“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.”
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” -Genesis 2:4-17
From “heavens and earth,” to “earth and heavens,” chapter two follows the account of the “generations,” the six days of creation, and the seventh day of rest, in chapter one. Now we are told more about the sixth day. We have been formed from dust, from earth, and given life by the breath of God. We have been given a place; we have been given a role. Amidst the abundance, and alongside the commandment, there is one prohibition. With the introduction of life, we received a warning of death.
How do we respond to this story of life and death? How did followers of Christ hear this story as the movement began to include not only Jews, familiar with Genesis, but also Gentiles?