What role does Adam play in the context of 1 Corinthians 15:21? The Verse in Focus “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a Man.” (1 Corinthians 15:21) Adam Identified • The “man” who brought death is Adam, the first human created by God (Genesis 2–3). • Paul treats Adam as a literal, historical individual whose action affected the entire human race. Death Through One Man • Genesis 2:17—God warned Adam, “in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” • Genesis 3:6, 19—Adam’s disobedience introduces both spiritual separation and physical death: “for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” • Romans 5:12—“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men.” • Paul uses Adam to explain why every human faces mortality: we inherit the consequence of his sin. Federal Headship Illustrated • Adam stands as humanity’s representative head—what he did counts for all who descend from him. • This concept sets the stage for understanding Christ: just as Adam’s act affects everyone “in him,” Christ’s act affects everyone “in Him.” Life Through One Man • The parallel Man in 1 Corinthians 15:21 is Jesus Christ, called elsewhere “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). • Christ’s resurrection reverses Adam’s curse: – 1 Corinthians 15:22—“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” – Romans 5:18—“Through one trespass there resulted condemnation for all men, so also through one act of righteousness there resulted justification and life for all men.” Why Paul Mentions Adam Here • To strengthen the case for bodily resurrection: if death entered history literally through Adam, resurrection must likewise enter history literally through Christ. • To highlight God’s consistent method—using a single representative to affect the many. • To remind believers that their future hope is grounded in a real past event. Connecting Old and New Testaments • Adam’s creation: Genesis 2:7—“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust.” • Christ’s resurrection body: Luke 24:39—“Touch Me and see; a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” • The first Adam receives life; the last Adam gives life (1 Corinthians 15:45). Practical Takeaways • Human mortality has a clear biblical cause—Adam’s disobedience—not merely natural processes. • Our only escape from death is through union with Christ, the resurrected Man. • The certainty of Christ’s resurrection guarantees a future bodily resurrection for all who trust Him, overturning the legacy of Adam. |
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