Adam In the New Testament

In the NT, Adam is treated as a historical individual whose transgression introduced sin and death into the human race — the first Adam whose role as representative head is answered and reversed by Christ, the last Adam. Paul's two extended treatments are the theological center: Romans 5:12–21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 45–49. In Romans 5, Paul traces the universal reign of sin and death to "one man" (Adam) in whom all sinned — the basis of the doctrine of original sin and original guilt, contested since Augustine and Pelagius. The structure is typological: Adam as typos (Rom. 5:14) prefigures Christ, but the contrast is asymmetrical — grace superabounds over the trespass. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul works out the contrast between the first Adam (the living soul, Gen. 2:7) and the last Adam (the life-giving Spirit): physical resurrection follows the pattern set by Christ, as physical death followed the pattern set by Adam. Jesus's genealogy in Luke 3:38 traces his human lineage to "Adam, the son of God." Jude 14 quotes 1 Enoch attributing a prophecy to Enoch, seventh from Adam. The NT's historical treatment of Adam has been a flashpoint in debates over the relationship between evolutionary science and theology.