9在林前十五章四十六节，保罗说，『但不是属灵的在先，乃是属魂的在先，以后才是属灵的。』这里属灵的是指基督，第二个人；属魂的是指亚当，头一个人。（47。）照著人的领会、传统和作法，我们应当跟随头一个，不该跟随第二个。本节保罗刻意的说，属魂的在先，而不是属灵的在先，原因就在这里。属灵的是第二个。我们若接受圣经的方式，就该跟随第二个，不该跟随头一个。例如，你应该跟随该隐，还是跟随亚伯？我们的确不该跟随该隐─头一个，乃该跟随亚伯─第二个。不但如此，在逾越节的时候，被击杀的乃是长子。这指明神的审判是临到长子身上。同样的原则可应用在头一个创造和新造。神不要头一个；祂要第二个。在四十七节保罗继续说，『头一个人是出于地，乃属土；第二个人是出于天。』出于地，指头一个人亚当的来源。属土，指他的性质。基督不仅是末后的亚当，也是第二个人。头一个亚当是人类的开始；末后的亚当是人类的终结。亚当是头一个人，是旧造的元首，在创造中代表旧造。基督是第二个人，是新造的元首，在复活中代表新造。全宇宙中只有两个人：头一个人亚当，包括他所有的子孙；第二个人基督，包括祂所有的信徒。我们这些信徒，因著出生，包括在头一个人里面；又藉著重生，成为第二个人的一部分。我们的信，把我们从头一个人迁出，迁入第二个人里面。就著我们是头一个人的一部分说，我们的来源是地，性质是属土的。就著我们是第二个人的一部分说，我们的来源是神，性质是属天的。出于天，指第二个人基督的神圣来源，和祂属天的性质。四十八节说，『那属土的怎样，凡属土的也怎样；那属天的怎样，凡属天的也怎样。』『属土的』指头一个人亚当，他是属土的。『凡属土的』指亚当所有的子孙，他们都是属土的，和亚当一样。『属天的』指第二个人基督，祂是属天的。照样，『凡属天的』指在基督里所有的信徒，他们都是属天的，和基督一样。我们曾是属土的，但如今我们是属天的。
9In verse 46 Paul says, “But the spiritual is not first, but the soulish; after that the spiritual.” The spiritual here denotes Christ, the second Man; the soulish denotes Adam, the first man (v. 47). According to human understanding, tradition, and practice, we should follow the one who is first, not the one who is second. This was the reason that Paul deliberately says in this verse that the soulish and not the spiritual is the first. The spiritual is the second. If we take the way of the Bible, we should follow the second and not the first. For example, should you follow Cain or Abel? We certainly should not follow Cain, the first; we should follow Abel, the second. Furthermore, at the time of the Passover, it was the firstborn who were slain. This indicates that God’s judgment is upon the firstborn. The same principle applies to the first creation and the new creation. God does not want what is first; He wants what is second. In verse 47 Paul continues, “The first man is out of the earth, earthy; the second Man is out of heaven.” Out of the earth denotes the first man Adam’s origin, and earthy denotes his nature. Christ is not only the last Adam, but also the second Man. The first Adam is the beginning of mankind; the last Adam is the ending. As the first man, Adam is the head of the old creation, representing it in creation. As the second Man, Christ is the Head of the new creation, representing it in resurrection. In the entire universe there are these two men: the first man Adam, including all his descendants, and the second Man, Christ, comprising all His believers. We believers were included in the first man by birth and became part of the second Man by regeneration. Our believing has transferred us out of the first man into the second. As a part of the first man, our origin is the earth and our nature is earthy. As part of the second Man, our origin is God and our nature is heavenly. Out of heaven denotes both the second Man Christ’s divine origin and His heavenly nature. Verse 48 says, “As is the earthy, such also are they that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” The earthy refers to the first man Adam, who is earthy. “They that are earthy” denote all of Adam’s descendants, who, like Adam, are earthy. “The heavenly” denotes the second Man Christ, who is heavenly. Likewise, “they also that are heavenly” denote all the believers in Christ, who, like Christ, are also heavenly. Once we were earthy, but now we are heavenly