In this past Sunday’s God Questions series, we tackled the question: If God loves the world so much then why is there so much pain in this world? In talking about that, we mentioned that pain was introduced with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Astute listeners have pointed out that in Genesis 3:16, God gives Eve (and all women after her) the bad news that He would increase her pain in childbirth. This implies that there was at least some pain in childbirth before the fall.
This is correct. When we said that pain came after the fall, we meant pain in the sense of pain, suffering, and grief. The central nervous system was designed by God to to help us react to our environment. If Adam had stubbed his toe on a rock in the garden before the first sin, I believe he would have felt pain, just as he would have after the fall.
Thanks to all of you who were listening and asked about that! 🙂
Since Eve is already in a fallen state when God speaks to her in Genesis 3:16, I would question whether it is valid to infer that that the “increase” is an increase with respect to pre-Fall conditions…
Also makes me wonder why God put Adam in a deep sleep to remove a rib? Why didn’t He just say, “Hey Adam, hold still!”
Nociceptors
God made a perfect world that was good , very good ! He Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden , sometimes compared to what heaven might be like . Now heaven there will be no tears , no pain , no suffering . I believe thats the way God started this , in the garden, until the fall . I don’t believe there was pain until after the fall , it was prefect , good , very good. As for Eve increased pain , child birth is extremely painful, but increased pain , can u imagine losing that child ? U see death came at the fall , pain came at the fall , suffering came at the falls . Childbirth short time pain , you want increase your pain , lose a child . U see God made a prefect world , Adam and Eve blew it , we blew it ! We will see a prefect world someday again ,just like Adam and Eve lived in no more tears, no more pain , no more suffering ! I can wait for the day Christ wipes away my tears !!