Is deception biblically defensible?

[BK1110]

5 hours ago, Josah said:

Why does the Bible use serpents in this example? 

The serpent in the garden of Eve was WISE.

How was the serpent in the garden of Eve WISE?

The serpent was WISE through its DECEPTION. 

The serpent did not lie, the serpent deceived, and deception always has a truth in it. 

Wouldn't you agree that to be able to deceive is to be wise?

In other words, wouldn't you say that only a wise thing could make someone think that a certain thing is true when it is not true, but at the same time, provide a truth, only, the truth that is uttered takes the form of another meaning for that other person? 

Deceiving someone is an action. Being wise is just being something, it's about how you choose to use it. The serpent used his wisdom to deceive, but that doesn't mean it was wise for him to deceive, or that deception is wisdom itself. You can use a gun to hunt for food to keep your family from dying, or you can use it to shoot and kill your family.

And he most certainly did lie, in Genesis 3:4 "But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die.'"

The wages if sin is death. Adam and Eve sinned, and indeed they died; physically and spiritually, and so have we all since then.

Yes, being able to deceive requires a level of wisdom, in a way at least. But if deception is a sin, it's not very wise to use what wisdom you have to deceive people and pile more sin on your heart. But follow your own train of logic; to commit a murder in which you aren't caught or implicated would take a great amount of wisdom, wouldn't it? So to be able to get away with murder is to be wise, yes? But does that make it okay to murder? 

[Running Gator]

Let us not forget that Rahab is in the "Faith Hall of Fame" and her claim to fame was deceiving to save the lives of the Jewish spies. 

[Guest shiloh357]

3 minutes ago, Running Gator said:

Let us not forget that Rahab is in the "Faith Hall of Fame" and her claim to fame was deceiving to save the lives of the Jewish spies. 

The Bible was not praising her act of deception.  The Bible never condones that act.   It uses her as an example of faith rooted in action, without condoning or praising the specific act.   She was no more affirmed for her deception than she was for being a harlot.  

[enoob57]

another home run by the Shiloh .... Gator pay attention