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- ADAM -- REPRESENTATIVE MAN
-
- (FIRST ADAM, LAST ADAM)
-
-
- Adam was more than a normal man; he was a "representative
- man." Adam was a progenitor, the federal head, the prototype,
- the master copy, the "representative" of the first human race.
- What he did stood for us all.
-
- In this study, all scriptures are from the New International
- Version unless otherwise noted.
-
-
- Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through
- one man, and death through sin, and in this way death
- came to all men, because all sinned....
-
- Amplified Therefore as sin came into the world through one man
- and death as the result of sin, so death spread to
- all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape
- its power] because all men sinned.
-
- A. S. Way The error of one individual man made the breach
- through which sin entered our world; and in the track
- of sin came death. So it was that death passed
- through that door to assail all men....
-
- KJV Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
- and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
- for that all have sinned
-
-
- Because Adam was not a normal man, but a "representative"
- man, we see that death ruled as king thru the law of sin and
- death because of his original sin.
-
- Romans 5:14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to
- the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by
- breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of
- the one to come.
-
- Amplified Yet death held sway from Adam to Moses [the
- Lawgiver], even over those who did not themselves
- transgress [a positive command] as Adam did. Adam
- was a type (prefigure) of the One Who was to come....
-
-
- We see here in verse 14 that as Adam was a representative man,
- so too Christ is a representative man. So herein is the basis
- for the gospel. Since, if one man (Adam) got us into sin and
- death, so too, one man (Jesus) can get us out.
-
- Romans 5:15-19:
-
- v 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many
- died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's
- grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man,
- Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
-
- Amplified But God's free gift is not at all to be compared to
- the trespass--His grace is out of all proportion to
- the fall of man. For if many died through one man's
- falling away--his lapse, his offense--much more
- profusely did God's grace and the free gift [that
- comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man
- Jesus Christ, abound and overflow to and for [the
- benefit of] many.
-
- v 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one
- man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought
- condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and
- brought justification.
-
- v 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned
- through that one man, how much more will those who receive
- God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of
- righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
-
- Amplified For if, because of one man's trespass (lapse,
- offense) death reigned through that one, much more
- surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing
- grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of
- righteousness (putting them into right standing with
- Himself) reign as kings in life through the One,
- Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One.
-
-
- v 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was
- condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of
- righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
-
- Amplified Well then, as one man's trespass--one man's false
- step and falling away--[led] to condemnation for all
- men, so one Man's act of righteousness [leads] to
- acquittal and right standing with God, and life for
- all men.
-
- v 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the
- many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the
- one man the many will be made righteous.
-
- Amplified For just as by one man's disobedience (failing to
- hear, heedlessness and carelessness) the many were
- constituted sinners, so by one Man's obedience the
- many will be constituted righteous--made acceptable
- to God, brought into right standing with Him.
-
- We see this representative man idea laid out for us in...
-
- 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22:
-
- v 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the
- dead comes also through a man.
-
- v 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
- alive.
-
- Amplified For just as [because of union of nature] in Adam all
- people die, so also [by virtue of their union of
- nature] shall all in Christ be made alive.
-
- In verse 45 Christ is called the "last Adam" making reference
- to his role as "Representative Man."
-
- v 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living
- being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
-
- Amplified Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a
- living being--an individual personality; the last
- Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit--restoring
- the dead to life.
-
-
- Jesus made reference to himself as the last Adam in many terms
- we fail to recognize. For example:
-
- John 15:1 "I AM the true vine, and my Father is the gardener."
-
- (We see the contrast in Jeremiah 2:21: ...corrupt, wild
- vine....)
-
- Also, we see in John 12:24 (a grain of life, planted in death,
- to bring forth many).
-
- v 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the
- ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it
- dies, it produces many seeds.
-
- (Contrast to Matthew 3:10: ...ax laid to the root of the
- "corrupt" tree.)
-
-
- So we see that the entire plan of redemption revolves around
- two men. The basis of the gospel is that through faith in what
- one man--the God-man Jesus Christ--did, all men could be saved
- (the second Adam--the second representative man.)
-
-
-
- ADAM CHRIST
-
-
- Both Representative Men
- Both Heads
-
-
- Corrupt, wild vine--Jer 2:21 True vine--John 15:1
-
- Bad tree, bad fruit--Mt 7:17 Good tree, good fruit--Mt 7:17
-
-
- Law of sin and death-- Law of life in Christ--
- Romans 5:12 Romans 8:2
- Romans 8:2 Romans 5:17
-
-
- NATURE NATURE
-
- Spiritual death, mortality Spiritual life, immortality
-
- Curse, sin, sickness Removal of the curse--
- poverty, suffering, Galatians 3:13, 14
- death--Dt 28:14-68 Dt 28:1-13
-
-
- 1. Spiritual death 1. Spiritual life
- 2. Mortality 2. Immortality--2 Tim 1:10
- 3. Curse 3. Removal of curse
-
-
- Other Parallels Jesus Made
-
- Jesus Paul
-
- From above--John 8:23 1 Corinthians 15:47
- Resurrection--John 11:25 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 Gate--
- John 10:7 Romans 5:1, 2
- The way, truth, life Romans 5:17-19
-
-
-
- Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL
- VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
- Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
-
- Scripture taken from THE AMPLIFIED NEW TESTAMENT, copyright
- 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
-
- The copyrights of the other translations have expired.
-
- If you have any questions or wish to make any comments I can
- be reached c/o The Christian Resource Services BBS, Chesapeake,
- VA, 804-543-0830 (300/1200/2400, 8-N-1).
-
- Allen Fincher
-