Post #4 of 7
So, these three authoritative sources should be enough to demonstrate that the Covenant of Works does indeed
establish preconditions of perfect obedience and
a time of probation before Adam would be allowed to eat from the tree of life.
Now, let’s test the Biblical basis for this conclusion – starting with Biblical affirmations, then we will look to see if there are Bible texts that contradict the conclusion.
Step 2 – Are There Positive Bible Affirmations for “Preconditions and Probation?” – “Adam had to, over a probationary period of time, perform “works” by meeting the conditions of personal, perfect and perpetual obedience before God would allow Adam to eat from the tree of life?”
As we have seen, these - and many more theologians,
confidently lay their professional reputations as Bible scholars on the line by adamantly claiming that the Lord God did not allow Adam to eat from the tree of life without Adam first proving himself by works of perfect obedience during a time of probation – those being the very “works” that are referred to in the Covenant of “Works.” Then – and ONLY then – would the Lord God grant Adam access to the tree of life and the eternal life eating its fruit would bring.
Once again, to be utterly fair, let’s look to see
if theologians cite any Bible passages that say Adam’s access to the tree of life was limited – by God or any others – and Adam could finally eat from the tree of life only after successfully meeting the preconditions by completing his works of perfect obedience during his time of probation.
From the writings of these theologians, the unequivocable answer is: No.
Remarkably, there are absolutely no actual Bible passages cited by these sources and apologists to support this “Covenant of Works” conclusion
of a time of probation during which the demand that the preconditions of perfect obedience had to be met. Bible texts are cited –
but none of them address the question of Adam’s access to the tree of life being in any way restricted until he fulfilled a time of successfully demonstrating personal, perfect and perpetual obedience to God – at all – or during a time of probation. (The stated preconditions.)
Think about this: the authors and sources already noted here, along with many other apologists who share their views,
offer no Bible passages or texts in their many writings to prove:
- The existence of a time of Adamic “probation.”
- That Adam had to meet the precondition of “personal, perfect and perpetual obedience” before allowed to eat from the tree of life.
- That Adam had any restrictions, prior to him eating fruit from the forbidden tree, that limited him from taking fruit from the tree of life at any time.
Why are no such explicit Bible texts cited for a time of probation and preconditions for eating from the tree of live?
Because Bible texts stating there were preconditions and a time of probation before Adam was allowed to eat from the tree of life
simply do not exist.
Now there are passages offered as “proof” of perfect obedience earning eternal life, such as their interpretation of the instruction to the nation of Israel to obey the laws of God. This theory takes events thousands of years after Adam, Eve and the Garden of Eden when God is speaking to Israel. Theologians say Lev.18:5 where God says to the Israelites: “
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” establishes a “works principle” of personal, perfect and perpetual obedience as the required means to earn eternal life. This “works principle” is said to convey the idea that the Adamic Covenant of Works was in full force during the time of the Israelites and that the Covenant of Works was directly referenced by God in Lev. 18:5.
Other portions of Scripture confirm this as the Adamic works-principle surfaces in the midst of the Mosaic covenant (Lev. 18:5) and in Christ’s and Paul’s teaching: perfect obedience secures eschatological life (cf. Luke 10:28; Gal. 3:12; Rom. 10:5). Moreover, Paul succinctly states that Christ was born ‘under the law’ (Gal. 4:4), which corroborates the conclusion that the terms of the Adamic covenant still persist.
Fesko, J. V.. Adam and the Covenant of Works (Divine Covenants Book 1) (p. 309). Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
Conclusion #2: “Eternal Life Can be Earned” includes a detailed exposition on this passage in Leviticus. Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, an acid test of the alleged correct interpretation of Lev. 18:5 as establishing preconditions of personal, perfect and perpetual obedience by Israelites to earn eternal life and then “back dating” those conditions to apply to Adam would be if the explicit texts in Genesis 2 and 3 agreed – or contradicted – the assertion that God required preconditions of Adam before eating from the tree of life, or if God did not. We will examine this next.
Perhaps you are surprised that theologians have zero explicit Bible texts to support their conclusions that Adam had to wait until his probation was complete and that he had to satisfy all preconditions of perfect obedience before being allowed to eat from the tree of life.
There is a reason no explicit Bible texts are cited. It is because
the explicit Bible texts say the exact opposite is true.
The explicit Bible texts actually state that,
until he ate from the forbidden fruit,
Adam had immediate, full, unfettered, unrestricted and complete unconditional permission from God to eat from the tree of life – at any time. No preconditions. No probation. No “personal, perfect and perpetual obedience” required.
