Half-Truths and Lies
Genesis 3:4–5 (NASB95)
4The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The serpent’s conversation with the woman takes a bold turn as he directly contradicts God, declaring, “You shall not die.” This statement is striking, not only for its defiance, but for the way it mingles truth with deception. The serpent uses the same emphatic language as God, but inverts it to plant a seed of doubt about God’s character and motives. He goes further by suggesting that God is withholding something valuable, insisting that eating the fruit will open their eyes and make them “like gods, knowing good and evil.” In this, the serpent offers a partial truth, for Adam and Eve’s eyes are opened, and they do gain new awareness, but he fails to mention the destructive cost—estrangement from God, loss of innocence, and eventual death.
This exchange demonstrates the serpent’s cunning. He challenges not only the truthfulness of God’s warning but also God’s goodness, hinting that God’s commands are meant to keep humanity from reaching its full potential. The suggestion that God is jealous or manipulative is a subtle but powerful attack, one that echoes through later biblical stories and into the present. The knowledge the serpent promises comes with a heavy price: shame, isolation, and the forfeiture of the fullness of life that God intended. The narrative’s ambiguity invites readers to consider the consequences of believing half-truths and questioning God’s intentions.
The church must recognize the enduring danger of half-truths and subtle distortions of God’s word. Temptation often comes wrapped in promises of enlightenment, happiness, or freedom, but hides the real cost of separation from God and loss of peace. When confronted with voices that question God’s goodness or suggest that His boundaries are meant to hold us back, believers need to remember that true wisdom and flourishing are found in trusting God’s character and purposes. Let us hold firmly to the whole truth of God’s word and resist the temptation to remake God in our own image or motives.