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Indeed, it was Adam’s sin that condemned mankind, as he is the head of the “natural man.” But we are told that Adam was not deceived but Eve was deceived. I believe that when the serpent said unto the woman, “Ye shall not surely die,” that she believed him. Thus she thought she could eat the fruit without consequences. Perhaps you have a different take.

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. Gen 3:6

Paul's assertion is a bit confusing to me, I am not sure why he says that, except perhaps to exhonerate the male for some reason. He knew where Eve got the fruit from and that the serpent tempted her.

If ignorance is a mitigating factor, then what difference can we discern between the discipline meted out to Adam verses Eve?

That's a good question - if we think that Eve was ignorant. However, I do not believe either were ignorant, and they willfully broke God's commandment, since they BOTH ate of the fruit of the tree that they were forbidden to eat from. Thus, they received due punishment and were cast out of union with God in the Garden. Now, why was man and woman punished differently? God has His reasons on why women would be subject to man and that men would have to sweat for their food.

I have found that interpretations that are obvious in one passage of scripture and not so clear in other passages. What about a person who is willfully ignorant of God’s word?

LOL! Willfully ignorant? Can you give me an example of what that means? I think the two terms are mutually exclusive - do you mean someone chooses to remain ignornant?

I have no prescription for someone in an adulterous marriage except for Christ who is just and the justifier of all that believe.

True. Once a person is told of their relationship, and they believe that the source of the judgment is truly from God through a human instrument, then it is their responsibility to do something about it. They are no longer ignorant; continued "marital activity" without some sort of action or plan in view to remedy the situation would be a willful ignoring of God's command.

Only God can judge the heart of men, so it is difficult to know how "ignorant" someone really is.

Regards

Yes, Paul wrote that Eve was deceived and not Adam. That is an interesting passage, and I am not sure why Paul writes it, because Adam was clearly deceived, as well. He was apparently next to Eve when the serpent tempted her.

Lets look again at the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, but bring in the typical aspect also. Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam is a type of Christ. Ephesians 5:32-32 further tells us that Adam and Eve represent Christ and the church. Is it possible that the details about Adam and Eve, which God has chosen to preserve in scripture, are teaching us about Christ and the church?

I believe that there are two stories in the Genesis account, the one we all read and the one beneath the surface. If in fact God has done this, then we have good reasons to believe that the details in scripture will fit both stories perfectly. I cannot explain all of the details they are too myriad, but I will suggest some.

If you say Adam was deceived, does it follow that Christ was also deceived? Since I maintain that Adam was not deceived, I suspect that if he had been present when Satan deceived Eve, he would have set her right. It is also noteworthy that God was not present when Adam ate the fruit. (This one is also prophetic in more than one direction. Of course anything in the Old Testament that refers to Christ is prophetic)

LOL! Willfully ignorant? Can you give me an example of what that means? I think the two terms are mutually exclusive

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Only God can judge the heart of men, so it is difficult to know how "ignorant" someone really is.

Amen

Seven