Adam and Jesus - The Prototypes

All Scripture quoted today will be from the Concordant Literal New Testament and Old Testament Versions, the most accurate version I know of and can be read in its entirety by clicking on the right side of this post entitled Best Bible Translation. I use other translations most of the time because they are more familiar to you – but they always should be compared to the Concordant Version for accuracy.

“Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 CLNT)

ADAM WAS THE PROTOTYPE of our bodies in its present condition. It is “out of soil from the ground”. When God joined His “breath of life” with this “soilish” body, Adam became the first human “living soul” of “flesh and blood”. However, this prototype “is not able to enjoy an allotment in the Kingdom of God” – it must “be dying once”.

“Yahweh Elohim formed the human out of soil from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul…the first man was out of the earth, soilish…we wear the image of the soilish…flesh and blood is not able to enjoy an allotment in the Kingdom of God...it is reserved to the men to be dying once” (Genesis 2:7 CLOT; 1 Corinthians 15:47, 49, 50; Hebrews 9:27 CLNT)

JESUS IS THE PROTOTYPE of the “new creation” composed of all “SOILISH” bodies “in Adam” who have died and been “roused” into “SPIRITUAL” bodies which will then be “wearing the image of the Celestial”. This “new creation in Christ Jesus” is what will “enjoy an allotment in the Kingdom of God” AFTER our resurrection.

“So that, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the primitive passed by. Lo! there has come new!...We, THEN, who were entombed together with Him through baptism into death, that even as Christ was roused from among the dead through the glory of the Father, thus we also SHOULD be walking in newness of life. For if we have become planted together in the likeness of his death, nevertheless we shall be of the resurrection also…Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is roused in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory. It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power; It is sown a soulish body, it is roused a SPIRITUAL body…the first man, Adam, became a living soul; the last Adam a vivifying Spirit. The first man was out of the earth, soilish; the second Man is the Lord out of heaven…and according as we wear the image of the soilish, we should be wearing the image also of the Celestial.” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4-6; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 CLNT)

The “soul” is not immortal, regardless of how many times institutional Christianity tell you it is. A “soulish body” is what we have in this age and it cannot “perceive” or be “entering” the Kingdom of God.  We have to be “begotten of water AND Spirit". When begotten of  "Spirit" we will be a "NEW creation" with an immortal “Spiritual Body”  “walking in newness of life”.  We are not there yet, regardless of how spiritual we may "perceive" ourself.  We do not "enter" or "see" the Kingdom by faithfulness to the Church, but by being "begotten by the Spirit" - which is what being born again means.

“Jesus answered and said to them…If anyone should not be begotten anew, he can not perceive the Kingdom of God…If anyone should not be begotten of water and spirit, he can not be entering into the Kingdom of God…you must be begotten anew.” (John 3:3-7 CLNT)

You Are Not Born Again - Yet

"Jesus answered and said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot SEE the kingdom of God…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot ENTER into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3-6)

In the zeal of Christian apologists to have people join their particular branch of Christianity, they have equated the term "born again" with being saved. It amazes me that almost all Christians buy into this teaching when the above passage says no such thing.

Jesus was simply stating that no one can SEE or ENTER the Kingdom of God until he is RESURRECTED to spirit from the death of the flesh. Just as we all were born when our mothers WATER broke, so shall we be born again of SPIRIT after we have died and are resurrected to new spiritual life. Nicodemus, like most Christian teachers today thought Jesus was talking about something that happens in this life. Jesus rebuked Nicodemus and told him he was talking about heavenly things...

"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12)

1 Peter 1:3 is the only other place in Scripture that uses the term “new birth” and Peter was clearly thinking about our "living hope" of resurrection from the dead so that we can claim our inheritance that is now kept in heaven …

“In his great mercy he has given us NEW BIRTH into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

And Jesus, after his resurrection, instructed Paul to teach both Jews and Gentiles about this new "spiritual" creation in great detail in his letter to the Corinthians...

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory...it is sown a natural body, it is raised a SPIRITUAL body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving SPIRIT. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual." (1 Corinthians 15:42-45)

No one, except Jesus, has yet been born again to become "a life-giving Spirit", but we all can die with that hope and expectation. For me it is clear that the term “born again” refers to our hope of being resurrected just as Jesus was resurrected, and at that time we will be saved from death to enter the "kingdom of God". Quoting Psalm 49:15 Luke speaks of Jesus in Acts 2:27...

"Thou will not leave my soul in hell (sheol - the grave)..." (Psalm 16:10)

My faith is that God will not leave anyone in the grave, but will changed from a former "living soul" into a  "live-giving Spirit".