Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Enda80 · 01-31-2006, 06:09 PM

Did Paul (so far as we know) think that people were descended from Cain or the serpent of Eden or Satan? Did Paul think the serpent in Eden was a shape-shifting Satan (or is that the Koran)? Also, due to the Noahic flood, wouldn't all people today have to come from Noah?

Chili · 01-31-2006, 06:13 PM

The flood only wiped out Noah's world. The rest survived and did not even notice the flood that came to Noah alone.

John Kesler · 02-01-2006, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enda80

Did Paul think the serpent in Eden was a shape-shifting Satan (or is that the Koran)?

This idea was developed during the intertestamental period, as evidenced in Wisdom of Solomon 2:23-24 for example:

Quote:

23 for God created us for incorruption,
and made us in the image of his own eternity,
24 but through the devil's envy death entered the world,
and those who belong to his company experience it.

Philo also made the connection:

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Moreover, the devil proceeds with great art, speaking by the mouth of the serpent. For not only is there in the Divinity the knowledge of good and evil, but there is also an approval of what is good and a repudiation of what is evil;

Paul seems to connect the serpent with Satan. See 2 Corinthians 11 and Romans 16:

Quote:

2 Corinthians 11:3; 13-15
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
13 For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Romans 16:20 (Compare the curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:15)
20 The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The pseudepigraphal work, "Apocalypse of Moses" 17:1-4 preserves the tradition that Satan was an angel and spoke through the serpent:

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And instantly he hung himself from the wall of paradise, and when the angels ascended to worship God, then Satan appeared in the form of an angel and sang hymns like the angels. And I bent over the wall and saw him, like an angel. But he saith to me: "Art thou Eve?" And I said to him, "I am." 'What art thou doing in paradise?" And I said to him, "God set us to guard and to eat of it." The devil answered through the mouth of the serpent...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enda80

Also, due to the Noahic flood, wouldn't all people today have to come from Noah?

If one believes the biblical account, this is a necessary conclusion.

01-31-2006, 06:09 PM	#1
Enda80 Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Boston Posts: 190	Paul think he was descended from Satan or the serpent? Did Paul (so far as we know) think that people were descended from Cain or the serpent of Eden or Satan? Did Paul think the serpent in Eden was a shape-shifting Satan (or is that the Koran)? Also, due to the Noahic flood, wouldn't all people today have to come from Noah?

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01-31-2006, 06:13 PM	#2
Chili Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Alberta Posts: 11,885	The flood only wiped out Noah's world. The rest survived and did not even notice the flood that came to Noah alone.

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