It has become common in some devotional and homiletical circles to summarize Genesis 3 with the maxim, “before there is rebellion, there is reinterpretation.” Does Genesis 3:1–7 actually portray a distinct, prior act of reinterpretation?
Christianity’s Thick Answer to the Problem of Evil
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“Too many times, people think one response will answer the problem of evil. But what we actually need is a thick, multifaceted approach. A single answer doesn’t satisfy, because the problem of evil is too complex.” - TGC
Does It Really Matter Whether Adam Was the First Man?
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“The simple aim of this article is to show that, far from being a peripheral matter for fussy literalists, it is biblically and theologically necessary for Christians to believe in Adam as a historical person who fathered the entire human race.” - TGC
Snake or Seraph? The Identity of the Serpent in Genesis 3 (Part 2)
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Perhaps what Adam and Even saw and heard in the Garden was no mere snake but a serpent-like creature belonging to a higher order than the ordinary “beasts of the field.” Several considerations lend support to this view.
Snake or Seraph? The Identity of the Serpent in Genesis 3 (Part 1)
Genesis 3:1 introduces a new character into the Eden narrative and signals a shift in the plot. He is introduced as “the serpent.” Initially, the reader may picture nothing more than a legless reptile (suborder: serpentes). The Hebrew term נחש is generally used to refer to a type of a reptile, usually a legless reptile such as a snake (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Ps 58:4; Prov 23:32; Isa 65:25; Jer 8:17; Amos 5:19; Mic 7:17). But additional information in the account suggests that this entity is more than a mere snake. This creature talks with the humans and entices them to sin (3:1–5). As a result, he and his “offspring” are cursed by God (3:14–15).
