o
v r i e vBIBLE e w
2 | T U R N I N G P O I N T : T H E F A L L
S T U D Y G U I D E
Bible Class is the teaching ministry of Salisbury Christian Church 56 Henson Rd Salisbury QLD 4107 AUSTRALIA contact@salisburychristianchurch.com.au www.bibleclass.com.au Page 1
Dividing the Bible 1. Genesis 3: The Fall • Before this point is an expression of God’s perfection and man’s fulfilment. • After this point is the story of sin’s destruction, man’s downfall and God’s movement to restore all things to His created purpose. Lessons from the Fall 1. Consequences for Doing Wrong • Christians ought to take responsibility and ought to understand this principle in life. 2. God’s restrictions are for our blessing • The natural desire of humanity is to fight the law of God as if it deprives us from happiness. His law is really nothing but a cause of our blessing. Consequences of the Fall 1. God’s order destroyed • God’s created order: God > Man > Woman. • The desired order of the world in sin: Satan > Woman > Man > God. 2. Death • The expression, "Dying you shall die" refers to an ongoing process and a finalisation of it. • The immediate and ongoing outcome of sin is spiritual death, manifested in the corruption of human nature and the breaking of our fellowship with God. • The finalisation of our condition is found in literal, physical death, which never before existed. 3. Estrangement / Separation • Adam and Eve hide themselves from God after sin. • God sought them, but they were unfit to meet Him - God does the same today toward mankind. 4. Awareness of Passions • Adam knew he was naked. There was that within him that did not exist before - inordinate passions, shame and the consequences of sin within. 5. God’s image in man is marred 6. Paradise ends • The destiny of the created world is tied up with the consequences of sin. It is corrupted. 7. Judgement on the Serpent • The serpent crawls on its belly, eating dust (formerly it must have walked). 8. Judgement on Satan • He will be crushed by the seed of the woman whom he deceived.
bibleclass.com.au
Page 2
• This is a prophecy of the coming of Christ. 9. Judgement on Women • Unique, beautiful role of child-bearing will be tainted by pain and sorrow. • Her role under the headship of her husband will be subject to strife and a cause of her own desire to gain dominion over him, against God’s order. She is driven not to submit to his headship. • Men will rule over women in brute strength which was never supposed to be in God’s purpose. The physical abuse of wives will be a problem from now on. 10. Judgement on Men • Men will have to fight against the creation in order to earn his bread: manifested in agrarian societies in the toil of the ground; manifested in modern society by the drudgery of the "daily grind." The Promise (v15) 1. God revealing what He is like • God has it always in His heart to bless mankind, even in the face of our rebellion. 2. The Substance of the Promise • The promise is that there will be one of the progeny of a woman who will bring about the destruction of Satan. • Note that Christ was the child of a virgin - of the seed of a woman. • Through Christ, Satan is destroyed (the crushing of the serpent’s head) along with his works and all sin. 3. The outcome of the promise • The rest of the Bible is the revelation of God’s acting to restore all things in Christ and to undo the works of Satan (see study 1).
bibleclass.com.au
Page 3
Review Questions 1. Which of the following is NOT a consequence of the fall? A. The abuse of women by men. B. The feminist tendency. C. The drudgery of work. D. God’s desire to ignore us. 2. Genesis 3 contains God’s promise of what? A. The New Heaven and the New Earth B. The coming of Christ C. The raising up of the patriarchs. D. The reality of women bearing children. 3. What was the order of God before the fall? A. God > Man > Woman. B. God > Man > Satan > Woman. C. God > Woman > Man. D. Man > Woman > God. 4. “Your desire shall be toward your husband” - Which of the following is NOT indicated by this statement? A. A woman will struggle to submit to the headship of her husband. B. A woman will desire to gain power or control over her husband. C. A woman will be enslaved to her need for love from her husband. D. A woman will be free from ill-treatment by her husband. 5. Which is NOT a consequence of the fall? A. The corruption of the created world. B. The recognition of inward passions and desires that corrupt us. C. Children. D. Estrangement and separation from God. 6. “Dying you shall die” expresses what? A. The reality of immediate and ongoing spiritual death, plus ultimate physical death. B. The reality of severe exertion in work, plus the disharmony of the family unit. C. The reality of the cheap attitude people will have toward the life of others (eg Cain and Abel). D. All of the above.
Answers | 1D | 2B | 3A | 4D | 5C | 6A bibleclass.com.au
Page 4