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…

Succot once talked about this

knowingChrist:
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.

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.

Satan the devil!
There were many animals in the garden but the snake was the most cautious as in slow to act so Satan (a powerful spirit being) possessed this animal to speak with Eve.

After the curse on snakes Satan continued in his bid to mislead mankind and gradually the evil in him continue to increase until God's word now describe him as a dragon. This means that the evil in Satan has multiplied over the years!

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.

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.

knowingChrist:
Was King of Tyre in Eden?

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.

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.

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

If you took His Word seriously, you wouldn't go around injecting your own delusions in between the line, to begin with.

He announced at the beginning of that chapter that what He spoke was a dirge to the King of Tyre ....

1. The word of the Lord came to me. He said,
2. “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: - Ezekiel 28 vs 1-2

..which you obviously don't trust or believe, yet you speak of taking Him seriously?

The serpent is sophia, mother of yaldaboath (aka yahweh.)

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.

knowingChrist:
Read the article pls, this part is also covered

Did the serpent deceive Eve or not?

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

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.