Confusion and Transgression

Sewell Hall

Have you ever heard anyone say, as an explanation for some sinful action, “I have become so confused I don’t know what is right anymore”? As a rule, the person who says such a thing is one who has had clear convictions but has acted, or is about to act, contrary to them.

This must be what the Holy Spirit was saying about Eve in 1 Timothy 2:14. “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ”

To say that she was deceived is not to say that she was ignorant. She quoted perfectly what God had said: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Genesis 3:2‑3). She was deceived when she thought there could be any valid reason for disobeying God.

We cannot know how long Adam and Eve avoided the forbidden tree. With so many other trees from which to eat, there was no need to eat of it. There is no evidence of confusion regarding the right and wrong of eating or the wisdom of abstaining. They were happy ignoring it.

But along came Satan to draw Eve’s attention to the tree she had been avoiding. He drew her attention to the beauty of the fruit and somehow convinced her, perhaps by eating of it himself, that it was good for food. If he did eat of it, the fact that he did not die surely gave support to his contention that she would not die. One can see the confusion mounting. The arguments she had considered conclusive against eating were rapidly being matched by arguments for doing so. Which arguments were valid? Both seemed to be.

Had Adam been nearby, or had God spoken again, she might have been reminded once more of the strong reasons for rejecting the fruit. But as it was, the voice of God grew weaker in her memory as the desirability of the fruit was magnified by Satan’s glib lies. All that was needed to tip the balance was the final suggestion of an apparent virtue in eating— the thought that she would become like God. Never mind the legalistic prohibition; surely one could not be blamed for wanting to be like God.

“She took of the fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6). Tragic words! Tragic consequences! Consequences reaching down through countless generations even to us!

The great mistake of Eve was in allowing herself even to begin thinking about disobedience. This was the mistake of Achan when he first saw the Babylonian garment (Joshua 7:21), of David when he first saw his beautiful neighbor bathing (2 Samuel 11:2) and of Judas when he first thought of betraying Jesus. It is the same mistake each of us makes—men and women alike—whenever we sin.

The Bible says as much: “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full‑grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14‑15).  There is ample defense available. If we are wise enough to meditate on God’s laws in such circumstances (Psalm 119:11), and to ask Him for deliverance (Matthew 6:13), He will, with the temptation, “also make the way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

But all too often, in the name of open‑mindedness and objectivity, we feel we are obligated to look at the other side, to consider the “arguments in favor of” sin. We may even be so foolish as to parrot the existential line: “I must get away to myself and sort things out.” If this means getting away for Bible study, meditation and prayer, fine! But this is seldom what it means. As a rule, what it means is: “I want to be left alone to rationalize my way through the sin that entices me without having to reason with those who would logically or scripturally expose my folly.”

Such conflict between conscience and passion, between logic and emotion, between authority and anarchy, between flesh and spirit will indeed produce confusion—confusion bordering on insanity. But it is a confusion for which we are responsible. It is the peculiar malady of “those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” and who “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10,12). It is never surprising when such a person, “being deceived,” falls into transgression.

In Jesus’ day, “there was a division among the people because of Him” (John 7:43). They were confused by the contradictions between His claims and the accusations of their rulers. Jesus stated clearly who would not be confused: “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak of My own authority” (John 7:17).

Wanting to do God’s will will save us from the confusion, deception and transgression into which our mother fell.

Click Here for Related Articles on Temptation

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 Is There a Divine Pattern for The Church?

Keith Sharp

We must surely realize our need for such a pattern. No reputable contractor would attempt to construct a building without a blueprint. Even the most talented seamstress realizes the need for a pattern. This is because the tasks they undertake are difficult.  Of how much more infinite difficulty is the task of the church, which is “the pillar and ground of the truth”? (1Timothy 3:15)

Indeed, concerning man’s entire relationship to God, Jeremiah could cry in all truth, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). You need divine guidance.

And we can know assuredly that there is such a pattern. Paul commanded young Timothy: “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1: 13). The word “form” means “an example, pattern … the pattern to be placed before one to be held fast and copied, model …” (Thayer). This is a plain declaration that there is a pattern. This form, according to the inspired writer, consists of “words, which thou hast heard of me.” These are apostolic words. But, the apostles’ words are God’s words, received by revelation from the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:9-13) These words were written down by the apostles and constitute the New Testament, which we can read and understand. (Eph. 3:1-6) The term “sound” is defined thus: “to be well, to be in good health, true and incorrupt doctrine.” (Thayer) These are words that are conducive to spiritual health. Being the words of God, they are true. (John 17:17) But we dare not corrupt them.

If one were to add a pinch of arsenic to wholesome wheat flour, death would result. If one adds a pinch of opinion to the wholesome apostolic words, damnation will result. (Gal. 1: 6-9) Thus, the divine blueprint for the church consists of the sum total of everything the New Testament says about the church, nothing more or less. Equipped with this pattern, we “may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:17, ASV)

The aged apostle enjoined an obligation to this pattern. He commanded Timothy to “hold fast” the form. The words “hold fast” mean to “keep,” “retain ” or “be consistent with.” Under the Old Covenant, if one brought into service to God that which was unauthorized, punishment was swift and severe. (e.g. Lev. 10: 1-2) Under the New Testament we must “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (by His authority, Col. 3:17) lest we be without God (2 Jno. 9-11) and thus lose our hope of life eternal. (Rev. 22:18-19) Indeed, there is a divine pattern for the church, the New Testament. Will you not lay aside human opinion and by faith be conformed to the divine pattern?

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Who Are the “Sons of God” Who Married

the Daughters of Men?

Mike Johnson
Genesis 6:1-4 says:

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

People often refer to this text as one of the most difficult in the Bible; there is much disagreement about what the verses mean. They speak of a time before the flood when the sons of God married the daughters of men. A commonly held position is that the “sons of God” are angels, as this phrase is sometimes used to refer to them (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Ps. 29:1-2). Rebellious angels, they say, came to the earth in human bodies and married “the daughters of men” (humans) because of their beauty. (Some argue that these “sons of God” were lesser gods instead of angels. Others explain the verses by saying that evil spirits took over the bodies of wicked men.) Even though they were heavenly, spiritual beings, according to some, these angels had sexual desires. This union produced children who became “giants,” resulting in the earth’s wickedness that led to the flood. (2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, which speak of angels who sinned, are tied into this viewpoint.) This position is very ancient, with many believing it today.

First, the interpretation that “sons of God” are angels contradicts Jesus’s teaching in Luke 20:35-36, which says angels do not marry. Next, if this position is true, it is interesting that only humans, not angels, are condemned. One writer put it like this:

Even more serious is the problem of why judgment should fall on the humans and on the earth if the angels of heaven were the cause of the trouble. God should have flooded heaven, not earth. The culprits came from above; the women seem to have been doing nothing except being beautiful! (Kaiser et al.107)

As noted, some passages refer to angels as the “sons of God.” However, the Bible uses this description in another way — it can refer to followers of God, and there are many more cases of this use in the Scriptures.   For instance, in the Old Testament, Israel is called the sons of God. Deuteronomy 14:1 says, “You are the children (“sons” ESV) of the Lord your God.” When Moses returned to Egypt, God told him to tell Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Ex. 4:22). In Jeremiah 31:9, He also said Israel is His firstborn son.  Speaking to restored Israel, Hosea 1:10 says, “You are sons of the living God,” and Proverbs 14:26 reveals, “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.”

Passages abound in the New Testament where this description occurs. Consider them:

  • Galatians 3:26 — “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
  • Romans 8:14 — “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
  • Romans 8:19 — “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”
  • Matthew 5:9 — “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

With this in mind, to help us understand these verses, it is important to consider the context. Chapters 4 through 5 list the descendants of Cain (who murdered his brother) and Seth (Adam and Eve’s third son). Cain’s descendants, listed in Genesis 4:16-24, say little about whether they were righteous or unrighteous, except for one, Lamech, a murderer. In contrast, after the birth of Seth, verse 26 of chapter 4 says, “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.” It says nothing like this of Cain’s descendants. Chapter 5 gives the descendants of Seth; among them were Enoch (“who walked with God”), Methuselah, and Noah. Thus, it might be concluded that the descendants of Seth were generally righteous, and those of Cain were generally unrighteous. After having spoken of sons and daughters being produced upon the earth, the verses then mention the “sons of God” (descendants of Seth) marrying the “daughters of men” (descendants of Cain) in Genesis 6:1-2. This union resulted in wickedness upon the earth, which brought on the flood described in chapters 6-8. If marrying between the two lines is not meant, the Scriptures could still be speaking of the righteous marrying the unrighteous, regardless of lineage. Nevertheless, this verse does not teach that angels came to earth and married women.

Some interpret verse 4 to mean that giants (NKJV) were born of the union of angels with women. But, first, we must understand that the first part of the verse discusses something which happened before the sinful marriages of Genesis 6:1. It says, “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men . . . .”

Next, we will look more closely at the word “giant” (NKJV). Most modern English translations render the original word as “Nephilim” instead of “giants.” This word is a transliteration of the original Hebrew word and means “to fall upon or attack.” Another definition is a person who is a bully or tyrant. Consider the following comments from the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary:

But although the idea of gigantic power does underlie the language of the sacred historian, the term Nephilim seems to bear a deeper significance; and if etymology may guide us, it describes a class of men of worthless and at the same time of violent character. It is commonly traced to fall, and considered to signify either fallen ones, apostates, or falling upon others. In the first sense many of the fathers applied it to designate fallen angels. But it evidently describes a particular class of men, and hence, the latter meaning is preferable, intimating that the Nephilim were marauding nomads-men of a violent, overbearing, lawless character-who abused their bodily powers to obtain their selfish ends; who were constantly roving from place to place in quest of plunder, and, emerging suddenly from their retreat, made attacks both on the property and the lives of men.

Mike Willis, in his commentary, points out, “The text does not emphasize their physical size (which has nothing to do with moral degeneracy) or that these were a hybrid race (which again says nothing about their moral conduct), but their violence” (306).

The last part of verse 4 reveals the aftermath of the marriages (6:1): “Afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” These were “mighty men,” generally a positive description; however, in this context, it describes people who used their strength for tyranny and oppression and became well known for it. The world was full of violent people. All of this set the stage for the flood soon to come.

Again, this is a difficult passage. But, the most plausible position seems to be that the sons of God (descendants of Seth/righteous men) chose to marry the daughters of men (descendants of Cain/unrighteous women). They based their choice on physical beauty rather than character, which led to wickedness on the earth and the resulting flood.

Works Cited and Consulted

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997-2014 by Biblesoft, Inc.

Kaiser, Walter C., et al. Hard Sayings of the Bible. Intervarsity Press, 2010.

Willis, Mike. Truth Commentaries Genesis 1 Genesis 1-25a. Vol. 1, Truth Publications Inc., 2021.
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The Power of Influence

David Padfield

 Webster defines the word influence as “the power of persons or things to affect others, seen only in its effects.” Though the word “influence” is only found one time in the King James Version, its meaning is on every page.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that they are the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13-16). There are many interesting things you can say about this figure of speech. Salt is totally worthless while sitting on a shelf, it has to be applied. Salt can also lose its “saltiness.” When it loses its power to flavor, it is good for nothing and must be discarded.

Paul told the brethren at Corinth they were an “epistle of Christ known and read by all men” (2 Cor. 3:1-3). Whether we like it or not, every Christian is an advertisement for Christ. It is rather scary to think the honor of Christ is in the hands of his disciples. Men of the world will judge Christ by the character of his followers.

Have you ever considered what type of an advertisement you are? One of our songs suggests, “We are the only Bible the careless world will read, we are the sinners gospel, we are the scoffers creed. We are the Lord’s last message, given in deed and word. What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?”

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One day a farmer’s donkey fell

down into a well . . .
The animal cried piteously for hours (or whatever donkeys do when they fall into an old well) as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the donkey but decided that the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on the top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of a hole is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest holes just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Author Unknown

The Old Hickory Bulletin

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Editor:  Mike Johnson