Why was Adam easily manipulated if man is made in God's image?

[Curtis]

Anyone buying into the false interpretation Calvinism infers into Romans 9, which came up in this thread, needs to read what the prophet Jeremiah wrote, which Paul was actually quoting from.

It’s the Potter and Clay chapter in Jeremiah 18.

The potter and clay, and Jacob and Esau, is actually about NATIONS not individuals.


As Rebecca was told in Genesis 25:23 concerning her pregnancy: two nations are in your womb (Edom came from Esau, and Israel came from Jacob)


And ISRAEL, the nation from Jacob is the clay on the potters wheel, not ANY individual person - and as Jeremiah 18 shows us, God gives mercy on whom He wills - and He wills to have mercy on those who repent.


The Potter and the Clay.

Jer 18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Jer 18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Jer 18:6 O house of ISRAEL , cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.


Who’s on the potters wheel? Esau?

No. Esau is not clay on the potters wheel being formed into a vessel fitted only for destruction!


Israel is on the potters wheel, being reformed into a different vessel, due to their sin and rebellion.

There’s no individual person in the entire Potter and Clay chapter of Jeremiah 18.


The Romans 9 account of Jacob and Esau is not about those two as individuals, but as the founders of two nations.


Rebecca was told in Genesis 25:23 concerning her pregnancy: TWO NATIONS are in your womb (Edom came from Esau, and Israel came from Jacob)


We also find in Jeremiah 18 that when the potter speaks blessing over any NATION and they turn evil, God takes back his blessing and punishes that nation, and also when the potter considers a nation a vessel fit for destruction and they repent, He changes His mind about punishing them.


No nation (or person) is predestined to destruction!


Jer 18:7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a NATION, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to DESTROY it;

Jer 18:8 If that NATION, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will REPENT of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

Jer 18:9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a NATION, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

Jer 18:10 If it do EVIL in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will REPENT of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.


So as we can see, Romans 9 is clearly about nations, and not about the predestined election of Jacob unto salvation, and the predestined reprobation of Esau into hell, as the Calvinist claims.


The fate of the nations (receiving Gods mercy, or Gods wrath) is dependent on WHAT THEY DO - and is not dependent on being predestined to be vessels of wrath, fitted only for destruction, or being predestined to receive Gods mercy - and the Romans 9 potter and clay passage is not in any way and about predestination of individuals to hell, or to salvation.


God indeed has mercy on whom He will - and His will is He has mercy whenever there is repentance, and takes back His mercy, if they turn to doing evil.


That God changes His mind based on what a nation does (repentance) or doesn’t do right (turns to evil) absolutely wrecks reformed election doctrines.


BTW, the fact that in Romans 9 states that God hated Esaus but loved Jacob is used as proof that Esau was of the unlucky non elect, predestined to reprobation, hell, and damnation.


But in reality that statement by God about Esau is a well known idiom of the Jews that means to love less - not to literally hate - which is easily proven by Jesus telling us in Luke 14, that unless we hate our mother and father, and whole family, we aren’t worthy to be His disciples.


It’s obvious that Jesus isn’t teaching us to violate the command to honor our mother and father, or violate the law of love that Jesus proclaimed, that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and to hate them, instead.


Jesus is actually saying that we must love Him so much that we hate our family in comparison:


Luk 14:26 If any man comes to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.


God loved Esau less than Jacob, and did not actually hate him: therefore another Calvinist proof text for their version of election and predestination, bites the dust.


Jeremiah 18 refutes the Calvinist interpretation of Romans 9 that claims it’s about the predestined election of Jacob unto salvation, and the predestined reprobation of Esau to damnation, and the claim that it is proof that God only has mercy on the elect, and has none for individuals that He predestined to be vessels of wrath, fitted only for destruction.


God has mercy on those who repent, and takes back His mercy from those who turn to evil.

 

[quietthinker]

Dear @Taken
Would you say that BEFORE Jesus Christ came to reconcile man and God
Adam represents the initial lineage of man where humans
could NOT control our free will by "blind faith" and "just obey God because the instruction was given."

Would you say it took a process AFTER the falling out,
where God sent Moses to lay down the laws IN WRITING
to start teaching and letting people learn from experience
the difference between our will and what God's will and laws are.

Then after a period of learning from that,
then Jesus was sent to embody the SPIRIT of the laws (not just the letter)
and incarnate that Spirit of God's perfect Justice/Law/Word into our human realm of experience.

And this took both sacrificing and redemption through Christ
in order to establish God's justice and Word/Law.

So we are still going through this process of reception and redemption
through Christ Jesus to finish this reconciliation process.

Then we will be able to embody and invoke the Authority of Jesus
which DOES allow us to reconcile and submit our free will to God's will
where we could not do this before without Jesus.

This is how I understand the process.

How would you say this?
In Biblical terms or explanations?

Can you imagine God telling Adam something knowing he did not understand it? I can’t. I think Adam knew exactly what he was doing.
The angels would also have been in communication with Adam prior to his fall alerting him to a lurking foe.

I think Adam was impulsive primed by his love for Eve.

I must say, I’ve fallen for a similar error myself when it comes to a woman....and what’s more, I’m a slow learner who trusts too easily.

 

[GEN2REV]

Anyone buying into the false interpretation Calvinism infers into Romans 9, which came up in this thread, needs to read what the prophet Jeremiah wrote, which Paul was actually quoting from. ...

... God has mercy on those who repent, and takes back His mercy from those who turn to evil.

I read the entirety of your post and considered all the verses you presented. It just doesn't change the concept you are taking exception to; that of people being created/destined for destruction.

This is an easy problem to solve if you, like I am attempting to, will be reasonable for a moment.

1. Do you believe/accept that God predestines some people for salvation?

Because there are many verses that prove that, which can be supplied if necessary.

2. Do you believe/accept that God foreknew those who would receive salvation?

Because there are multiple verses that prove this as well.

So, ... if God foreknew those who will be saved, and predestined them for salvation, what do you imagine is the opposite case for all those who He did not foreknow and did not predestine for salvation?

Now, reconsider these verses ... please.

*Romans 9:22-24 NIV "What if God, although choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath - prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (The part in red proves He is not talking about any specific Nations)

*Habakkuk 1:12 KJV " ... O Lord, Thou hast ordained them for judgment.; and O mighty God, Thou hast established them for correction."

*1 Peter 2:8 KJV " ... them which stumble at The Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

*2 Peter 2:12 KJV "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption."

* Jude 4 KJV "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, ..."

That's ... about as clear as it gets.

 

[Curtis]

I read the entirety of your post and considered all the verses you presented. It just doesn't change the concept you are taking exception to; that of people being created/destined for destruction.

This is an easy problem to solve if you, like I am attempting to, will be reasonable for a moment.

1. Do you believe/accept that God predestines some people for salvation?

Because there are many verses that prove that, which can be supplied if necessary.

2. Do you believe/accept that God foreknew those who would receive salvation?

Because there are multiple verses that prove this as well.

So, ... if God foreknew those who will be saved, and predestined them for salvation, what do you imagine is the opposite case for all those who He did not foreknow and did not predestine for salvation?

Now, reconsider these verses ... please.

*Romans 9:22-24 NIV "What if God, although choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath - prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (The part in red proves He is not talking about any specific Nations)

*Habakkuk 1:12 KJV " ... O Lord, Thou hast ordained them for judgment.; and O mighty God, Thou hast established them for correction."

*1 Peter 2:8 KJV " ... them which stumble at The Word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

*2 Peter 2:12 KJV "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption."

* Jude 4 KJV "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, ..."

That's ... about as clear as it gets.

All you did is prove that Calvinism has proof texts wherein they redefine corporate election as individual election.

God predestined no one to hell, nor anyone to be saved.

Calvinism is a grievous insult to the character and nature of God.

In Calvinism, God not only decrees every single thing that happens without exception, he also decrees each individual thought of every person, good or bad - thus obviously making God the cause of all sin, and all evil.

Yet the doublespeak Calvin uses says God cannot be called the cause of evil, even though he causes it.

Over time when he contradicted himself many times with those ridiculous doctrines, he declared that God has a secret will that we can’t understand, and shouldn’t question.

The fact is inescapable that the God of Calvinism decreed Adam would sin, and thus made him break the very commandment He gave, then punished Adam.

Thus He decreed the fall of man into sin, making God the author of sin, especially since Lucifer fell and became the evil Satan by Gods decree.

Then He decreed all men are now born sinners, decreed that the wages f sin is death and condemnation to hell, then decreed that the vast majority of humans are damned to hell because God felt like damning them from before the founding of the world, for His good pleasure, to show the power He has over creation.

Given that Jesus said few will be saved, and the vast majority will be damned, that means Calvin’s God decided to withhold salvation from the majority of mankind predestined to reprobation, by withholding the regeneration that the elect are given, which makes it impossible for them to believe, then damns them for their unbelief.

You can believe in that kind of God if you want, but I’ll stick with the God of the Bible.

 

[GEN2REV]

God predestined no one ... to be saved.

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you ..."
Romans 8:29-30, 33 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined ... whom He predestined, ... He also called, these He also justified; ... whom He justified, ... He also glorified. ... Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."
Ephesians 1:4-5 "... just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him ... having predestined us to adoption as sons ... to Himself, according to ... His will."

Calvinism is a grievous insult to the character and nature of God.

So many that debate Christian concepts want to label everything. Put everyone, and all their various beliefs, into a neat, tidy box and put a label on it. Either to create a facade of higher knowledge on a topic or simply to appear to discredit the person's position.

Often times they're really doing a lot of talking but saying nothing that really pertains to the point.

I am not a Calvinist. I am a Bible-believing Christian. I believe what God's Word states and if I am uncertain, I use other areas of His Word to confirm or deny it.

A lot of what you are arguing here is about how God chooses to ... run things, if you will. He is the Creator, we are the created. You, yourself, mentioned that He is the Potter and we are the clay.

God DID create good and evil just as He created light and darkness. Who are we to question His methods?

You can believe in that kind of God if you want, but I’ll stick with the God of the Bible.

You might be confused about exactly WHO the God of the Bible actually IS. Have a bit more faith and trust in His Word.

How you can seemingly argue FOR the Bible, while simultaneously denying, and arguing against, so much of what it plainly states, is a mystery to me.

 

[OzSpen]

Someone asked how could Adam be "easily manipulated" if man was made in God's image?

If you have a shorter answer than mine below,
please reply and I will share it with that person who asked.

=========================
At that early stage in human development
which Adam represents, starting with natural obedience to God's laws,
man has gained *self awareness* by opening our eyes to the nature of good and evil
and choice between them.

However, we STILL have not fully matured to self discipline and self govern ourselves,
but to THIS DAY human run institutions still fall to greed for control and selfish biases.

That is why our justice system is NOT PERFECT (nor our govts) but prone to
favor ONE group over OTHER interests and causing ENDLESS wars and conflicts.

That is why nations are at war over controlling economic resources, populations and boundaries,
defending one group from another threatening to invade or dominate.

We see this ALL the time.
Human beings are prone to selfish ego, biases and flaws which lead to corruption and abuse.
Easily "manipulated" by our fears and self interests to compromise the rights and equal protection of other groups and beliefs.

How is this not anything new?

The whole REASON that Christians celebrate and honor the sacrifice and redemption in Christ Jesus
is this represents breaking free from selfish conditions and receiving divine forgiveness, grace
and authority to establish TRUE universal and equal justice, which man is too selfish and flawed to achieve otherwise.

Before, with only Adam's "childlike" obedience to God's laws, this was NOT enough to
prevent the abuses of free will that lead to corruption by FEAR and selfishness.
To RESTORE the natural childlike state takes the process that JESUS represents,
of FORGIVING past transgressions to overcome FEAR with LOVE and restore
the natural image of man that reflects God again.

This ability to receive and RESTORE "Equal Justice" and live by the Spirit and Authority of higher laws
comes with the incarnation of JESUS into the world of man made corrupted by selfish ego and greed,
which the original sin represents.

When we reach an agreed understanding of what Jesus means as Equal Justice
Universal to all people, then we can finally mature and create peaceful means of maintaining justice in society.

Right now, no, we are still seeing selfish politics pit one group as superior over others.

Not quite ready to receive yet, but enough people ARE demanding corrections,
that if we CAN unite "in Christ" or "by Conscience" then we CAN agree on
how to establish true EQUAL JUSTICE and quit fighting over which way or which group is
going to dominate the process. It will really take ALL groups working together equally
to achieve Equal Justice and Peace for all people. Not just one group having all the right answers.

This is what we are going through now, that realization that for each
person or group teaching wrong things, that same person/group has right answers
that are part of the global solution.

When we forgive the wrongs and correct them by focusing on the right ideas
that each person/group has to offer, then we can put the collective solutions together
where everyone shares equal credit and responsibility for solving problems.

This is the process that the END of the Bible points to.

So from the BEGINNING of the process when Adam and Eve
represent the lineage of man with self awareness and conscience,
to the END stages where human conscience reaches full
realization of what it takes to establish universal truth, justice and peace,
the rest of the process in between is where all the changes and stages
of spiritual/social growth and development to maturity
occur over human history, and generational struggles,
that we are still seeing and going through today.

You need to define what being made in the image of God means and its impact on our humanity.

Oz

 

[Truth7t7]

Someone asked how could Adam be "easily manipulated" if man was made in God's image?

If you have a shorter answer than mine below,
please reply and I will share it with that person who asked.

=========================
At that early stage in human development
which Adam represents, starting with natural obedience to God's laws,
man has gained *self awareness* by opening our eyes to the nature of good and evil
and choice between them.

However, we STILL have not fully matured to self discipline and self govern ourselves,
but to THIS DAY human run institutions still fall to greed for control and selfish biases.

That is why our justice system is NOT PERFECT (nor our govts) but prone to
favor ONE group over OTHER interests and causing ENDLESS wars and conflicts.

That is why nations are at war over controlling economic resources, populations and boundaries,
defending one group from another threatening to invade or dominate.

We see this ALL the time.
Human beings are prone to selfish ego, biases and flaws which lead to corruption and abuse.
Easily "manipulated" by our fears and self interests to compromise the rights and equal protection of other groups and beliefs.

How is this not anything new?

The whole REASON that Christians celebrate and honor the sacrifice and redemption in Christ Jesus
is this represents breaking free from selfish conditions and receiving divine forgiveness, grace
and authority to establish TRUE universal and equal justice, which man is too selfish and flawed to achieve otherwise.

Before, with only Adam's "childlike" obedience to God's laws, this was NOT enough to
prevent the abuses of free will that lead to corruption by FEAR and selfishness.
To RESTORE the natural childlike state takes the process that JESUS represents,
of FORGIVING past transgressions to overcome FEAR with LOVE and restore
the natural image of man that reflects God again.

This ability to receive and RESTORE "Equal Justice" and live by the Spirit and Authority of higher laws
comes with the incarnation of JESUS into the world of man made corrupted by selfish ego and greed,
which the original sin represents.

When we reach an agreed understanding of what Jesus means as Equal Justice
Universal to all people, then we can finally mature and create peaceful means of maintaining justice in society.

Right now, no, we are still seeing selfish politics pit one group as superior over others.

Not quite ready to receive yet, but enough people ARE demanding corrections,
that if we CAN unite "in Christ" or "by Conscience" then we CAN agree on
how to establish true EQUAL JUSTICE and quit fighting over which way or which group is
going to dominate the process. It will really take ALL groups working together equally
to achieve Equal Justice and Peace for all people. Not just one group having all the right answers.

This is what we are going through now, that realization that for each
person or group teaching wrong things, that same person/group has right answers
that are part of the global solution.

When we forgive the wrongs and correct them by focusing on the right ideas
that each person/group has to offer, then we can put the collective solutions together
where everyone shares equal credit and responsibility for solving problems.

This is the process that the END of the Bible points to.

So from the BEGINNING of the process when Adam and Eve
represent the lineage of man with self awareness and conscience,
to the END stages where human conscience reaches full
realization of what it takes to establish universal truth, justice and peace,
the rest of the process in between is where all the changes and stages
of spiritual/social growth and development to maturity
occur over human history, and generational struggles,
that we are still seeing and going through today.

Same Way John F. Kennedy Was Manipulated By Marilyn Monroe, Its A No Brainer

 

[n2thelight]

I don't feel it was easy, remember satan tempted Christ for 40 days

I think it was a long process ,and she(Eve) finally succumbed ,my problem is that he blamed Eve instead of saying, sorry Father I screwed up..

 

[Brakelite]

Been married since 1984, and understood very well that if Adam loved Eve, he wanted to stay with her - not stay in Eden alone while she was kicked out.

Shalom

I don't think that being kicked out was what he feared for her... They were told they would die.

 

[Brakelite]

Can you imagine God telling Adam something knowing he did not understand it? I can’t. I think Adam knew exactly what he was doing.
The angels would also have been in communication with Adam prior to his fall alerting him to a lurking foe.

I think Adam was impulsive primed by his love for Eve.

I must say, I’ve fallen for a similar error myself when it comes to a woman....and what’s more, I’m a slow learner who trusts too easily.

I wouldn't be so quick to blame the woman entirely my friend, our own male egos and physical cravings have an overriding role I believe. But I would add something else. I think the prime factor in the whole sorry event was that neither Adam not Eve fully trusted God. Even after Eve ate of the fruit, I believe God would have worked something out on Eve's behalf of Adam hasn't followed suit and trusted God to do the right thing by Eve. I'm sure she would have been given opportunity for repentance and the race of men saved from our present condition.

 

[quietthinker]

I wouldn't be so quick to blame the woman entirely my friend, our own male egos and physical cravings have an overriding role I believe. But I would add something else. I think the prime factor in the whole sorry event was that neither Adam not Eve fully trusted God. Even after Eve ate of the fruit, I believe God would have worked something out on Eve's behalf of Adam hasn't followed suit and trusted God to do the right thing by Eve. I'm sure she would have been given opportunity for repentance and the race of men saved from our present condition.

It’s possible. Frankly, I don’t know. Going by the lengths God went to redeem the race; in fact he went that far he couldn’t go any further, I have no hesitation in agreeing God would have found a solution.

 

[liafailrock]

My answer. Adam was lazy. He did not take responsibility esp. teaching. Things were good thus far so what could go wrong? (i.e. lack of faith in what the Lord said and did not take it seriously).

Now that I gave the short answer, I have a feeling that every excuse man can make is wrapped up in Adam. In other words, by what I said about Adam you can tell my flaws. Someone will say something else, and it probably would not be "wrong" either. Just them.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Can you imagine God telling Adam something knowing he did not understand it? I can’t. I think Adam knew exactly what he was doing.
The angels would also have been in communication with Adam prior to his fall alerting him to a lurking foe.

I think Adam was impulsive primed by his love for Eve.

I must say, I’ve fallen for a similar error myself when it comes to a woman....and what’s more, I’m a slow learner who trusts too easily.

Adam is a type of Christ. Eve is a type of the church. Adam willingly took the sin of his bride and it's penalty upon himself because he loved her.

 

[amigo de christo]

The simplicity of it all is simply this , If any desires eternal life , COME TO CHRIST .
That should be our message . That if one confesses Christ by mouth and believes that God has rose Him from the dead
they shall be saved . How often God told them it was not His desire that the wicked perish but rather they repent .
Even JESUS said , HOW often would i have gathered YOU , only You would not .
We should keep it simple . Just preach and teach JESUS as the only means of salvation . Whoever hears amen
and whoever rejects , that is on them . Just keep it simple .
For God so LOVED the world that HE gave His only begotten Son , that Whoever Believes in HIM should not perish ,
but shall have eternal life . But they who reject and believe not , will see only the wrath of God .
God is God and HE does as He pleases . Let us just keep things simple . Just preach Christ and focus on Him .

 

[amigo de christo]

Adam is a type of Christ. Eve is a type of the church. Adam willingly took the sin of his bride and it's penalty upon himself because he loved her.

Its more likely this my friend , Adam chose His wife over His God . JESUS reminds us
He who loves mother , father , wife , husband , daughter or son more than ME is not worthy of me .
And there is no man or woman upon earth who can claim they would not have failed as did Adam . For all have indeed failed
for all have indeed disobeyed GOD , transgressed .
OH , but we know JESUS the last adam , PREVAILED . ALL HOPE IS IN THE GLORIOUS KING my friend and my friends .

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Its more likely this my friend , Adam chose His wife over His God . JESUS reminds us
He who loves mother , father , wife , husband , daughter or son more than ME is not worthy of me .
And there is no man or woman upon earth who can claim they would not have failed as did Adam . For all have indeed failed
for all have indeed disobeyed GOD , transgressed .
OH , but we know JESUS the last adam , PREVAILED . ALL HOPE IS IN THE GLORIOUS KING my friend and my friends .

Yeah, that's a valuable lesson to get from it too, that's for sure, lol. But I was going by this...

"just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" Ephesians 5:25​

 

[amigo de christo]

Yeah, that's a valuable lesson to get from it too, that's for sure, lol. But I was going by this...

"just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" Ephesians 5:25​

Adam didnt give himself up for his wife . He simply chose her over obediance to God .
It wasnt like adam saw eve eat the fruit and then laid himself up for her . Adam knew not to eat of that tree . So did eve .
Adam simply ate cause His wife gave it to him .

 

[Desire Of All Nations]

For the same reason people disregard God's commandments today: they like the prospect of following their own standards of right and wrong rather than following God's standards of what actually constitutes right and wrong.

Adam didnt give himself up for his wife . He simply chose her over obediance to God .
It wasnt like adam saw eve eat the fruit and then laid himself up for her . Adam knew not to eat of that tree . So did eve .
Adam simply ate cause His wife gave it to him .

This is a slightly different version from what the Bible shows. If you look at Gen. 3:3, you can see Eve added to what God commanded(Deut. 4:2, 12:32) in her response to Satan. She said God told them not to eat or touch the fruit of the tree, but He only forbade them to eat from it(Gen. 2:17). God also stated in Gen. 3:17 that Adam was cursed because he "heeded the voice of his wife", so he clearly didn't just eat the fruit simply because she handed it to him. The Bible and Josephus both agree that Eve persuaded Adam to eat it after she was deceived.

 

[quietthinker]

Adam is a type of Christ. Eve is a type of the church. Adam willingly took the sin of his bride and it's penalty upon himself because he loved her.

I’d call that creative thinking Ferris

 

[Curtis]

For the same reason people disregard God's commandments today: they like the prospect of following their own standards of right and wrong rather than following God's standards of what actually constitutes right and wrong.This is a slightly different version from what the Bible shows. If you look at Gen. 3:3, you can see Eve added to what God commanded(Deut. 4:2, 12:32) in her response to Satan. She said God told them not to eat or touch the fruit of the tree, but He only forbade them to eat from it(Gen. 2:17). God also stated in Gen. 3:17 that Adam was cursed because he "heeded the voice of his wife", so he clearly didn't just eat the fruit simply because she handed it to him. The Bible and Josephus both agree that Eve persuaded Adam to eat it after she was deceived.

Scripture says Eve was deceived, but Adam wasn’t. He wasn’t fooled, so he ate when she offered it, because IMO he loved her and knew she’d be kicked out of eden.

Of course if you’re a Calvinist, God commanded them not to eat, then decreed that they disobey, then punished them for doing so.