Getting the Connections: Adam and Christ

What are types? What is typology? The apostle Paul leads us. "Death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come" (Romans 5:14, italics added). Westminster Confession of Faith 19:3 speaks of "typical ordinances . . . prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits." A type is a person, institution, office, action, or event displaying an aspect of future gospel grace. A Type portrays or prefigures the future. In Romans 5:14, Adam portrays something important about Christ. An anti-type is the answer to or the replacement of the previous figure. In Romans 5:14, Christ, the anti-type, takes the place of Adam, the type. Once again, types prefigure Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits.

Paul explains the typological connection between Adam and Christ in the following verses. Romans 5:19 is an example. "For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Notice Paul's use of simile. A simile is a figure of speech establishing a formal connection using like or as. In other words, Paul shows us there is a formal connection between Adam and Christ by using the figure of speech known as simile. In turn, the formal connection Paul reveals, is the foundation for the type. Types in Scripture do not suddenly appear like leprechauns jumping out from behind rocks. Types involve formal comparisons Scripture itself reveals.

Taking a step forward, many parables begin with a simile. "The kingdom of heaven is like..." The parable expands the simile and comparison. For this reason we often view parables as extended similes. Why is this important? Two reasons. First, we now see similes, parables, and types are of the same nature each manifesting a formal comparison. Parables are extended similes. Similes form the foundation for types. Second, there is an interpretive principle involved. We interpret parables by getting the main point of the story as expressed in the simile. We do not attempt to press all the details into our interpretation. Because types are of the same nature, we deal with them in the same way. We want to know the main point or central comparison. Adam and Christ are similar in a particular way. They are not similar in every way.

Paul's simile in Romans 5:19 displays this. Note the specific area of formal comparison. "For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Adam's sin makes many sinners. Christ's obedience makes many righteous. The comparison is in Adam's representative status on one hand and Christ's representative status on the other. As the head of the human race, Adam's sin negatively affected us all. In a similar way, Jesus Christ's righteousness and obedience positively affects all those vitally connected to Him. The similarity is in the idea of representative headship. In this, Adam is a type of Christ.

Biblical typology shows us another connection between the Old Testament and the New. When we read about Adam in Genesis, we can learn about Christ in the Gospels. Who we are as sinners is wrapped up in Adam. Who we are as believers is wrapped up in Christ. There is a connection. "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22). Getting this connection, understanding biblical typology, helps us live in grace and live in Christ.