Did Adam know the full consequences of his sin?

by truthseeker 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  "Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned." Romans 5:12

  This verse has been used to prove that Adam was responsible for sin and death.

  From a Christian standpoint, this is true.

  Did Adam really know the full effects of eating the forbidden fruit?

  "In the day you positively eat from it, you will die." Genesis 2:17

  Adam did know that eating the forbidden fruit meant his death. But did he know that he would cause the death of every living person that was to be born later?

  Why did God not tell him in advance what would happen to his children if he had sinned?

  For this reason, it could be said that Adam was the catalyst for all of the world's problems, but that had he known in advance that his actions would affect billions of people, he may not have done what he did.

  Do you hold Adam personally responsible for human suffering, or do you see a man who though that only he and his wife would be affected by their sin?
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  taypay

  If this is literal, it would be a set-up. Plain and simple. An innocent being, devoid of experience, with a test that implicates the human race.....come on.
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  choosing life

  It is very interesting to read one of the apocrypha or books that were not included in the Bible canon. It is called The Books of Adam and Eve. It fills in a lot of details that Genesis leaves out. Whether you believe it all to be a myth or an actual account of the first man and woman, it is an interesting perspective.

  You find a repentent, scared and confused couple always trying to win back God's favor and not understanding much of what happens to them.

  So, no, Adam could not have known the full consequences of his fall into sin. He was much too innocent and inexperienced.
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  freyd

  He did not have the foreknowledge that God did.
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  under_believer

  Well, let's see.
  
  First of all the threatened punishment was a lie. I might add--what would Adam know of death? He would have no experience of death and no frame of reference. It'd be like telling a two year old that they'll die. In any case, Adam didn't die in the very day he ate it. In fact, he lived for like hundreds of years. And then all his kids died, too--God sure didn't warn him of that little side effect. Nor Eve's increased birth pains, nor the toil of working the cursed land.
  
  Second, an omniscient God would have KNOWN ALL THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. How cruel was that, then, for him to proceed?
  
  Romans 5:12 is also bogus (hehe--apologies to sparkplug). I didn't sin when I was separate cellular potential carried in my respective parents' loins. I didn't sin when I was a fertilized blastocyst, an undifferentiated sphere of cellular material. I didn't sin when I was a developing embryo in my mother's womb. I didn't sin when I was being forced through a birth canal, to emerge screaming into the world of men. I didn't sin when I was a wee baby, suckling at my mother's breast. I didn't sin when I was a smiling toddler, learning to talk and to sing and play and run.
  
  All men had sinned. Screw that. I didn't sin then (though possibly I have since), and yet I experienced pain, sickness, and someday I will die. I might have died in the womb. I might have implanted, as an embryo, in my mother's fallopian tube, or failed to implant at all. I might have been born with severe anemia, or Down's Syndrome, or a cleft palate, or with no lymphatic system. I might have been born with hypopituitarism, or a severe hormone deficiency, or without eyes.
  
  I completely reject the interpretation that those tiny babies with problems deserve what they're getting, or that it's divine justice on God's behalf, or that God is love for allowing it to happen. Christianity is founded on a gigantic lie--or else God is a psychopath.
• 

  SeymourButts

  He did not have the foreknowledge that God did.

  If "God" had the foreknowledge, then Adam had no choice but to "sin" and eat of the "fruit", otherwise gods "foreknowledge" would be wrong. That very statement implies that god knew "all" before man was even created and therefore "free will" is non-existant. If "god" had "foreknowledge" of the event, then it was indeed a mere excerise in self amusement.
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  bernadette

  Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned." Romans 5:12

  This verse has been used to prove that Adam was responsible for sin and death.

  From a Christian standpoint, this is true.

  Did Adam really know the full effects of eating the forbidden fruit?

  "In the day you positively eat from it, you will die." Genesis 2:17

  This is quite a faith testing question for me so I'm going to have a go

  Adam knew enough to exercise faith but didn't know the full awful effects. From a human standpoint, if he'd known we can say he wouldn't have sinned. We all say that don't we with hindsight.

  God didn't tell Adam in advance because Adam was learning and exercising choice as we all must

  I believe that Adam took responsibility after he'd sinned and accepted that the redeemer would come from his offspring, as we all must for ourselves. But Adam believed that Cain would fulfill that role. (it seems that we humans all have this sense of immediatecy)

  thanks for raising such thought provoking questions

  respectfully

  bernadette
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  Abandoned

  The following attempt at humor may be in poor taste. If so I apologize. It's late, I thought it was funny. Again, if this is in poor taste, I APOLOGIZE.

  Here, let me add the appropriate citations for the previous post:

  This is quite a faith testing question for me so I'm going to have a go (Sarcasticus 11:4)

  Adam knew enough to exercise faith but didn't know the full awful effects. From a human standpoint, if he'd known we can say he wouldn't have sinned. We all say that don't we with hindsight. (Readingmindicus 34:12)

  God didn't tell Adam in advance because Adam was learning and exercising choice as we all must (Readinggodsmindicus 33:19)

  I believe that Adam took responsibility after he'd sinned and accepted that the redeemer would come from his offspring (Ownopinionicus 11:11), as we all must for ourselves (Tellingmewhattodoicus 44:44). But Adam believed that Cain would fulfill that role. (Speculaticus 13:1) (it seems that we humans all have this sense of immediatecy) (Possiblytryingtogetthesocietyoffthehookicus 100:3)

  That was easy.
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  bernadette

  that's alright .. go to bed. Didn't believe in anything at first, but then started reading the bible in the light of other commentaries. Apologise if I sound self righteous
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  bubble

  No because Adam did not exist. He was made up in order to explain to half wits the beginning of the human race.
  
  Intelligent people know that we evolved.