1 Corinthians 15:45 kjv
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45 nkjv
And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45 niv
So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45 esv
Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:45 nlt
The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam ? that is, Christ ? is a life-giving Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 15:21 | For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. | Contrast with Adam |
| Rom 5:12 | Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— | Adam's sin brings death |
| Rom 5:15-19 | But in fact, the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one man many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift which abounds in grace by the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to many. | Contrast between Adam and Christ's work |
| Gen 2:7 | Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. | Adam made alive |
| John 6:63 | The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. | Spirit brings life |
| John 1:3 | Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. | Christ as creator |
| John 11:25 | "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; | Christ as life giver |
| Phil 3:20-21 | but our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. | Christ's transformative power |
| Col 1:18 | And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the preeminence. | Christ as head and firstborn |
| Heb 2:10 | In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. | Christ as pioneer of salvation |
| 1 Pet 1:11 | and on the glory that would follow. They searched to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. | Spirit points to glory |
| 1 Pet 3:18 | For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. | Christ's death and resurrection |
| 2 Cor 3:17 | Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | Lord is Spirit |
| John 14:6 | Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. | Christ as the life |
| Rom 8:2 | because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. | Spirit of life |
| Gen 3:19 | 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. | Earthly origin |
| Eph 2:1 | As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins— | Spiritual death |
| Acts 4:12 | Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. | Christ as sole savior |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. | Belief in Christ brings life |
| 1 Cor 15:49 | Just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we also bear the image of the heavenly man. | Image of Christ |
1 Corinthians 15 verses
1 Corinthians 15 45 Meaning
The verse states that the first man, Adam, became a living being, while the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving Spirit. This highlights the transformative power of Christ's resurrection, turning a fleshly, mortal existence into a spiritual, eternal one. It emphasizes the contrast between the foundational life given by Adam and the revitalizing, eternal life offered by Christ.
1 Corinthians 15 45 Context
This verse is part of Paul's extensive argument in 1 Corinthians 15 concerning the resurrection of believers. The chapter addresses doubts and misunderstandings within the Corinthian church regarding the resurrection of the dead, particularly their bodies. Paul contrasts the resurrection of Christ with the future resurrection of believers, explaining its significance and implications. The immediate context is Paul establishing the necessity and reality of bodily resurrection, drawing a parallel between the first Adam, who introduced death, and Christ, the last Adam, who brings life.
1 Corinthians 15 45 Word Analysis
O first (Gk: protos): Denotes primacy in time, order, or importance. Refers to Adam as the first human.
man (Gk: anthropos): Human being, mankind. Refers to Adam.
became (Gk: egeneto): Came into being, happened, was made. Indicates the transition or state of being.
a living soul (Gk: psychē zōsa): A living being, animate creature. In the Old Testament (Gen 2:7), Adam was created as a living soul, a distinct animated creature with life.
O last (Gk: eschatos): Final, ultimate. Refers to Jesus Christ in His resurrected, glorified state as the culmination.
Adam (Gk: Adam): The name Adam, referring to the first man and also as a representative figure for humanity, and in this case, the last Adam being Christ.
became (Gk: egeneto): Same as above.
a life-giving Spirit (Gk: pneuma zōopoioun): A spirit that imparts life, a quickening Spirit. This signifies Christ's resurrected state, now infused with divine power to bestow life. It’s not suggesting Christ Himself is purely Spirit in a disembodied sense, but that His resurrected person possesses the power to quicken and give life.
group analysis: The phrase "first man Adam became a living soul" contrasts with "the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit." This establishes a clear theological parallel and contrast between the two pivotal figures in human history, Adam the progenitor of physical life and death, and Christ the source of spiritual, eternal life through His resurrection. The shift from "living soul" to "life-giving Spirit" is crucial, signifying the qualitative difference and advancement Christ's redemptive work brings.
1 Corinthians 15 45 Bonus Section
The concept of the "last Adam" is significant because it frames Jesus as the one who successfully fulfills what the first Adam failed to do, representing humanity's new head. The "life-giving Spirit" refers to the Holy Spirit's empowering presence given through the risen Christ. This highlights that salvation and eternal life are not achieved through our own efforts but are directly conferred by Christ through the power of the Spirit. The original audience, likely familiar with Greek philosophy which debated the nature of the soul, would have understood the distinction between a mere "living soul" (natural life) and a "life-giving Spirit" (supernatural, active life-imparting power).
1 Corinthians 15 45 Commentary
The verse clearly delineates two foundational humanity figures. Adam, created from dust, was a "living soul," signifying the earthly, natural life. Christ, the last Adam, post-resurrection, is a "life-giving Spirit," indicating a new, spiritual, and resurrection life He imparts to believers. This transition signifies that our new existence in Christ is not merely revived physical life but a transformation into a spiritual, incorruptible, and eternally living state. His resurrected power is the very source of our spiritual regeneration and future bodily resurrection.