As the popularity of progressive Christianity rises, it appears that more and more “believers” are questioning what God has commanded in Scripture. They ask questions like, Did God really say that homosexuality is a sin? Did God really say that only men can be pastors? Did God really say we should pursue modesty and purity? Did God really say there’s only one way to heaven and those who don’t go to heaven will go to hell? And when those who claim to be Christians continue questioning the Word of God, they tend to move further and further away from the faith until they leave Christianity altogether.

While this questioning of Scripture may seem like a fairly new phenomenon, it’s actually a very ancient temptation from the lips of the devil himself. It goes all the way back to the very beginning, to the story of the Fall in Genesis 3.

But before we dive into Genesis 3, it’s important to look at the first command ever to be questioned. Before Eve was created from Adam’s rib, God put Adam in the garden of Eden to work and to live.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17, ESV

There was only one thing (that we know of) that Adam was not allowed to do: eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He could eat any of the delicious fruits from any of the beautiful trees in God’s glorious garden, except this one. Now, there wasn’t anything particularly bad or evil about this tree. After all, it was created by God, and God cannot create anything sinful, wicked, or evil. So, why couldn’t Adam eat from the tree? In her book Even Better Than Eden, Nancy Guthrie writes-

“‘It was not forbidden because it was evil; but evil because it was forbidden.’… To eat of it was to assume the right to decide for oneself what is good and what is evil rather than depend on God to define good and evil.”^[1]

Essentially, Adam was not allowed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because in doing so Adam would make himself like a god, deciding what is good and what is evil instead of trusting the God who created the universe to tell him. And we’re to assume that Adam communicated this command to Eve after she was created because it is she whom Satan decided to tempt. In the form of a crafty serpent, he slithered to the woman and hissed,

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1b

Did God really say? The question the serpent asked Eve in the garden of Eden is the same question people are asking today, sowing doubt and mistrust of God and His Word. Eve responded with the command that God had given them-

“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Genesis 3:2b-3

But is this what God said? Compare it to God’s original command in Genesis 2, and you’ll notice the Eve added a phrase – “neither shall you touch it.” We don’t need to assume that this addition to the Word of God was done for some nefarious reason. It’s likely that when Adam communicated God’s command to Eve he added that phrase as an extra precaution. Or it’s possible that Eve added the phrase to protect herself from any harm. But this first twist of the words of God only made it easier for the devil to keep twisting it-

“But the serpent said it the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:4-5

This statement was not altogether wrong. Adam and Eve’s eyes would indeed be opened when they ate the fruit (Genesis 3:7), and they would understand what is good and what is evil. They would also not physically die right away. But they would spiritually die when they ate the fruit, and their relationship with their Creator would be severed (Genesis 3:23-24). They would not live forever, but they would die one day and return to the dust they had been created from (Genesis 3:19). And they would be nothing like the all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign, holy, righteous God of the universe.

But Eve didn’t know this. All she knew was that the fruit of the tree looked good, and she wanted the knowledge and wisdom it would supposedly provide. Yet, Eve is not the only one to blame. The Bible clearly tells us that Adam was there, too, when this all happened, and he didn’t stop Eve. Instead, they ate of the fruit together (Genesis 3:6). Why did they choose to eat the fruit? Nancy Guthrie also writes,

“When we can’t see the harm, when we can’t see the problem with whatever it is God has forbidden but instead see something desirable, we can so easily justify doing what we want to do and reach out for what we think we must have.”^[2]

Adam and Eve desired the fruit, and they couldn’t understand why God had forbidden it. So, they found some way to justify their actions and ate the fruit. And we do the exact same thing. We have desires for things that God clearly forbids in Scripture, and we often cannot understand why such seemingly good things are forbidden by God. So, we find some way to justify them by asking, Did God really say? We trust our desires and feelings more than the God who created us. We suspect that God is holding out on us and acting like some cosmic killjoy. We believe that what’s written in the Bible can’t possibly be relevant in today’s changing world.

But God can be trusted. His words aren’t outdated, and He’s not holding out on us. He created us, and He loves us, and He knows what is best for us. His Word is clear and true, so we have no need to question what He has said.

I’m sure Adam and Eve quickly regretted their questioning of God, and we are still feeling the effects of their disobedience today. But their story didn’t end there. Though they were cast out of Eden and destined to die, they had hope-

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

This curse that was given to the serpent prophesies a Messiah, a Redeemer, a Savior that will crush the devil and defeat sin and death once and for all. This verse is called the protoevangelium­—the first gospel—because it’s the first prophecy of Jesus, the first proclamation of the good news of the gospel. There was hope for Adam and Eve, and there’s hope for us, too. Though our hearts may be full of questions, we have a God who is patient with us and forgives us and who isn’t scared of our questions. He welcomes them and provides us His Word, which grants us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).

So, whenever you come across something in Scripture that doesn’t feel right, don’t just trust your feelings, because they will surely deceive you. Instead, remember to trust the God of the universe. Remember that He is good and kind, sovereign and omniscient. Don’t question God; depend on Him. And root all your thoughts and beliefs in the truth of God’s Word.

^[1] Nancy Guthrie, Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 33.

^[2] Ibid., 34.