CONSEQUENCE OR PUNISHMENT II

I'm still wrestling with the nature of death as portrayed in the Bible.

In the Garden of Eden, there was no Law. The Law would not come until the time of Moses, centuries down the line.

In Eden there was only one rule that God laid out: Do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

And what would happen if they broke the rule was also laid out: "You will surely die." 

By the way, there is no indication that Adam and Eve understood "death" to mean "burn in hell for all eternity". Why would they? 

And it's not immediately obvious as to whether Adam and Eve were meant to understand death as a punishment for breaking the rule or a consequence for breaking the rule.

This is an important distinction. A punishment is like Mom saying, "If you touch that stovetop, I am going to sit you in time-out for ten minutes." 

A consequence would be like her saying, "If you touch that stovetop, you will burn yourself."

Which one is "you will surely die"? 

Unclear. 

However, it IS worded like a consequence.

Wouldn't a punishment be worded like this: "If you eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, I will surely put you to death"?

It is interesting to consider that no humans had the Law until after Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Not Adam, not Noah, not Abraham.

Romans 5:13-15 tells us something important about God's Law:

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.

"Where there is no law, there is no transgression." 

I don't see how death can be anything but a consequence of sin. Not the punishment.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God, but they didn't break His Law.