Let us now turn to 1 Corinthians 15:45. This verse says, “‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul’; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” According to this verse, the last Adam, who is Christ, became a life-giving Spirit. Some twist this verse, saying that it speaks of “a life-giving Spirit,” not “the life-giving Spirit.” But besides the Holy Spirit who gives life is there another Spirit who gives life? To say that there are two Spirits giving life is to teach another great heresy. Whether the article is definite or indefinite, the last Adam, who is Christ Himself, became a Spirit, a life-giving Spirit. At this point we must refer to John 6:63, where the Lord says, “It is the Spirit who gives life.” In this chapter the Lord Jesus said that He was the bread of life to give life to people. Eventually, He indicated that in order to be life to people as the bread of life, He must be the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who gives life. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Is not the Spirit in this verse the Holy Spirit? Can we say that besides this Holy Spirit who gives life there is also another Spirit who gives life? No, we dare not say this.
A second way of twisting this verse is to say that the life-giving Spirit here is not the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit of Christ as a person. Those who twist the verse in this manner say that just as we have a spirit, so Christ also has a spirit. Then they proceed to say that the spirit here is the spirit of Christ, not the Holy Spirit. Certainly, the Spirit in this verse is the Spirit of Christ. But do you believe that besides the Holy Spirit there is another Spirit called the Spirit of Christ? Or, to put the matter another way, do you believe that besides the Spirit of Christ there is another Spirit called the Holy Spirit? If you believe this, your mind must be darkened. No one with an enlightened mind would believe this.
Those who twist 1 Corinthians 15:45 in this manner do not know that the Holy Spirit today is not only the Spirit of God, but also the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) and even the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7). Romans 8:9 testifies that the Spirit of God today is the Spirit of Christ, and Phillipians 1:19 testifies that the Spirit of Christ is also the Spirit of Jesus Christ. In a chapter entitled, “The Spirit of the Glorified Jesus,” in his book The Spirit of Christ, Andrew Murray says that after Christ’s ascension the Holy Spirit did not come as before. In the Old Testament, He came only as the Spirit of God, but after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, the Spirit came not only as the Spirit of God, but also as the Spirit of the man Christ. Furthermore, John 7:39 says that prior to Christ’s death and resurrection this Spirit was “not yet.” However, the Spirit of God was already there. The critics apparently do not know that the Holy Spirit today is not only the Spirit of God, but also the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit, who is the Spirit both of God and of Christ, is the life-giving Spirit. After and through His resurrection, Christ became such a life-giving Spirit. Undoubtedly, this Spirit is the Holy Spirit.
Paul was careful in writing 1 Corinthians 15:45. He did not say, “The last Adam became a Spirit.” He added the modifier, “life-giving,” saying, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” There is no ground for argument. Who is the Spirit who gives life? Do you believe that besides the Holy Spirit there is another divine Spirit who gives life? This is impossible.
A third twisting of this verse says that the spirit here is the human spirit of Christ. But if the spirit here merely denotes the human spirit of Christ, then there was no need for Him to become a spirit because he had a human spirit already. Several times in the Gospels there are references to Christ’s human spirit. For example, He knew “fully in His spirit” (Mark 2:8); He “groaned deeply in His spirit” (Mark 8:12); He “was moved with indignation in His spirit” (John 11:33); and He “became troubled in His spirit” (John 13:21). Hence, there was no need for Him to become a human spirit.
A fourth twisting claims that Adam, as a whole, became a soul; that Christ, as a whole, became a Spirit; and that this Spirit is not the Holy Spirit who gives life. I definitely agree that Adam became a soul, for the Bible says so. I also believe that Christ altogether became a Spirit. But I cannot believe that this Spirit is something other than the life-giving Holy Spirit. Do you believe that besides the Holy Spirit there is another Spirit who gives life? This is illogical. Which will you accept-the twistings or the clear word of the Bible? We all should be simple and should say, “Amen” to whatever the Bible says.
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