More Lies Women Believe

In the not too distant past, my wife read a very popular book for women by Nancy Leigh DeMoss entitled Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. Unfortunately, instead of freeing women from slavery to a worldly system of thought and belief, it enslaves them further to it.

At one point in the book she tells women that Eve's sin in the garden of Eden was that of "overeating." When my wife tried to argue with some other ladies that this was not the correct interpretation of Scripture, she posed the question "If God had said do not walk within so many feet of the tree, would her sin been over-walking?" I believe the overwhelming response was, after a short pause, "Yes." The author's interpretation of the Bible at this point, is at best manipulative, if not outright deceitful and it clearly leads women away from the clear teaching of Scripture and the freedom found therein.

Man's sin in the garden of Eden is wanting to be his own god, determining for himself what was good and evil. This is exactly what the Bible says in Gen. 3:5-6 (NASB):

"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."

"6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make {one} wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."

Eve disregarded the clear Word of God (which she already stated she knew in verse 3), and decided that her own thoughts and desires were of a higher authority. She looked to something outside of God to make her wise.

Nancy DeMoss, by interpreting the Bible this way, has succumbed to the same sin. She has ignored the clear, explicit teaching of Scripture, and interpreted it in a way that no one would have ever interpreted it, so that it would fit her desired agenda.

Lest you think I'm trying to pick a fight with Mrs. DeMoss, this is the same sin that is at the root of all of our sins. Every man wishes to be autonomous, thereby interpreting God, himself, and the rest of the world on his own terms, according to his own wisdom.

Our starting point as Christians, must be that since God is Creator of all things, He is the only interpreter of all things. We can not do as the ancient philosopher Descartes did and start with ourselves, "I think, therefore I am." By doing so, one makes himself as the sole interpreter of all things, including God.

Because we all are tainted with sin, we all make mistakes interpreting Scripture. But because this is such a gross misinterpretation, it deserves a stern correction. If she wants to teach women about overeating or proper care for their physical bodies, there are plenty of other verses in Scripture that she could use to do this.

Recommended Reading:
By What Standard? by R.J. Rushdoony