1 Corinthians 15:45-50

⁴⁵ And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man was of the earth,made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

written (v.45) — Genesis 2:7

Adam (v.45) — had life, but couldn’t give life to others

spiritual is not first (v.46) — Humans begin with only the natural life and then receive the spiritual

of the earth (v.47) — Adam was formed of the dust of the ground

earthy (v.47) = lit. “dusty, muddy” — referring to origin and characteristics

the Lord (v.47) — not in the best manuscripts

From Adam all members of the human race spring. From Christ all members of the new world of Christian men spring. After creating Adam, the creative process ceased. From Adam the race springs by natural law. After Christ the incarnation ceased. From Him the new race springs by spiritual law. — Laurin, page 296.

heavenly (v.48) — referring to origin (in the sense of where He was from) and characteristics

those who are made of dust (v.48) — those descended from Adam — humanity — those who take on his characteristics

those who are heavenly (v.48) — those who receive spiritual life from Christ are “seated together with Christ in heavenly places” and take on heavenly characteristics

Just as surely as we now bear the image of the muddy old Adam so surely shall we bear the image of the heavenly Adam. Alas, in this sinful state here below we show His image all too little! God predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and His predetermination shall not fail but will be fully realized some day. Old Adam’s impress is still in the way. The world is in the way and our sinful old self is still marring our likeness to the Son. With our humiliated bodies we still bear the stamp of old Adam, the mud man, but spiritually we are already united to the second Man from heaven, and no power in heaven, earth or hell can break the bonds that binds us to Him. By looking unto Him we undergo even now a spiritual transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18); but at the resurrection His mighty energy shall make even our bodies like unto the body of His glory (Philippians 3:21). — Bultema, page 146

image (v.49) = representation and manifestation (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2)

The two questions raised in verse 35 have been completely answered. As to the first, it has been show that, instead of resurrection being impossible on account of the condition of the body after death, that very condition is essentially preliminary to resurrection, for it involves the principle of a new life. And as to the second, the resurrection body is to be in the likeness of that of the risen Lord. — Vine, page 115.