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Answer
When God created the first man and first woman, He placed them in the Garden of Eden where they lived in a state of innocence, without sin. God freely gave them the fruit of every tree in the garden but one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “Do not partake of that tree,” God said, “for when you eat from it you will certainly die” «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. », (Genesis 2:17). Some people reason that Adam and Eve’s punishment for disobedience was overly harsh because, before they ate the forbidden fruit, they could not have had knowledge of good and evil; not having that knowledge, they couldn’t really tell right from wrong.
In response, we would first point out that the Bible never says that Adam and Eve did not know right from wrong. In fact, Genesis 3:2–3 is clear that they did understand the difference between right and wrong; Eve knew God had instructed her and Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit (cf: Genesis 2:16-17). Referring to the forbidden tree as “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” «And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. », (Genesis 2:9), to imply that Adam and Eve had no understanding of good and evil is a misunderstanding. In the Bible, the word knowledge often means “experience.” It is true that, prior to the fall, Adam and Eve had no experience of evil. However, they understood the concept of good and evil perfectly well, or they would not have been able to discern right from wrong.I did not have known what obedience to God’s instructions meant. The point is that Adam and Eve had not yet sinned until they ate from the tree, and their sin was the gateway to firsthand, experiential knowledge of the difference between good and evil.
Adam and Eve knew the difference between right and wrong because they were created with that understanding; it’s just that they hadn’t experienced it personally until they sinned. Their lack of experience doesn’t excuse their actions. God gave a simple, straightforward instruction to Adam and Eve. They both had the understanding and the ability to obey, but they disobeyed anyway.
Second, it could be that God gave Adam and Eve an explanation of why they weren’t supposed to eat from the tree, other than “you will certainly die.” There is no such explanation recorded in Scripture, but we should not assume that one was never given. Of course, even if God never fully explained why eating from the tree was wrong, Adam and Eve could still know that it was wrong. The extra information was not necessary to make a moral decision. We can know with great confidence that murder is wrong without necessarily being able to explain why it is wrong. And even if we can’t explain why murder is wrong, we should still be held accountable for an act of murder we commit. Adam and Eve’s not knowing the exact reason they were forbidden to eat the tree’s fruit has nothing to do with the fact that they clearly knew and understood eating it was wrong.
Third, death exists in the world today because of sin, not because of Adam and Eve’s lack of knowledge cf: Romans 5:12. In other words, God did not punish Adam and Eve with death for simply “not knowing” something but for acting against what they already knew to be right. Death was a consequence of their disobedience, not their ignorance. Likewise, Adam and Eve did not need to have seen death or experienced death firsthand to know that disobeying God’s command was wrong. It’s easy for us today to look at the ugly, horrific nature
Reconsidering the story of sin and death, one might speculate that Adam and Eve could have been more hesitant to disobey God if they had a different perspective. However, this is mere speculation. Regardless of whether their firsthand knowledge influenced their decision, it is undeniable that Adam and Eve willfully disobeyed God’s command. As stated in Romans 6:23, “the payment for sin is death.”
Another point to consider is when individuals question why God punished Adam and Eve (and humanity) so severely for an action they may not have known was wrong. This line of thinking implies that Adam and Eve had the moral understanding of young children. Portraying them as innocent and completely unaware children can make God’s reaction seem excessive, akin to a parent who has run out of patience with their kids. Wouldn’t a fair God have offered His beloved children another opportunity? Perhaps removed the tree from the garden before they encountered such a risk? Why condemn your own creation to death for a single “innocent mistake”?
Viewing the sin of Adam and Eve as a naive error is misguided. Innocence does not equate to ignorance. Reflect on what we do know about the first couple: they existed in a flawless world, were granted authority and liberty over the entire earth, conversed directly with their perfect, loving, and righteous Creator God “and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”, (Genesis 2:22). It is challenging to envision a more evident display of God’s goodness and kindness for Adam and Eve to witness.
Nevertheless, despite all their blessings—despite God’s act of creation, provision, and love towards them—Adam and Eve chose to heed the serpent, who directly contradicted God’s instructions (Genesis 3:4-5).
The serpent had done nothing to provide for Adam and Eve, nor had he shown any love or care for them. His words contradicted the goodness of God that they had experienced thus far. Adam and Eve had no apparent reason to trust the serpent’s words. However, they chose to trust him, despite this meaning they were rejecting what they knew about God’s provision and care. Their decision to disobey God was not a mere innocent mistake; Genesis 3:5–6 reveals that Adam and Eve saw eating the fruit as a way to become “like God.”
This is truly astonishing. Adam and Eve, as mature adults and rulers of the earth, fully understood the implications of obeying or disobeying the loving God who had provided everything they needed. Yet, they turned away from God and believed the false promises of the serpent, who had not given them any valid reason to trust him over God. This was not a naive error made out of ignorance; it was a deliberate act of rebellion by the created beings against their Creator, a defiance of the rightful Ruler of the universe. Adam and Eve were not innocent beings misled into a regrettable choice; they were intelligent, morally responsible creatures of God who committed treason against Him. They were fully aware that their actions were wrong, yet they proceeded. It is difficult to conceive of a more deserving offense against a holy God than this.
In the end, we must view Adam and Eve as Scripture presents them: as accountable, understanding adults who defied the authority of their Maker. They knew and comprehended that they were disobeying God, yet they succumbed to the allure of the fruit that was “a delight to the eyes, and . . . desirable to make one wise” «And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. », (Genesis 3:6, NASB). This was not an accident or a mistake; it was a choice. And that is the reason God was justified in sentencing them— and us— to death.
What is even more remarkable is that, despite the defiance shown by His own creation, God responded to their disobedience with a promise to redeem them. Genesis 3:15 contains the initial expression of the gospel in the Bible, and it occurs during the sentencing of the guilty in the garden: to the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” The great news of the gospel is that God has provided a way for us to be restored through the work of Christ on the cross. Despite the significant evil exhibited by Adam and Eve— and by all of us ever since— God has extended His love to us. That is truly good news.
