KerrTexas
Super Moderator
Most of the passages in Christian Scripture are allegories and metaphors.
To support this statement, I'm going to use the allegory of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis.
The very FIRST fact to be aware of is that there are numerous variations. To become more familiar with any verses in Scripture it is a good idea to compare several versions, ex. KJV, NIV, Amplified Bible, etc., to make note of the differences. The BEST method to use is to find the oldest versions possible, since those are closer to the era when many of the books were written. Copy of a copy of a copy comes to mind with the more modern versions of Scripture.
Another factor involved that worries me are copyright laws. Not implying the laws are UN necessary. If I decide to create my own version of Scripture, I have to be aware of what I publish as to NOT infringe upon anyone's copyrighted version. Changing the context, inserting words, switching out words merely to avoid violations of copyright law seems odd with the Word of God.
We can discuss the different versions of Scripture, and similar writings that might be found outside of the printed bibles. For instance, the flood mentioned in the bible, is also mentioned in the Sumerian story of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
OK, going to move directly into the allegory of Adam and Eve .
I will be using passages from the King James Version as published on the website Bible Gateway ( Bible Gateway ) .
(Note: IF anyone wishes to discuss the origins of the King James Version of Scripture, that's OK too.)
Genesis 3:1 - 3:24 ( KJV )
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 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.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
What is the point of the allegory of Adam and Eve?
Something that effects society to this day. AND It’s no wonder the allegory of Adam and Eve is in the front of the bible.
The allegory of Adam and Eve is all about accepting responsibility for one’s own choices and being held accountable for one’s actions.
The serpent NEVER forced Eve to eat the fruit from the tree. He never threatened Eve to do it or else!
What he did do is help justify the choices made by Eve.
And isn’t this what we all do today? We run a script in our minds as to why or why not we make choices. We seek to justify our decisions.
The doctor told you to lower your cholesterol and stop eating pizza. You see a pizza in the fridge. You desire a slice. You know that it will not help lower your cholesterol.
But...one slice?
All that cheese has a lot of cholesterol!
But... one slice isn't too bad.
The Doctor said not to eat pizza.
But... it is only one slice, right? And can walk an extra mile on the treadmill and everything will be fine!
And THAT is what the serpent did with Eve. He helped her JUSTIFY her choices.
Serpent: Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Eve: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,
….But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Serpent : Ye shall not surely die.
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
At any point was Eve forced to do anything she didn’t want to do?
And what did SHE do?
..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…
…when THE WOMAN saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to HER eyes, and a tree to SHE desired, SHE TOOK of the fruit and SHE did eat…
That SHE made the choice to eat the fruit of the tree is important because it leads us into what happens next.
I’m going to paraphrase.
the Lord God said, “ADAM ! Did you eat from the tree, even though I commanded that you should NOT eat?”
And the man said, “THE WOMAN whom YOU gave to be with me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
the Lord God said unto the woman, “EVE ! What is this that YOU have done?”
And the woman said, “THE SERPENT beguiled me, and I did eat.”
We can see that Adam and Eve not only denied any responsibility for their own choices and actions, but when asked why they made their choices, they blamed someone else. Adam also blamed God saying that it was because of the woman YOU gave me.
God never asks the serpent any questions. Is this because God figured that the serpent was already knowledgeable with what his actions were in this situation?
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
When God says, “Because you have done this”, is God referring to Adam and Eve eating of the fruit, (the actual act)? Or is he referring to something else?
Really, what did the serpent do? Opinions ?
There are additional elements embedded within this allegory. Can you find them?
Understanding that the verses are allegories with metaphors is a crucial foundation before moving on to other portions of the Scriptures. Adam and Eve seems to be one of the easier allegories to decipher.
To support this statement, I'm going to use the allegory of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis.
The very FIRST fact to be aware of is that there are numerous variations. To become more familiar with any verses in Scripture it is a good idea to compare several versions, ex. KJV, NIV, Amplified Bible, etc., to make note of the differences. The BEST method to use is to find the oldest versions possible, since those are closer to the era when many of the books were written. Copy of a copy of a copy comes to mind with the more modern versions of Scripture.
Another factor involved that worries me are copyright laws. Not implying the laws are UN necessary. If I decide to create my own version of Scripture, I have to be aware of what I publish as to NOT infringe upon anyone's copyrighted version. Changing the context, inserting words, switching out words merely to avoid violations of copyright law seems odd with the Word of God.
We can discuss the different versions of Scripture, and similar writings that might be found outside of the printed bibles. For instance, the flood mentioned in the bible, is also mentioned in the Sumerian story of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
OK, going to move directly into the allegory of Adam and Eve .
I will be using passages from the King James Version as published on the website Bible Gateway ( Bible Gateway ) .
(Note: IF anyone wishes to discuss the origins of the King James Version of Scripture, that's OK too.)
Genesis 3:1 - 3:24 ( KJV )
3
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 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.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
-----XXXXXXXXXX-----
What is the point of the allegory of Adam and Eve?
Something that effects society to this day. AND It’s no wonder the allegory of Adam and Eve is in the front of the bible.
The allegory of Adam and Eve is all about accepting responsibility for one’s own choices and being held accountable for one’s actions.
The serpent NEVER forced Eve to eat the fruit from the tree. He never threatened Eve to do it or else!
What he did do is help justify the choices made by Eve.
And isn’t this what we all do today? We run a script in our minds as to why or why not we make choices. We seek to justify our decisions.
The doctor told you to lower your cholesterol and stop eating pizza. You see a pizza in the fridge. You desire a slice. You know that it will not help lower your cholesterol.
But...one slice?
All that cheese has a lot of cholesterol!
But... one slice isn't too bad.
The Doctor said not to eat pizza.
But... it is only one slice, right? And can walk an extra mile on the treadmill and everything will be fine!
And THAT is what the serpent did with Eve. He helped her JUSTIFY her choices.
Serpent: Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Eve: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,
….But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Serpent : Ye shall not surely die.
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
At any point was Eve forced to do anything she didn’t want to do?
And what did SHE do?
..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…
…when THE WOMAN saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to HER eyes, and a tree to SHE desired, SHE TOOK of the fruit and SHE did eat…
That SHE made the choice to eat the fruit of the tree is important because it leads us into what happens next.
I’m going to paraphrase.
the Lord God said, “ADAM ! Did you eat from the tree, even though I commanded that you should NOT eat?”
And the man said, “THE WOMAN whom YOU gave to be with me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
the Lord God said unto the woman, “EVE ! What is this that YOU have done?”
And the woman said, “THE SERPENT beguiled me, and I did eat.”
We can see that Adam and Eve not only denied any responsibility for their own choices and actions, but when asked why they made their choices, they blamed someone else. Adam also blamed God saying that it was because of the woman YOU gave me.
God never asks the serpent any questions. Is this because God figured that the serpent was already knowledgeable with what his actions were in this situation?
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
When God says, “Because you have done this”, is God referring to Adam and Eve eating of the fruit, (the actual act)? Or is he referring to something else?
Really, what did the serpent do? Opinions ?
There are additional elements embedded within this allegory. Can you find them?
Understanding that the verses are allegories with metaphors is a crucial foundation before moving on to other portions of the Scriptures. Adam and Eve seems to be one of the easier allegories to decipher.
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