John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 15:47

"The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven." — 1 Corinthians 15:47 (ASV)

The first Adam was from the earth. The animal life comes first, because the earthy man is first. 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 mistakenly imagined, however, that Paul speaks here of the substance of the body, while he is speaking rather of its condition or quality. Hence, although the first man had an immortal soul—and that soul was not taken from the earth—yet he nevertheless had an earthly character, 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 elevate us above the earth. In short, 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 someone will say in reply: Adam is said to be from the earth—Christ from heaven. The nature of the comparison requires that Christ have his body from heaven, just as Adam’s body was formed from the earth; or, at least, that the origin of man’s soul should be from the earth, while Christ’s soul, in contrast, had come from heaven.

I answer that Paul did not contrast the two aspects of the subject with such refinement and minuteness (for this was not necessary). Instead, when discussing the nature of Christ and Adam, he made a passing allusion to Adam’s creation—specifically, that he had been formed from the earth. At the same time, to commend Christ’s excellence, he stated that He is the Son of God, who came down to us from heaven and therefore brings with Him a heavenly nature and influence. This is the simple meaning, while the refinement of the Manichees is a mere calumny.

We must, however, reply to yet another objection. For as long as Christ lived in the world, He lived a life similar to ours, and therefore earthly; hence, it is not a proper contrast. The solution of this question will serve further to refute the contrivance of the Manichees.

For we know that the body of Christ was liable to death and that it was exempted from corruption, not by its essential property (as they speak), but solely by the providence of God. Hence Christ was not merely earthy as to the essence of His body, but was also for a time in an earthly condition. For before Christ’s power could show itself in conferring the heavenly life, it was necessary that He should die in the weakness of the flesh, (2 Corinthians 13:4). Now this heavenly life appeared first in the resurrection, that He might also make us alive.