@rhetorician “What you seem to be saying is that I think the TOL imparted immortality only after A&E partook of the TOTKOG&E. That's not what I'm suggesting, however”

– Hmm… On the 3rd of February (here: chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/12812?m=13551861#13551861 ) I asked you this question (quoting myself):

“Are you trying to say that the tree of life somehow acquired the ability to convey immortality only after the fall of Adam, and prior to that it only had some special attributes, but not the ability to convey immortality?!” To that you answered: “exactamundo!”

On the 9th of February (here: chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/12812?m=13678434#13678434 ) I reminded you of that, and you didn’t deny that.

Now, on the 18th of February you are starting to deny what you were saying just two weeks before. What is it? A drastic change in thinking? Or am I missing something?

@brilliant: Not sure yet. My thinking has not changed, so I guess I'm not 'splaining myself as well as I think I am!

Let me try to 'splain again. Keep in mind, I am speculating a little bit here, because the biblical text does not go as far as I go, in this regard.

God did not place the tree of life in the garden to impart immortality; it had other functions and purposes, not the least of which was providing tasty nourishment for A&E. Assuming A&E were already immortal (which I do assume) prior to sinning, I suggest the TOL imparted something other than immortality. Besides nourishment, perhaps it had other properties which were compatible only with immortal people who had never sinned.

In other words, your assumption the TOL "acquired the ability to convey immortality" is on you, not me. Before the fall, the TOL imparted nourishment (and possibly other things of which none of us is aware, since the Scripture is silent in this regard); it was one tree (perhaps even a special tree that stood out from others) among many, many others (how many, we'll never know).

That's about as far as I can go, without adding a lot more things to Scripture (and I've probably added too much already!). Here's something that IS very scriptural and which might help you. Without sin, there is no possibility of death. That was true for our first parents, and it's true for us today because of the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. Yes, all believers will one day die, physically. We will all live forever, however, because we "have passed from death to life" in Christ.