kirksey957Neither does saying that it literally happened diminish its value. So what is your point? Why must it not be a literal occurance in order for you to find greater meaning in the story?
To say it is a "myth" or an "allegorical tale" in no way diminishes its value. Myths are universal in nature and the story has more meaning and power if I find myself in it.
Originally posted by whodeyMy judgement is that those who are hung up on a literal occurance of this miss the deeper and more valuable meanings of it. The focus on the literal occurance becomes the ultimate test of whether or not God exists.
Neither does saying that it literally happened diminish its value. So what is your point? Why must it not be a literal occurance in order for you to find greater meaning in the story?
to jawill sorry you do not understand i have the same with paradise no one born sees the gate of heaven or hell. the tree is of knowledge not life. that was Adams downfall, when he sampled it he and eve knew they were naked and hid themselves. The tree of life is gods gift to everyone who has thier souls washed from scarlet to white and live with the father no tears no sickness no death for these things are for this life so we can enter going thro our trials and showing that the love of god we belived without seeing.
For a long time I was not whether I should take Genesis chapter 3 as history. But the flow of history from that chapter clearly indicates that it was meant to be taken so.
Cain moved to the east of Eden (Gen.4:16). You cannot move to the east of an existencial place. It must have been a geographic place.
In Genesis history flows from the story in an uninterprupted stream of ancestry and geographic migration patterns from Adam and Eve in Eden's garden.
I puzzled over the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There are many things which I do not feel I can explain. However, God used physical things elsewhere in the Bible which had spiritual significance.
The Ark of the Covenant is an example. How the Israelites interacted with the Ark of the Covenant made a spiritual difference. The Levitical priests were expecially trained to handle all the physical utinsils, furnishings, and Ark. They could not be sloppy about it.
Similiarly, whatever those trees were, Adam could not be sloppy about God's instructions to Him.
Probably God did things in this manner with two trees that the greatest number of people in future generations could understand His will and Adam's choice.
But we should be clear that today divine life [ZOE Greek] is found in Christ:
The Apostle John says that he and the other apostles handled the word of the eternal life. They touched the resurrected body of Jesus:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes. which we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life
(And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us);
That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our felloship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1-3)
The apostles witnessed, heard, touched and handled the eternal life. They report this to us so that we ALSO may have fellowship in the eternal life with the Father and the Son.
So today the life is Jesus Christ. Today the tree of life is Christ. And Christ, in resurrection became what ??
You have heard me say it many times before. What did Jesus become in His resurrection ???
C'mon friends - "the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45)
Christ is the reality of the tree of life today who is in the form as "life giving Spirit" to enter into our human spirit to join with our human spirit -
"He who is JOINED to the Lord is ONE SPIRIT" (1 Cor. 6:17 my emphasis)
So from Genesis until today God's plan has always been to dispense His eternal and divine life into man's being. Redemption through His blood is a REMEDIAL action to bring man BACK to His original purpose to dispense the divine eternal Person of divine life into our lives.
[b]"
Originally posted by jaywillI have moved east of an existential place. I doubt this passage is about a literal direction as it is about moving beyond a tragedy and trying to find a new "direction."
For a long time I was not whether I should take Genesis chapter 3 as history. But the flow of history from that chapter clearly indicates that it was meant to be taken so.
Cain moved to the [b]east of Eden (Gen.4:16). You cannot move to the east of an existencial place. It must have been a geographic place.
In Genesis history ...[text shortened]... to dispense the divine eternal Person of divine life into our lives.
"
Again, if it has to be literal, you miss so much.
Originally posted by kirksey957What do I miss ?
I have moved east of an existential place. I doubt this passage is about a literal direction as it is about moving beyond a tragedy and trying to find a new "direction."
Again, if it has to be literal, you miss so much.
I have moved east of an existential place. I doubt this passage is about a literal direction as it is about moving beyond a tragedy and trying to find a new "direction."
Do I miss seeing that a tragedy happened?
Do I miss seeing that there is a need for us to move beyond tragedies?
Do I miss seeing that wrong choices can result in tragedies?
I haven't MISSED any of this.
Do I miss that we have to GET ON with life after a tragedy ???
What do I miss by reading Genesis 3 as History with (also) Spiritual lessons for mankind ?
Originally posted by stokerI could get more from your posts if you could be careful to put periods after the sentences.
to jawill sorry you do not understand i have the same with paradise no one born sees the gate of heaven or hell. the tree is of knowledge not life. that was Adams downfall, when he sampled it he and eve knew they were naked and hid themselves. The tree of life is gods gift to everyone who has thier souls washed from scarlet to white and live with the father n ...[text shortened]... o we can enter going thro our trials and showing that the love of god we belived without seeing.
They seem interesting. But I need a few more syntax.