Garden vs. Table: A Theological Contrast
Garden vs. Table: A Theological Contrast
| Theme | Garden of Eden | Lord’s Supper |
|---|---|---|
| Covenantal Frame | Covenant of Works | Covenant of Grace |
| Human Condition | Posse peccare et posse non peccare — able to sin, able not to sin (probation) |
Posse peccare et posse non peccare — able to sin, able not to sin (by grace) |
| Sacramental Moment | Tree of testing | Table of promise |
| Warning | “In the day you eat…” (Gen 2:17) |
“Whoever eats unworthily…” (1 Cor 11:27) |
| Outcome of Failure | Death and exile | Judgment and discipline |
| Goal of Obedience | Non posse peccare — confirmed righteousness; not able to sin (but failed) |
Non posse peccare — glorified communion; not able to sin (Matthew 26:29) |
- The Lord’s Table is not a reenactment of Adam’s test, but a celebration of Christ’s triumph. -
1 Corinthians 15:22-26
References consulted:
The Covenant of Works - Excerpt from The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher;
A Brief Compendium of Bible Truth by Archibald Alexander