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In Gen. 3: we read that Eve was "beguiled" (Gen. 3: 13); in II Cor. 11: that she
was beguiled through the Serpent's "subtlety" (II Cor. 11: 3); and in I Tim. 2: that "the
woman being deceived, was in the transgression" (I Tim. 2: 14). At this point we must
anticipate a possible objection. The reader may perhaps criticize our argument somewhat
as follows:
The argument as to the essential nature of evil (as something that is falsely presented
as `good') breaks down immediately one turns from the account of the woman's fall to
the sin of Adam. In I Tim. 2: 14, which is only partially quoted above, we read:
`And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the
transgression.'
Adam, therefore, knew what he was doing, and the argument as to the essential nature
of evil breaks down.
To this objection we would reply that we have not yet considered the question
with regard to Adam, and this we propose now to do--carrying back with us, from
I Tim. 2: 14, the fact that Adam was not deceived. Adam took the fruit of the tree,
knowing that Satan had dressed up evil to appear as good.
When the Lord questioned Adam, he gave as the reason why he had transgressed:
"The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat"
(Gen. 3: 12).
The most common interpretation of Adam's answer is to regard him as one who was
not above shifting the blame on to the shoulders of the weaker vessel, but such a view,
we feel sure, is not the true one. Eve was deceived into believing an "evil" was a "good",
and so was Adam. By her act of disobedience, the woman who had been given "to be
with him" was already separated from Adam, by sin which would inevitably involve
death. By refusing to take the fruit offered by Eve, Adam would have remained sinless.
His love for the woman, however, and his sadness at her failure and the prospect of
separation, together with his inability to foresee what God could do other than execute
the penalty already merited, made the "evil" appear to be a "good". It seemed better to
Adam to perish with the woman he loved, rather than to live on in solitude and grief.
Adam's action but confirms the fact that "evil" must be considered as a "good" before it
can work upon man's desires and influence his choice.
We leave to the reader the illuminating task of discovering N.T. examples of this vital
principle. In the threefold temptation of the Lord, for instance, as recorded in Matthew
and Luke, this glossing over of "evil" to make it appear a "good" will be discovered to be
at the very foundation of Satan's attack on the Lord, as the blessed Second Man, and
Last Adam.