I'm a Christian, and still ponder this...?

Question

Why didn't God punish just Adam and Eve for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil INSTEAD of everyone?
Where would the world be if he had.

Answer 1

Because even if he had just punished them then the people after them would still have sinned, and he would still have had to punish everyone. So I am sure that the world would still be the same, since people will always sin. And I am sure that the whole time God knew exactly what he was doing.

Answer 2

Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Even before God made Adam and Eve he knew that man is self willed, a transgressor, passing beyond limits set for him, and in need of a savior and so he created the plan of salvation.

To this day each person has the same decision to make that Adam and Eve had - to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and decide for themselves what is good and what is evil, or - to trust God and obey him.

Answer 3

Don't think that God was surprised at the choice Adam and Eve made. He knew exactly what would happen when He placed the tree there and allowed Satan in. It was part of the plan.

Rev 13:8 And all those dwelling in the earth will worship it, those of whom the names had not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world.

The way of salvation was determined before man was created. Christ was determined to be the propitiation for the sins of His people from the foundation of the earth. Why did He allow man to sin and inherit the sin nature? For His purposes, for His good pleasure and so He may display His grace and mercy for all to see, those in the Heavenlies, on the earth, and beneath the earth. Where there is no sin, there is no need for grace or mercy. Everything went according to God's plan.

Answer 4

Logistically, it would be difficult for every individual human being to be born in the Garden of Eden, then kicked out once they commit their first sin since every parent would already be outside of the Garden.

But actually, in a way, God did what you're asking..... Babies are born without sin - yes, they are born with the inevitability of sin, but not yet guilty of having done anything wrong. So everyone starts off in the same boat as Adam and Eve. Inside of God's graces until they sin, at which time, just like Adam and Eve, they are now outside of God's graces and in need of a Savior.

So every person has the same chance that Adam, and Eve did - just live a perfect, obedient, sinless life and you can walk with God, without the aid of Jesus.

Answer 5

When Adam and Eve sinned they brought sin into the world and the sin nature into every human (Gen. 3:22). Just as Adam and Eve sinned so have we all. (Romans 3:9-20). We have a free choice to sin or not to sin but we still sin against God and for that we must be punished. But as you know there is hope through faith in Christ Jesus alone.

Answer 6

There is a little phrase that is used over and over in scripture

"We sinned IN Adam"
"He payed tithes IN (the priest)"

There is a spiritual and biological factor that plays into all of mankind being spoiled by sin. Notice the text does not say that the sin is IN Eve. Therefore, God was able to use Mary, and still produced Jesus as sinless.

This is on a level that we do not understand yet, but DNA will eventually prove our connection with each other.

Answer 7

Think of it this way, if Adam and Eve had not sinned you and I would have anyway- sorry there is not denying the fact that ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF HIS GLORY. However, remember Christ paid the price that we could not pay- so that we could be saved- why do people forget that part, and only remember the punishment, which by the way would be justified.

Answer 8

Why do some people insist on taking everything in the Bible literally?

We are not punished because we have the awareness of good and evil. We are gifted with a choice between the two.

Answer 9

Because after they both ate the fruit, they were aware of their sin, but could do nothing about reconciling themselves back to their sinless state. Only someone who had never committed a sin could bear the punishment for sin, and that was Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. His sacrifice made it possible for us to be reconciled back to God. God bless you!!!

Answer 10

um ... i hear tell that the Bible god is all knowing so would have known in advance of creating the whole Eden scenario what was going to happen. maybe the Bible god is simply evil and sadistic or maybe he's just a reflection of the twisted and cunning imagination of some desert shamans who wanted get and maintain control over the minds of their tribe of nomadic goat herders.