The Death Of Adam - The Life Of Christ

The Death of Adam- The Life of Christ • It is axiomatic that Adam introduced sin and death: “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so then death passed on all men, because all men sin.” (Romans 5:12) • It is axiomatic also that the story of eschatology is the story of the restoration of the life that was lost in Adam: “As in Adam all men die, even so in Christ, so all men be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22). • The resurrection to occur at Christ coming was the goal of God’s Scheme of 1 Redemption!

The Death of Adam- The Life of Christ • “As in Adam all men die, even so in Christ, so all men be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22) • The pressing question is, what life was lost in Adam, through sin? • The huge majority of evangelical Christianity affirms that it was a dualistic death. • Adam and Eve died spiritually—They were separated from the fellowship of YHVH-- the day they ate the fruit. • They died physically– their spirit left their body-- hundreds of years after they died spiritually. 2

Death of Adam– or Abel? • Adam was the first to die– the First fruit of Death • Christ- the Second Adam-- was the first fruit from the death of Adam- He was the first fruit of life. • If Adam was not the first to die – then the relationship between the “Two Adams” is broken (If we posit Christ’s physical death as the counterpart of Adam)

• But! • Adam was not the first to die physically! • Abel was the first to die physically! • Jesus did not come to redeem man from the death of Abel– but the death of Adam! 3

In the Day You Eat, You Will Surely Die • God’s words were emphatic: “In the day you eat thereof, you will surely die.” • It is an interesting commentary on Christianity to realize that the huge majority of believers say that Adam and Eve did not die that day! • Fact: God said, “in the day you eat you shall surely die.” • Fact: Satan told Eve, you will not surely die! • The dilemma: Who Told the Truth? • God cannot lie; Satan is the Father of lies! 4

In the Day You Eat, You Will Surely Die • What did “in the day you eat you will surely die” really mean? • Some say that Adam and Eve would become mortal, subject to physical death at some indeterminate point of time, i.e. they would begin to die. • Some say that “in the day” simply means “the day you eat will be sentenced to death,” but, you will die sometime later, when the sentence is finally carried out. 5

Defining “In the Day” • It will be admitted by virtually everyone, that “in the day you eat” seems to indicate that Adam and Eve would die within the day on which they ate the fruit. • To say that “in the day” is being used in a nonliteral manner, places the burden of proof on the one making that claim. • However, the context helps us clearly define what God meant by “in the day.” • Genesis 3:5-7: “In the day that you eat, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like 6 God, knowing good and evil…”

Defining the Day • Genesis 3:5-7: “In the day that you eat, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil…” • Question: Since the identical language of “in the day” is used to say that Adam and Eve would know good and evil, the question is: When did Adam and Eve come to know good and evil? • Genesis 3:7– “Then the eyes of both were opened…” • The Day you eat, then you will know. They ate, then they knew! • Was that 900 years later? Was that days, weeks, months or years later? 7

What About the Curse of the Land? • An oft given objection is that God cursed the ground, and thus, the curse must be lifted at the “end of time.” • Response: How does destroying the earth, remove the curse from the earth? If God’s purpose was / is the “restoration of what was lost”, how do you restore the earth, by annihilating the earth? • Genesis 8:21– Noah offered a sweet smelling sacrifice, and YHVH promised: “I will never again curse the ground, even though the thought of man is to do evil continually…” 8 • The Curse of the Earth (eretz) Was Removed!

What About the Tree of Life? • The Argument is given that because man was cut off from the tree of life, this is why man dies today. • This would mean that today- man dies, not because he sins, but, because he does not eat a physical fruit! (Romans 5:12 denies this) • Consider the tree of life in the Garden restored: Revelation 22:1f: The tree of life is there, for the healing of the nations. • Is this a physical tree, with physical fruit, for physical life– as it is argued that the tree in the Garden was? • What then of a resurrected body? What need of a physical fruit, for an immortal, incorruptible body? 9

One Death…Or Two • One of the most popular explanations is that Adam and Eve did die spiritually that very day, because they were indeed separated from YHVH by being cast out of the Garden (Genesis 3:24) • However, they were only sentenced to physical death, i.e. they became mortal, and did not experience physical death for hundreds of years. • But the text does not say that they would die twice, two deaths! • The divine text speaks of one death, to be experienced the day they sinned! • This suggestion creates two contradictory definitions of “in the day” in the identical verse! • Can the same term, in the same verse, mean two totally different things? 10

Defining Death • The Hebrew and Greek words translated as death, both indicate separation. separation • The Biblical definition of physical death: “As the body without the spirit is dead…” (James 2:26) • The definition of physical death is the departure / separation of the spirit from the body. • Question: Did Adam and Eve experience the departure of the spirit from their body, the day they ate the fruit? • Clearly, Adam and Eve did not experience physical death– as Biblically defined- the day they ate. 11

Romans 5:12 • “Wherefore as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, so that death passed on all men, because all men sin.” • What the text does not say: • That I inherit, through no sin of my own, the sin and death of Adam. • What it does say: • All men die, because all men sin. • Adam introduced sin and death, but, all men sin and die, because they make the same 12 choices as Adam! (Rom 7:7f)

Romans 5:12 • Adam introduced sin and death, but, all men sin and die, because they make the same choices as Adam! • But what death is this? • Theologians struggle with Romans 5 because of the death of infants! • Calvin solved the problem through hereditary total depravity. • Could it be that because of the misunderstanding of the nature of the death of Adam, that Calvin saw no other solution to Romans 5? (You sin- you die. i.e. physical death– Infants Die, Thus infants inherit sin!) • To properly identify the death of Adam as sindeath- not physical death- solves the problem. • Physical death is a natural part of our world • Sin death however, fits because: “death passed on13all men, because all men sin.”

Sin and Death Forgiveness and Life • “The wages of sin is death; The gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23) • Question: Does the child of God, cleansed by the blood of Christ, truly, have the forgiveness of sin? • If physical death is the wages of sin, then does not the physical death of any person, regardless of their faith in Christ, demonstrate that they are not truly forgiven? • How can you be forgiven– your sin wiped away– not remembered, not imputed, and yet still receive the wages of sin? • To say that one will be raised from that death does14not solve the dilemma! Death is still exacted!

The Substitutionary Death of Christ • The Bible is emphatic that the death of Christ was substitutionary: He died in our place, so that we would not have to die! • Isaiah 53: Wounded for our transgressions… • Romans 5:6– Christ died for us… • Galatians 3:13– He became a curse for us, to redeem us from the curse! • Hebrews 2:10f- He died for every man- to deliver us from death! • 1 Peter 3:18f- The just for the unjust 15

The Substitutionary Death of Christ • If the death of Christ was substitutionary- in the place of man– so that man – those in Christ and the power of his death-- would not have to die, and… • If the physical death of Christ was the focus of his substitutionary death that he died- so that those in him- in the power of his death– would not have to die, then… • It must be true that either Christ’s substitutionary death is not efficacious, or, no man has ever truly entered into the power of his substitutionary death, since it is irrefutably true that all men since Christ have and do die physically. 16

The Atoning Work of Christ • Christ died to make the atonement, to satisfy the demands of justice i.e. “the wages of sin is death”. • Yet, all men– even those in Christ– still die physically. • Therefore, if physical death is the focus of Christ’s atoning work, then… • Either no man has ever entered into the power and benefit of Christ’s atoning work, or, … • Christ’s atoning death was ineffective. 17

Christ’s Atoning Death #2 • Christ died to make the atonement, to satisfy the demands of justice i.e. “the wages of sin is death”. • Yet, all men– even those in Christ– still die physically. • Therefore, if physical death is the focus of Christ’s atoning work, then… • It must be true that all men make atonement for their own sin!– i.e. when they die physically! • The physical death of every man is therefore, either a demonstration of the failure of Christ’s atonement, the failure of every human to take advantage of Christ’s atonement, the satisfaction (atonement) of every man for his own sin, or, it is … • The definitive demonstration that Christ’s physical death– and man’s physical death-- is not the focus 18of Christ’s atoning work.

1 Cor. 15 Sin and Resurrection • Resurrection when “the law” that was the strength of sin” removed (55-56). • Resurrection when sin, the sting of death, subjected (katargeo, hupotasso). • What is the law that was / is the strength of sin? • If “the law” gave sin it’s strength, then, if sin had no strength– to condemn and bring deaththere would be no death, i.e. resurrection! • This is the same law-sin-death triad of the Garden– and of Romans! 19

WHAT IS “THE LAW” THE “STRENGTH OF SIN”?

• The Resurrection When “The Law”- The Strength Of Sin Removed. • Debate Opponents: “Whatever Divine Law A Man Is Under That He Personally Violates … All Men Today Under The Law Of Christ .” Or, “The Law, any Law, that could not forgive sin.”

• Is The Gospel The Strength Of Sin? • Romans 7:9-10--commandment Came-I Died!; Thus, When The Gospel Comes, We Die!?!? • 2 Cor. 3:6-9--Letter Kills/ Ministry Of Death/ Ministration Of Condemnation •

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The Gospel- The Strength of Sin? • If The Gospel Is The Strength Of Sin- Then We Can Describe The Gospel In The Identical Terms As Torah– The Strength Of Sin! • The Gospel Came, Sin Revived, I Died! (Rom. 7.7) • Who Shall deliver me from the Body Of This Death? (Rom 7:24). • No Deliverance From The Law Of Sin And Death (8:13)

• MINISTRATION OF DEATH! (2 COR. 3) • GAL. 3:20-21- NO LIFE, NO RIGTHEOUSNESS • If The Gospel Is The Strength Of Sin, As Some Argue, Then It Is No Better Than Torah– And Brings Death! •

© 2007 DON K. PRESTON

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REDEEMED FROM THE LAW? • Curse Of The Law– No Life– No Forgiveness- No Righteousness (Gal. 3:20). • Torah Was The Strength Of Sin (Rom. 7). • Torah Condemned (Rom. 7)! • Torah Could Not Deliver From The Law Of Sin And Death (Rom 8) • Torah Was The Ministration Of Death (2 Cor. 3) • Paul: Christ Has Redeemed Us From The Curse Of The Law (Gal. 3:10) • Yet, Some Say That The Gospel Is Now The Strength Of Sin, The Gospel Does Not Truly Give Eternal Life, The Gospel Has Not Delivered Us From The Law Of Sin And Death! • The Gospel Has Replaced Torah As The Law That Condemns! • What Kind Of Redemption Is That? • DO WE NOW NEED TO BE REDEEMED FROM THE GOSPEL? •

© 2008 Don K. Preston

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THE LAW IN PAUL • "THE LAW”- PAUL USES THE TERM 117 TIMES IN 100 VERSES. •

110 TIMES IT REFERS TO THE TORAH

• Anytime Paul Uses The Term “The Law” With The Definite Article, And Does Not Specify What Law He Is Speaking Of, It Is Invariably The LAW OF MOSES!

• When Not TORAH, It Identifies The Law! •

© 2008 DON K. PRESTON 23

THE LAW- MY ARGUMENT • The Resurrection Would Be When “The Law” That Was “The Strength Of Sin” Removed. • “The Law” That Was “The Strength Of Sin” Was The Law Of Moses (Torah) • Therefore The Resurrection Would Be (Was) When The Law Of Moses (Torah) Law Removed! •

© 2008 DON K. PRESTON

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Job 19 And the Death of Adam • 25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: 26 And after my skin, even this body , is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; (ASV) • Tradition, the creeds, the commentaries, all say that the resurrection is concerned with physical bodies coming out of the grave. • Job emphatically says this is not true!

• Who will you choose? 25

TRANSLATION ISSUES

(3-1)

• KEIL AND DELITSCH, VOL. 4, 356F “WE CANNOT FIND IN THIS SPEECH THAT THE HOPE OF A BODILY RECOVERY IS EXPRESSED.” CHRYSOSTOM THE FIRST TO TAKE JOB THIS WAY. • JEWISH TRANSLATION ACCORDING TO MT, (1917) “WHEN AFTER MY SKIN THIS IS DESTROYED, THEN WITHOUT MY FLESH I SHALL SEE GOD.” • BARNES, VOL. 1, 327FF: “THE LITERAL MEANING IS ‘FROM, OR OUT OF, MY FLESH SHALL I SEE GOD. IT DOES NOT MEAN IN HIS FLESH, BUT THERE IS THE NOTION THAT FROM, OR OUT OF HIS FLESH HE WOULD SEE HIM; THAT IS CLEARLY, AS ROSENMULLER HAS EXPRESSED IT, THOUGH MY BODY IS CONSUMED, AND I HAVE NO FLESH, I SHALL SEE HIM....WITHOUT A BODY...” 26

Summary and Conclusion • We have shown that the death of Adam was sin-death, alienation from the fellowship of God. • We have shown that the Two Adam doctrine demands that the death of the Garden, and eschatology, is spiritual death. • We have shown that “in the day that you eat” cannot be extrapolated into hundreds of years. • We have shown that God removed the curse from the earth, after the Flood • We have shown that the substitutionary death 27 of Christ precludes a focus on physical death.

Summary and Conclusion #2 • We have shown that the atoning work of Christ precludes a focus on physical death • We have shown that Paul’s discussion of law-sindeath in 1 Corinthians is posited within the framework of the end of Torah, as the strength of sin, and not the end of the Gospel. • We have shown that Job said that he resurrection would be “out from, not in my flesh” • Thus, with a wide array of evidence, we have shown that the death of Adam and the Life of Christ is focused on spiritual life– fellowship with God– and not the end of physical death. 28