THE TWO ADAMS: CONTRASTED - Part 1

The Two Adams Contrasted

Sin is the legacy that our first parents have left the human race. Thomas Boston says: “God made Adam captain of the ship, in which were all our goods, and he ran us on to the rocks and made shipwreck of us.” Romans 5 reminds us that there are two great representative heads—the first and last Adam. We can gather what we lost in the first, by pondering the following contrasts:

ADAM The first man Adam (1 Cor.15:45)	JESUS CHRIST The last Adam (1 Cor.15:45)
"Was made a living soul" (1 Cor.15:45) (Adam was given life-Gen. 2:7).	"Was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor.15:45) (Christ gives life-John 5:21,25; 6:33 etc.).
"Natural" (1 Cor.15:46)	"Spiritual" (1 Cor.15:46)
ORIGIN--"of the earth" (1 Cor.15:47)	ORIGIN--"from heaven" (1 Cor.15:47)
Men reflect Adam (Cor.15:49 and see Gen. 5:3).	Saved men can and shall reflect Christ (1 Cor.15:49 and see Col. 3:10; Eph.4:24; Rom.8:29; 2 Cor.3:18; 1 John 3:2; etc.).
"Dead in Adam" (1 Cor.15:22)	"Alive in Christ" (1 Cor.15:22)
Adam is the Head of the Old Creation.	Jesus Christ is the Head of the New Creation (2 Cor.5:17; Eph.2:10).
Adam was a representative man (Romans 5), and he acted on behalf of the whole human race.	Christ was a representative man (Romans 5), and He acted on behalf of the whole human race.
Adam performed one act, which had tremendous consequences.	Christ performed one act, which had even greater consequences.
Adam’s act was a sinful act (Rom.5:12, 15,16,17,18).	Christ‘s act was a righteous act (Rom.5:18--"the righteous act"--see NASB).
Adam’s act was an act of disobedience, in eating the forbidden fruit (Rom.5:19; and see Genesis 2:17; 3:6).	Christ’s act was an act of obedience, in dying on the cross (Romans 5:19 and see Phil.2:8).
Here is what Adam’s one act produced: DEATH ( Rom.5:12,14,15) JUDGMENT (Rom.5:16,18) CONDEMNATION (Rom.5:16,18)	Here is what Christ’s one act produced: LIFE (Rom.5:17,18,21) THE FREE GIFT (Rom.5:15,16,17,18) GRACE (Rom.5:15,17,20,21) JUSTIFICATION (Rom.5:16,18,19) RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom.5:17,19,21) REIGNING (Rom.5:17; compare verse.21)

In dealing with TRUTH, we must NEVER go beyond Scripture and teach that in Adam all humanity inherit his guilt. It is only when we personally, consciously, persistently, deliberately, and ultimately reject the gift of eternal life in Christ that the guilt and responsibility of sin and the second death become ours (John 3:18, 36; Mk. 16:15, 16; Hebrews 2:1-4; 10:14, 26-29).....to be cont'd

In Christ,

Playwright Janet Irene Thomas

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

info@biblestoriestheatre.org