Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin (continued)
Commentary on the Corinthians along with himself, into the same ruin: Christ came to restore our nature from ruin, and raise it up to a better condition than ever. They 1012 are then, as it were, two sources, or two roots of the human race. Hence it is not without good reason, that the one is called the first man, and the other the last. This, however, gives no support to those madmen, who make Christ to be one of ourselves, as though there were and always had been only two men, and that this multitude which we behold, were a mere phantom! A similar comparison occurs in Romans 5:12
46. But this is not first, which is spiritual. "It is necessary," says he, "that before we are restored in Christ, we derive our origin from Adam, and resemble him. Let us, therefore, not wonder, if we begin with the living soul, for as being born precedes in order being born again, so living precedes rising again."
47. The first Adam was from the earth. The animal life comes first, because the earthy man is first. 1013 The spiritual life will come afterwards, as Christ, the heavenly man, came after Adam. Now the Manichees perverted this passage, with the view of proving that Christ brought a body from heaven into the womb of the Virgin. They mistakingly imagined, however, that Paul speaks here of the substance of the body, while he is discoursing rather as to its condition, or quality. Hence, although the first man had an immortal soul, and that too, not taken from the earth, yet he, nevertheless, savoured of the earth, from which his body had sprung, and on which he had been appointed to live. Christ, on the other hand, brought us from heaven a life-giving Spirit, that he might regenerate us into a better life, and elevated above the earth. 1014 In fine, we have it from Adam — that we live in this world, as branches from the root: Christ, on the other hand, is the beginning and author of the heavenly life.
But some one will say in reply, Adam is said to be from the earth — Christ from heaven; the nature of the comparison 1015 requires this much, that Christ have his body from heaven, as the body of Adam was formed from the earth; or, at least, that the origin of man's soul should be from the earth, but that Christ's soul had come forth from heaven. I answer, that Paul had not contrasted the two departments of the subject with such refinement and minuteness, (for this was not necessary;) but when treating of the nature of Christ and Adam, he made a passing allusion to the creation of Adam, that he had been formed from the earth„ and at the same time, for the purpose of commending Christ's excellence, he states, that he is the Son of God, who came down to us from heaven, and brings with him, therefore, a heavenly transgression."
1012"Adam done et Christ;" — "Adam and Christ, therefore." 1013"La vie sensuelle, ou animale, c'est a dire, que nous auons par le moyen de l'ame, precede;" — "The sensual or animal life, that is to say, what we have by means of the soul, comes first."
1014"Plus haute et excellente que la terre;" — "Higher and more excellent than the earth." 1015"La nature de l'antithese et comparison;" — "The nature of the contrast and comparison."