聖經研究：從禁果到方舟
2001-10-02
一
根據聖經，人是因為阿當和夏娃吃了禁果，所以萬世受罰，代代死亡，直至末日審判結束為止。一切災難自禁果而起。禁果牽連之大實在無容置疑。因此，禁果問題很值得我們去閱讀和探討。雖然禁果事關重大，但聖經談論禁果的篇幅並不多，只佔創世紀第三章。該章共有二十四節。由於中文版比英文版難懂，所以我的引文全來自和合本英文版。創世紀第三節開始，蛇先來引誘女人：
[1]Now the serpent（蛇） was more crafty（狡猾） than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
[2]The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
[3]but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
[4]"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
[5]"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
蛇說吃了禁果後人可分辨善惡。
[6]When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
夏娃見到禁果，覺得禁果「pleasing to the eye」。
[7]Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
他倆吃了禁果後，「the eyes of both of them were opened」，這裡的eyes不可能是指眼，因為之前才說夏娃看見禁果，眼應該一直是開著的。這裡的eyes是指分辨善惡的能力。
[8]Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
[9]But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
[10]He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
[11]And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
[12]The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
[13]Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
[14]So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
上帝懲罰蛇要用肚子行走。
[15]And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
[16]To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
原來陣痛是上帝施加的。
[17]To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
上帝因人類吃了禁果而要詛咒大地，豬狗大象都被牽連，頗似「誅九族」。
[18]It will produce thorns and thistles（荊棘） for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
[19]By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
塵歸塵，土歸土。
[20]Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
[21]The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
[22]And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
蛇原來沒有說謊，人吃了禁果後果然能分辨善惡，這是上帝說的。但吃了禁果卻不會死，吃了禁果會死只不過是上帝後來加予的懲罰，如果上帝不懲罰，吃了禁果是不會死的。相反，如果人連生命樹的果子都吃了，就會長生，如同上帝一樣。
[23]So the LORD God banished（趕走） him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
[24]After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
上帝用火劍包圍生命樹，以防人類可以得到生命。
經文看完了，且聽阿東的分析。
阿東認為，夏娃未能抗拒蛇，並非人類之過。這只能證明神沒有能力製造「能抗拒蛇的夏娃」，反而證明了神不是「無所不能」。當然，有人可能抗辯說神沒有意圖去造「能抗拒蛇的夏娃」，如果祂有意圖去造，一定造得到。但問題就來了，如果神沒有意圖去造「能抗拒蛇的夏娃」，那麼夏娃未能抗拒蛇又變得是理所當然，不值得受千世萬代的懲罰了。
蛇並沒有說謊。上帝不准人吃禁果，不讓人有分辨善惡的能力，實為奇怪之舉。如果人不能分辨善惡，那麼人未能看出上帝是善，蛇是惡也不足為奇了。既然人本來就是不能分辨善惡，那麼人犯錯實非人之過，那應該是製造人的神之過了，是祂未有賦予人分辨善惡的能力。這又再次證明神不應懲罰人。
上帝懲罰後代的蛇也是不公平的。撒旦扮蛇來犯罪，並不代表蛇是有罪的。例如某賊帶上李超人的面具來打劫，我們不會因此就懲罰李超人和他的子孫。就算犯罪的的確是李超人，我們也不會因他犯罪而懲罰他的子孫，說來說去這種罰法都是不公。另一個解釋：蛇就是撒旦，一切蛇都是撒旦，所以一切蛇都要受罰。如果真是這樣，那麼神懲罰所有蛇則合乎情理，不過究竟是不是所有蛇都是撒旦，我們無從考究。另外，如果用肚子行走是一種懲罰，我們就會疑惑蝸牛是不是又是撒旦的化身。
另外，上帝懲罰人的後代也是不公。祂既然一早說明阿當吃禁果必死，那就乾手淨腳殺了他就好了。以後就不會有人受苦。祂甚至可以殺了阿當夏娃後，再創造另一對人，並賦予新的一對人較高的思考和分辨善惡能力。如此一來，世界將會有多大不同！這只是上帝的一念之差！
以上所說仍不是我的最終重點。我想說的是神根本不懂教育。祂不斷懲罰。祂不順眼，就先來個千秋萬代的懲罰，繼而又施以大洪水毀滅大量生物（比最恐怖的恐怖主義還恐怖）。為甚麼神在見到人的行為不正當後，不懂給予機會，不懂循循善誘，不懂教育？而且祂有沒有想過，祂的懲罰有沒有意思？以陣痛來懲罰等同酷刑，人道主義的人一定不會同意上帝。我們在聖經裡看不出上帝有怎樣苦心教育過人類。養不教，父之過。我希望上帝在懲罰自己的子女前，先自我反省一下自己有沒有盡心盡力教育過，並且應反思祂的懲罰有沒有意義。
二
阿東看完了創世紀第一章至第十章，邊看邊想流淚。如果上帝懂得教育，如果上帝EQ高一點，很多慘劇都可避免。
以下再引創世紀第四章和第六章證明上帝不懂教育。先看第四章，本章共有二十六節：
[1](Cain and Abel) Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."
[2]Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks（畜牧）, and Cain worked the soil.
[3]In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
[4]But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
神竟喜悅供奉。祂有沒有君子「見其生不忍見其死」之慈悲心腸？
[5]but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast（情緒低落）.
上帝EQ不高，不知為人父母不應偏心。Abel和Cain都沒有接受過甚麼教育，心智上只是個小孩子。小孩子看到父親偏心而憤怒，合情合理。
[6]Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast（?
[7]If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
上帝這句不知和上文有甚麼關係，上帝並沒有反省自己偏心。
[8]Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
教育不當往往造成悲劇。
[9]Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
[10]The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.
[11]Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
典型的上帝，詛咒完一個又一個。
[12]When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
[13]Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.
[14]Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
Cain是阿當之子，那時地上根本沒有幾多人，人人都是極親的親戚。會否互相殺害呢？
[15]But the LORD said to him, "Not so if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
上帝只懂以暴易暴，說害Cain的要受七倍懲罰。由第一章至此，再到以後的方舟，上帝教育得非常少，懲罰得非常多，而且懲罰往往恐怖，不符人道。而這些被罰的人都是上帝造出來的。
十六至二十二節無關重要，可以快速看。
[16]So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
[17]Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
[18]To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
[19]Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
[20]Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
[21]His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
[22]Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
[23]Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.
[24]If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
上帝以暴易暴的教育後果，人人都充滿暴力。上帝根本就沒有教人如何做人。
[25]Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."
[26]Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.
上帝如果有親身教育阿當，親身教育阿當的後人，甚至設立學校自小教育做人原則，相信阿當和他的兒子都不會如此愚昧，如此暴力。
三
阿東今次引創世紀第六章的經文：
[1](The Flood) When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,
[2]the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
[3]Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
上帝又來了，無端又說人應該一百二十歲就死。祂至今仍未意識到教育的重要，腦裡只想著如何懲罰人。
[4]（這個我也看不明）The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
[5]The LORD saw how great man's wickedness（邪惡） on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart（心裡每一個念頭） was only evil all the time.
[6]The LORD was grieved（憂傷） that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
[7]So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them."
上帝由始自終缺乏自省，祂沒有教育人類。當看到有問題時，又只想到懲罰，沒有想到糾正問題。這實在令阿東很憂傷。另外，聖經亦沒有說明究竟那時的人是怎樣邪惡，他們是不是真的不可救藥，是不是真的值得全數毀滅。
[8]But Noah（挪亞） found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
[9]This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
[10]Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
[11]Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.
沒有受過教育的人，暴力、墮落也不足為奇。
[12]God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
[13]So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.
[14]So make yourself an ark（方舟） of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
[15]This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.
[16]Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.
[17]I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
非常恐怖的恐怖主義。
[18]But I will establish my covenant（立約） with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
[19]You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
[20]Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
我一直懷疑即使只是放恐龍，這方舟也放不下。恐龍種類繁多，每種放兩隻已很驚人。
[21]You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."
[22]Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
還有一點值得一提，上帝一直獨行獨斷，沒有不恥下問之心，沒有想過請教他人意見。一個「不能請教他人」、「不能自我反省」的神又算不算是「全能」？另外，一個「不懂以比大洪水更仁慈更合理的方法來解救地球」算不算是「全知」？
阿東的結論仍是，人犯罪，上帝要負最大責任。正常的父母在子女犯罪後應該先教育他們，一次教育不行，再教育第二次，直至教育了好多次，肯定他們無可救藥後，才作放棄之念。
看了十章創世紀，阿東很傷心。多場世紀災難，人類一切苦楚，本可避免。可惜人類一開始就缺乏了一位好教師．．．．．．