Christ, The Better Adam Part 1

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

It is often helpful to compare things that are both similar and different, because doing so gives us a clearer understanding of each. We gain a sharper picture of people when we compare them with others, and we better understand the character of nations when we set them alongside one another. If something stood entirely alone, with nothing to compare it to, our ability to understand and describe it would be limited.

In Romans 5, Paul compares two very important figures—two “Adams” (cf. 1 Cor 15), two representatives whose lives affect those they represent, either for good or for ill, for life or for death. What stands out in Paul’s comparison of Adam and Christ is not their similarities, but their differences. Christ is better than Adam in every respect. His work is better. The result of His work is better. The abundance of His reward, and the life received in it, is far greater.

Adam represents us poorly, though accurately, when he falls into sin and disobeys God, bringing sin and death upon all who are born in him. Christ represents us perfectly and graciously when He obeys God, becoming obedient even to the point of death on a cross. By His obedience, we are justified and given life. The result is that those who are in Adam receive Adam’s outcome, and those who are in Christ receive Christ’s reward. There is much more to say on this in the coming weeks.