And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
Summary: Paul’s statement about Adam and Eve is often discussed but not always understood.
Do you think God would have allowed this verse to be in the Bible if it were not true?* I don’t think so, which leaves us with a conundrum: If Adam was not deceived, why did he eat the forbidden fruit?
Genesis, chapter three, tells the story of the serpent’s conversation with Eve. When we study the story closely, it becomes clear that Eve was led into deception by the serpent’s clever use of words. Her sin is not intentional in the sense that she set out to disobey God. Instead, she was manipulated into seeing only what the serpent wanted her to see — that “the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom…” (Genesis 3:6). This is called deception.
The meaning of the word “deceived” is very close to the Greek word Paul used. In English, the word means, “deliberately cause (someone) to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain.”†
The result of her choice was catastrophic for the human race. It also impacted her husband, Adam.
Why?
Why did Adam follow his wife into her sin? Clearly, he did. Obviously, he sinned, too. So why does Paul say he was not “deceived”?
The answer is that nobody had to manipulate Adam’s thinking. He was not “deceived” in the sense that the serpent didn’t fast-talk Adam into doing something he knew was wrong. Instead, Adam just did it on his own.
The Bible doesn’t tell us what Adam was thinking. We only know that Adam wasn’t “deceived.”
Maybe he thought it would be okay because Eve didn’t die when she ate the fruit — at least not in the physical sense.
Some people think he was listening to the serpent, too, but that would mean he had been deceived, and Paul says that didn’t happen.
The fact is that we don’t know what was going through Adam’s mind. All we know for certain is that Eve “gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6).
Application: Stay focused on Jesus and the Word of God.
Food for Thought: What can we do to avoid being deceived?
*See Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, John 17:17
†Online dictionary. Similar to other sources.
What can we do to avoid being deceived?
One thing I have noticed throughout my life is that deceptive talk usually involves “the promise of receiving something for nothing” or “the promise of give a little, get a lot.” And in times I have fallen for those two, I conveniently ignored the “cost” but, in my heart, I knew that I was taking advantage of someone else because of what I believed of their circumstances or nativity.
So, what can we do to avoid being deceived? I would have to say meditate on what is being “promised” and what is the “cost.”
The Bible reminds us consistently that we have nothing that we have not received from God. So to think that we can “take” in our own power is deceptive and should be a sign that there is evil intent in the mix.
John 3:27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
1 Corinthians 4:7 What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
The Bible also reminds us consistently that there is always a “cost.” So to think that provision and power does not come from somewhere, and we know this is God, is deceptive and should be a sign that there is evil intent in the mix.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap
1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world
1 Corinthians 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Finally, when faced with decisions, that may be presented to us in deception, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. If we turn to Him in prayer and ask Him for the truth, He will be faithful to provide it to us.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Thank you, Chris!
Well done!
It sounds like if we put God first and think of our neighbors as ourselves we will just be fine. 🙂