Our Objectives
- To ensure students firmly grasp the correct methods and concepts for reading the Bible.
- To enable students to understand how to raise pertinent questions related to the theme.
- To empower students to master the approaches and methods for grasping the theme.
- To apply the knowledge from Genesis Chapter 3 to explain and resolve a series of pastoral issues.
Case Study 1
Some, upon reading Genesis Chapter 3, might raise the following questions: 1. Why did God create the serpent? Why didn't God destroy the serpent? 2. Why did God place cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, and what about the west, south, and north sides? Were other entities guarding those areas? 3. What are cherubim? 4. What does the flaming sword that turned in every direction look like?
Discussion Questions for Case Study 1
- When you read Genesis Chapter 3, do you have similar questions?
- If someone asks you these questions, how would you respond?
- What do you think the correct method for reading the Bible should be?
Summary of Case Study 1
We were not present when these events occurred, and we indeed do not know what God was thinking, nor do we know what those things looked like.
Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us.
The Bible is written for us, human beings; we must first understand the obvious matters.
Hear the word of God and then act upon it; we must first grasp the important and actionable things and then put them into practice.
Practical applications from this chapter: how not to be deceived by the devil; how not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil; overcoming the reaction of discerning good and evil; and breaking free from the curse of discerning good and evil.
Case Study 2
Xiao Li has recently been on the verge of losing her mind because she was defrauded of 600,000 yuan online. The incident unfolded as follows:
A very close friend of Xiao Li approached her, hoping that Xiao Li could invest with her in a P2P financial company. The company promised a monthly cash return of 0.8%, and the principal could be withdrawn at any time. Xiao Li asked her friend with doubt, Is this really so good? Won't we get scammed? The friend replied, So many people have invested, would they all be scammed? Besides, I have also invested, and I have been receiving 4,800 yuan per month for the past half year, and I have even tried to withdraw the principal, and they gave it to me as soon as I asked. Look, I even have the government's approval documents here! Xiao Li was tempted, but still had some doubts!
Xiao Li tossed and turned for days, constantly thinking about this lucrative opportunity. She decided to arrange to visit the company in Beijing with her friend, to see the company's strength on-site. As a result, Xiao Li was extremely excited when she arrived in Beijing. The company's office building was located in the most prosperous area of Beijing. An entire building belonged to them, and the interior was luxuriously decorated. People were coming and going, all registering to invest, and many were corporate-level investors. Xiao Li randomly grabbed a few investors and asked them, and they had all made money through this investment and were coming to invest again for the third time. Xiao Li found the person in charge, and the person in charge introduced the principles and operating mechanisms of P2P finance to Xiao Li in detail, and also presented the government's approval documents to prove the company's absolute legitimacy. Xiao Li completely believed it this time and invested 600,000 yuan. Xiao Li was very happy for the first two months because she received a rebate of 4,800 yuan every month, but then she never received any more money starting from the third month. Xiao Li tried to find the company again, but the company was gone. Half a year has passed, and Xiao Li's 600,000 yuan has long been lost.
Discussion Questions for Case Study 2
Xiao Li developed an illness due to the disappearance of this 600,000 yuan and later embarked on the path of believing in the Lord when medical treatment proved futile. As a pastor, can you use the knowledge we learned from Genesis Chapter 3 to help Xiao Li have the following understanding:
Question 1: How does the devil deceive people? How was she deceived by her friend?
Question 2: What are the characteristics of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? How was she deceived by this P2P financial company?
Question 3: In the church, the deception of the devil and the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil operates most commonly in pastoral relationships. Can you give examples of how they operate to destroy pastoral relationships?
Summary of Case Study 2 – Question 1
How does the devil deceive people? How was she deceived by her friend?
So many people have invested, would they all be scammed? (An ambiguous answer)
Besides, I have also invested, and I have been receiving 4,800 yuan per month for the past half year, and I have even tried to withdraw the principal, and they gave it to me as soon as I asked (It is a fact, but not the whole truth. For example: Has anyone not been able to withdraw their money? They got it back in the past six months, but will they get it back in the future?)
Summary of Case Study 2 – Question 2
What are the characteristics of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? How was she deceived by this P2P financial company?
The company's office building was located in the most prosperous area of Beijing. An entire building belonged to them, and the interior was luxuriously decorated. (Characteristic: Pleasing to the eye)
People were coming and going, all registering to invest, and many were corporate-level investors. Xiao Li randomly grabbed a few investors and asked them, and they had all made money through this investment (Characteristic: Delightful)
The person in charge introduced the principles and operating mechanisms of P2P finance to Xiao Li in detail, and also presented the government's approval documents to prove the company's absolute legitimacy. (Characteristic: To be desired to make one wise)
Summary of Case Study 2 – Question 3
In the church, the deception of the devil and the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil operates most commonly in pastoral relationships and in the recognition of faith. Can you give examples of how they operate to destroy pastoral relationships and faith cognition? (The following answers are for reference only, and everyone can add their own based on experience)
Yesterday, Xiao Ming did not do this well, and was severely criticized by the pastor (It is a fact, but not the whole truth.)
Is your pastor really completely devoted to God? Is there really no exception at all? (Ambiguous words)
Some pastors never criticize people and appear very kind on the surface, and many people like such pastors (It is delightful, but it is not really about solving people's problems)
Some churches have grand worship services, magnificent buildings, and pastors who dress luxuriously, but they never do healing and deliverance, and they do not care much about people's problems. But many people still like this (Pleasing to the eye)
Some pastors are very strict, point out people's problems when they see them, never hide them, and do not save face for people, but many people say that such pastors have no love (Only grasping the surface, not grasping the substance. In fact, such pastors are the ones who truly love you and care about your problems)
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 Through Questions
Let us delve into the following questions:
How did the devil deceive humans into partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? Summarize the key characteristics of the devil's deception.
Summarize the attributes of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Why was Eve tempted?
Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil because she was deceived by the serpent. Based on this, venture a guess as to why Adam ate the fruit.
What were the reactions of Adam and Eve after they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Based on the curses pronounced by God upon Adam, Eve, and the serpent in this chapter, can we find similar cases in real life that prove that experiencing these curses is indeed a consequence of eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as recorded here?
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 - Summary - Question 1
Question 1: How did the devil deceive humans into partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? Summarize the key characteristics of the devil's deception.
Answer:
3:1 Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? (Ambiguous language)
3:4 You will certainly not die. (Ambiguous language)
3:5 For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Partially true but not the whole truth, ultimately undermining trust in God.)
Summary: This part discusses how humans were enticed by the devil to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 - Summary - Question 2
Question 2: Summarize the attributes of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Why was Eve tempted?
Answer:
3:6 Good for food (Appetizing)
3:6 Pleasing to the eye (Visually appealing)
3:6 Desirable (Comforting)
3:6 Would make one wise (Provides knowledge)
Eve did not seek counsel from her pastor but was self-opinionated; she was enticed by the superficially attractive but inwardly defiled fruit, failing to grasp the essence of things.
Summary: This part discusses the attributes of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil; what makes this fruit so attractive, and what kind of person is prone to consuming it.
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 - Summary - Question 3
Question 3: Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil because she was deceived by the serpent. Based on this, venture a guess as to why Adam ate the fruit.
Answer:
Because Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and did not immediately die as God had said. Adam thought God had lied. Essentially, Adam did not believe God; it was a matter of unbelief.
Summary: This part explains that people eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they do not believe in God.
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 - Summary - Question 4
Question 4: What were the reactions of Adam and Eve after they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
Answer:
3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Shame)
3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Fear of leaders and authority)
3:12-13 The man blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent (Shifting responsibility, failing to look inward for the problem)
Summary: This part describes the manifestations and behaviors after humans acquired the knowledge of good and evil.
Discussing Genesis Chapter 3 - Summary - Question 5
Question 5: Based on the curses pronounced by God upon Adam, Eve, and the serpent in this chapter, can we find similar cases in real life that prove that experiencing these curses is indeed a consequence of eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as recorded here?
Answer:
Examples of women's physiological problems, etc.
Examples of Men working hard
Summary: This section discusses the impact of the curse on people's bodies and lives due to the knowledge of good and evil.
Summary - Elevate the Theme Based on Each Summary
Summary of Question 1: How humans are enticed by the devil to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
Summary of Question 2: The attributes of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil; what makes this fruit so attractive, and what kind of person is prone to consuming it.
Summary of Question 3: People eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they do not believe in God.
Summary of Question 4: Manifestations and behaviors after acquiring the knowledge of good and evil.
Summary of Question 5: Suffering curses due to the knowledge of good and evil and its impact on people's bodies and lives.
Deduction from the five summaries: The root of human problems lies in the knowledge of good and evil.
Case Study Three
Sister Lanlan left home to work in a distant place not long after getting married, working hard for a full year before finally getting the chance to return home to visit her husband and children. The winter snow was heavy. When Lanlan arrived at her doorstep after more than 20 hours on the train, she couldn't open the door no matter what. The door was locked from the inside. Helpless, Lanlan could only squat outside the door and wait. Snow fell heavily, and Lanlan shivered from the cold. Having no other choice, Lanlan took out the instant noodles she had prepared for her children, borrowed hot water from a neighbor, and began eating outside the door. As she was halfway through her meal, the door opened, and her husband and another woman walked out of the house.
Lanlan was stunned by the scene before her. Outraged, she felt a rush of blood to her head, and she immediately lost her eyesight. From that moment on, Lanlan's left eye was completely blind, and even the pupil was no longer visible, appearing as a completely white eyeball. Lanlan hated her husband deeply, spending her days in tears, filled with bitterness and resentment. After that, Lanlan's health deteriorated, and she suffered from various gynecological diseases and hemorrhoids. This pain overwhelmed Lanlan. Later, although Lanlan believed in the Lord, her physical and eye problems remained unresolved.
Questions for Case Study Three
Question: If you were in my shoes, how would you serve Lanlan? (This is a true case. Under our ministry, Lanlan's eyes have fully recovered, and her gynecological and hemorrhoid problems have been resolved.)
Homework - Content
We already know that the reactions of people after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are as follows:
Shame
Fear and avoidance of leaders and authority
Shifting responsibility, mutual blame
We also know that the curses people receive after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are as follows:
Women will have many physiological and physical problems
Men will toil and work hard all day long
Homework - Questions
Provide two real-life examples from your ministry that can illustrate that people who have eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil do indeed have such reactions and receive such curses.