Genesis is the first book of the Bible and in it we find many fundamental truths that will be returned to later in Scripture. Think of the figure of Abraham, used as an example by Paul, but also by James. Another elemental figure is Adam. In Paul’s teaching he is a model for all humanity (Rom.5, 1 Cor.15). Adam is a type of the last Adam, who is Christ (Rom.5:14; 1 Cor.15:45).
Adam and Eve
Adam is also a representation of Christ in his relationship to Eve. Paul speaks about the relationship of man and woman as a representation of Christ and the ecclesia. He does this by commenting on the verses from Genesis where God takes part of Adam and makes Eve and says:
Ephesians 5
31 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This mystery is great, but I speak of Christ and the ecclesia.
So the verses in Genesis 2 speak deeply about Christ and the ecclesia, which is His body.
Genesis 2
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his corners1 and enclosed the flesh in its place.
22 And Yahweh God built the corner1, which he took from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man.
23 And the man said, “This one is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.” He called this woman (Hebrew: maninne)2, because she was taken from man.
deep sleep
God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam. Sleep is a representation of death. Consider a concept such as repose (1 Kor.15:18), which is a synonym for death and dying. Eve was formed while Adam was sleeping. When he woke up, she was there. This is how we came from the death of Christ. When He was resurrected, the ecclesia was there.
Eve was taken from Adam and therefore they were one. Eve was the complement of Adam. Therein lies hidden the unity of Christ and the ecclesia.
Ephesus 1
22 (…) and He gives Him as Head above all to the ecclesia,
23 which is His body, the completion of Him who completes all in all.
And not only Adam and Eve are the representation of this, but every man and woman who are connected by marriage!
1 many translations have the rendering here: “one of his ribs”. This Hebrew word is translated as “side” or “corner (wall/part)” in connection with the construction of the tabernacle.
Does it perhaps speak of the womb that was taken out of Adam and from which Eve was made, or in other words: of the (female) part, the side, that was taken out of him.?
2 In Hebrew there is a relationship and sound similarity between “man” (aish) and “woman “ (ashe). “Woman “ here is a feminine form of the word for man”, which is difficult to translate . “ A female version of “ man “ and that is why many translations render it as “ maninne”.
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