Paul doesn't lay any blame. He names Adam as the first transgressor and the first sinner. He states all trespass stems from Adams trespass, and so condemnation and death to all stems from Adam's trespass. But the LORD God himself did lay all blame for the original transgression on the serpent, "(to the serpent in Gen 3: ) Because YOU HAVE DONE THIS, cursed are you..."
Sorry dude. I just don't understand how you can come to these conclusions. Respectfully, allow me to explain and show the progression of what took place during this Curse Event.
Genesis 3:13 NLT - "Then the LORD God asked the woman,
"What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."
Who did it? Eve did. - And who is Cursed? The Serpent, surely. But was the Serpent the only one Cursed? Of course not.
Genesis 3:13-14 NLT - "Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live."
Do you see it? The Serpent is Curse MORE THAN all animals. Obiously, Satan, or His Minion the Serpent, wasn't the only one Cursed. And who else? Text is clear that the Curse extends to Adam, Eve, and the rest of humanity (with rare exception).
Genesis 3:13-14, 16-17 NLT - "Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." 14 Then the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. ... 16 Then he said to the woman, "
I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And
you will desire to control your husband, but
he will rule over you." 17 And to the man he said, "Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it."
I respect you, BJ, so it is not easy to say to you that I find it very difficult to understand how you come to the conclusion that Adam and Eve were not Cursed. To suffer is precisely what it means to be Cursed. It should be clear that all living matter is under this Curse. The entire physical world became Cursed, not just part of it. All of earth had become corrupt and fell to the effects of decay. I just don't know what else to say . . . it seems so clear and simple.
I would advise all people to not defend and protect their views, but expose them. Open them up and fillet them along those that so willingly fillet and tear apart. Find a way to be wrong! Don't look up all things in order to twist them and turn to meet our own ideas, but it is wise (and proper) to twist and turn our own minds and ideologies so that we can make what others fit into what we believe. We've GOT to be open-minded.
One way to prove to ourselves that we respect others, is to take the things that people say and test them to see if they are True. So again, it is wise to do our best to make the things others say actually apply to what we believe. Likely, those new ideas may not "fit," or seem right . . . but we've got to try.
Having received a True Romans 12:2 Transformation, it is a Pure Gift from the Lord to be able to listen, and more, consider the things all of you, here, have to say. What I like about you is that you are clearly not a stupid person. Rather, you are highly intelligent and very thoughtful, for no doubt you have put awesome consideration into our Holy Bible. How much greater could a man's efforts be? Therefore, I would be a fool not to consider your words, for many of them are the exact Words of our God.
I know your Heart. I believe in you.
