The church I visited this week played a bible trivia game with the congregation. I noticed they got two of their own questions wrong and that means you get to hear about it!
Question: To whom did the angels announce the birth of Jesus?
Wrong answer: The wise men.
Better Answer: The Book of Matthew specifies that the wise men showed up because they followed a star. There is no mention of angels. The book of Luke says the angels appeared to shepherds but does not mention wise men. The other two books do not mention the birth.
Question: Who lied to Eve?
Wrong answer: The serpent.
Better answer: Ok, stay with me on this one and feel free to get your bible out and check me. After creating Adam, God tells him not to eat the fruit of the the tree of good and evil, because if he does, he’ll die. Presumably Adam shares this information with Eve. The serpent talks to Eve, asking her what God told them. Eve recounts the mandate pretty much word for word; that they face death if they eat that fruit. The serpent says ‘Um, no you won’t die. You’ll be smarter.’ And he’s right. Once both of them eat the fruit, they realize they are naked. Their eyes are opened. And they’re not dead. So as I read it, the serpent just asked pointed questions. It was God who actually lied to Eve. It’s confusing because when asked by God what happened Eve says, “The serpent deceived me.” What’s she gonna say? You deceived me?