Adam in the New Testament: Mere Teaching Model or First Historical Man?

Denying the historicity of Adam has become increasingly present within evangelical circles. Was Adam the first historical man? Does the answer really matter? And does it affect any important doctrines in the Bible?

Carefully examining key passages of Scripture, Versteeg proves that all human beings descended from Adam, the first man. He argues that if this is not true, the entire history of redemption documented in Scripture unravels and we have no gospel in any meaningful sense.

Contents

1. The Concept ‘Teaching Model’
2. The Data of Romans 5:12-21
3. Other New Testament Data
4. Rabbinic References to Adam
5. A Distance between Intention and Significance?
6. Consequences

Endorsements

“Many thanks for reissuing this helpful work. . . . Anyone reading this will appreciate that contemporary discussions of Adam are still treading the same ground.”
—C. John Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

" Anumber of theologians have postulated that Adam is a ‘teaching model’ in the New Testament. Versteeg’s remarkably cogent and concise book tells us why this view is impossible."
—John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

“Given the recent debates about the existence of Adam . . . Versteeg shows with vigor and cogency that the New Testament’s teaching requires a historical Adam."
—Vern S. Poythress, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Westminster Theological Seminary