The Lie That Changed Everything
In the garden, the serpent told Eve two things: that she could disobey God and still become more like him, and that she would not really die. Both were lies, but they planted two ideas that are still with us: a false picture of what God is like, and the belief that death isn’t really final. Believing those lies is what caused humanity to stop reflecting God’s character and start acting more like the animals God had put humanity in charge of.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this old story still matter?
Because both lies, a distorted view of God and the idea that people don't really die, still shape a lot of what people believe today, even outside of religion.
Bible references
Genesis 3:1-5Show verseHide verse
1Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’”
2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,
3but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”
4The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die,
5for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
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World English Bible (public domain)