Did Jesus come to restore the immortality that Adam and Eve lost?

score:5

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The Bible nowhere states that Adam and Eve were created immortal, or that they had immortality granted to them before they sinned. This is often assumed, but there is nothing in Genesis (or elsewhere) that says such a thing.

If they already had immortality, why would God have told them that there was the Tree of Life in the center of the garden? Clearly, they had not partaken of its fruit (life eternal) because they chose to partake of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which resulted in death. They then had to be put out of the garden, with cherubs preventing them getting to the Tree of Life.

Genesis is clear. They could have had eternal life, but they chose to partake of that which God had warned them would result in death. That sinful choice then debarred them from life eternal. It is not until the last book of the Bible that the Tree of Life makes another appearance, in heaven.

Because Jesus is the LAST Adam, and the SECOND man, this denotes a new humanity, in Christ, that is not of the seed of the first Adam. Those who are granted eternal life in the paradise of God partake spiritually of Christ, by faith.

Sometimes it's a good idea to leave a few days open for other contributions, as other points may become clear in other answers.

Upvote:1

"To him who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation ch2 v7, RSV).

I believe that answers your last question. The tree is found as available in Revelation ch22 v2.

On the restoration of what was lost in Adam, we have (for example) "The last Adam became a lifegiving spirit" and "Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven" (1 Corinthians ch15 v45 and v49).

The point is further explained in Romans ch5; "If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam]. much more will those who receive the abundance of grace... reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ" (v17). "So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through |Jesus Christ our Lord" (v21).

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