I believe everyone in Scripture understood the serpent in the same way Paul did in 2 Corinthians 11:3: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
And this lines up with what we read in Genesis 3:1 (ESV): “Now the serpent was more crafty (cunning) than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’
Not difficult to interpret if you are remove the imaginations of pagan philopsphers from your head!
All the cunning animal did was introduce the thinking of the flesh to Eve and she took possession of it and awaken those latent desires in her own body.
Paul understood the truth!
If I understood you correctly I think you have valid points. You know I struggle with making myself clear. I will try.
First, when Jesus said “one of you is a devil” the overall arc of what was being spoken of before. Is the same message how one must be born anew. How one must put off the old man and put on the New. “You must eat of My flesh and drink of My blood” How one (the New Man) is Life, the other (the old man) is not. How one born is born after the flesh. One is born of Spirit.
they all sitting at the table still had that old man, that devilish way of thinking that Is spoken of in James 3:14-18 But
if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth. [15]
This wisdom descended not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. [16] For
where envying and strife is, there is confusion
and every evil work. [17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality, and without hypocrisy. [18] And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Devilish… Different from “My ways are not your ways. My ways are higher than your own ways. My thoughts are higher than your own thoughts.”
Point is “one of you is a devil.” Could cut each one of them in two….where they all had their conversation in the flesh; in the lust of the eyes, the lust flesh and the pride of life.
“One of you is a devil” separates that which is flesh (the old man we are told to put off) from that which is Spirit(Put on the New man which is born after the image of God) . Strange Judas asked “is it me, Master?” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. [5] Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? [6] And
now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets will let,
until he be taken out of the way. [8] And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Peter also was told “satan, get behind Me” because of Peter’s way of thinking. I say it was Peters way of thinking because he didn’t want Jesus to go. Jesus saying those thoughts were was devilish and not after the things that belong to God.
One of you is a devil? Why did Saul become Paul? Why do we want a new name?
