Van Rompay discusses Jacob of Sarug’s concept of sin by interweaving a conversation with 4th century Ephrem’s influence and Jacob’s late 5th century contemporary thinker, Narsai. Critical to this discussion is their assumption of Adam’s created capacity of mind and will. Juxtaposed, the audience may better understand Jacob of Sarug in his theological context. For Ephrem, free will required temptation as a precondition, and the forbidden fruit was a test of human potential. Both Ephrem and Jacob reasoned that Adam had full intellectual capacity and the test, God’s commandment, was made in order for man to fulfill his role as God’s image. Jacob of Sarug added that Adam might not have been expelled for his disobedience, but for his state of immortality. Narsai argued that Adam was created as a mortal, and God intended for Adam to experience a learning process.