As a church leader and an evangelist, I spend most of my time reading the Bible to get its deeper meaning and understanding. Recently, I have been majoring in understanding the first man’s Fall. I have led several Bible study sessions, and among the key questions we aimed to address is why Adam and Eve fell for the serpent’s temptation and ate the forbidden fruit. So, why did Adam and Eve eat the apple?
The Bible suggests in Genesis 3:6 that Adam and Eve ate the apple to gain more wisdom and know the difference between good and evil, just like God. Scholars suggest another possible reason that led Adam and Eve to eat the apple is that Satan deceived them through Eve, as recorded in Genesis 3:4.
So, join me as I explore more about this topic. I will discuss why Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating the apple if Eve encouraged Adam to eat the apple, among more topics.
Why were Adam and Eve forbidden from eating the apple?
The Bible suggests that Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating the apple, as they would die. Adam and Eve were not to experience sudden death; by eating the apple, Adam and Eve were introduced to shame and guilt, eventually bringing death to the world.
Bible scholars from Got Question organization also suggest that Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating the apple so that God could truly determine if they would obey him. God gave Adam and Eve a command in which they were not to eat the apple. Going against God and eating it would have shown their disobedience toward him.
Why did God let Adam and Eve eat that Apple?
The Bible does not reveal why God let Adam and Eve eat the apple. However, scholars suggest God did not allow Adam and Eve to eat the apple. On the contrary, God gave Adam and Eve free will to choose between good and evil. God had already commanded them not to eat the fruit, as recorded in Genesis 2:16-17. They had the decision to obey him and not to listen to Satan. However, they ate the apple out of their free will to want to know how good and evil differentiated. God had the power to stop Satan from deceiving Eve, yet he didn’t because he had already given her a choice to follow what she wanted, like Adam.
Did Eve encourage Adam to eat the apple?
We do not know if Eve encouraged Adam to eat the apple, as the Bible does not reveal that to us. However, the Bible suggests in Genesis 3:6 that when Eve had eaten the fruit, she took some to Adam, who ate it too. There may have been a possibility that Eve did not have to encourage Adam to eat the apple, as he was curious too, to know the knowledge of good and evil and probably know how the apple tasted. On the other side, Eve might have encouraged Adam to eat the apple so they could both have the wisdom they did not have.
Why did Adam trust Eve and eat the apple?
We cannot say that Adam trusted Eve and ate the forbidden apple. However, it would have been easier for Adam to trust Eve with her judgment as this woman had been created for him, and he loved her. There is another speculation that Adam might have trusted Eve to eat the apple as God was not in the moment to tell him otherwise, making it easier to trust his wife. Adam might have also trusted his wife, Eve, and ate the apple to avoid arguments or conflicts.
Why didn’t Adam stop Eve from eating the Apple?
There is no single reason why Adam did not stop Eve from eating the apple, as the Bible does not reveal that to us. However, as stated earlier, it is possible that Adam did not stop Eve from eating the apple as he wanted to taste it too. As human beings, we are curious about ‘what ifs.’The ‘what if’s might have led to Adam thinking about how it would feel to know good and evil.
Another possible reason Adam did not stop Eve from eating the fruit was that Adam was not with her when the serpent approached Eve. This made it difficult for Adam to know what was going on.
Why was Adam and Eve eating the apple, sinning against God?
Adam and Eve eating the apple was a sin against God because they had disobeyed him. This was not about eating the apple but their choices to go against his instructions. When God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, he gave them a single prohibition to determine whether they would obey him. The two became disobedient and sinned against God by choosing to eat the apple.
Why couldn’t Adam and Eve eat apples, but we can?
While most Christians still believe that it was the fruit apple that Adam and Eve were warned against eating, scholars have suggested that there is a possibility that the fruit in question was not even an apple but a different fruit.
Scholars have suggested that the idea of the fruit being an apple came about when the Bible was translated into Latin. The Latin word for apple is ‘malum,’ which is similar to the word ‘malum,’ which means evil. This may have caused confusion in the translation, hence the reference to the apple.
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
