1 Corinthians Lesson 17

I Corinthians

Lesson 17

I Cor. Chapter 15 -- The "Resurrection" Chapter - Part 4

The "Genesis Connection"

, M

Hi and Welcome back to this, another lesson in our study of the letter written by _________ to the believers (Christians) in the Church in ___________, Greece. And, as you have noticed, Paul has had a lot of very important things to say to the people in this young Church in Corinth and to us today! And, this part of his letter is "more of the same" in that he will answer more of their/our questions concerning very important topics.

In our two previous lessons, we focused much of our attention on the fact that Christ literally rose from the dead three days after His death on the cross. We discovered that there were many eyewitnesses to His life, to His death, and, more importantly, to His RESURRECTION! We also discovered that the fact that He was resurrected proved that He is ___________________ . This is the one fact that is the essential foundational truth and the very basis for Christianity. (Hint: If you don't know the answer to that question, refer back to lesson 16).

In this lesson, we will, among other things, continue our consideration of why belief in the literal resurrection of Christ is soooooooo important.

So, with that said, let's begin! And, we will begin by reading the verses that we will be considering in this lesson. They are printed here for you but, as always, if you prefer to use your own Bible or another version, please feel free to do so.

As you read these verses, do the following: Put a RED CIRCLE around every "Christ" word -- i.e. words such as "Christ, first fruits, man (if it is referring to Jesus Christ), Son, himself, Jesus, Lord, he, and any other words which are used in place of the word "Christ" but which are referring to Him. Also, put a BROWN CIRCLE around every "Adam" word -- i.e.. words such as "Adam, man (if it is referring to Adam), and any other words used in place of the word, "Adam", but which are referring to Adam.

We will do more marking later, but this will be enough for now. So, stop now and mark the CHRIST and ADAM words.

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20. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27. For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Finished? Great! But, we still have more marking that we need to do before we can begin evaluating this passage and answering some questions.

So, your next assignment (should you choose to accept it, heh heh) is to re-read those 8 verses. And, this time, as you read, Put a BLACK BOX around every "DIE / DEATH" word -- words such as "die, dead, fallen asleep, etc". Also, put a GREEN CIRCLE every "ALIVE" word -- words such as "resurrection, alive, live, raised, etc."

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M///

Hmmmmm. Interesting. And, as you were marking all these words, I assume you noticed that there are several different but related topics being intermingled in these verses. In the space below, list some of the topics or subjects that Paul is addressing. (I will begin this list for you by giving you the first two topics that I will be putting on my list.)

1. The Resurrection of Christ

2. Firstfruits

Wow! What a list! And even though some of these things might seem at first glance to be unrelated, yet, obviously they are related. And, by discussing them, Paul is giving them (and us) some very key and critical foundational teachings for their (and our) faith.

And, speaking of things which are foundational, as you looked at those 8 verses, which 1 or 2 seem to be the most important or key in understanding the linkage between Adam and Christ (write your answer here.) Verse(s) _______________:

Yes you are correct if you answered that question with verses 21 & 22. Write them out in your own handwriting in the space provided below:

Also, before we continue, I suspect you are wondering "What did I put in my list of topics?" Welllllll, included in my list were these topics: The Resurrection of Christ, firstfruits, death came through a man, Adam, all will be made alive (resurrected, saved from sin) through Christ, the resurrection of "believers", Christ's kingdom, Christ's authority (reign), God the Father, Christ the Son." Your list probably had most of these things, and perhaps more, and you may have used different words, or you may have combined some of these thoughts, but, you can "check" and see how "close" we were in agreement. Do not "feel bad" if you did not put down all the things I did or if you used different words. The point of this assignment was to get the "big picture" / the "overview" of these verses. So, now that we have the "big picture", let's begin to think in more detail about what Paul is telling the folks in the Church in Corinth.

And the FIRST thing we want to look at may surprise you. Indeed, you are probably wondering WHY Paul talked about death coming through Adam !

Astounding! Doesn't Paul "know" that Adam is just a "myth"?, you say. Why is he talking about "death coming through Adam!" ? Welllllllll, let's think about that.

Indeed, many years ago, when I was younger and dinosaurs roamed the earth, heh heh.... well, perhaps not thaaaaat long ago but, it was a long time ago --. Anyway. as I was saying, a lonnnnng time ago, when I was in school, I was taught that the "evolutionary theory" was "true" and, therefore, that Genesis (especially chapters 1-11) and much of the Bible is just a collection of myths and can not be taken literally and that Adam and Eve are just mythical characters. I was told that Adam and Eve didn't realllllllly live as "real" people. They couldn't be "real", my teachers said, because, according to the Bible, they lived only about 6000 years ago -- and "everyone knows" (at least those who adhere to the theory of evolution) that the world and the universe is BILLIONS of years old and that for millions and millions of those years animals and people had lived and died before the "mythical" Adam and Eve came on the scene! So, there was "no way", or so said my esteemed teachers, that Adam and Eve could be "real". Perhaps you have been told this also. Perhaps this is what you believe.

But -- as I read my Bible in those "ancient school days", I would notice that Paul, here in 1 Corinthians and elsewhere in his other letters would always talk about Adam as if he were a REAL person and not a mythical character! Hmmmmmm.. How could that be?

Oh, well, I thought, poor Paul-- he just didn't "know" what we "enlightened" folks of today know with all our "wonderful science" and "theories". So, I just glossed over these verses and all other verses that indicated that Adam was a "real" person. I was just "floating along" with my academic studies and not really giving much thought to the implications of believing the teachings of evolution vs. believing the teachings of the Bible. (AND there ARE MAJOR IMPLICATIONS!).

All that to say, my "worldview" was becoming seriously muddled. I had been raised in a Godly Christian home and had been taught that the Bible is LITERALLY true and correct from the first verse to the last verse. BUT, "MODERN MAN" (i.e. my teachers, newspapers, magazines, museums, journals, movies, tv documentaries, etc etc etc yada yada yada) had different "ideas" (ie evolution, big bang, the world is billions of years old, we "evolved" from a "rock", etc.) So, what to do? What to think?

And, to tell you the truth, as I said before, I was so busy with my studies and getting ready for my career that I really did not do much "thinking" about the implications of the "evolutionary worldview" vs. my earlier "Biblical worldview" ---

UNTIL

I "discovered" Francis A. Schaeffer and his writings.

I had already read several books by Dr. Schaeffer and was TOTALLY IMPRESSED with his apparently very high IQ, his great intellect, and his "right on" and doctrinally sound understanding of the Bible. I had, in short, become a "great fan" of Dr. Schaeffer and thought that, after Paul, he was probably one of the smartest Christians to have walked on the face of this earth! Then, one day, while in a bookstore I "happened upon" (well, you know that God led me to it) another of Dr. Schaeffer's books -- "Genesis in Space and Time"(1). It was written in 1972 and I "discovered" and read it in July 1973. (Hmmm, guess you have a big clue there about my age. Sigh. Oh well.) But, to continue. As I said, I had already been greatly impressed by Dr. Schaeffer's intellect and when I began to read this book, I realized that he also believed in a LITERAL ADAM ! and that he did not believe that Adam was a myth !

Wow! this made me sit up and pay attention! If the person I thought was one of the "smartest" Christians since Paul---and, if he, along with Paul, thought that Adam was REAL!, then, perhaps I better revisit this "myth" status of the first 11 chapters of Genesis.

I had not yet totally "accepted" the evolutionary theory or that Adam and Eve were "myths", or that chapters 1-11 were myths, but I was starting to "lean strongly" that way. After all, that IS the logical conclusion IF one accepts evolution as "truth".

So, when I read this book by Dr. Schaeffer and when I considered that these 2 brilliant men (Paul and Dr. Schaeffer) both believed in a literal Adam and Eve -- not to mention the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ ALSO believed they were literal (after all, He HAD MADE THEM !!!)..... well.... alllllll that to say.... I decided to take a new "look" at the passages by Paul and what Jesus taught and what Genesis said.

So.....since I did that.... ie.... "re-considered" what the Bible teaches about the First Adam and the Second Adam.....maybe you are in the same situation... and need to also look at these passages. So that is what we are going to do now. Why? Because what one believes about this is a basic and fundamental "world view producing" concept.

Ok, then, you ask: What were these verses and concepts that I had to "gloss over" and would have to ultimately remove from my Bible and "Biblical worldview" IF the "evolutionary view" is true? Well, we have already read the verses in 1 Cor. where Paul talks about a LITERAL Adam. But there are many other passages we need to consider. So, let's now look at some (not all, but some) of these passages. I will print them here for you. And, as you read these verses, mark them as you already did with the 1 Corinthians passage in this lesson. i.e.

Put a RED CIRCLE around every "Christ" word.

Put a BROWN CIRCLE around every "Adam" word.

Put a BLACK BOX around every "DIE / DEATH" word.

Put a GREEN CIRCLE around every "ALIVE" word. (Note: in these passages additional words such as "justified, saved, reconciliation," etc, are to be included)

...................also

Put a BLACK UNDERLINE under every "SIN / TRESPASS" word. (This includes such words as "sin, sinner, sinners, trespass, ungodly" etc.)

Also, as before, if you will read those passages more than once as you mark them, you will better understand what they are teaching. So, read these at least 2 times. On the first reading, mark the Jesus and Adam words. Then, read these passages a second time while marking the death, alive, and sin (tresspass) words.

Ok, that is your assignment. Now here are the passages:

Romans 5

1. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2. through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.,,,,,,, ...

6. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10. For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11. Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

12. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13. for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

15. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16. Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

17. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

19. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21. so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Matthew 19:1-6

1. When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3. Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" 4. "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female,' 5. and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' ? 6. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Genesis 1:26-31

26. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29. Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.

Genesis 2:7-25

7. the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8. Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13. The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17. but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

18. The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19. Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman, ' for she was taken out of man." 24. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis 3

1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2. The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3. but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4. "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10. He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11. And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12. The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13. Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14. So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16. To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17. To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, `You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20. Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23. So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

mmm

Whew! That was quite a lot of reading. But it was essential and foundational. And this is only the tip of the iceberg of what we could have read in the Bible concerning things that relate to the literal creation of the world, the universe, man, animals, plants, sea creatures, etc. by God in 6 days! How much is there that we could have read? An amazingly large amount! Indeed, I know of a Ph.D. Scientist who, early in his search for truth, decided to cut every verse out of the Bible which concerned or referred to a literal creation by God. When he was finished he said the Bible was so full of holes that he couldn't pick it up by the edge. There just wasn't enough substance left to hold it! Astounding! But, when you stop to think of it and to think of all the passages in Genesis, in the Psalms, throughout the Old Testament, and in many places in the NT including those we have just read, -- well, it is obvious that the Bible teaches a literal young earth and that God did the creating.

Why is this important? What does it matter whether one believes in the long ages as taught by the theory of evolution (Evolutionism) or in a young earth, created in the way God describes in the Bible and with a literal Adam (Creationism)? Well, that is what we want to think about now. Paul discussed this very important topic with the believers at Corinth. He obviously thought it was important. And, Dr. Schaeffer discussed it almost 2000 years later because it is still important. So, since this is so important, perhaps we better take a look at this 'controversy' for ourselves.

So, thinking now about what you have read and marked-- answer the following questions.

Who was the "First Adam" ________________

Who Was the "Second Adam" _________________

Does the Bible teach that the "First Adam" (Adam) is a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer)........ Adam was/is a Real person ... Adam was/is a Myth..

Do you believe that the "First Adam" was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer)..........Adam was/is a Real person ...Adam was/is a Myth.....I'm not sure

Does the Bible teach that the "Second Adam" (Jesus) was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer).......Jesus was/is a Real person ...Jesus was/is a Myth...

Do you believe that the "Second Adam" was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer)...AJesus was/is a Real person ...Jesus was/is a Myth.....I'm not sure

Note: if you are not sure of the answer to any of the previous "Do you believe" questions, be honest and circle the "I'm not sure". The purpose of this lesson is to help you face and evaluate the possibility that both of these "Adams" are real historical figures. So, be honest. We will have another chance to answer these questions at the end of this lesson.

But to continue. More questions. More assignments. So, keep thinking.

A few pages ago, in this lesson, we said we were going to answer some questions about what the First Adam did and why and what the Second Adam did and why. But, before we answer those questions (and more), we need get more insights and facts upon which to base our answers.

Soooo, your next assignment is to look again at ALL of the passages we have read and marked (ie. 1 Cor, Romans, Matthew, and Genesis) and list (on a chart) what they tell us about Adam and Jesus. And, to do that, we are (obviously) going to make a chart. I will begin it for you, to give you an idea of how to do this. Then, on this chart (or on a separate piece of paper), continue this chart. (There will be a lot of information, so you might want to use a separate piece of paper as I am going to do, so as to have room to write.) Also, be sure to put the reference (chapter and verse) of where you got your fact for each item, so you can refer back to it readily in the future. Ok, with that said, here is the chart and how I am going to begin mine.

What the Bible tells us about the 1st Adam and the 2nd Adam

The First Adam (Adam)....................The Second Adam (Jesus)

..............he is the Adam described in Genesis.............He is the Lord God Jesus Christ

..................................................................................................1 Cor 17:20 He has been raised from the dead ..........................................................................1 Cor 17:20 He is the firstfruits

1 Cor 17:21 he was a man (when on earth).........................................1 Cor 17:21 he was a man (when on earth)

1 Cor 17:21 Death came through him (a man).....................:............1 Cor 17:21 The resurrection of the dead is through him

1 Cor 17:22 In Adam all die............................................................1 Cor 17:22 In Christ all will be made alive

...

Wow! What a chart! Mine was long and took 2 pages of small handwriting. But how ever long or short yours was, let's now consider all that we have learned and begin to answer those questions I previously mentioned and said "we'll answer them (and others) later." Well, now it is "later". So, put on your thinking caps and let's begin.

Who was the FIRST Adam? ____________________

What did the FIRST Adam DO? __he________________________

How did the First Adam sin / disobey God? ie. What specifically did he 'do' or 'not do'? (answer in your own words in the space below)

Why did he do this?

After Adam sinned, did he KNOW he had sinned? ___________

What did Adam DO after he sinned to try to hide his sin from God?

What were the consequences of Adam's sin? (List them in the space below. Hint: you will find many of the consequences in the Genesis verses so be sure to include them).

Were the consequences of Adam's sin limited to him only? ___________ (Explain your answer in the space below)

Are we involved today in the consequences of his sin? _____________ (Explain your answer in the space below)

How does the sin of Adam affect our (your, mine, everyone's) relationship with God?

Is there a penalty that must be paid for disobeying God? ______________

What is the penalty for sin / disobeying God? _________________________

Adam tried to hide (cover) his sin (and 'pay' his penalty) by _________________

Was this acceptable to God? ________________

How do you know that God was not satisfied with the "fig leaf" covering that Adam made to try to hide his sin from God?

Did God provide a substitute blood sacrifice to cover Adam's sin? _________

What was that sacrifice? ___________________________________

How do you know it was a blood / death sacrifice of an innocent living creature? (Hint: see Genesis 2:21)

Was that substitute blood sacrifice acceptable to God? _____________

So WHO provided the acceptable sin covering blood sacrifice to atone for Adam's sin? (circle the correct answer)

.....................Adam with his 'works' of fig leaves to try to cover his sin

.....................God by killing an innocent animal to provide the covering

According to the Bible, had there ever been any DEATH (of any person or animal) before Adam sinned? ________

Was the animal which was killed by God to provide the substitute atoning sin blood sacrifice to pay the death penalty for Adam's sin the FIRST PHYSICAL death in history? ______________

From what the Bible tells about life in the Garden of Eden, had there been any sickness, cancer, murder, accidents, disasters, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, etc. before Adam sinned? ________

Describe (in your own words) what life in the Garden of Eden was like before Adam sinned.

Was it God's desire and plan that this idyllic situation would be a forever way of life for Adam, Eve, and their descendants if they continued to live in obedience to God (ie without sin). ___________

Why did God put the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" in the Garden?

Why was Adam told that this was the ONLY tree from which he could not eat?

If Adam had obeyed God and had not eaten from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil", what would his life had been like?

After the sin of Adam , why did God expel Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and place Cherubim (very high ranking angels) to guard the Tree of Life so that they would not eat from it?

Yes, you are correct. Now that Adam and Eve had sinned and death and evil (including cancer, arthritis, deteriorating bodies with aging, etc.) had entered the world, to eat from the tree of life and to live forever in an increasingly feeble and deteriorating condition would be horrible beyond words. So, God, in His mercy, kept them from eating from this tree by sending them away and putting a guard around it. Interestingly, however, there will be a Tree of Life in heaven. Hmmmm. Verrry interesting. But that is another study for another time. For now, it is enough to know that God always wants the best for us and when He tells us NOT to do something (or to do something), it is really for our own good and we would be wise to obey.

Anyway, let's continue.....

After Adam was forgiven of his sin by God (because he confessed his sin to God and God then provided the substitute blood death sacrifice of an innocent living animal to pay the death penalty for sin) did Adam's life return to "as it was before"? ________________

OR were there consequences which could not be undone, just as, for example, a scrambled egg can not be unscrambled. ____________ (Explain your answers in the space below:)

What had the sin of Adam, the first man, unleashed into the world and into all his descendants (including you and me) who would ultimately descend from him?

Because of Adam's sin, his life and the physical world changed drastically from the idyllic situation in which he had lived prior to his sin. In the space below, list the things that NOW are in the world BECAUSE of his sin which had NOT been there before Adam's sin (disobedience to God.) I will begin this list for you as an example:

Adam's sin resulted in EVIL entering the world.

This EVIL which still exists today includes:

......................Death.............................sickness ....................... cancer

......................murder.......................... tsunamis........................ earthquakes

..................... tornados .......................hurricaines......................lying

..................... deception......................anger

Wow. What a list. And what a mess Adam created when he disobeyed God! But, don't be too hard on Adam. What would YOU have done if you had been in his situation? I.e. have YOU obeyed God in every single situation? ___________. Have you ever disobeyed God? ________

Have you ever done something you know that God told you NOT to do? _________ or that God would NOT approve of? ___________

Hmmmm. Well, I am sure you have and I know that I have, too . So, what to do? How can we (you and I) be forgiven by God for our sins? Hold that thought. Before you answer that question, we need to look at the SECOND ADAM and see what He has done. Sooooo ...

Who was the SECOND ADAM? ____________________

Was he a man when he was here on earth? ____________

Is he God? _____________

Is he the Son of God? _________

Did he ever sin? __________ Was he perfect? _____________

Well, I am sure you correctly stated that the Second Adam is the Lord God Jesus Christ and "yes" to all of those questions EXCEPT the one about "did he ever sin"? And the answer to that is NO, NO, A thousand times NO ! And, for that we can be eternally thankful because that is the KEY to our being able to be forgiven for our sins. So, since that is the key, let's think some more about what Jesus did and Why.

The Book of Hebrews tells us many things about Jesus including why He came, what He did, and why. In your spare time, it would be wonderful if you would read the entire book of Hebrews. But, for now, let me select a few verses which directly relate to our topic at hand in this lesson --ie. what the Second Adam (Jesus) did and why. As you read these verses (printed here below for you), mark them in the same way as we have been marking the other passages. Ie.

Put a RED CIRCLE around every "Christ" word.

Put a BROWN CIRCLE around every "Adam" word.

Put a BLACK BOX around every "DIE / DEATH" word.

Put a GREEN CIRCLE around every "ALIVE" word.

Put a BLACK UNDERLINE under every "SIN / TRESPASS" word.

Hebrews 2

7. You (God the Father) made him (Jesus) a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8. and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." 13. And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." 14. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15. and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4

13. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Was Jesus (the Second Adam) ever tempted to sin? __________

Yes, of course, Jesus was tempted. We read about this in Hebrews 2 & 4 and there are other places in the New Testament which tell of some of His temptations.

So, what did Jesus do when faced with a temptation? Did he, like Adam, who, when he was tempted to disobey God's command to not eat from the "tree of good and evil", succumb to that temptation? _______

Correct. Jesus did not yield to temptation. He did not sin! And, Jesus was not subjected to just one "test". There were many many many times when Jesus could have yielded to temptation. For example the "temptations by the devil during the 40 days that Jesus was in the wilderness" were some of the times he was tempted. And these are, undoubtedly, only the tip of the iceberg. But, fortunately for us, he NEVER sinned!

Why is this fortunate for us? (explain in your own words).

So, .If Jesus had sinned, would he have been able to be the sinless substitute sacrifice to atone for our sins? _______________ (Explain your answer.)

What is the penalty for sin? (see Genesis 3:3) ___________

Yes, correct. The penalty for sin is death! When Adam sinned, he tried to "fix it" by making a covering by himself, a covering of fig leaves (ie.works). Was this acceptable to God? _______

What kind of sacrifice was acceptable to God? ___________________

Yes, a blood (death) sacrifice! That is the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God. The sinner who sins must die. And when a sinner dies, he doesn't just "die" and become "nothing". Rather, the sinner will spend eternity in Hell ! (We could do an entire study on this but we don't have time now. But, be aware that hell IS the final location of the unrepentant sinner.)

God did not want Adam to sin and die. But, God also wanted Adam to have a free will and not be a "mindless robot". God created Adam (and us) for fellowship with Him. A "mindless robot" who can not choose to love and obey is not capable of genuine "fellowship". So, God created man (and us) with "free will", ie. with a mind that could choose to obey or to disobey. But, IF man (Adam, and you and I) choose to disobey, there will be consequences -- broken fellowship, inability to approach God, inability to be with God in His kingdom, death, and eternity in Hell.

God was aware that Adam (and we) would ultimately be unable to resist "temptation" and would choose to disobey! So, God had a plan!

And that plan was that He, Jesus, God and Son of God, Himself, would pay the death penalty for Adam and for all who would sin in the future (and that means the death penalty would be paid for everyone, including you and me). When Adam sinned, God provided a temporary covering for sin by slaying the animals to provide coverings for Adam and Eve. Later, as we progress through the Old Testament, we find that God instituted the sacrifices of lambs, goats, bulls, etc. You can learn more about these in our Bible study of the Book of Leviticus. But, for now, know that these were also "temporary coverings" for sin and were pictures of the coming future once and for all sacrifice that Jesus Himself would provide.

Then, about 2000 years ago, the time came for the once and for all final sacrifice to be provided -- the sacrifice of God Himself, Jesus, the perfect sinless one !!! And, since He was and is God, when He died, as a sinless substitute, He not only paid the death penalty for the sins of all (from Adam until His second coming and including your sins and mine) but, since He was himself SINLESS (except for the sins of the world that He took upon Himself), He was able to be resurrected to life ! But, Adam, you, I, and allllll the rest of the sinners in the world (ie EVERYONE) would NOT be able to be resurrected back to life if we had to pay our own individual death penalty! We would die ! and would spend eternity in HELL !!!

The only reason we can be resurrected when we die is IF we have confessed our sins, asked for God's forgiveness, and have accepted the gift of Jesus' subsitute death in our place. If we have done that, then He (Jesus) puts HIS spirit (the Holy Spirit) in us to help us live the rest of our life in fellowship with Him and then to enable us to be resurrected to be with Him forever in His kingdom at the time of our physical death.

So, Jesus has now paid, once and for all time, the death penalty for all sins. But, to be forgiven and to not have to pay the death penalty personally, each person individually must recognize and admit that they are a sinner and must confess their guilt and ask God to forgive them and accept God's "blood sacrifice covering" for sin (as Adam did and as you and I and everyone must individually do).

Soooooooo, with all that said, What did the Second Adam (Jesus) DO?

Why did Jesus die as a substitute sacrifice for the death penalty for sins?

Is there any other way to be saved from our sins? (Hint: remember what Adam tried to "do" to cover his sins.) ___________

Correct, Jesus died to pay the death penalty for sins (Adam's, yours, mine, everyone's) because, if Jesus didn't pay the death penalty for us, then no one could be "saved" from their sins. If He didn't, everyone would be destined for eternal death in hell. Adam by his sin (disobedience) brought death into the world. This was passed on to everyone because everyone is descended from Adam.

..............BUT

According to the theory of evolution, there has been death and dying, death and dying, etc..., ever since the first life form developed millions or billions of years ago (the number of years keeps changing. oh well), lived, produced, changed a bit, died; its progeny lived, reproduced, changed a bit, died; its progeny lived a while, reproduced, changed a bit, died, etc etc -- death death death death death death !!!!... for millions or billions of years.

If this theory (evolution) is true, then

According to the theory of evolution, was there an Adam at the beginning ? ___________

According to the theory of evolution, did the sin of one person bring death into the world? _______

According to the theory of evolution, how long have death and dying and death and dying and ... you get the idea.... been in existence? _________________

According to the theory of evolution, how long have earthquakes, cancer, tsunamis, murders, disasters, etc etc etc been in existence? ________________

According to the theory of evolution, how long has evil (death, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.) been in the world? _________________

According to the theory of evolution, what is the cause (origin) of evil?

(answer in the space below)

So, If, according to the theory of evolution, there has been no real and literal First Adam who sinned and thereby introduced death and evil into the world, would there have been the "need" for a Second Adam to pay the death penalty for sin? ________________

If there had been no real and literal First Adam, then where did "sin" come from?

If there had been no real and literal First Adam, what is the origin of death?

IF there had been no real and literal First Adam, then why would God (Jesus) come to earth and suffer and die a most horrible death on the cross to atone for our sins and to conquer death when death had been here from the very beginning and lonnnnng before a "mythical" Adam entered the picture?

If there had been no First Adam, .... well, we could go on and on.... but you get the point....

And now you can see why it is so important that the First Adam and the Second Adam must be and ARE real, literal, living persons.

In fact, now that you DO get the point, explain in your own words (in the space below) WHY the First Adam and the Second Adam MUST be real individuals, just as the Bible teaches. Specifically, What are the implications if they are myths vs. if they are real! (Take your time in answering this question. It is the heart of this lesson. Also, this is a "worldview" producing conclusion. So, think carefully about this. This will explain WHY Paul, Jesus, Francis Schaeffer, and many many others believed and taught that Adam and Jesus were real, literal, historical figures.

Now, explain, again in your own words, whether there would be a need for Christ to come to pay the death penalty for sin IF the theory of evolution is true.

Wow! Does your head hurt from all this thinking? But, as you can see, understanding correctly about the historicity (or lack thereof) of the FIRST ADAM and the SECOND ADAM is a very fundamental and foundational truth that must be confronted head on (pun not intended).

The teaching of the theory of evolution with its long ages of slow development and millions and billions of years of death and disasters and etc. is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Bible which says that the world was created in 6 DAYS by God with ADAM and Eve at the apex of this creation and are our great great great great..... grand parents!

Evolution teaches that there had been death, dying, disasters, etc. from the very beginning and lonnnnnng before people came upon the earth. --

The Bible teaches that there had been NO death or dying and NO disasters, earthquakes, murders, envy, strife, etc (ie NO EVIL) in this world UNTIL Adam sinned (disobeyed God).

Obviously both views (Lonnnnng Ages of Evolution and Young Earth Creation) can not be correct. You, I, everyone -- will either accept the theory of evolution OR the teachings of the Bible (Creationism). You can not believe both views because they are total opposites.

And, alas there is no other option or choice. Either God created the world as He said He did OR God is a liar and did not create the world in the way He describes and outlines in the Bible. OR there is NO GOD at all and all this long ages just 'happened' by chance ! (which is also impossible to believe when one looks at the world itself with its intricate design and complexity.)

Hmmmmmmm. I can hear you thinking. And this is what I was thinking, also, when I 'revisited' the 'Adam is a myth' teaching of my professors, the world, etc, as they were telling me that the theory of evolution is true. Hmmmmmm. And, after thinking about all these things, it became obvious to me that the First Adam can NOT be a myth because "myths" don't sin. And "myths" do not produce consequences which are passed down generation after generation. And God (Jesus), the Second Adam would certainly not come and suffer and die on the cross to conquer the death and evil instituted by a myth!

So, my "Worldview" changed! It changed back to what I had believed originally -- ie.

That God is God and that He does not lie and that He told us truthfully, accurately, and correctly in the Bible that He created the heavens and the earth and everything in them in 6 days.

That God has explained to us (if we would just listen) the origin of sin, death, disasters, cancer, heart attacks, strokes, nervous breakdowns, anger, murder, accidents, and every kind of E V I L that is in the world today.

That God has explained (in His Word, the Bible) what the penalty for sin is -- ie DEATH and eternity in Hell! But,

That, God also explained that there is a way of escape from this death penalty and that He Himself has provided the ONLY way of escape, which is through the substitute atoning death sacrifice of Jesus !!! And

That the ONLY way to have peace with God and to be reconciled to Him and to be able to live with Him now and throughout eternity in His Kingdom of light, joy, peace, happiness, ...

is by

confessing my sins, agreeing with God that they are sin (disobedience), renouncing them, turning from them, asking for forgiveness, and accepting His FREE gift of salvation (provided by Jesus' death / blood sacrifice as my substitute).

And, that is what I did as I 'revisited' the "Genesis connection" of the First Adam and the Second Adam (Jesus).

Now it is time to decide what your conclusion is.

So now, it is time to ask you those questions again -- the ones I said you would see again at the end of this lesson. So, without further ado, here they are.

Who was the "First Adam" ________________

Who Was the "Second Adam" _________________

Does the Bible teach that the "First Adam" (Adam) is a real historical figure or was he a myth?

(circle the correct answer)........ Adam was/is a Real person ... Adam was/is a Myth..

Do you believe that the "First Adam" was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer)...Adam was/is a Real person ...Adam was/is a Myth.....I'm not sure

Does the Bible teach that the "Second Adam" (Jesus) was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer)......Jesus was/is a Real person ...Jesus was/is a Myth.

Do you believe that the "Second Adam" was a real historical figure or that he was a myth?

(circle the correct answer).....Jesus was/is a Real person ...Jesus was/is a Myth.....I'm not sure

If you confess with your mouth....and believe in your heart..... that Jesus Christ is Lord ... you will be saved !!!

Yes, this has been a heavy lesson and for many of you this is likely a serious paradigm shift from what you have been taught and what you currently believe. So, if you are stilllllll not sure, but, if you really would like to believe that the Bible is TRUE from cover to cover (and trust me it is !) but you still have 'scientific' questions and hangups.....may I suggest that you surf to the ICR and AIG websites (listed below) and read their many articles and papers on whatever topics with which you are still having difficulties in "letting go" of your "Evolutionary Worldview".

For the rest of you who now believe that the First Adam and the Second Adam are REAL !!! and that God created the world in the way He describes in Genesis and throughout the Bible, welllllll, welcome to the "Creationist Worldview"! You will also enjoy and benefit from reading the many articles and papers on the ICR and AIG websites. So, check them out. And, you will also be interested in obtaining and reading the magazines mentioned in the footnotes below. Also, there are many "Creation Worldview" conferences, meetings, newsletters, books, videos, tapes, etc etc now available which will inform you and teach you many things! This is the beginning of a wonderful adventure of knowing that the God you love and serve is more awesome, powerful, loving, truthful, etc. than you ever imagined !!!!

Well, I could go on and on .... but...it is time to draw this lesson to a close. Soooooo....

See 'ya in the next lesson.

Footnotes and Additional Helpful References

1. Schaeffer, Francis A. Genesis in Space and Time. Inter Varsity Press. 1972.

......Please note. As much as I admire Dr. Schaeffer and his writings, this is NOT the best book you can read to confirm and affirm the "young earth" view. I only mention it because it was so "life changing" for me. Today, if I were going to point a person to an "apologetic" work to help them in their search for understanding in the "long ages / old earth" (evolutionary viewpoint)" vs. "young earth" (Creation viewpoint), this would NOT be my first choice. Why? Because, At the time that Dr. Schaeffer wrote this book, he did not know about the vast information which has since been discovered and which is now readily available to us, information which is increasingly affirming the veracity of the Biblical teaching about Adam and Eve, young earth, etc. For example, the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), founded by Dr. Henry Morris (see website listed below), was in its infancy at the time and was not yet well known, though today it is the premier Creation ministry and has a Graduate school. Also, ICR is today involved in innumerable research projects. which are affirming the reliability and veracity of the "young earth" (ie literal Biblical interpretation) point of view. Dr. Schaeffer may not have even been aware of ICR, especially since, at the time he was writing his books, he was living in Switzerland. And, in the past 10 years or so (which is of course, long after Dr. Shaeffer's homegoing, ie. he also has "fallen asleep in Christ"), many other organizations have arisen (such as Answers In Genesis (AIG)) and are providing information to support the "young earth, literal interpretation of the Bible" view. In Dr. Schaeffer's book, Genesis in Space and Time, he appears to be leaning toward a longer "age" for the earth-- perhaps up to 50,000 years and he has views (re carbon dating, etc) which, he admits may be subject to change with future research. (And indeed, research since then by ICR and others has brought new insights into the problems and inconsistencies of the radioactive dating methods which Dr. Schaeffer, I, and the scientists of the 1972 era had been taught to be "fact".) -- So, I feel fully confident that had Dr. Schaeffer known then what we know now, he would have changed some of his "scientific views". Soooo. All that to say. Yes, do read Francis Schaeffer. He is profound and his writings are wonderful and are "must reads". BUT, please keep in mind that when he writes about "scientific matters" such as the age of the earth, radioactive dating, and a few other topics, he did NOT have access to the scientific knowledge which has SINCE been discovered. Also, in addition to the ICR Graduate school and the many exciting research projects being done by ICR and by many other Creationist Scientists around the world, there are 2 wonderful publications produced by Answers In Genesis which should be in every home and school. These are CREATION MAGAZINE and TJ (Technical Journal). You can read about and subscribe to them by going to the Answers in Genesis website (listed below).

2. Institute for Creation Research (ICR) Website: http://www.icr.org

3. Answers In Genesis (AIG) Website: http://www.answersingenesis.org

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