Topical Bible: Covenant with Adam

Bible > Topical > Covenant with Adam

◄ Covenant with Adam ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the "Covenant with Adam" is a theological interpretation that sees God's relationship with Adam in the early chapters of Genesis as a covenantal arrangement. While the term "covenant" (Hebrew: בְּרִית, berith) is not explicitly used in the Genesis account of Adam, many theologians infer a covenantal framework based on the elements present in the narrative and later biblical references.

Biblical Context

The narrative of Adam is primarily found in Genesis 1-3. God creates Adam and places him in the Garden of Eden, giving him dominion over the earth and the responsibility to "work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). God commands Adam, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). This command is seen as a stipulation of the covenant, with life and death as the blessings and curses contingent upon Adam's obedience.

Elements of the Covenant

1. Parties Involved: The covenant is between God and Adam, representing humanity. Adam acts as the federal head, meaning his actions have implications for all his descendants.

2. Stipulations: The primary stipulation is the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This command tests Adam's obedience and trust in God's provision and authority.

3. Promises and Threats: The promise implicit in the covenant is continued life and blessing in the Garden, symbolized by access to the tree of life. The threat is death, both spiritual and physical, as a consequence of disobedience.

4. Sign: While no explicit sign is mentioned, the tree of life can be seen as a symbol of the life and blessing available through obedience to God.

Theological Implications

The Covenant with Adam is often referred to as the "Covenant of Works" in Reformed theology. It posits that Adam was in a probationary state, where his obedience would lead to eternal life, while his disobedience resulted in the fall of humanity. This covenant is foundational for understanding the need for redemption and the subsequent covenants God establishes with humanity, culminating in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.

New Testament Reflections

The Apostle Paul reflects on Adam's role in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, contrasting Adam with Christ. Paul writes, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). Here, Adam is seen as a "type" of Christ, with Christ fulfilling the covenantal role that Adam failed to uphold.

Historical and Interpretative Considerations

Throughout church history, the idea of a covenant with Adam has been debated. Early church fathers did not explicitly articulate this covenant, but the framework became more defined during the Reformation. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) formalized the concept of the Covenant of Works, influencing many Protestant traditions.

In summary, the Covenant with Adam is a theological construct that helps explain the relationship between God and humanity at creation, the nature of sin and its consequences, and the overarching narrative of redemption found in Scripture.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 2:16,17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Covenant of Works
... the world. For what reason did God make a covenant with Adam and his posterity
in innocence? (1.) To show his sovereignty over us. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the covenant of works.htm

The Covenant of Grace
... For, (1) The least failing would have made the covenant with Adam null and
void, but many failings do not annul the covenant of grace. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the covenant of grace.htm

Of the First Covenant Made with Man
... made man thus and furnished him after this manner, he gave him a law, and then he
made a covenant with him. There was a law first imprinted into Adam, and then ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxi of the first.htm

The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant
... of our representative, the first Adam. If Adam had kept that covenant,
we believe we should everyone of us have been preserved. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the blood of the everlasting.htm

Of the First Covenant.
... first covenant but the curse and wrath threatened. "By one man's disobedience" sin
entered upon all, "and death by sin;" because in that agreement Adam was a ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxii of the first.htm

Did all Mankind Fall in Adam's First Transgression?
... A16: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity;
all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him ...
/.../anonymous/the westminster shorter catechism/question 16 0 did all mankind.htm

God in the Covenant
... It is better than the other covenant, the covenant of works, which was made with
Adam; or that covenant which is said to have been made with Israel, on the day ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/god in the covenant.htm

Articles xiii and xiv Original Sin Will Condemn no Man.
... 1. Because God has taken the whole human race into the grace of reconciliation,
and has entered into a covenant of grace with Adam, and with the whole of his ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/articles xiii and xiv original.htm

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
... duration. Again, the law of God was given both as a law and as a covenant
to Adam, as the representative of the human race. Though ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vii covenanting adapted to.htm

The Ark of his Covenant
... are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." If we had a variable Saviour,
brethren, we should have a changeable covenant. Look at Adam; he could ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/the ark of his covenant.htm