The Two Adams
One of the Hebrew words for man is pronounced aw-dawm, from which comes the name Adam. The original word occurs many times in the Old Testament in reference to humans in general, and to one human specifically, the first man created by God, Adam. There is however another "first man," or "Adam" of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ, Who was entirely as human as the first Adam i.e. "He had to be made like His brethren in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17 RSV), but unlike the first Adam, Jesus never sinned, even though, as a normal human being, it was possible for Him to have done so (see Could Jesus Have Sinned?). Jesus Christ overcame sin, an accomplishment that the first Adam failed to do.
"Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come"
Adam was a type (see Type and Antitype) of Jesus Christ:
"Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned - sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come."
"But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."
"Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous."
"Law came in, to increase the trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:12-21 RSV)
"The last Adam became a life-giving spirit"
Although very similar, they were also very different:
"Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 RSV)
"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive"
The man Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected from the dead to spirit (see Resurrections)
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits [see Pentecost] of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:20-26 RSV)
Fact Finder: Is Jesus Christ the firstborn of many (spiritual) brothers and sisters?
Romans 8:29
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