Board index ‹ Free Will

[Nathan]

Would Adam & Eve have free will even without the existence of the Tree of Knowledge?

[jimwalton]

Adam and Eve were rational, free willed beings before the violation. Gn. 2.15 says that they were given responsibilities. This clearly implies that they have brains to think, they are able to understand roles and functions, with the ability to evaluate and accomplish. They had legitimate choices. They can be held accountable for what they are told because there is expectation of the capability to comply or defy.

Gn. 2.16 lets us know that they had both moral capability and culpability. They were given great freedom in the blessing to eat of the trees of the garden. So we know they had and understood free will and the exercise of it. They understood their right and ability to choose.