Now all of this discussion about “canonical study” and “historical narratives” and “narrative typology” could sound like it’s reserved for scholars and theologians, the really smart people. But it’s not. The Bible was written to humanity; God has revealed Himself to regular people like you and me.

Let’s look at an easy question that gets resolved through observing a pattern in the Pentateuch. I say an “easy question” because it got asked in my toddler’s children’s Bible last night. But it’s not a child’s question, because it’s one that I and many other adults I know still discuss.

Basically, the question is would anyone have done things differently than Adam and Eve in their choice to disobey God (by taking and eating the fruit from the forbidden tree)? I think we know the answer is “no,” but how do we prove that from the text? Is this even a question that’s answered for us in the narratives of the Pentateuch? And of course, my answer is “yes.”

Let me demonstrate with some of the parallels I observed.

Read More