00.6 Introduction

Introduction TWO MEN, TWO ACTS, AND TWO RESULTS

1 Corinthians 15:45-50; Romans 5:12-21. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which was spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man was of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

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: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of the one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is from many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

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These two extended passages of New Testament Scripture form the basis of the message of this book. Two men, Adam and Christ, are clearly in view in both passages. The Apostle Paul contrasts the two in a most logical and convincing way. He brings out the completeness and the far-reaching results of Christ’s work by contrasting it with the work of Adam.

Briefly stated, the two men are Adam and Christ; the two acts, Adam’s disobedience (Genesis 3:6) and Christ’s obedience (Php 2:8); the two results, condemnation and justification (Romans 5:18).

Adam was a type of Christ, in that he was a representative man; he stood for the race, he contained the race, he was the race. He was without a parallel until Christ, the Second Man, the last Adam, came. He was "the figure of him that was to come."

Note also how the Apostle Paul applies a most important principle stated so many times in the first chapter of Genesis, "after its kind," "after their kind."