Genesis 2-3 

In Genesis we see Adam and Eve as the first priests in Eden with the vocation to image God. God gives them one command- to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Notice it is the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL. It is knowledge and not just of evil. 

Some things to notice:

·      The things cursed are the Nahash and the ground. Adam and Eve are not. 

·      God promises that the Seed of the Woman (Jesus) will crush the serpent (a foreshadow of the major picture of atonement)

·      We see that pain will increase in child bearing and it will be there will be thorns and thistles making cultivation harder. 

·      There will be inequality and “lording over” that will happen due to eating of the tree between the man and woman. (This is not God’s ideal but the result of the fall)

·      Notice what God says: “they have become like us”… Totally depraved??? No! Knowing Good and Evil. Adam and Eve have knowledge but not maturity. 

·      God mercifully separates them from the Tree of Life so that they will not live in this way forever. 

·      Death comes into this world (This is what Romans 5 says!)

·      The logic here is also that God is life and separation from him = death. Eternal life is partaking in God’s life. 

The Jewish View (The Yetzer)

When you have the knowledge of something you can have the desire for it. This is where the Jews get the view of the Yetzer (desire). The Calvinist view is that all human desires and actions are evil. But was this what we saw in the Genesis account? All we saw was that they has the KNOWLEDGE of the good and evil and thus could act upon either. 

Yetzer Ha Tov (Good desire) and Yetzer Ha Ra (Evil desire)

The Jewish view is that the eating of the tree awakened the two desires in mankind and we much choose which we entertain. 

Yetzer: God given drives, desires, and appetites . The Yetzer itself is neutral and it is God given 

OT-Yetzer

Gen 4:6-7

 Isaiah 26:3 

1 Chron 28:9

Gen 6:5 (cf. Gen 8:21)

NT-Epithumia

Mark 4:19

John 8:44

Luke 22:15

James 1:13-15

Gal 6:7-10

James 5:17

1 John 3:7-8

Ephesians 2:1-3

Augustine and Concupiscence 

What in Hebrew is yetzer and in Greek is epithumia was translated as concupiscence in Latin.

As we have seen yetzer and epithumia are completely neutral in meaning in Greek and Hebrew but in Latin usually concupiscence nearly always takes on a negative meaning. Remember Augustine could not read Hebrew or Greek. And he still was dealing with a lot of Pagan presuppositions that he brought into the Bible.  He introduced this new doctrine where sex is a sin and we inherit guilt through Adam and are born totally unable to act on the good desires.

Conclusion/Better View

·      Throughout all of this we have seen that God given desires and ambitions are good but we can use them for evil as well when abused. 

·      We are not created as sinners but become sinners when we chase after evil desires (yetzer ha-ra). 

·      We are weak in the flesh and without the work of the Spirit in us we are prone to the yetzer ha-ra. (Matt 26:41; Rom 8:3-4)

·      God says we can practice righteousness, we can sow to the Spirit, and we can rule over the sin crouching at our door. If he says it we can do it with his help!

·      We are not totally depraved and unable to seek after God and exercise the yetzer ha-tov. 

·      Everyday we have the choice to walk out our discipleship or walk according to the world. Choose this day whom you will serve!

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