How did death come into the world and how does resurrection come?
Death came by Adam: he rejected God's discipline, disobeyed, and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam died spiritually immediately, though physical death followed 900 years later. Resurrection comes by man, as Scripture declares, 'by Adam came death, and by man came also the resurrection of the dead.'
Les explains that verse 21 follows the account of Adam rejecting God's discipline. Adam disobeyed and ate the fruit, and by that act death entered the human race. Les points out that Adam died spiritually immediately, while his physical death came 900 years later. The verse then says, 'by Adam then came death, and by man came also the resurrection of the dead.' Les admits this throws a curve: he can understand how Adam plunged the human race into sin and death by eating the forbidden tree, but the resurrection of the dead is the contrasting truth set alongside it in the same verse.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.