Even Better Than Eden by Nancy Guthrie
Week 3: Chapter 2 — The Tree
Read Chapter 2 of Even Better than Eden. Primary passages: Genesis 2:9; 3:1–7; Proverbs 3:18; Galatians 3:13; Revelation 22:2.
Previewing Week 3 of Even Better Than Eden
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to the cross to the tree of life in the new Jerusalem, Guthrie traces one of Scripture's most powerful and painful images — and shows how it ends in surprising healing.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.In Genesis 2, two trees stand at the center of the garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Guthrie notes that Adam and Eve were not forbidden from all trees — only one. What does this tell you about the nature of the original temptation and about God's generosity?
2.Guthrie argues that the serpent's lie — 'you will be like God, knowing good and evil' — was a temptation to grasp at something that God intended to give. How do you see that same dynamic of grasping rather than waiting playing out in your own spiritual life?
3.The tree of life disappears from the biblical narrative after Genesis 3 — until Revelation 22, where it reappears bearing fruit for the healing of the nations. What is the significance of that long absence? What does it feel like to live in the middle of that story?