What is the difference between the first man and the second man in 1 Corinthians 15:47?
The first man is of the earth, earthy, formed from the dust of the earth. The second man is not a created being but the Lord Himself from heaven, the Creator who is God, Sustainer of the universe. Scripture thus contrasts the first man's earthly origin with the second man's heavenly identity.
Les explains that the first man is earthy because he was created from the dust of the earth. The second man, however, is not a created being; He is the Lord Himself from heaven. Les stresses that Christ was not just another created being but the Creator Himself—God, the Creator, and the Sustainer of the whole universe. He warns against false teachings that would deny this, insisting that if we lose sight of who Christ is, our Gospel is a farce. Les then connects verse 48 to the earthy/heavenly distinction: the earthy are like the earthy one, and the heavenly are like the heavenly one. This pattern runs through Scripture, with Israel becoming earthy and the Church becoming heavenly.
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.