The Physical & Spiritual Adam (The First & Second Adam)

 

I Corinthians 15:45-49 - 45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

 

Introduction:

  1. This text mentions two Adams.
    1. The inspired apostle Paul had just declared, "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."  (I Cor. 15:44)
    2. He now illustrates this by a comparison of the two Adams.

a. In verse 45 he shows that as we have our natural body, the body we have from Adam in this world, we also can expect our spiritual body to be from Christ, the Second Adam.

    1. Hence if we are in Christ, it is certain that we shall have spiritual bodies as it is now that we have natural or physical bodies.

a. So the dead in Christ shall not only rise, but shall rise gloriously changed.

b.      Mortality came by Adam, but immortality came by Jesus Christ.

c. As descendants of Adam, we have all been born in his likeness and subject to the same kind of temptations, sin, death and corruption.

d.      But if we are Christ's, we shall be raised to bear His image and to enjoy a life of immortality such as He now enjoys. (Col 3:4, I John 3:2)

  1. Concerning Adam, Paul said that he "was a pattern of the one to come." (Rom 5:14)  Therefore a study of some points between the two Adams will prove interesting, instructive and practical.
  2. We shall consider the following:
    1. A Comparison Between Them - Their Resemblances.
    2. A Contrast Between Them - Their Dissimilarities.

 

I.      A Comparison of the Two Adams.

  1. God placed them both on the earth by a miracle.

1.      The existence of each was not according to the ordinary course of nature.

a. Neither came by the ordinary laws of generation.

b.      The first was formed out of the dust of the earth, and the second was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

2.      Let us notice:

a. The creation of Adam.  (Gen 2:7) "from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." 

b.      The birth of Jesus.

  1. The existence of both Adams on earth began free from the slightest taint of sin.

1.      Adam.  (Gen 1:26; 2:7, Zech 12:1; Ezek 28:15)

2.      Christ (Heb 4:15; 7:26; I Pet 2:22)

  1. Each Adam had a nature capable of temptation.

1.      Temptation is an attitude of all created intelligence.

2.      Where there is no power to do wrong, there is no virtue in keeping right.

3.      The first Adam was tempted and was conquered; the second Adam was tempted, but He triumphed. (Heb 2:8)

  1. God named them both.

1.      God named Adam.  (Gen 5:2 - "Adam" is Hebrew for "man")

2.      God named Jesus.  (Matt 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew word "Joshua".  Both mean "the Lord saves".)

  1. Both Adams were married.

1.      God made for Adam a wife. (Gen 2:18, 21-24)

2.      Christ was given a bride - the church.  (II Cor 11:2, Rev 21:9)

a)      Adam & Eve were one (Gen 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.)

b)      Christ and His church are one. (John 17: 20-22 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.)

  1. Both Adam's families grew.

1.      The first Adam's family grew.  (Gen 1:28)

2.      Christ's family grew. (Rom 7:4; Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7)

 

II.      A Contrast of the Two Adams

1.      Adam performed a single act - sin or disobedience

1.      Christ performed a single act - obedience unto death. (Phil 2:8; Heb 5:8-9)

2.      Adam's sin affected the whole human family (With the curse of death - Rom 5:12)

1.      Christ's death affected the whole human family (I Cor 15:20-22)

3.      Adam's sin takes all in the grave. (Heb 9:27)

1.      Christ's death will bring all out.  (I Cor 15:20-21; Acts 24:15)

4.      The first Adam's disobedience lost the earthly Eden. (Gen 3:23-24)

1.      The Second Adam's obedience, and our faithful obedience to Him, makes it possible for us to gain the heavenly Eden.

 

Conclusion:

  1. We are all children of the first Adam.  We had no choice in the decision to be born, whether we were born male or female, what country we were born in, or what parents we were born to.  However, we do have the choice to be children of the Second Adam.  We have the option of being born again.  This time not of a physical birth, but a spiritual birth.
  2. John 3:3  "In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” 5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."