Adam

Identity

Adam is the first human being, formed by God 'of the dust of the ground' (Genesis 2:7) and named by God. He is the head of the human race, husband of Eve, and — by Paul's exposition in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 — the pattern of Christ, the second Adam.

Name and titles

'Adam' — Adam in Hebrew — is both a personal name and the common noun for 'man' / 'mankind.' The root shares letters with 'adamah,' 'ground' / 'earth' (Genesis 2:7). Also called by Paul 'the first Adam' (1 Corinthians 15:45) — the counterpart to Christ, 'the last Adam.'

Historical period

• In the beginning — Formed by God of the dust of the ground; the LORD breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).
• Same day (traditional) — Placed in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15).
• Same period — Names the animals (Genesis 2:19-20).
• Same period — Eve is formed from his side (Genesis 2:21-23).
• The Fall — Eats of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3).
• After the Fall — Named his wife Eve, 'because she was the mother of all living' (Genesis 3:20).
• After Eden — Begat Cain, Abel, Seth, and others; lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5).

Scripture appearances

• Genesis 1:26-27 (KJV) '…Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…'
• Genesis 2:7 (KJV) 'And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.'
• Genesis 2:15-25 (KJV) Adam in the garden; the naming of the animals; Eve formed.
• Genesis 3 (KJV) The Fall.
• Genesis 5:1-5 (KJV) '…Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.'
• Romans 5:14 (KJV) '…Adam, who is the figure of him that was to come.'
• Romans 5:18-19 (KJV) '…by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.'
• 1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV) 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.'
• 1 Corinthians 15:45 (KJV) 'The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.'
• Luke 3:38 (KJV) '…which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.' (the genealogy of Christ)

Connected People

• Eve — his wife.
• Christ Jesus — the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45); the second Adam (Rom 5).

Connected Places

• Eden — the garden of his making. Its geographical location is not identified in Christian tradition.

Salvation history role

• The head of the human race — every human descends from him.
• The one whose disobedience brought sin and death into the world (Romans 5:12).
• The type of Christ: what he lost in one act, Christ regained in one act (Romans 5:15-21).

Christian tradition

• Feast: 24 December (Adam and Eve, Latin tradition).
• 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' names the 'ancient captive Israel' who mourns in exile — that exile begins in Adam.
• Christian art depicts him at Creation, at the Fall, and (in some traditions) at the Harrowing of Hell.

Household reflection

Adam teaches the household that every human is made in the image of God, breathed with His own breath, and — since the Fall — in need of a Rescuer. Every child is Adam-and-Eve's child, and every child is invited to be Christ's child too.

Room connections

Where this entry meets the household in the wider house of CrossAIHub.

• Read (Library) — Read Genesis 2-3 alongside Romans 5 — the two Adams.
• Pray (Chapel) — Pray at every household confession: 'as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.'
• Family (Kitchen Table) — Discuss with the children: what does it mean that God breathed His own breath into humankind?
• Sing (Choir Room) — Sing 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' (twelfth century).
• Learn (Workshop) — Study Paul's two-Adam theology in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15.

Further reading

Genesis 1-5 and Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 in the KJV.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies III and IV.

Augustine, City of God, Book XIII.

Elsewhere in the Atlas

• Eve
• Christ Jesus
• Genesis 3
• Genesis 1
• Mary, mother of Christ
• Return to the atrium — the Atlas's main room.