The tree of knowledge of good and evil

I had an epiphany the other week. It was about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I was meditating on it after a professor of mine taught us about it. I asked him what the point of the tree was. He said it was so that mankind had a choice.

The tree was created so that mankind had a choice? That did not sit well with the little John Calvin that lives inside of me. He is like my own Jiminy Cricket. He comes with a top-hat and everything. I filter all new ideas through his five points. That may be a little dangerous, but it has been flawless thus far.

I started thinking about what could have been the purpose of the tree. I tried using some logic. Here is what I came up with:

1. God is sinless, so He can create only sinless things. The tree was a sinless thing. In and of it self, it was a good thing. The knowledge of good and evil was a good thing.

2. The knowledge of good and evil was holy to God, but separate from man. How can that be? Think logically. Sexuality is holy to a married couple, but separate from the unwed. It is possible for something to be holy to one party, and holy from another.

3. The tree was a manifestation, or alter on earth to show man God's holiness. The way it was supposed to be: Man cultivated the garden, but never partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil which was "in the middle of the garden (Gen 3:3)." Man always saw it, stood in awe of it, but never took the fruit. The fruit was a representation of the glory that God gets from knowing the knowledge of good and evil. Man was not to take that glory.
Think of ancient Israel. In the middle of the twelve traveling tribes was the tabernacle. While The Israelites did their ancient Jew thing every day, the cloud by day and the fire by night were manifestations of God's glory. No man (except for the priests at certain times) entered the tabernacle. It was holy to God, holy from man.
Think of the church. As Christian's follow God's will, they look to Christ as the manifestation of God. We all praise Him and love Him, but we do not try to share His glory. We recognize His lordship.
Think of the New Earth. After God destroys the world by letting go all of the atomic particles, there will be a new Jerusalem. The restored kingdom of God as well as Christ Jesus Himself will be the manifestation.

4. When Adam received the knowledge of good and evil, sin sprang up forth in him. The sin brought forth death. It was not as if God had to create a law, it was just simple theological biology. The knowledge of good and evil brings sin. Sin brings death. This is proven in Romans 7:9-11, "9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

I could quite possibly be wrong, but it makes sense to me. Tell me where I could be wrong. Don't worry. I'm not much of an arguer these days. I'm simply a conversationalist. I don't want to fight with somebody I'm going to spend eternity with.

Truth is truth.

Today in my Christianity and Cultures class, my professor, Dr. Stephen J. Nichols, made an important point about Christianity and truth. He simply stated that it wouldn't matter if nobody believed in Christianity. It would still be true. Think about that for a minute. In our post-modern world where truth is non-existent and nothing can exist except for the perceived, Christianity stands alone.

An unbeliever in this now post-modern world believes that there is no truth. Or there might be truth, but it is simply impossible to find. I offer this argument in form of a dialogue.

Unbeliever: You cannot say that Christianity is truth.

Christian: Why not?

Unbeliever: There is no way to prove that anything is true, so therefore your belief is nothing more than faith, and is as credible as any other religion.

Christian: I see... do you drink water?

Unbeliever: Irrelevant much?

Christian: Just humor me. Do you drink water?

Unbeliever: Of course I do.

Christian: Why do you drink water?

Unbeliever: To stay alive.

Christian: What happens if you do not drink water?

Unbeliever: I'll die.

Christian: How do you know that?

Unbeliever: It's common knowledge. It's elementary, my dear Watson.

Christian: Have you ever died from not drinking?

Unbeliever: No...?

Christian: Have you ever known anyone who has died of thirst?

Unbeliever: I have heard of people who have died from thirst.

Christian: Did you know them personally?

Unbeliever: No.

Christian: So all you did was put your faith in article or newscast that claimed to be telling you the truth, even though you didn't know for sure?

Unbeliever: Yes... what does this have to do with the water?

Christian: What you are saying is that you put your life in the hands of knowledge of anatomy. You don't know anyone who's died from thirst, yet you put your faith in the science that tells you that you need to drink water, and you trust it with your life.

Unbeliever: Yes...?

Christian: So you believe the water theory completely by faith without personal evidence, or question. If you chose to not drink water, you will die. I agree. How do I know that I can agree? I have the faith to believe that the scientists and doctors are right. I do not know because I have never decided to give up water. But yet, I am convinced that it is truth. It is the exact same way with Christianity.

Truth is truth.