THE LORD: SECOND ADAM
(An aside before I begin: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39065014 the movie is said to not be terrific but it covers the story of the Holodomor explaining the historic roots of the Ukraine's ongoing battle with Russia. In the interest of some of our readers I recommend everyone see the movie or at least take it as a prod to look up the atrocity.)
Ro 8:1 For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was not able to do because it was feeble through the flesh, God, sending his Son in the image of the evil flesh, and as an offering for sin, gave his decision against sin in the flesh:
4 So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit.
5 For those who are living in the way of the flesh give their minds to the things of the flesh, but those who go in the way of the Spirit, to the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
7 Because the mind of the flesh is opposite to God; it is not under the law of God, and is not able to be:
8 So that those who are in the flesh are not able to give pleasure to God.
9 You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is in you. But if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is not one of his.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.
12 So then, my brothers, we are in debt, not to the flesh to be living in the way of the flesh:
13 For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life.
14 And all those who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit is witness with our spirit that we are children of God:
17 And if we are children, we have a right to a part in the heritage; a part in the things of God, together with Christ; so that if we have a part in his pain, we will in the same way have a part in his glory.
18 I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future.
19 For the strong desire of every living thing is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God.
20 For every living thing was put under the power of change, not by its desire, but by him who made it so, in hope
21 That all living things will be made free from the power of death and will have a part with the free children of God in glory.
22 For we are conscious that all living things are weeping and sorrowing in pain together till now.
23 And not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies.
24 For our salvation is by hope: but hope which is seen is not hope: for who is hoping for what he sees?
25 But if we have hope for that which we see not, then we will be able to go on waiting for it.
26 And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;
27 And he who is the searcher of hearts has knowledge of the mind of the Spirit, because he is making prayers for the saints in agreement with the mind of God.
28 And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose.
29 Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:
30 And those who were marked out by him were named; and those who were named were given righteousness; and to those to whom he gave righteousness, in the same way he gave glory.
31 What may we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not with him freely give us all things?
33 Who will say anything against the saints of God? It is God who makes us clear from evil;
34 Who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.
35 Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?
36 As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction.
37 But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love.
38 For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers,
39 Or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(BBE)
(An aside before I begin: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39065014 the movie is said to not be terrific but it covers the story of the Holodomor explaining the historic roots of the Ukraine's ongoing battle with Russia. In the interest of some of our readers I recommend everyone see the movie or at least take it as a prod to look up the atrocity.)
"And it all built toward two events.
The Cross.
And the End Times which include the Rapture, the Second Coming, the Millennium and the New Earth."
Those were the events. But the Plan remains built around the person behind the events: Christ.
We all see him differently that thing where he has long hair and wide open arms. The "King of Kings" version as a stunning blue eyed white guy played by Jeff Chandler before the actor became best known for his one time role as (Christ)opher Pike on Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Max Von Sydow "Greatest Story Ever Told" version with the Germanic accent, guaranteed to send a chill down any Jewish viewer's spine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5Otybh-34
The singing version in "Jesus Christ Superstar" with guy who eventual got saved, denounced the whole thing then later starred in the on the road production of the play yet again.
The Good Shepherd in the painting that once hung in my old church where He carries the lost lamb in his surprisingly white arms.
The marble versions.
.jpg/1200px-Michelangelo's_Piet%C3%A0,_St_Peter's_Basilica_(1498%E2%80%9399).jpg)
But, be it in film, in real life play, in stone or in print in books that try to capture Him outside of the Biblical context, we always impose our own view of Him on others, try to fit Him into a mold we can describe, into a persona we find comforting. I will resist the urge but i to will surely end up doing it to some degree. If I were New Age or divergent I might well take my view and run with it claiming it was as legit as any and therefore as valid as any. But that fails both Him and the readers I may find. I want us to find some different perspectives on Him especially from His Biblical reporters and I want to see him from a fleshly point of view often cast aside or sometimes bullied into a fallen fleshly point of view.
I want to first see Him as the Second Adam. Dwelling here on the spiritual ideas paul raises and then applying them to the fleshly levels.
1Co 15:40 And there are bodies of heaven and bodies of earth, but the glory of the one is different from that of the other.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for the glory of one star is different from that of another.
42 So is it with the coming back from the dead. It is planted in death; it comes again in life:
43 It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:
44 It is planted a natural body; it comes again as a body of the spirit. If there is a natural body, there is equally a body of the spirit.
45 And so it is said, The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit.
46 But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit.
47 The first man is from the earth, and of the earth: the second man is from heaven.
48 Those who are of the earth are like the man who was from the earth: and those who are of heaven are like the one from heaven.
49 And in the same way as we have taken on us the image of the man from the earth, so we will take on us the image of the one from heaven.
50 Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.
51 See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed.
52 In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.
53 For this body which comes to destruction will be made free from the power of death, and the man who is under the power of death will put on eternal life.
54 But when this has taken place, then that which was said in the Writings will come true, Death is overcome by life.
55 O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains?
56 The pain of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:
57 But praise be to God who gives us strength to overcome through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.
(BBE)
Everything we have to discuss is contained in those few verses, but let us stop a couple other places before we return here.
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sben0056/essays/paulsecondadam.htm
We all see him differently that thing where he has long hair and wide open arms. The "King of Kings" version as a stunning blue eyed white guy played by Jeff Chandler before the actor became best known for his one time role as (Christ)opher Pike on Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Max Von Sydow "Greatest Story Ever Told" version with the Germanic accent, guaranteed to send a chill down any Jewish viewer's spine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5Otybh-34
The singing version in "Jesus Christ Superstar" with guy who eventual got saved, denounced the whole thing then later starred in the on the road production of the play yet again.
The Good Shepherd in the painting that once hung in my old church where He carries the lost lamb in his surprisingly white arms.
The marble versions.
But, be it in film, in real life play, in stone or in print in books that try to capture Him outside of the Biblical context, we always impose our own view of Him on others, try to fit Him into a mold we can describe, into a persona we find comforting. I will resist the urge but i to will surely end up doing it to some degree. If I were New Age or divergent I might well take my view and run with it claiming it was as legit as any and therefore as valid as any. But that fails both Him and the readers I may find. I want us to find some different perspectives on Him especially from His Biblical reporters and I want to see him from a fleshly point of view often cast aside or sometimes bullied into a fallen fleshly point of view.
I want to first see Him as the Second Adam. Dwelling here on the spiritual ideas paul raises and then applying them to the fleshly levels.
1Co 15:40 And there are bodies of heaven and bodies of earth, but the glory of the one is different from that of the other.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for the glory of one star is different from that of another.
42 So is it with the coming back from the dead. It is planted in death; it comes again in life:
43 It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:
44 It is planted a natural body; it comes again as a body of the spirit. If there is a natural body, there is equally a body of the spirit.
45 And so it is said, The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit.
46 But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit.
47 The first man is from the earth, and of the earth: the second man is from heaven.
48 Those who are of the earth are like the man who was from the earth: and those who are of heaven are like the one from heaven.
49 And in the same way as we have taken on us the image of the man from the earth, so we will take on us the image of the one from heaven.
50 Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.
51 See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed.
52 In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.
53 For this body which comes to destruction will be made free from the power of death, and the man who is under the power of death will put on eternal life.
54 But when this has taken place, then that which was said in the Writings will come true, Death is overcome by life.
55 O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains?
56 The pain of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law:
57 But praise be to God who gives us strength to overcome through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.
(BBE)
Everything we have to discuss is contained in those few verses, but let us stop a couple other places before we return here.
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sben0056/essays/paulsecondadam.htm
It is in Romans, however, that the contrast between first and second Adam is at its most ubiquitous. The state of sin in the first section of the letter is described in terms of fallen Adam. If 'Adam' is substituted for 'they' or 'those people' in 1.20-25
Ro 1:20 For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:
21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark.
22 Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
23 And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.
24 For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:
25 Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.
(BBE)
It reads almost like a paraphrase of the creation-story: 'Ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God and his everlasting power have been clearly seen by the mind's understanding of created things. And so Adam has no excuse: he knew God and yet he did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but his arguments became futile and his uncomprehending mind was darkened. While he claimed to be wise, in fact he was growing so stupid that he exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an imitation, for the image of a mortal human being or of birds or of animals or of crawling things'. All the elements are here in this return to the creation-story, the initial knowledge of God, the refusal to honour or give thanks to God, the attempt to seek knowledge which in fact plunges into deeper ignorance, the loss of glory. The catalogue of sin which follows is again reminiscent of Genesis. First is detailed idolatry (1.24-25), which Ws 14.27 says is the beginning, cause and end of every evil (and the allusion to the serpent in v.23). Then comes sexual perversion (1.26-27), which may reflect the intercourse of the angels with the daughters of men in Gn 6.1-4, or may reflect the rabbinic teaching that lust was the serpent's original temptation. Finally the catalogue of various sins 1.28-32 reflects the general spread of evil which provoked the Flood.
(You may wish to reread our earlier posts on those event, too. but they are much more succinctly presented in Romans. W.)
Ro 1:20 For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:
21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark.
22 Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish,
23 And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth.
24 For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another:
25 Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.
(BBE)
It reads almost like a paraphrase of the creation-story: 'Ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God and his everlasting power have been clearly seen by the mind's understanding of created things. And so Adam has no excuse: he knew God and yet he did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but his arguments became futile and his uncomprehending mind was darkened. While he claimed to be wise, in fact he was growing so stupid that he exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an imitation, for the image of a mortal human being or of birds or of animals or of crawling things'. All the elements are here in this return to the creation-story, the initial knowledge of God, the refusal to honour or give thanks to God, the attempt to seek knowledge which in fact plunges into deeper ignorance, the loss of glory. The catalogue of sin which follows is again reminiscent of Genesis. First is detailed idolatry (1.24-25), which Ws 14.27 says is the beginning, cause and end of every evil (and the allusion to the serpent in v.23). Then comes sexual perversion (1.26-27), which may reflect the intercourse of the angels with the daughters of men in Gn 6.1-4, or may reflect the rabbinic teaching that lust was the serpent's original temptation. Finally the catalogue of various sins 1.28-32 reflects the general spread of evil which provoked the Flood.
(You may wish to reread our earlier posts on those event, too. but they are much more succinctly presented in Romans. W.)
When Paul comes to the turning-point of the letter, in which he explains just how the disastrous situation (the dominion of the first hostile power, Sin, and its sinister companion, Death - the brooding presences whose influence determines the unfolding of the plot - as Dunn puts it, p. 288) outlined in the first three chapters is overcome, he describes it in terms of Adam and Christ. Adam is the tupos tou mellontos (5.14), the stamp, shape or seal of an eschatological counterpart,
Ro 5:11 And not only so, but we have joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are now at peace with God.
12 For this reason, as through one man sin came into the world, and death because of sin, and so death came to all men, because all have done evil:
13 Because, till the law came, sin was in existence, but sin is not put to the account of anyone when there is no law to be broken.
14 But still death had power from Adam till Moses, even over those who had not done wrong like Adam, who is a picture of him who was to come.
15 But the free giving of God is not like the wrongdoing of man. For if, by the wrongdoing of one man death came to numbers of men, much more did the grace of God, and the free giving by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, come to men.
16 And the free giving has not the same effect as the sin of one: for the effect of one man's sin was punishment by the decision of God, but the free giving had power to give righteousness to wrongdoers in great number.
(BBE)
Christ. Though Paul, with his insistent use of ouch os...outos and poso mallon, is careful to show that there is no proportion between the two, the contrast is between the offence and the gift, the disobedience and the obedience, the condemnation and the acquittal through the two men, the reign of death in the past and the continuous reign of life in the future. Christ is the progenitor of the new, eschatological humanity, just as Adam is of the humanity dominated by death.
Ro 5:11 And not only so, but we have joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are now at peace with God.
12 For this reason, as through one man sin came into the world, and death because of sin, and so death came to all men, because all have done evil:
13 Because, till the law came, sin was in existence, but sin is not put to the account of anyone when there is no law to be broken.
14 But still death had power from Adam till Moses, even over those who had not done wrong like Adam, who is a picture of him who was to come.
15 But the free giving of God is not like the wrongdoing of man. For if, by the wrongdoing of one man death came to numbers of men, much more did the grace of God, and the free giving by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, come to men.
16 And the free giving has not the same effect as the sin of one: for the effect of one man's sin was punishment by the decision of God, but the free giving had power to give righteousness to wrongdoers in great number.
(BBE)
Christ. Though Paul, with his insistent use of ouch os...outos and poso mallon, is careful to show that there is no proportion between the two, the contrast is between the offence and the gift, the disobedience and the obedience, the condemnation and the acquittal through the two men, the reign of death in the past and the continuous reign of life in the future. Christ is the progenitor of the new, eschatological humanity, just as Adam is of the humanity dominated by death.
Even more far-reaching is the development of the same theme in chapter 8. After this turning-point Paul devotes chapter 6 to showing how the believer is freed from the dominion of self and is incorporated into Christ, and then chapter 7 to giving a dramatic presentation of liberation from the dominion of Law. This too may hark back to Adam (as Käsemann insists); particularly attractive is the parallel between the deception by Sin (h gar amartia echpathsen me, Rm 7.11) and the deception by the snake (h ofij hpathsen me, Gn 3.13 [the same very, though not in compound form]).
Finally comes the positive presentation of life in the Spirit. This reaches its climax in the presentation of a new creation in Christ.
Ro 8:1 For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was not able to do because it was feeble through the flesh, God, sending his Son in the image of the evil flesh, and as an offering for sin, gave his decision against sin in the flesh:
4 So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit.
5 For those who are living in the way of the flesh give their minds to the things of the flesh, but those who go in the way of the Spirit, to the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
7 Because the mind of the flesh is opposite to God; it is not under the law of God, and is not able to be:
8 So that those who are in the flesh are not able to give pleasure to God.
9 You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is in you. But if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is not one of his.
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.
12 So then, my brothers, we are in debt, not to the flesh to be living in the way of the flesh:
13 For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life.
14 And all those who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit is witness with our spirit that we are children of God:
17 And if we are children, we have a right to a part in the heritage; a part in the things of God, together with Christ; so that if we have a part in his pain, we will in the same way have a part in his glory.
18 I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future.
19 For the strong desire of every living thing is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God.
20 For every living thing was put under the power of change, not by its desire, but by him who made it so, in hope
21 That all living things will be made free from the power of death and will have a part with the free children of God in glory.
22 For we are conscious that all living things are weeping and sorrowing in pain together till now.
23 And not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies.
24 For our salvation is by hope: but hope which is seen is not hope: for who is hoping for what he sees?
25 But if we have hope for that which we see not, then we will be able to go on waiting for it.
26 And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;
27 And he who is the searcher of hearts has knowledge of the mind of the Spirit, because he is making prayers for the saints in agreement with the mind of God.
28 And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose.
29 Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:
30 And those who were marked out by him were named; and those who were named were given righteousness; and to those to whom he gave righteousness, in the same way he gave glory.
31 What may we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not with him freely give us all things?
33 Who will say anything against the saints of God? It is God who makes us clear from evil;
34 Who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.
35 Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?
36 As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction.
37 But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love.
38 For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers,
39 Or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(BBE)
The first part of this, centered on Christians as adopted sons, relies more on the Abraham-symbolism which is also prominent in the letter. Christians succeed to the position of sons of God which was Israel's primary title and purpose. They share in the inheritance promised to Abraham, his kleros in the land promised to him. This adoption-theme is a particularly Pauline motif in the New Testament.
The second part, however, is wider and embraces the whole of creation; the eschatological new creation in Christ is not confined to his adopted sons, the new children of Abraham, but extends to the whole universe; ktisis occurs in every verse 19-22. The presentation balances that of fallen creation in Adam of chapter 1. Fallen creation was rendered mataios, did not glorify God, but exchanged his glory for the image of a mortal human being (1.20-23). So now the creation that was condemned to mataiotes is brought into glorious freedom (8.20-22), moulded into the image of his Son and brought into glory (8.29-30). Particularly prominent is the theme of glory, lost (as we have seen above) by Adam, but now returned; this brackets the section about the new creation: 'the glory which is destined to be disclosed for us' (8.18), as we are 'brought into his glory' (8.30). The lynch-pin of it all is the new Adam, the prototokos (8.29) as Adam was, and the image which Adam had been intended to be. All these themes are already present in 2 Corinthians 3, but are made more explicit here. There may be further allusion to the Genesis story in the groaning in travail (stenazei 8.22, stenagmos 8.26) which is the current condition of creation, reflecting the stenagmos imposed on the woman after the Fall.
A further dimension is that all this new creation is the work of the Spirit (Romans 8 is the chapter of the Spirit: the word occurs 5t in Rm 1-7, but 29t in Rm 8). Already in 1 Corinthians 15 Paul had referred to the risen Christ as a pneuma zoopoioun, the exemplar of risen Christians who are no longer psychikoi but pneumatikoi.
In Rm 8.9-11 Paul does not distinguish clearly between Christ, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ:
In Rm 8.9-11 Paul does not distinguish clearly between Christ, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ:
no one who lacks the Spirit of Christ belongs to him
the Spirit of God has made a home in you - Christ is in you
he who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will give life to you - through the Spirit living in you.
(Similarly in 2 Cor 3.17-18 it is unclear who 'the Lord' is, Christ or God, and what the relationship is between the Lord and the Spirit: 'this Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is...').
Whatever the relationship between Christ and the Spirit, it is the Spirit which gives life to the new creation. There must be allusion here also to the creation-story of Genesis, where the spirit of God hovers over the waters (Gn 1.2) and where God breathes the breath of life into Adam (Gn 2.7). The work of the Spirit in giving life to the new creation and the new, eschatological humanity is the same.
All those sections of Romans spend time dwelling on the difference between the fleshly Adam and the Spiritual Jesus.
An expansion on this:
http://creation.com/first-adamlast-adam
3. Humanity’s headUnlike the first Adam, the Lord Jesus was, in addition, divine, having the attributes, offices, prerogatives, and names of deity. Being fully God, He is worthy of worship (e.g. Revelation 5:11–14).
To which we can also add:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/adam-the-second.html
Adam, the Second
What goes on here is simple: one man sinned and that caused death to enter our realm, all the planets spinning off a bit, all the living given only a short time as opposed to eternity, all flesh now scarred by time, disease rotting the once impervious.
The current flesh is the Fallen Flesh. the Adam flesh. The "gift" of our race not just to us but to the universe, to all the living. Animals may have not had eternity then but we know for sure they don't have it now. Our fallen spirit took the flesh with it. Paul says sin was not held against us until the Law, but it surely decimated humanity before, during and now after the Law's reign. Flood, Sodom, the tribes killing the giants. The giants themselves. Our flesh cannot be taken to heaven wrapped in sin and corruption:
50 Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.
So the Second Adam was the Spiritual Man. You can read all the comparisons above. He brought the gift of the Spirit and the Spirit brought it's gifts for the purpose of serving Him while here. We awaiting the Rapture and the Glorious Appearing and the arrival of our Final Flesh. Only our Final Flesh can receive the gift of eternal service to God.
Php 3:13 Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,
14 I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:
16 Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.
17 Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given.
18 For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ;
19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth.
20 For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.
(BBE)
All this plan has been about the conversion of one flesh into another, of the power of life overcoming death.
Next, let's dwell again on the nature of this flesh and how Christ may have been different, on what that Second Adam or Last Adam may mean.
An expansion on this:
http://creation.com/first-adamlast-adam
1. A miraculous beginning
The Bible tells us that the first man, Adam, was created by God, in His image and likeness, directly from the dust of the ground. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:7). Thus, Adam was not the product of some form of theistic evolution.1 God did not make him in the image or likeness of an ape, nor from a ‘lower hominid’ by any lengthy or even abrupt mutational processes.2 Rather God created Adam as an immediate act, by His word (i.e. by commanding or willing this to happen), at some time on the sixth day of Creation week.3
While Adam was made in the image of God, Christ is ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Colossians 1:15).
The Bible tells us that the last Adam, Jesus Christ, was the One through whom God created all things (John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:2). Thus Jesus was pre-existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit before Adam lived (John 8:58; Micah 5:2).4 Nevertheless, in His humanity, He too had a miraculous beginning when He was incarnated as a human being—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20–23; Luke 1:26–35).
2. Perfect, innocent, holy
Adam was created a perfect man, in full possession of all human faculties, and with a God-consciousness which enabled him to have spiritual communion with God. Initially innocent, sinless, and holy, he was in a right relationship to God, to woman, to himself, and to the natural world around him.
The last Adam, Jesus, was also perfectly man, one with God (John 10:30; 17:21–22), innocent, sinless, and holy (Hebrews 7:26). Many people mistakenly refer to Jesus Christ as the ‘second Adam’, a term not found in the Bible. However, Scripture refers to Christ as the ‘second man’ (1 Corinthians 15:47). There have been many men since Adam, but Jesus Christ was only the second man to ever be completely without sin.
3. Humanity’s headUnlike the first Adam, the Lord Jesus was, in addition, divine, having the attributes, offices, prerogatives, and names of deity. Being fully God, He is worthy of worship (e.g. Revelation 5:11–14).
Adam was the head of the human race. Jesus Christ is the head of redeemed humanity (see, for example, Ephesians 5:23). Since Christ died once for all time (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10–14), there will never be the need for any further ‘Adam.’ Hence He is the last Adam.
4. Both givers of life
The first Adam gave life to all his descendants. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, communicates ‘life’ and ‘light’ to all men, and gives eternal life to those who receive Him and believe on His name, giving them ‘power to become the sons of God’ (John 1:1–14).
5. Two rulers
Adam, representing mankind, was given dominion over the created world (Genesis 1:26). After being raised from the dead, Jesus Christ was elevated to God’s right hand, and given dominion over all things, which were ‘put under his feet.’ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:20–22). The first Adam was lord over a limited domain, the last Adam is Lord of all (Acts 10:36).
6. A deep sleep produces a beautiful bride
Genesis 2:21–23 tells us that God put Adam into a deep sleep, during which time God made Adam’s bride, Eve, from Adam’s side—a wound in Adam’s side produced a bride! Note that once again theistic evolution is excluded. The text says that God made them male and female at the beginning (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 19:4). If Adam and Eve had been sub-human before God breathed life into them, they would already have been male and female, without the need for God to have made them so at this stage.
After the last Adam, Jesus, died upon the cross—suffering the sleep of death for everyone—His side was pierced by a spear thrust (John 19:34). In His death he paid the penalty for mankind’s sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Those who repent and put their faith in Him are united with Christ in a relationship which the Bible likens to that of a bride towards her husband (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:6–8). Thus a wound in the last Adam’s side also produced a bride—the true Church!—‘a glorious bride, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing … holy and without blemish’ (Ephesians 5:27).
7. A momentous testing
At the beginning of Adam’s life he underwent a period of testing as to whether or not he would obey God.5 ‘And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ (Genesis 2:16–17).
At the beginning of the last Adam’s ministry, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (or tested—Greek: peirazō) by the devil (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1–3).6
8. A great failure and a great victory
The first Adam failed the test, and in doing so involved all humanity in his defeat, dragging the human race down with him.7 As a result, in Adam we all stand condemned, spiritually bankrupt, enslaved to sin, and expelled from Paradise (Romans 5:12 ff.).
The last Adam, Jesus, was victorious over sin, the flesh, and the devil. As a result, in Christ, believers stand justified and redeemed, spiritually wealthy, liberated from sin, and included in the Paradise of God (Romans 5:18 ff.; 1 Corinthians 15:21 ff.; Revelation 2:7).
The first Adam disobeyed God. The last Adam was ‘obedient unto death, even the death of the cross’
9. Disobedience vs obedience
The first Adam disobeyed God. The last Adam was ‘obedient unto death, even the death of the cross’ (Philippians 2:8).
10. Judgment and death
The first Adam experienced the judgment of God—he ultimately died and his body turned to dust. Because of his sin, death came upon all men, ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
The last Adam, Jesus Christ, also died—on the cross—to atone for sin (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 2:9). But He did not stay dead, nor did His body ‘see corruption’ (Acts 2:27; 13:35–37). On the third day He rose again, thereby overcoming the devil and the power of death for all those who believe in Him (Hebrews 2:14), and bringing resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:22–23).
11. Curse and restoration
Creation was originally ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31), so the ‘last enemy’, death (1 Corinthians 15:26) was absent. Even the animals were originally all given plants to eat (Genesis 1:30). The actions of the first Adam brought a reign of death and bloodshed upon a once-perfect world, which ever since has been groaning in pain (Romans 8:22).8 Precisely because of the blood shed in death by the last Adam, this curse of death and bloodshed will be removed, and creation restored to a sinless, deathless state (Revelation 21:1; 21:4; 22:3).
Conclusion
We are all connected with the first Adam (the natural and legal head of the human race) as depraved and guilty sinners, and so are included in the sentence of death which God pronounced on him. However, all who are connected with the last Adam, Jesus, through repentance and faith in His redeeming work, are forgiven, have ‘received the free gift of righteousness’, and so ‘have passed from death to life’ (Colossians 1:14; Romans 5:17; 1 John 3:14).
To which we can also add:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/adam-the-second.html
Adam, the Second
Christ is the "image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" ( Col 1:15 ). Like the first Adam, he is the "ruler of creation" ( Rev 3:14 ). He is its author and perfecter ( Heb 12:2 ). Anyone in Christ is a "new creation" ( 2 Co 5:17 ).
He existed in the form of God, yet did not consider equality with God something to be grasped ( Php 2:6 ). He did not desire to be more than man ( 2:7-8 ). He was "made like his brothers in every way" so that "by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death" and free those held in slavery by fear of death ( Hebrews 2:14Hebrews 2:17 ).
Christ was crowned with glory and honor over the world to come ( Heb 2:5-7 ). The first Adam lost his crown and gained death. The second Adam was crowned because he tasted death for every man ( 2:8-9 ). Sin and death upon all men entered the world through one man. By the obedience of the second Adam life abounds to many ( Ro 5:12-19 ).
He was tempted in every way, as was Adam, yet was without sin ( Matt 4:1-11 ; Heb 4:15 ). Like the serpent he says, "Take and eat" ( Matt 26:26 ), but this food brings life to the world ( John 6:33 ). Christ and Adam are both sons of God ( Matt 1:1 ; Luke 3:37 ). Both have their sonship by his power ( Gen 2:7 ; Luke 1:35 ; Rom 1:4 ). God breathed into Adam the breath of life. Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" ( John 20:22 ).
"As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" ( 1 Co 15:22 ). Adam was a pattern of the one to come ( Ro 5:14 ). One of the greatest things to be said for the first Adam was that he became "a living being." Christ, however, became "a life-giving spirit" ( 1 Co 15:45 ). This spiritual life force does not make us slaves again to fear but the spirit of the Son comes into our hearts crying "Abba, Father" ( Rom 8:15 ; Gal 4:6-7 ).
The first Adam came from the dust. The second Adam came from heaven ( 1 Co 15:47 ). He came down from heaven not to do his own will but the will of him who sent him ( John 6:38 ). God called the first man by name out of hiding ( Gen 3:9 ). The second Adam calls his own by name and they hear his voice ( John 10:3 ). One day the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear will live ( John 5:25 ).
We have borne the likeness of the earthly man, the first Adam. In the resurrection we will bear the likeness of the man from heaven ( 1 Co 15:49 ). By the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, he will transform our lowly bodies so they will be like his glorious body. The last enemy placed under the feet of the second Adam is death ( Psalm 110:1 ; 1 Col 15:26 ). He will not reach out and try to grasp more but will turn everything over to God who will be all in all (15:28).
Paul Ferguson
What goes on here is simple: one man sinned and that caused death to enter our realm, all the planets spinning off a bit, all the living given only a short time as opposed to eternity, all flesh now scarred by time, disease rotting the once impervious.
42 So is it with the coming back from the dead. It is planted in death; it comes again in life:
43 It is planted in shame; it comes again in glory: feeble when it is planted, it comes again in power:
44 It is planted a natural body; it comes again as a body of the spirit. If there is a natural body, there is equally a body of the spirit.
45 And so it is said, The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit.
The current flesh is the Fallen Flesh. the Adam flesh. The "gift" of our race not just to us but to the universe, to all the living. Animals may have not had eternity then but we know for sure they don't have it now. Our fallen spirit took the flesh with it. Paul says sin was not held against us until the Law, but it surely decimated humanity before, during and now after the Law's reign. Flood, Sodom, the tribes killing the giants. The giants themselves. Our flesh cannot be taken to heaven wrapped in sin and corruption:
50 Now I say this, my brothers, that it is not possible for flesh and blood to have a part in the kingdom of God; and death may not have a part in life.
So the Second Adam was the Spiritual Man. You can read all the comparisons above. He brought the gift of the Spirit and the Spirit brought it's gifts for the purpose of serving Him while here. We awaiting the Rapture and the Glorious Appearing and the arrival of our Final Flesh. Only our Final Flesh can receive the gift of eternal service to God.
Php 3:13 Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,
14 I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you:
16 Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.
17 Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given.
18 For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ;
19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth.
20 For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.
(BBE)
All this plan has been about the conversion of one flesh into another, of the power of life overcoming death.
Next, let's dwell again on the nature of this flesh and how Christ may have been different, on what that Second Adam or Last Adam may mean.
