Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Ten Commandments: Commandment One (Adam and Eve)

by BlogSpotThinker
October 2, 2011

First Commandment Versions
The verses of Exodus 20 attributed to Commandment One of the apparently Biblical Ten Commandments appear to be considered to vary somewhat, among apparently reported versions. The apparently shortest version, the “Philonic” appears to consider Exodus 20:1 to be an introduction rather than a commandment and Exodus 20:2 to be a declaration of God’s identity rather than a commandment. Consequently, the “Philonic” appears to suggest the entire First Commandment to consist of Exodus 20:3. The “Talmudic” version appears to be the next longest, attributing only Exodus 20:1, 2 to the Ten Commandment’s First Commandment. The apparently longest of these versions of the Ten Commandments’ First Commandment, the “Augustinian”, appears to include Exodus 20:1-6. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments)

The First Commandment’s Message
This apparently suggested variance in the Exodus 20 verses apparently attributed to the First Commandment appears reasonably considered to have little effect upon the apparent general message and “spirit”, so to speak, of the First Commandment, which appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that no entity is to be considered to be above God, for any reason, in any way, and/or at any time.

Adam and Eve’s Apparent Violation of the First Commandment
Adam and Eve, apparently Biblically-suggested to be the first of humanity recorded in the Bible, if not the first of all humanity on planet Earth, appear to be Biblically suggested to predate the Ten Commandments by some time. Nonetheless, I humbly and respectfully submit the apparently reasonable perspective that the Bible’s apparent description of Adam and Eve’s eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil appears to be reasonably considered to constitute two violations of the intent or “spirit” of the First Commandment. Further, these violations, due to their pivotal impact on human history, appear to be reasonably considered to warrant inclusion of the First Commandment within the Ten Commandments and to warrant the Commandment’s placement as the first, and apparently, most important and fundamental of the apparently Biblical Ten Commandments.

Accepting An Entity’s Word Above God’s
Regarding the first apparent violation of Commandment One, the Bible appears to be reasonably interpreted to suggest that Adam and Eve apparently chose to accept the serpent’s apparent direct contradiction of God’s word. The Bible appears reasonably considered to suggest that God directly said to Adam, “…but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17, New International Version). The Bible also appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that Eve told the serpent, “…but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’” (Genesis 3:3, New International Version). The Bible appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that the serpent directly contradicted both Adam and Eve’s apparent understanding of God’s statement by stating to Eve, “You will not certainly die,” (Genesis 3:4, New International Version).

This direct contradiction of God’s word appears to be reasonably considered to imply that the serpent claimed to be more knowledgeable and/or more honest than God. This implication of superior knowledge and/or honesty in comparison to God appears to be reasonably considered to constitute a challenge to God’s claim of ultimate superiority and sovereignty.

Accepting An Entity’s Maligning of God’s Character
In the second violation of the First Commandment, the Bible appears to be reasonably interpreted to suggest that Adam and Eve apparently chose to accept the serpent’s apparently implied maligning of God’s character. The Bible appears reasonably considered to suggest that God directly said to Adam, “…but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17, New International Version). This apparent statement of God appears reasonably considered to describe the result of eating of the fruit as a benefit – knowledge – with a side effect so undesirable that the benefit appears to be reasonably considered to have been rendered to be eclipsed by the undesirable side effect.

However, the Bible appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that the serpent stated to Eve, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” This apparent serpent’s apparent statement appears reasonably considered to describe the result of eating of the fruit as a benefit without any undesirable side effect. The apparent difference in God’s and the serpent’s evaluations of the result of eating the fruit appears to be reasonably suggested to represent an accusation that God was harming Adam and Eve by depriving Adam and Eve of a potential benefit by describing that benefit as a potential harm. This appears to be reasonably considered to represent a maligning of God’s character and leadership by suggesting that God was mismanaging the human experience.

Perhaps more importantly, the Bible appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that the serpent maligned God’s character by emphasizing God’s knowledge of the effect of eating the fruit. Representing the result of eating the fruit as a great benefit without any undesirable side effect and emphasizing God’s knowledge of that apparent unmitigated benefit appears to be reasonably considered to leave Eve with the sole task of connecting (a) God’s forbidding them to eat the fruit with (b) God’s apparent knowledge of the effect of eating the fruit and (c) the serpent’s misrepresentation of the unmitigated benefit of eating the fruit. If the serpent could misrepresent the benefit of eating the fruit as an unmitigated benefit, the serpent might be able to misrepresent God as having no reasonable cause for depriving Adam and Eve of eating the fruit. Misrepresenting God in this light appears to be reasonably considered to also facilitate misrepresenting God as having an unreasonable cause for depriving Adam and Eve of eating the fruit: willful malice.

Summary
The Bible appears to be reasonably considered to suggest that Adam and Eve eventually chose to consider the serpent’s unfounded claims as superior to God’s and to, consequently, accept them. This choice appears to be reasonably considered to constitute a decision to place an entity above God, in apparent violation of the premier of the Ten Commandments.

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