How is Adam, a type (a figure, a symbol)

The apostle Paul speaks of Adam as “a type of Him who was to come.” For this reason, our Lord Jesus Christ is sometimes called the second Adam.

The 2nd Adam

The 2nd Adam’s physical body was wholly created by God the Holy Spirit (incarnated) as a fetus in the virgin Mary’s womb. His DNA code was created by God, as was the 1st Adam’s. Neither of them inherited their DNA from any man or woman; both Adams were unique in this from any other human.

Like the 1st Adam, Jesus had no inherited sin nature; He was totally sinless and innocent. However, unlike the 1st Adam, Jesus remained innocent of any sin throughout His entire Earthly life and forevermore.

In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul described what God has done through Jesus Christ to solve humanity’s greatest problem, our sin guilt and sinful nature, which separates us from our holy Creator, leading not only to our physical death, but also our eternal death.

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 of Him who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. —Romans 5:14-19 NASB

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Article Version: July 11, 2021