Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990613.htm

GENESIS: THE SOURCES OF GOOD AND CALAMITY IN OUR ORIGINS
Part II - The Source Of Calamity In Our Origins
A. Comprehensively Discerning Theological Apostasy Via Understanding Its Origins
(Genesis 3:1-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. Christians can find it challenging not only to discern truth from error, but even to believe the truth of the Bible because of doubts placed in their minds by critics of the faith as to the credibility of the faith itself.
    2. An effective way to handle such doubts and questions is to view the origins of theological apostasy from the temptation of Eve as it clarifies which views are typically Satanic and which are of God:
  2. Comprehensively Discerning Theological Apostasy Via Understanding Its Origins, Genesis 3:1-7:
    1. We know from Rev. 12:9 with Genesis 3:1 that Satan appeared as a serpent to tempt Eve in Eden. Yet, the pagans of Moses' day worshipped the serpent OPPOSITE that event, Bib. Kno. C.,O. T., p. 32.
    2. We know God's prohibition against the forbidden tree came to Adam and not to Eve, for the spelling of the verbs and verbal suffixes indicate a masculine singular hearer when the command was given, Gen. 2:17 and Biblia Hebraica, p. 3. Thus, Satan introduced a question to Eve in Gen. 3:1 about the validity of the transmission of God's truth through Adam to her! Incidentally, much of Liberal Theology counters the credibility of the TRANSMISSION of God's truths through the Bible manuscripts that we have!
    3. When Satan tempted Eve, his question on if God had set a prohibition against the forbidden tree left the door open for Eve to conclude there was something foreboding about the character of God in keeping Eve from the tree, Genesis 3:1. Eve added God was too harsh by erroneously saying God had said she couldn't even touch the tree, Gen. 3:3b with 2:17. Incidentally, much that counters Scripture's God today questions the goodness of God's CHARACTER as critics view Him as harsh and warlike!
    4. When Satan Got Eve to add a false concept to what God had said, he did what much in Liberal Theology does today: many Liberal Theologians get preoccupied with false, extra-biblical philosophies and myths to treat them as true in contrast to what Scripture teaches, cf. Colossians 2:8.
    5. When Satan tempted Eve, he eventually contradicted God's original statement, claiming Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit would certainly not kill her, Genesis 3:4 versus Gen. 2:17. Satan backed up this bold lie by maligning God's character, claiming God was egotistical in implying He not wanting Eve to know as much as He did about good and evil, Gen. 3:5. Incidentally, in a similar way, a charge by critics against Christianity's claims about salvation is that it offers too NARROW a salvation way and hence it is egotistical to assert assuredly that one can know he is saved or lost based on Scripture!
    6. When Satan tempted Eve, after breaking down Eve's inhibitions against disobeying God's Word, he utilized her lust of the eyes (Gen. 3:6a), lust of the flesh (Gen. 3:6b) and the pride of this earthly life (Gen. 3:6c) to motivate her to disobey God, Gen. 3:6d. Satan uses these lusts to get us to sin today, cf. 1 Jn. 2:15-17.
    7. When Satan tempted Eve, he used one who was supposed to be SUBORDINATE to Adam to try leading Adam to disobey God, cf. Genesis 3:1 with 2:22-25 (where the superior names the subordinate in the Ancient Near Eastern cultures, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Gen. 1:10). Incidentally, Satan works to USURP properly established leadership in forwarding apostasy today, cf. Jude 8-10.
    8. When Satan tempted Eve, he used truth that was credible along with rebellious error to mislead Eve: he correctly noted that God knew Eve would be able to discern good from evil if she ate of the tree (3:5) and that insight coupled with the erroneous implications and outri ght lies of Gen. 3:1b-4 deceived her. Similarly, critics mingle GOOD education with ERRONEOUS "science" to mislead regarding the promotion of the great error of evolution to the undermining of the Christian faith!
Lesson: We should stand against criticism of the faith that (a) elevates a serpent to the role of deity, (b) that undermines the transmission of the Bible's text, (c) that undermines the Biblical God's character, (d) that adds beliefs not found in Scripture, (e) that charges the Bible offers too egotistical or narrow a view, (f) that indulges in the lusts of the eyes, the flesh and pride, (g) that usurps proper authority and (h) that mingles truth with error to form anti-biblical conclusions. Conver sely, we should stand for positions that do just the opposite and then do our homework to verify that as true.