The Medicine Of Death

ΕΡΩΤ Μ’ Τι ἐστι τὸ Ἰδου γέγονεν Ἀδὰμ ὡς εἰς ἐξ ἡμῶν; Ἐπειδὴ διάβολος εἶπεν, Ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ, γινωσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν, ἐδεξατο δὲ τοῦ θανάτου τὸν ὄρον τὴν ἐντολὴν παραβὰς, εἰρωνικῶς τοῠτο εἴρηκεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, δεικνὺς τῆς διαβολικῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ ψεῦδος. Μεταλαβεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν τοῦ καρποῦ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς διεκώλυεν· οὐ φθονῶν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀθανάτου ζωῆς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπέχων τὸν δρόμον. Ἰατρεία τοίνυν ὁ θάνατος, οὐ τιμωρία ἐστιν. Ἐπέχει γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ὁρμήν. Ὁ γαρ ἀποθανὼν, φησὶ, δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Καταντικρὺ δὲ τοῦ παραδείσου διάγειν αὐτὸν προσέταξεν· ἵνα τῆς ἀλύπου βιοτῆς εἰς μνήμην ἐρχόμενος, μισῇ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ὡς πρόξενον τῆς ἐπιπόνου ζωῆς. Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Εἰς Τὴν Γένεσιν Source: Migne PG 80.137b

Question 40 Why was it said, 'Behold, Adam has become one like us'? 1 Since the devil said, 'You shall be like gods, knowing good and evil,' 2 and Adam received the sentence of death because he transgressed the commandment, the God of all things spoke ironically, exposing the lie of the diabolic promise. God did not prohibit him from taking from the tree of life because He begrudged man eternal life, but that He might restrain him from the way of sin. Therefore death is a medicine and not a punishment, for it curbs the drive to sin. 'For he that is dead is justified from sin.' 3 Then God commanded Adam to go out from the region of paradise, so that in sorrow he might recall to his memory the loss of his former life, and in hatred of it drive out sin, which is the author of his toil and his wretched life. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Questions On Genesis 1 Gen 3.22 2 Gen 3.5 3 Rom 6.7