Two Adam’s

 Arthur J Licursi

 

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: (kainos, as to age, from neos, regeneratively new) old things (archaios, the original) are passed away (figuratively perished); behold, all (pas, all things by all means and at all times) things are become new (kainos, as to age, from neos, regeneratively new).

This paper is to explore just how new of a beginning we as believers do have “in Christ”. All genuine Christians need to see and understand that they have had a transfer of race from the very moment of their regeneration by receiving Christ’s life. The word regeneration (Titus 3:5) itself is transliterated from the Greek, paliggenesia, meaning “a repetitive nativity” or “a repeated beginning”. I am sure most can see that “genesia,” in paliggenesia, must have something to do with a genesis or beginning – a newly generated life.

 

We know that in the Genesis of the Bible the race of mankind began with the first man Adam. Paul tells us in 1Cor. 15:45 … The first man Adam was made (ginomai, became) a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening (life-giving) spirit. And in 1Cor. 15:47 The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

 

The “last Adam,” of whom Paul writes, is no less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I note that 1Cor 15:45 does not say the 2^nd Adam, but rather the last or final Adam. Hence we see there are only two potential races of people in God’s mind’s eye. 1) The human fallen race is of the first Adam, and the other is 2) The new race of people who possess God’s very life, in the person of Christ (the Last Adam), as the Spirit of life, indwelling their human spirit (1Cor 6:17, Col 1:27). The second race consists of the regenerated children of God – reborn of God Himself (John 1:13), via His seed (the Christ-seed, Gal 3:16, 1Pet 1:23); these are a people of an entirely new and significantly different race than that of the first Adam.

 

The result of the two Adams has everything to do with man’s potential of death versus eternal life.

1 Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

 

Paul here tells us here that it was by the life choices and actions of the first Adam that mankind, all his offspring, his entire lineage, has been made dead toward God, through the first Adam’s sin, which separated man from God for eternity. Yet, we note, Paul goes on to say that “in Christ shall all be made alive”. This death condition of mankind persists today. Rom 5:14 (NASB) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type (antitype) of Him who was to come. Thus, as Adam affected all mankind negatively, so Christ’s work on the cross was on behalf of all mankind, not to restore man to his pre-fall condition, but to make a new mankind of a new race.

 

Every father possesses and passes on his very life and nature with his DNA – since he and his offspring are essentially of one life and nature. From this we may see that the two Adam’s are the federal heads of their progeny, the two races of people. The first race possesses and is possessed of the fallen life and nature of their “father”, the first Adam. The race of the last Adam possesses the very life and nature of the resurrected Son of God. We share in His one life. Jesus Christ, according to His humanity as of the seed of David, was raised out of resurrection (Rom 1:3-4), in order to bring His humanity into the Godhead – making man one with God. Since all believers today are regenerated of Christ’s very life and nature they make up the very body of this resurrected Christ – of which He is the Head. Ephes. 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

 

The first Adam’s race, by whom all mankind has become dead toward God, had to be brought to an end in order for God to dispense the life of the resurrected Christ to be man’s only genuine life (Gal 2:20). Every Christian was of Adam’s fallen lineage, yet also they were in Christ in the cross; they were crossed out as to their old man - when Christ died they died. This becomes effectual for those who believe in order to receive Christ. Likewise, as Jesus was raised from the dead, we believers have also been raised to new life. Rom 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized (placed) into Jesus Christ were baptized (placed) into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism (placement) into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.                                          <END>