₦airaland Forum

This is incorrect but it's fine if that's what you think. The read the article again pls

WatchYourSix:
Didn't Adam take the fruit.??
...he took the fruit because of the deception of the satan..weda it came from eve or not..

The fact is Satan comes for us all attacking our desires per time...he also attacked the desires of Jesus per time...food and glory

Kindly read the article again to try to understand. Do a scriptural search so you might know the truth dear friend.

OkCornel:
Is the serpent your mind, or the devil? That’s all I ask.

If it’s the mind, I’ll appreciate references where a male pronoun was used to identify the mind. That’ll help clear things up.

No need to reply if you feel this puts you in a tight spot. Just food for your thought.

Yah bless.

The bible is a book written figuratively and this is why we al need the spirit to interpret it to us. Personification is a common thing in the bible so don't sweat about the personification of the serpent.

OkCornel:
If the serpent is the mind, why did Paul refer to the serpent with the male pronoun - HIS?

Is the serpent the devil or your mind?

Remember the scripture that states God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and A SOUND MIND.

Again, is the serpent the devil? Or your mind…

hello friend. the bible says the first Adam was not deceived. 2 timothy 2:14.
last Adam came to destroy the works of the first Adam.

WatchYourSix:
U are desperately merging scriptures of different context....

If we keep taking scriptures out of context, won't they lose their meaning??

The first Adam decieved by the accuser/Satan/the liar in the beginning..

The redemption/second Adam, Jesus was also tested in the wilderness ... I don't know why you keep painting different pictures of who or what Satan is...??

That's understandable but doesn't affect any of the message. Personification is something applied to the bible in so many place so they personalized the mind. It's just as Morning is personalized when they call satan son of morning. This is why we've spoken through many parts of the scriptures for everyone to see. The serpent is the mind. The devil operates in the mind. that's the message in the scriptures. The mind is the thing that lead people away from Christ. You can check the part one of this article to get a clearer picture. God bless you

OkCornel:
Knowingchrist, you’ve taken 2 Corinthians 11 v 3 out of context.

3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ

The mind does not have a gender. The serpent was referred to with a male pronoun slowly read the word “his” subtlety.

The serpent is Satan. The one who deceived Eve and also the nations.

Check Revelation 20 v 2-3;

2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

That's not true. It was translated as snake. however, animals do not represent anyone in the bible, they're characters. For example, Herod is not a fox, there was no fox when Jesus called him fox. The gentiles were called dogs, but that's about their behavioral pattern

Maynnmann:
Nahas simply means snake, there are many places in the bible where nahas was mentioned.

REVISITING SOME GENERAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

What exactly is the serpent?
The only other verse where the Bible talks about deception at a degree higher than is common was testified by the prophet Jeremiah, where he revealed that the heart (or mind) is the most deceitful thing i.e. more deceitful than all animals or anything.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

By comparing scriptures with scriptures, comparing this to what we see in Genesis helps us see that they’re talking about the same thing: the most deceitful thing, i.e. a thing that’s more deceitful than all animals or all things God made. The writer of Genesis represented this thing as the serpent but Jeremiah says that the same thing is the mind. Therefore, the serpent mentioned in Genesis is the mind, and the mind is represented metaphorically as the serpent. A person’s mind is said to be serpent while many people’s minds will be said to be serpents.

This might be hard to accept for some, but careful study of the scripture; comparing the several scriptures talking about the same thing, understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word translated as the serpent, and comparing the character of the mind with what is defined of the Hebrew meaning of the serpent will reveal the truth.

The Hebrew word translated as the serpent is nachash. The word comes from a root that means to “whisper or hiss”. Nachash by definition is to divine, practice divination, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, foretell the future, or tell fortune. Understanding these attributes and the mode of operation of the serpent helps us to put into proper perspective the things we say is the serpent.

If we say it’s a physical snake, then we imply that a physical snake can practice divination, foretell the future, learn by experience, or carry out any other of these defined attributes of the word “nachash”.

How then do we understand the missing piece? Do we keep telling ourselves that it was a physical snake? Or do we just accept that it’s the mind? No, we cannot go with any of this just yet. The answer is buried in the scriptures, it’s only needed to do a proper study uninfluenced by pre-existing beliefs to try to interpret the message and find out what is the serpent.

Although we have seen a verse of the bible that indicates that the serpent is the mind, a few verses might also indicate that the serpent is the devil so nothing can be established just yet. Everything true in the scriptures is well distributed across several books, any information that’s not well distributed is misunderstood.

The first step to understanding the message is to study the mind to see if it meets the attributes defined by the word “nachash”. The mind can predict the future, learn by experience, diligently observe, note patterns/signs, etc. The mind also whispers to us from within, in fact, we can have an internal dialogue in our minds. Also, the mind by operation is the seat of deception. These are defined attributes of the metaphoric serpent in genesis.

The mind more realistically fits these criteria and gives a better understanding of the scriptures than the thought that a physical snake can speak to a person, foretell the future, tell fortune, or meets any other attribute defined by the word “nachash”.

The next step is to thoroughly search the scriptures to see if they reveal that the mind is the serpent. By searching the scriptures, we see that every time there’s leading away from the word of God, it’s the imagination of the mind that leads people away from the word of God; the truth. This is the predominant message of the scriptures and it’s what all the prophets testified. This helps us see that what led Eve astray from the word of God was the imagination of her mind, the dialogue was internal, and the deception was of the mind.

Apostle Paul taught this when he compared the serpent to a person’s mind. He says a person’s mind will lead them astray the same way the serpent deceived Eve.

3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

The word “as” in the verse is used to indicate equivalence. It’s used to state that two things are equivalent when compared. The message here is that the beguilement of Eve is equivalent to how a person’s mind can deceive them, leading them away from Christ, the truth.

Recall, that the serpent is the principality of this world wherein the prince of this world operates, therefore we must first recognize the operation of the prince of the world to fully grasp what the serpent is. What is the operation of the prince of this world? It’s to blind the mind so that a person does not see the light of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). This shows that the operation of the prince of this world is in the mind. This makes the mind the principality of this world wherein the prince of this world operates.

It's easy to get lost in metaphors in the scriptures, and this is why many are lost in the scriptures. Apart from common figures of speech that are well distributed across the scriptures, the books of Genesis and Revelation apply special metaphors for certain descriptions.

The account of creation and the events of the Garden of Eden were written metaphorically, just as the whole of the book of Revelation is written metaphorically, people easily confuse themselves when they apply a metaphor as the interpretation of another metaphor.

Such interpretation of the scriptures is futile, it’s like turning in circles. It does not edify the soul because it does not come from rightly dividing the scriptures, and thus does not reveal anything. Both books must be rightly interpreted to reveal the message, it’s only through the revelations of the apostles that we properly understand the figurative writings of the scriptures.

The mind is the serpent, anyone who operates by the mind is called after the mind. Thus, the devil is called “serpent”, the Pharisees and Sadducees are “serpents”, and any other mental persons will also be called “serpent”. It’s a description based on mindedness. A person is called after their conditioning, mental people are called after the mind while spiritual people are called after the spirit.

The serpent was Eve’s mind, the beguilement of Eve is the first recorded case of the deception of the mind, and helps us realize that the deception of the mind is original. The Bible constantly talks about the power of the mind and its deception. It’s a fundamental message of the scripture but those who do not see this message blame another entity for the deception of the mind.


However, understanding this one thing puts the message in Genesis in proper perspective with every other part of the scriptures, and helps us understand certain parts of the scriptures that have eluded most people.

This helps us understand that when Eve said “the serpent beguiled me”, she meant that her mind deceived her. It also helps understand many other statements in the bible. An example of such statements is that of Jesus:

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

The message here is that Jesus says he has given us power over our minds. The significance of this message is this: while we were yet in the world, we were slaves to our minds, and it led us to do whatever thoughts it creates for us, but now we wrestle our minds, overcoming it by the power we have in the word of God; which power we receive through the knowledge of Christ. The same message is reiterated throughout the New Testament (2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 6:12).


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I posted the other part of the article, check it out. it'll help answer your question.

OkCornel:
Did the serpent deceive Eve or not?

Read Revelation 20 v 2-3. It referred to the serpent as ancient and deceitful.

..

Read the article pls, this part is also covered

OkCornel:
OP, here’s the answer to your question.

Revelation 20 v 1-2;
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.

2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Kobojunkie:
Of course not, but since it is a dirge/poem, that's the more reason why you should not read more into it than what is provided.

it's funny that you want me not to take the word of God serious.

REVISITING SOME GENERAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

What is the image and likeness of God?
Was Adam the image and likeness of God?
Who is the image and likeness of God?
Image and Likeness of God

The word “image” is both a noun and a transitive verb. The word as a noun means visual representation of something, a tangible or visible representation: incarnation. Image as a noun is also an idea or a concept and is likewise the exact likeness of something.

Image as a verb means to create a representation or to represent symbolically. Image as a verb also means to make something appear, to call up a mental picture i.e. to imagine. It likewise means to describe or portray in language, especially in a vivid manner.

The lesson here is that anything that has an image is not perceivable, tangible, or visible. Such a thing does not represent itself but is wholly represented by its image. We can also learn that the image is the mental picture of the parent thing, it is also the exact likeness; called forth with power and the fact of the parent. We likewise learn that the image is incarnate of the parent thing.

The term “the image and likeness of God” is first seen in genesis 1:26-27 which reads:

26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

The image of God is the persona of God. It’s what is perceivable, and can be known of God. It’s the way God is represented. Therefore, when God said “let us make man in our image”, He was saying “let us make man that represents the character and nature of God”. This man will be an exact likeness of God, and represent God in authority and capacity.

Although the meaning of the word “image” should be sufficient to understand the message, scriptures are interpreted with scriptures for accurate understanding. So we need to compare scriptures to scriptures on the matter.

We cannot properly know what the image of God is unless we know the nature and character of God. The very nature of God is righteousness, doing what is right at all times. God is living i.e. active, and every activity of God is righteous. The character of God is his holiness, separating himself from everything that’s against his nature. Holiness is how God behaves, he moves away and resists anything contrary to his nature; righteousness.

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him 1 John 2:29

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous 1 John 3:7.

because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” 1 Peter 1:16.

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come Revelation 4:8.

Since image means the representation of something, therefore the image of God is the representation of the nature and character of God. This means the image of God is the representation of the righteousness and holiness of God, and will be the incarnation of the righteousness and holiness of God (Ephesians 4:24).

Therefore, when God said “let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, he was talking about making man that will be the righteousness and holiness of God. This man will represent God in authority and will act as God. This man will be the visible/tangible representation of the invisible or intangible God and will be the embodiment (fact) of God.

Was Adam the image and likeness of God?

For centuries, successive Christian denominations and independent preachers have taught that all mankind (originating from Adam) was made in the image and likeness of God. It’s believed that this distinguishes mankind from animals and any other creation of God. This teaching has survived through times and has become a core belief in Christendom.

Although this assertion appears harmless and seems true, it raises questions that cannot be answered from the same premises as we study the scriptures. This belief contradicts the revelation of the truth in Christ.

The very first questions that come to mind are:

If Adam is the image and likeness, why was he able to sin?
Can the righteousness of God sin?
Why can God not sin if Adam who is his exact likeness sinned?

The written plan of God, in the beginning, is to make man in the image, and after the likeness of God. This information makes us automatically think that Adam is the image of God because he was the first man that was made. But as we start to understand the bible through the person of Christ, we see reasons to question this thinking.

Being in the image of God is a willful decision that Adam had to make. For this reason, it’s written that God placed two trees before him; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, with the commandment to eat only of the tree of life. It was left to Adam to either choose to obey and eat of life or disobey and eat of the tree that will lead to death.

The tree of life is symbolic of righteousness; a righteous path (Proverb 11:30). God expected Adam to obey to eat of the tree of life and live, for “living” only happens in righteousness, while death occurs in unrighteousness (Romans 6:13, 7:4}. God placed the option to live in his nature or a contrary nature, Adam had to decide to be like God or unlike God.

The general belief is that Adam was made in the nature of God, but this is not according to the truth in Christ, for it is written that Adam was made naked i.e. without a cover/cloth, and it was also written that Adam was clothed with flesh after he sinned against God.

Clothing or covering scripturally means righteousness, and due to Adam’s decision, he was clothed differently from God; clothing of skin/flesh. This means Adam received the flesh as his righteousness and this flesh nature is contrary to the righteousness of the spirit, which is of God.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban (Job 29:14).

It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:.

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: (Isaiah 30:1).

The cloth/cover Adam received was of his own self, it was made for him, it’s of flesh, and it originated from him. None had it before him. This cloth/cover is different from that of the spirit. The flesh is selfish; self-righteous and such righteousness is unrighteousness before God.

Since Adam was formed naked and was naked even when his eyes opened, this means he never had the clothing of the spirit of God, and this further means he never had the righteousness of God. All these translate to the fact that Adam was never the representation of the righteousness of God because he never had it. This likewise translates to the fact Adam was never the image and likeness of God.

The most important answer to the question of whether Adam was the image of God is seen in the bible’s description of the person of Christ Jesus. The bible says Jesus is the express image of God.

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)

The word express used in the passage is both a verb, adjective, and noun. The verbal form of the word means to give or convey a true impression of something, delineate, or represent in words. The adjectival form of the word means directly, firmly, and explicitly stated. It also means precise.

The phrase “the express image of his person” is used to describe Jesus as the true/precise image of God. This leads us to ponder on the statement; the only reason there’s the need to stipulate that a particular thing is the true one is if there’s or there’s been another which is not the true one.

Therefore, if there’s another image other than the image of God, there have to be two images; the true image of God and the image of man. The bible establishes this as a fact by showing a clear difference in the images possessed by the first Adam and Christ Jesus (Hebrews 15:45-49).

45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.
48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[b] bear the image of the heavenly man.

The bible lets us know that there’s another image that is different from the true image of God. The true image of God is seen in Christ and the other image is seen in Adam. This corrects the assumption that Adam was the image of God. Therefore, all men who were borne of Adam were not the image of God, rather they were the image of Adam 1 Corinthians 15:49.

The bible consistently states it as a fact that Christ is the mental picture God had when he made the statement of making man in his image and likeness:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, and the first born of every creature (Colossians 1:15)

4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light the glorious gospel, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Who is the man in the image of God?

The common belief in Christianity is that all men are the image and likeness of God. Most people think that Adam is the image and likeness of God because he was the first man that was made. This assumption is not only common amongst Christians, almost everyone on earth holds this opinion.

Accepting that all of the scriptures (Genesis to Malachi) is testifying of Christ Jesus and not Adam makes this very easy to see. Therefore, when God (the spirit) said “lets us make Man in our own image and our own likeness”, he was testifying of Christ beforehand; the spirit testifies of Christ.

The Bible explicitly states that Christ is the actual image of God, but ingrained false teachings and imaginations of the mind still hinder most people from realizing this. What is the commonly known account of creation is contradictory to the knowledge and understanding of the scriptures in Christ.

An example of beliefs that contradict the creations is the belief that Adam existed in the spirit before he was formed. Those who hold this belief claim that God had already formed Adam when he spoke in Genesis 1 and that the actual formation of Adam was the transfer of the person already created in the spirit into a physical form.

This belief directly contradicts where the bible makes it clear that the first man is earthy and natural, and not heavenly or spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). The belief that the first Man existed in the spirit before he was formed is false, it’s assumed by those who attribute the person of Christ to the first man because they do not see Christ.

Christ is the man who is the image of God, all that was in the world before Him was the image of man (the first man), and what was known of God before Christ was inaccurate. Christ is the one that truly represents God and has the nature of God. Christ is the man who existed in the spirit before taking a form.

It’s a grave error for a person who believes in Christ Jesus to say all men are made in the image of God, this statement is untrue because the Bible makes it clear that Adam begat sons in his own likeness and after his image, and not the image of God. The bible further makes it clear that all men have borne this likeness of Adam and have been the image of his person until the true image of God was revealed in Christ. Therefore, not all men are the image of God because not all men are the righteousness of God, it’s only those who have been reborn and fashioned in the likeness of God through Christ and have borne the righteousness of God that are in the image of God.



Thank you for reading.

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Was King of Tyre in Eden?

Kobojunkie:
Please stop preaching lies in God's name as you are no different from the other liars when you resort to the same tactics... lies!

Ezekiel 28 is instead a dirge sung by God to the King of Tyre and Siddon as made clear at the beginning of the context that is the Chapter.

REVISITING SOME GENERAL CHRISTIAN BELIEFS

What is the serpent in genesis?

This probably is the most controversial among Christian beliefs needing re-visitation. The belief in every denomination of Christianity posits that an entity called the devil was in heaven before the beginning and he was there when God formed man and gave man power, and dominion, and in a fit of rage and jealousy against man, the devil warred against God resulting in his defeat and fall to earth. It further posits that in a bid to mock God and thwart God’s plan, the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden, became or possessed the serpent, deceived Eve, and caused the Fall of Man.

This narrative, though well-crafted, and very satisfying, has lasted since the beginning of the modern Christian era (since the dawn of the Catholic Church) but it does not answer the numerous questions arising from this line of thought. It also contradicts many citations of the same event in other parts of the Bible, and hence needs to be revisited.

This belief (or very similar) like every common belief is not unique to Christianity, it’s held by every Abrahamic religion, and many other religions. Cultures like ancient Babylon, Canaanites and Turanian races worshiped the serpent as the liberator of mankind and giver of insights or wisdom, believing it to be a wise and powerful angel that liberated mankind from God.

Points of discussion:

Did the devil sneak into the Garden?

It’s a grave error to say the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden because this is highly improbable. Among the revelations made by prophet Ezekiel is that God ordained the devil and placed him in the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:11-14).

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

The fact that God ordained the devil and placed him in the Garden of Eden nullifies the idea that the devil snuck into the Garden of Eden to disrupt God’s plan. Also, the war in heaven did not happen until after Christ Jesus was resurrected so the belief that the devil fell as a result of this war and infiltrated the Garden of Eden afterward is not biblical.

Is the serpent in the Garden of Eden an entity?

The general belief in all Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) is that the serpent mentioned in Genesis chapter 3 is an entity. This belief cuts across almost every religion on earth and even atheists, and animists who claim not to believe in God have this information ingrained in their minds. This belief is not based on knowledge of the truth in Christ, hence its commonality even among irreligious persons.

Although the writer of Genesis did not specify that the serpent is an entity, people only think the serpent mentioned in Genesis is the entity who is called the devil largely due to influence from pre-existing beliefs, and secondly because they seek an external entity to blame for the fall of Adam and the subsequent death of all men through Adam.

Was the serpent a physical snake?

The main reason many people think the serpent is a physical snake is that they see the word “serpent” in the Bible, and their minds interpret this to them mentally. This satisfies them and influences how they interpret every other information about the biblical serpent; aligning everything to support the interpretation given by their minds.

The statement that initiates this belief is where the serpent was introduced in Genesis. Those who say the serpent is a physical snake support their claim with the verses where the serpent was mentioned, yet nothing can be established from this because the different Bible translations contradict each other on their position on what the serpent is. Here are examples of popular Bible translations that contradict each other on the subject.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. -Genesis 3:1 KJV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. - Genesis 3:1 ESV

Both statements appear the same, but they contradict each other grammatically. The word “any” used to compare the serpent with “beast of the field” in the KJV Bible is used to compare a particular thing to the entirety of a group that it’s not a part of. The statement in the KJV Bible means the serpent is not a “beast of the field” and it’s wiser than all beasts of the field.

The phrase “any other” used to compare the serpent with “beast of the field” in the ESV Bible is used to compare a particular thing to other members of its group. The statement in the ESV Bible means the serpent is a beast of the field, and it’s wiser than other beasts of the field.

For example, it’s rather nonsensical to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any” European country because Germany itself is a European country, but it is very correct to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any other" European country. Also, it’s nonsensical to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any other” African country because Germany is not an African country, but it is very correct to say Germany has a bigger economy than “any” African country.

Having learned the difference in both translations, we’re certain that one of them is wrong as both cannot be right, yet we must not assume which of these translations is right. The only way to know the truth is through an uninfluenced and thorough search in the scriptures because the scriptures interpret themselves.

Another reason why many people think the serpent is a physical snake is because of what God said about it.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14 KJV).

When many people see the verse above, their mind quickly pictures a snake and how it moves, and they conclude that the serpent is a physical snake because snakes crawl on their belly. Some even go as far as assuming that snakes did not crawl on their belly before God made these statements.

However, no part of the statements indicates that the serpent is a physical snake if studied in context obtainable within the scriptures and in the revelation of the scriptures by the apostles in the New Testament, and even when the statements are grammatically analyzed.

The first part of the statement reads “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above “all” cattle, and above “every” beast of the field;” The words “all” and “every” used in the statements like the word “any” used at the beginning of the chapter have no restriction, they are used to express totality. They are used to compare a thing to the totality of a group. Therefore, this statement means the serpent is neither a cattle nor a beast of the field, and it’s cursed above all beasts of the field.

However, the same statement in the ESV Bible contradicts its earlier position about the serpent. It reads “The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above “all” livestock and above “all” beasts of the field;”. Grammatical analysis of this statement shows that the ESV Bible holds that the serpent is neither a livestock nor a beast of the field because it uses the word “all” to compare it to livestock and beasts of the field.

The other part of the statement that convinces most people that the serpent is a physical snake is this: “upon thy belly shalt thou go, dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:” When they read this statement, their minds instantly picture physical snakes, and convinces them that snakes eat dust while crawling on the ground. This satisfies them and they become sure that it was a physical snake that spoke to Eve. It’s this assurance that spurs them to assume that maybe and just maybe, snakes did not crawl on the ground before the serpent was cursed.

However, we do not interpret scriptures this way. Scriptures are not interpreted with mental pictures or by observing animals, scriptures are only interpreted by proper study and careful observation of other scriptures, and understanding the context of the use of every word and statement.

Both statements are idiomatic or cultural expressions, they are not as they appear. The statement “upon thy belly shalt thou go” is an idiomatic expression used to state that someone or something will be defeated and disgraced openly. This is a common practice in the past. When a king defeats his arch enemy, he ties him up to his horse and drags him around in his domain to disgrace him openly in the same place he was exalted.

The statement “dust shalt thou eat” is an idiomatic or cultural expression used to state that someone or something will be completely overpowered and defeated very easily. Usually, when two arch-enemies fight and one is more powerful than the other, the powerful one beats up the other to a pulp and feeds him sand. This is a show of easy and absolute victory.

When speaking about such a fight, the first question is: was the loser fed with sand? If the answer is No, this means although such a person was defeated, they still put up a fight and still had some strength left in them after the fight, but if the answer is Yes, this means that the loser was heavily overpowered and beaten to a pulp so that they couldn’t resist while being fed sand.

Although proponents of this belief run off with a mental interpretation of the scripture, the Bible explains these idioms by finishing the statement with a colon (, a punctuation mark used to direct attention to the matter (e.g. lists, explanation, or amplification) that follows. This means the above statements are explained or amplified by the statement that follows, and that statement is:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

Therefore, the statements “upon thy belly shalt thou go” and “Dust shalt thou eat” are idioms explained or amplified by the verse above, and it’s about a fierce enmity between two arch enemies; the woman and the serpent, and not about a physical snake crawling on its belly on the ground. The message stated here is that the serpent will be overpowered and defeated effortlessly and disgraced openly in its domain by the woman.

All mentions of the serpent in verses one through fifteen of the chapter, do not have any indications whatsoever that the serpent is a physical snake, especially when the statements are carefully interpreted to reveal the message. The belief can neither be grammatically nor scripturally established, it’s just a conclusion based on a limited understanding of grammar and the significance of every word used and statements made in the chapter.

Why do people think the serpent is the devil?

There’s hardly anyone on earth who does not think that the serpent mentioned in Genesis is the entity called the devil. The reason for this belief is because the Bible calls the devil “that old serpent who deceived the whole world”. This leads most people to think that the devil was the serpent in Genesis.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ((Revelation 12:9).
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2).

Those who say the serpent is the devil usually conclude in their mind before they even look at the bible, so they align everything the bible says with their preconceived thoughts. However, the Bible did not explicitly state that the devil is the serpent that deceived Eve for the same reason it was not recorded anywhere at all that any entity caused the fall of Adam. People have only carried this belief from ancient traditions and religions, some of which have existed long before the truth was revealed in Christ.

Serpent is the general description for a kind or pattern of existence that’s based on the nature of the serpent. The “serpent” is not unique to the devil, anyone can be called a serpent, and this is why the adjective “old” is placed before “serpent” when addressing the devil. This is to signify that he’s the old one; the oldest of all serpents.

While most people try to enforce this belief as the message with just these two verses mentioned above, others have confused themselves even further by mixing up this belief with important revelations made in the New Testament. One such revelation about the serpent is seen in Colossians 2:15, which references the open defeat of the serpent earlier mentioned in Genesis.

15 and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

The confusion here is that most people mistake the word “principalities” and “powers” for entities, so they assume that it was the devil that was defeated openly as mentioned in this part of the bible. However, the word “principality” means a state, office, or condition ruled by a prince, while the word power means the ability to act or produce an effect (or fruits as scripturally used). The victory here is over the state or condition and the ability to produce fruits of this state.

We see from here that the serpent is the principality of this world and it has the ability to produce fruits (of this world), it’s where the prince of this world operates and the power he uses. It’s a state, condition, office, or power, it’s not an entity. The devil is the prince of this world who operates in the principality and uses its power. The devil is called a serpent because he operates by the serpent, anyone who operates by the serpent is also a serpent. This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees were also called serpents because they operate by the serpent and use its power.

The open victory mentioned in this verse (Colossians 2:15) is the same victory that was testified in the beginning, it’s over the state or condition ruled by the prince of this world and the ability to produce fruits he wants. It’s saying that the woman will come into this world and not operate by the serpent and shall not produce any fruits by it.

The Bible further states it explicitly that the serpent is just a principality so that there should be no arguments or confusion but some still confuse it for the enemy. Jesus spoke about this when he gave us powers over the serpent.

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)

According to this, the serpent is not the enemy (the devil), yet it’s something that we power over. By comparing scripture with scripture, we compare this statement to the earlier one in Colossians 2:15, this establishes the fact that the serpent is just the principality and the power, and not the entity. It’s the state that the entity called the devil operates and the power he operates with. It’s this state that was openly disgraced where it’s the power to rule and whoever operates by it is as God in this world.

The devil is not the serpent that was mentioned in Genesis, the devil operates by the serpent, and this is why he’s called after it. Anyone who operates by the serpent is called after it, however, the devil is the oldest of them all who operates by the serpent, and hence he’s called the “old” serpent. The devil’s aim is to make everyone else walk after him, operate by the serpent, and harness its powers for selfish use.

This is just part one of this article, you can use the link to a google drive to read other topics discussed in this article. All articles are FREE and written with grace for the furnishing of the brothers in Faith

Thank you for reading…

LilMissFavvy:
Asking for mercy is not wrong when we pray. The Lord's prayer is a good example of how a Christian should pray. The Lord's prayer contains a line which says "forgive us our treaspasses". Forgiving treaspasses is like asking for mercy over our short comings.

I think you're very correct to some extent so I'll just add a few points to support what you say.

The Lord's prayer was something Jesus taught before the forgiveness of sins of all man which was done in his death. The life we live now is the life of those already forgiven and not those Asking for forgiveness.

furthermore, I'd like to support you more with the fact that the Lord's prayer was meant to expose people to the need to forgive and not the need for God to forgive them. it was meant to put it to man that he doesn't have any business asking for forgiveness if he rrefuses to forgive those who wrong him. This is why he puts it in such a way for the person making the request to know that his answer is dependent on him when he says forgive us "as we forgive as we forgive those who trespass against us"

Forgive means to cease to feel resentment against. God does not feel any resentment against us. In fact John 3:16 tells us how much he loves us so there's no form of resentment in God for us. It's man that's making himself enemy of God and enemy of himself. This is why he says as you forgive those who wrong you bc God has no need to forgive you. He never had any grudge for you. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I also learnt while writing it

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1MILLIONLiGHTS:
Father lord I come to your throne of grace. I receive your mercy. I receive your mercy. I receive your mercy.......... IS THIS HOW TO DO IT?

I wouldn't know how you want to relate with God. but here's a template just as Jesus gave us one. Thank you father for your work which is finished in Christ. thank you for since the beginning you were diligently working to bring forth the perfect man in Christ. thank you for forgiving me all my iniquities and gifting me your spirit so i should walk in your will. i appreciate this kindness. Thank you for gifting me your righteousness that i should not be judged of my own wickedness and of the pride in my flesh but for your spirit.... Thank you for making me your son and strengthen me to walk as your son. Praying this way makes your responsible

PastorAIO:
There are different different kinds of sauces. We all know the hardships faced when one has to swallow Eba with a minimal amount of sauce.

Without the correct sauce it makes what we are given very hard to swallow indeed.

Very correct sir, the right sauce and the right amount of it is what makes the eba smooth. if you want to swallow eba with so much water or very little soup, we'll face difficulties in the same situations. That's how it is with the word of God.

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HeavenlyCherub:
I thank God. That God is not a human being. We Christians are our own worst enemy.

This is fair enough but I personally think those who teach people nonsense (unbiblical messages) and have instilled in them so many kinds of fear are the believers worst enemy. This is why it's important to study so you're not mechanized to the spirit of fear

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kingxsamz:
o
The thief beside Jesus asked for forgiveness when he knew he was about to be killed for his crimes and was still forgiven and promised paradise.
Also, Hitler could have asked for forgiveness before he even got on his death bed. so this one you talk so na own goal.

Thank you for pointing this out, what a great point you have there. However, it's important to study the bible and learn its message, and not just read for self. The thief beside Jesus never asked for forgiveness, you can check again to confirm.

The thief beside Jesus believed the message of Jesus. A person's believe is what affords them forgiveness. The thief believed there was truly a kingdom above this and asked to be taken into that kingdom.

If you study your bible more you shall see that for everyone who ask, they shall be given.

The child was already doomed before he stole and it doesn't matter whether or not he stole. That child is a sinner not by the things he had done but bc of the particular spirit that lives in him. It's that spirit that propels him to steal just to confirm his death before God. So if Hitler believes the message he shall be forgiven and if that child rejects the message shall perish not bc he stole but bc he rejected the truth.

You can't have what you don't believe in can you? Can you become rich or be successful without first believing it? So also, a person cannot get into heaven if they do not believe it exists.

Kindly study the bible in that respect and do not try to twist it's message and content for personal argument pls. God bless you and I hope this finds you well.

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Today's discussion is quite beautiful because it's both speaking to us at KnowingChrist group and also to every reader out there. It's meant to break the one of the major barricade the enemy places in our thirst for knowing God.

Just as in other write-up created by our team, the knowing Christ group stresses the need to read the bible within context because the bible can also be used to deceive anyone if taken and read out of context.

A popular statement that has been and is still being used to retain many in ignorance is "the letter killet but the spirit giveth life". This statement is often made when a person calls out certain people who say things contrary to the bible and claim to have been given such message by the Holy Spirit.

This statement is usually made to facilitate the believe of certain unbiblical personally created interpretation of the bible or deter a person from trying to understand the actual message. The enemy speaks through people to threaten diligent seekers of God with death every time he makes this statement, and those who fear are forced to throw away their God given insights go accept whatever was the norm.

To overcome this fear and silence the enemy, a Christian must first return into the word and study the statement within the context it was made, outside which it can be used to deceive anyone by their mind or the manipulator of minds.

The statement was taken out of context from brother Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 3:6 - who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament — not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life).

From the verse above, and from the preceding and succeeding verses, it's very clear what brother Paul meant, the letter is the law of Moses. If read within context, the bible does not speak about the letter as the written scripture, instead it unequivocally states the letter as the written law of Moses.

Another time brother Paul refers to the law of Moses as the letter is found in his goodwill letter to the Romans (Romans 2:24-29). It's also clear in this context that the bible unequivocally states the letter as the law of Moses.

Every student of the bible should know that this is the age of the great deception and as such, there are many personal and institutional manipulations of the word out there. This is the time when there shall come many conveteous teachers who teach not for God to be own but for their own selves.

The bible must always be read within context to reveal the identity, purpose and promise of God. This is the reason why it was written, and any other intentional or unintentional misinterpretation of the book must be humbly and properly rejected.

In fact our Lord Jesus Christ makes it important that we should fully grasp every information being passed in the
bible in his reply to the enemy when he said "man shall only live by every word that comes out of the mouth of God".

We at KnowingChrist group advice that you should take up your dictionary and study the bible word for word as this is the will of the father. Follow up the meaning of each word to reflect the context of the statement. Do not be afraid to learn what God is saying, never focus on statements made to sway you from knowing the truth.

Thank you for reading, have a blessed today.. God bless you all

Life is the process of education while living is being educated. The purpose of creation is that God wanted to create man of his own likeness and he shall educate him for eternity..

Jesus shows this when he came to earth by saying the things he did were shown to him by the father and what he did are the same things the father does (John 5:19. This message shows a kind of relation where the father instructs him, and empowers him to do the things he does. Therefore, the education is the empowerment.

The reason for the manifestation of Jesus is so that the sons of man who were lost in ignorance because of their rebellion against God might receive knowledge and learn to exist like God, being God's son.

From this we understand that having the knowledge of God is the yardtick for recognition of a person as being the son of God without which a person still remains in ignorance and might be doomed for destruction by their own wickedness. The holy spirit was even given for this purpose.

In fact the bible makes it clear that God wants everyone to believe and (concurrence) come to knowledge of his truth (1 Timothy 2:4). From this we know the will of God is that all man should have knowledge. Therefore, the basic attribute of a Christian is his knowledge of the truth of God.

That said, so many people who say they believe in Jesus let out their disbelieve in Jesus when they pray. The devil recognises such people by what they utter in prayers and seizes such opportunity to act.

One might wonder why there are so many religious people in the world with so much suffering and wickedness, but the answer lies in their prayer. Prayer is supose to be a formal request from God but when done outside knowledge (amiss), a person might even invite the opportunistic one into life.

When many people pray, they condemn themselves in prayers, they show forth an absolute lack of knowledge of God's truth so the devil and his ministers prosper in their ignorance.

For example: a Christian must not be heard asking God for mercy, instead they should boldly come before the throne of grace and take mercy which has already been given (Hebrews 4:16). Asking for mercy in this situation shows the lack of knowledge that the mercy was already given, and only needs to be accepted/taken. So the devil recognizing such a person's ignorance entraps them in guilt.

A Christian must not be heard praying For the revelation of their destiny for God had already revealed the collective destiny of all in the bible.

It's important that everyone comes to knowledge of the truth of God, so that they do not continue to be the traitor who sells themselves to the enemy. Although it's known that even those who have knowledge do not really know how to pray so it wonders the mind how those who showcase lack of knowledge in prayer thrive in a world where there's always someone waiting to seize every mistake as an opportunity against an individual.

Our advice from KnowingChrist is that Christians should Pray in knowledge and watch their life transform. Study the bible before praying so you can pray with authority.

thank you for reading, we're wishing you the knowledge of the truth.

The scripture we know was given by the inspiration of God. This is the confidence everyone who believes in Jesus has, and even most who disbelieve still hold this believe as a reason to blame God for things written in the bible.

What is special about the bible and why do most people hold it special? The bible fortells the future and gives a well described picture of the past and helps recognise the present. It's considered a sacred book by not only Christians but also in many cults.

Since we already believe that the bible is given by God, therefore Satan's main point of action will definitely be the bible. Satan is in the habit of not necessarily hiding the truth but tilting it just a little further to deceive many.

Satan rephrases that which is said or totally changes the word with another that if read without context might mean completely different things.

How did Satan come into the fray in a book written by God? it's simple, we just need to understand his mode of actions. Satan works through man. Satan's desires are those things desired by man. Satan's riches are material, and Satan's place of dominance is the mind.

Satan does not have a specific Kingdom, the kingdom ruled and judged by man is Satan's dominion. The present day's bible we know was judged by man, man sat down to judge what should be in the bible. This indirectly means Satan judged what should the in that whixh is called bible.

The target is not actually to hide the truth as that might leave no reason to blame anyone at the end, the target is to make the truth difficult to accept. Such way Satan will both sweep many who seek God and those who do not.

For this reason, the identity of the true believer is that person who knows God. As God is only known in his words, the true believer is that man who's not deterred by Satan's manipulation of God's word to make today's bible. Such man is open minded and do not follow consensus, he allows the spirit to teach so that he might know the truth.

A student of the scripture must not take the words as they appear, but must be willing to probe deeper in study to realize what God says. For this reason it's said that he who seeks shall find and God rewards those who diligently seek him.

Many might be deceived with the same bible but those who diligently seek God will uplifted by God.

Have a blessed day and thank you for reading.

The bible is a book talking about one person and one kind of people. it's start to finish is one message and this message is about one person and those who exist by him. Although this message might be relayed on different facets at different times but a clear understanding of each facet reveals its relevance in the same message.

Although the message is readily available, not everyone recognizes it and this allows the devil to sweep in to utilize a section of the message to deceive many.

Satan deceives many the same way he wanted to deceive Jesus by reading the bible to such a person out of context. The message in the bible is held within context and the whole of the bible contains only one message. If any part of the message is taken out of context, such part can be used to deceive and ultimately destroy a person without knowledge.

For example: the devil tells Jesus to jump off a cliff because God had said he'll give the angels charge over him. While the particular information is the truth, it was completely taken out of context to deceive Jesus. Had Jesus not known the scripture well enough, he would have fallen for the deception.

To fully understand the message the devil used, we must read the preceding verses to the particular verse that was read out of context. This shows a person must first abide in God, and must trust God to deliver them from the devil and his mental traps. This is what makes God give charge to his angels charge over such a person.

But more importantly, the devil's scheme was to test if Jesus is the son of God and this is why Jesus rebuffed him by saying man should not test God.

In the same way, there are many who do not know the message in the bible and the devil (or one of his ministers) can deceive them by reading the bible out of context to them to manipulate them to saying and believing quite unreal things.

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