Nigel Tomes - LSM's Unorthodox Satanology

[Nell]

Exodus16,

I haven't read Nigel Tomes' discourse, but I would like to comment after what you have written. When I stopped meeting with the LC, I basically stopped believing everything I was taught by Witness Lee. I call everything into question. Whatever lines up with the Bible does so, not because Lee or Nee taught it, but because it is in the Bible. This has helped me a great deal.

Having said that, I recently took a look at the "two trees" teaching of Lee. One thing I found is that the tree of knowledge appears in Genesis in the garden once, and nowhere else. Of course, eating of the tree of knowledge was "the act" in the fall of man. No question. But, I have come to believe "the act" was due to a previouos conscious decision by Eve, then Adam, to disobey God. They decided to disobey God, then they disobeyed by eating the fruit. Thus, as long as man continues in disobedience to God, the fall will continue. So it seems to me that "disobedience" was the issue moreso than "eating."

Does the Bible say that man continues to eat of the wrong tree? Not that I can find. Does the Bible speak throughout of the sin of disobedience and its consequences? Absolutely. The "two trees" teaching is unique to Lee...something in which he took pride. The tree of knowledge is a metaphor which has merit because of the disobedience it respresents but it only appears once in the Bible. Does it matter? Yes. For three reasons:

1) the definition of the word "disobedience" is clear.
2) The expression "you're eating of the wrong tree" is ambiguous. What exactly does that mean? Generally it meant "don't ask questions."
3) We should use the words of the Bible to teach the Bible. Not some ambiguous terminology that could be concocted and interpreted according to "man's wisdom."

So, I jettisoned the "two trees" teaching. "Disobedience" is much easier to understand and is clearly scriptural.

Another thing I recently read was a hint that Adam "stumbled" before he fell. Hummm. God said that "it's not good for man to be alone." What? Why? Man is in a garden in a state of perfection. How can it be "not good" to be alone? Did something happen? So God then made a helper for Adam. (K. Bushnell)

The simple act of eating of the fruit of the wrong tree is preceeded by a possible "stumble", then a decision to disobey, then the actual disobedience. I could be wrong....it's just something to think about...

Nell