[SpeakersCorner]

Concerning whether or not the tree of knowledge (sorry, Narrator man but I'm shortening the phrase to that, like it or not) was in the middle of the garden along with the tree of life, my personal view is it was, that they were perhaps side-by-side or even the tree of life, as a vine, was growing up and around the tree of knowledge. Pure speculation on my part there but I have my reasons for thinking that might be the case.

Some here claimed I am wrong to allow the possibility that the tree of knowledge was not in the center. If I'm wrong so are a whole lot of others, Christian and Jew, who have discussed this portion of the Word. Google it, you'll see. The two references to the tree of knowledge being in the center can both be explained in other ways. To wit:

1. The grammar/punctuation
In Gen. 2:9 the Darby translation renders the key portion like this:

"... and the tree of life, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

The two commas enclosing "in the midst of the garden" render it a parenthetical phrase modifying the "tree of life" and do NOT apply to the tree of knowledge. In fact, if you change the commas to parentheses it clearly excludes the tree of knowledge. That's a possible rendering.

2. The Unreliable narrator
In Gen. 3:3 it is Eve's reportage that gives us -- "but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, and ye shall not touch it, lest ye die."

This report is UNRELIABLE. For one thing (and Lee missed this which I think the video could've exploited but also missed) God NEVER said not to TOUCH the tree of knowledge. Eve has added to God's word. I'll cut her some slack because, 1, she got it second-hand from Adam and 2, she is trying to underscore the toxicity of this tree.

Further, and more importantly, she ONLY MENTIONS ONE TREE in the midst of the garden. Our videomaker needs to now call out Eve like he has called out Lee. According to him, there are two trees there (and I agree, btw) but Eve says "THE TREE that is in the midst of the garden." One tree. This is problematic. Does she not see the tree of life? Is it hidden behind the tree of knowledge?

My greater point in taking on the video concerning this is that, when you take on someone's exegesis, be careful. The Pharisees did it all the time to Jesus and He let them have it by starting His response with "Have you not read?" My old buddy Tom McNaughton made this point hilariously many times. Mr. Narrator of the Video has proven to me that, despite spending lots of time looking at this story in Genesis, he has not seen all the details, as I have pointed out here. Further, the same can be said of his view of Lee's teaching. Credit him for digging but ... has he not read that Lee said in “Dead to the Law”: “Adam was standing in front of the two trees—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

IOW, it's dangerous when you're nitpicking someone's argument that you might miss a nit or two. It applies to me as well, here. I'm nervous I will misquote the Narrator in some way. I watched the video, paused it many times, and carefully typed his words so as not to do that.