A review of Beisner and Meister's debate in regard to the origins of evil

Two different arguments to solve the same problem; how can Christians explain evil in the world if God is good. It would seem that Beisner comes from a classical reformed perspective, and Meister is coming from a classical Armenian view. Both of these views would claim to be biblical, and both of these views if stretched to the extreme can develop into heresy pretty quick. I am personally a Calvinist for the most part but I hold very loosely to that persuasion when necessary. When dealing with soteriology,ie.; the doctrine of salvation, the sovereignty of God is easily perceived. When we come to the problem of evil it becomes a bit harder to digest. I do agree with the free will argument in regards to the introduction of evil into the world. God created a moral world, and in order for it to be moral there must be a choice between to do what is pleasing to God and what is not. In the garden Adam did what was pleasing to God until he disobeyed Him and ate of the forbidden tree. That tree represented the moral dilemma, don't eat, or eat, you are commanded not to eat. Who planted the tree? God, even though God is good, He must know evil as well, or how could he say that He is good? Evil would be the opposite of God. By eating of the tree, that would be the opposite of the command of God, so therefore; it must be evil to eat of it. Up to that point all Adam knew was good, all he knew was God. When tempted by the Serpent, Eve was tempted with the ability to be like God, in other words to deny God and know something other than God. Something other than God is evil.

The million dollar question is this; did God know they would break His command? A resounding yes! We can glean this from Ephesians 1:3-14; If God predestines us for redemption in Christ before the foundation of the world, then He would know of man's rebellion before he created him. Man was free initially, but post fall man became enslaved by sin, unable to choose to not sin. Christ sets us free to have faith in Him, and establish a relationship with God in Christ's righteousness imputed to us. So I agree with Meister untill the fall, and I agree with Beisner for the most part.