Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. (Luke 1:1-4)Luke wrote that to Theophilus. Luke's conversation with him is not coincidental; as philosophy is the love of wisdom, Theophilus is the love of God. Luke spoke of declaring things delivered to them from the beginning. Luke was Jewish; the beginning in his mind was surely the Creation. Luke didn't really write from the beginning, though, but John did. The first chapter of John actually commences with Jesus's existence from the beginning.
With that said, the love of wisdom and the love of God were from the beginning. The entire Bible is about those conflicting loves: The Tree of Life offered theophilus and the Tree of Knowledge philosophy.
Adam, representing mankind, was given the freedom to choose whom to love. Ironically, his God-given free will was his faculty for making his choice. Adam was not only God's Creation but His elected (Ephes 1:4). Adam was peculiar in that everyone's existence is by God's election. Election is entry into the "race" of life, but requires qualification for the "prize" (1 Cor 9:24). The creation was creating men to run the race.
Of all the philosophical questions, What is truth? is imperative. Sages of all ages wondered if existence was truly reality, and if they really existed. (Those same two questions.) In other words, are men just a shadow projected onto a screen, and not physical existence in a multi-dimensional universe.
Paul confronted King Herod Agrippa to persuade him. Of what? "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:23), using the Old Testament as for an argument. Seeing the light is the philosophical persuasion of the truth. What is truth? That Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead! Think on the profundity of that truth! What natural man could ever believe that anyone, even Jesus, was resurrected? Faith is believing that happened with Jesus and can happen with anyone! What is the qualifier for resurrection - the prize? Jesus made it clear to doubters: "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). In his own words, Paul was telling Agrippa the same thing.
The governor Festus, who was also there, accused Paul of being a madman (Acts 3:24). Paul knew that Agrippa believed the prophets; why would he not believe that their prophesies had come to fruition? "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Paul used logic and reason in his attempt to convert Agrippa. He used the faculty derived from the Tree of Knowledge to convince Agrippa that the Doctrine of Christ from the Tree of Life was truth.
Jesus had also used logic and reason from the Tree of Knowledge to persuade Pilate, "That I should bear witness unto the truth" (John 18:37). To that, Pilate asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Pilate was persuaded as he said, "I find in him no fault at all." We know that Agrippa was not converted but history is uncertain about Pilate! Jesus seemed to have convinced him of truth. Surely Pilate's wife who had heard the correspondence was persuaded:
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (Mat 27:19-20).Some were persuaded but most were not; Jesus had to die due to the Philosophy Tree - the Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil. Jesus knew that philosophy would kill him. He knew that back in the beginning. When God endowed mankind with his own will, he knew that same will would be what killed him. The two trees represent theophius and philosophy; would it be the love of God or the love of wisdom? Philosophy killed Jesus because persuasion failed to convince. What does it take to be convinced? Regeneration which is being persuaded of the truth. The one thing necessary to be born again is to know the truth (John 8:32). What was the truth it takes to be persuaded or born again?
They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him. (John 8:27-30)The truth is that men are not truly gods as they are convinced: "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen 3:5). If they are not gods, then who is? Jesus answered that: He is the Father, and when he is lifted up the Father is. The convincing argument was that the Father Creator is Jesus, and as such, Jesus can recreate or regenerate to the original condition of Adam - a re-genesis. Regeneration is diminishing oneself and lifting up Jesus. That's what the brazen serpent on the pole held high by Moses represents (John 3:14). Jesus had used logic with Nicodemus that he should know the truth.
Of course, the brazen serpent did not represent Jesus for that icon was destroyed. It represented Jesus's purpose - he came to step on the serpents head as promised to Adam (Gen 3:14). Jesus came to kill the Serpent because we can't as we are not truly gods as we think.
Jesus was there in the Garden. It was he of whom the Tree of Life represents. He looked on the philosophy tree and was jealous. He was real and wanted to be loved - the theophilus tree. God's plan was that men use reason and logic and decide of their own volition what is the truth. Was it to be the One True God or the unknown god of which Paul spoke in Athens?
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23).Paul told the philosophers that they were barking up the wrong tree. The Tree of Life represents Jesus on his cross which scripture refers to as "a tree" (Acts 5:30). Translating that as "tree" rather than "cross" is imperative (KJV) because "tree" points back to the Tree of Life. On the other hand, the Tree of Knowledge represents the Serpent's Tree. The brazen serpent on the pole was symbolic of the crucifixion of the Serpent on his philosophy tree - the tree of non-persuasion.
The three "trees" on Golgotha - the place of Adam's skull - represents the trees in the Garden: The Tree of Life (Jesus) in the middle, the Tree of Knowledge with the unrepentant thief on one side and the repentant thief on the other side; one of whom was persuaded and the other who was not!
Christians are represented by Barrabbas who was set free by grace. He represents the other trees of the Garden which Adam was to "dress and keep" (Gen 2:15). Jesus as the second Adam kept Barabbas, and dresses us in fine linen and keeps us from the evil one.
Jesus answered the question, What is truth? What is the answer to the question, Why am I? Jesus's purpose was to save mankind, or to re-create people to the original condition of mankind. As such, mankind was created to love God. That is the Greatest Commandment. Mankind was created to "dress and keep" the Garden. We are to love the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden. That is why we are! To operationalize that love, we are to "dress and keep" the other trees which is to love others as ourselves.
The Tree of Knowledge represents self-love, what is called self-esteem in philosophy. The Tree of Life the love of God with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength - theophilus.
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