BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: CAIN AND ABEL 2
Biblical Critique: Cain and Abel
The story of Cain and Abel is a biblical representation of the conflict between two
brothers and with God. Found in the book of Genesis, the story highlights the tragic
consequences of unresolved conflict (New American Bible, 1970/2011, Genesis 4:14) and how
emotions can interfere with one’s ability to regulate responses to conflict (Barsky, 2017). Similar
to how Cain showed jealousy towards his brother, other examples exist to substantiate the
importance of controlling emotion during conflict. Whether it is a world leader trying to reclaim
lost lands, envy between two brothers, or failure to set pride aside, unresolved conflicts can have
catastrophic and sometimes tragic results. Ultimately, one’s ability to become humble during
conflict is the first step in creating a more welcoming outcome.
Read
Fact Verses
1. A man and Eve bore two sons, Cain and
Abel
1-2
2. Cain was a tiller of soil, Abel was a keeper
of flocks
2
3. God favored Abel’s offering 4
4. God did not favor Cain’s offering 5
5. Cain became resentful 5
6. God warned Cain about his resentment 7
7. Cain lured Abel to the field 8
8. Cain killed Abel 8
9. God asked Cain where Abel was 9
10. Cain lies to God 9
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: CAIN AND ABEL 3
11. God punishes Abel 11-12
Reflect
What do you see in the passage that relates
to God’s character, man’s character, or
Jesus?
Verses
God’s character When Cain shows his displeasure towards
God for not accepting his offering, God
warns about his action's potential
outcomes. God’s character then shows
mercy by allowing Cain to make things
right, even after sharing his resentment
towards God and his brother. Secondly,
God’s character with justice and
consequences is highlighted when he
punishes Cain for his actions but insinuates
repentance by allowing Cain to live his life
out as a wanderer.
5-6
10-12
Man’s character The Cain and Abel conflict illustrates that
man is jealous of others when they feel
wronged. Man’s character takes a more
profound plunge when envy turns to anger,
which leads to more immoral behavior.
3-5
8
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: CAIN AND ABEL 4
Respond
The story of Cain and Abel, from the Book of Genesis, applies to modern issues facing
the world. Recently, similar character flaws have been demonstrated in the Russian War against
Ukraine in Russia’s quest to annex Crimea. Wendler (2023) hypothesized that Russia’s
expansionistic goals directly result from the envy that President Putin and other Russian
politicians feel concerning the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Similar to Cain’s resentment
towards Abel, Russia has waged a war against one of its former lands to restore its power in the
world. As a result of these wars, countless innocent people have died, and the morality of troops
fighting has been questioned. Someday, Putin and his associates will face the Lord, as Cain did,
and face His judgment and consequences for their actions because of their envy and desire to
take back their lands. While this is just one example of how envy and resentment affect the
current world, countless others have similar tragic outcomes.
In a personal situation related to the story of Cain and Abel, the individual has a twin
brother with whom they grapple with feelings of envy due to their brother’s relationship with
their mother. The relationship with their mother is not characterized as unfavorable, but it is
challenging to overlook the preferential treatment their brother receives due to past life choices.
This internal struggle has led them to seek guidance from their pastor, who directs them to a
passage that reads, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (New
American Bible, 1970/2011, Proverbs 14:30). While they share the character trait of envy with
Cain, they have, through God’s grace, gained a better understanding of their brother’s needs.
This fresh understanding has enabled them to alleviate their sinful thoughts, a feat that Cain
could not achieve even after stern warnings from God.
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: CAIN AND ABEL 5
The story of brotherly jealousy in the Book of Genesis highlights some central indicators
of impending conflict due to personal emotions (Barsky, 2017). Challadurai et al. (2022) found
that pride can sometimes get in the way of being humble and preventing an individual from
building a solid relationship. Cain’s pride led to his inability to accept that Abel’s offerings were
preferred over his, and pride is the root of the conflict between the brothers. Bloom (2017)
suggests that to seek resolution to conflict through God’s grace, an individual must be able to
practice humility. God suggested that Cain stay humble and warned against Cain not being able
to master the sin that was growing inside of him. Cain’s inability to control his emotions
ultimately leads to the murder of his brother and Cain being punished by God.
Conclusion
The ageless narrative of Cain and Abel resonates with many conflict issues facing the
world today, such as the Russian War against Ukraine or a quarrel among brothers. The character
flaws of envy and resentment that Cain exhibited can be illustrated in our current world, in
personal situations, and the conflict resolution process. A major underlying issue that Cain
struggled with is his inability to let go of his pride, which can obstruct the path to resolution
(Challaduai et al., 2022). Bloom (2017) emphasizes the importance of humility in seeking
resolution through God’s grace, which is what God asked Cain to do when he became “angry
and dejected” (New American Bible, 1970/2011, Genesis 4:5-7). Maybe if Cain could approach
the conflict he had between his brother and God, we would be searching for another biblical
example to learn the lesson of letting go of pride and approach conflict with humility.
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: CAIN AND ABEL 6
References
Barsky, A. (2017). Conflict resolution for the helping professions: Negotiation, mediation,
advocacy, facilitation, and restorative justice. Oxford University Press.
Chelladurai, J. M., Kelley, H.H., Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2022). Humility in family
relationships: Exploring how humility influences relationships in religious families.
Journal of Family Psychology, 36(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000860
New American Bible. (2011). Catholic Book Publishing Corporation. (Original work published in
1970)
Wendler, E. (2023). The political economy of Friedrich List. Springer Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24601-2_4
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