1. Aim: To explore how original perfection was corrupted. Objective: How did evil enter the world? world? The Fall

2. I. The Yahwist story of the Fall of Mankind is different from any other story. Adam and Eve are symbolic of us, humanity. Adam and Eve are symbolic of us, humanity. The Garden of Eden is paradise, the perfect and free state where the relationship between God and humans could be as God intended it to be. The Garden of Eden is paradise, the perfect and free state where the relationship between God and humans could be as God intended it to be. The responsibility for the Fall belongs to man and woman together. They both made the moral choice to disobey God. They bear the responsibility for the introduction of sin into the world. The responsibility for the Fall belongs to man and woman together. They both made the moral choice to disobey God. They bear the responsibility for the introduction of sin into the world.

3. Genesis 3 develops these Four Themes Adam and Eve: Adam and Eve: 1. Awareness – In their original state in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had no awareness of good and evil. It was only through disobedience that Adam and Eve gained this awareness. 2. Choice – After choosing evil, Adam was afraid. His act created a fear that he had never felt before. As a result, he did not want to bear responsibility for his own choice.

4. 3. Consequences: The consequences of the wrong choice imposed by Yahweh meant that the necessary elements of life (child-birth, marital relationship, work) would from then on be mixtures of beauty and pain, desire, and conflict. 4. Mercy – In Genesis, the Lord makes clothes for Adam and Eve. This act of mercy shows that God is bound to respect the necessary consequences of human choice. God would not abandon humankind. Yahweh continued to care for them even though they were no longer able to live in the garden. They were barred from the “Tree of Life” a symbol of immortality. “Tree of Life” a symbol of immortality.

5. CAIN AND ABEL 1. Awareness – Cain resents God’s favoring of Abel. 2. Choice – Cain chooses to kill Abel. 3. Consequences – Cain becomes a restless wanderer on the Earth. 4. Mercy – God marks Cain so that he will not be killed.

6. Noah, the Flood 1. Awareness – God realizes the extent of human wickedness. 2. Choice – Humanity has chosen to disobey God. 3. Consequences – God decides to wipe out humanity through a flood. 4. Mercy – God spares Noah, a virtuous man, his family, and two of each species of animals. He makes a covenant with Noah. The symbol is a rainbow in the sky.