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The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels
There is much discussion today about how we are to understand the life of Jesus in the Gospels. What was Jesus doing between his birth and death and how does this relate to salvation? This book corrects the Christian tendency to minimize the life of Jesus, explaining why the Gospels include much more than the Passion narratives. Brandon Crowe argues that Jesus is identified in the Gospels as the last Adam whose obedience recapitulates and overcomes the sin of the first Adam. Crowe shows that all four Gospels present Jesus's obedient life as having saving significance.
282 pages, Paperback
Published January 31, 2017
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188 people want to read
About the author
Brandon D. Crowe
15 books15 followersBrandon D. Crowe (B.A., Samford University; M.Div., Reformed Theological Seminary; Ph.D. University of Edinburgh) is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and Book Review Editor for the Westminster Theological Journal.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 16, 2022
A carefully reasoned, exegetically grounded, and theologically astute defense of the necessity of the incarnate Christ’s filial obedience in both life and death, for the salvation of mankind. Buckle up for extensive footnoting and sometimes-dense/compact academic prose. It is worth the effort!
March 4, 2021
Muito bom! Acadêmico, bem escrito, agradável de se ler e muito relevante. Parabéns, Monergismo! rsrs
April 4, 2017
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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I just don't know how to sum up this book succinctly honestly. After a few attempts that are best never seen by anyone, I decided that no one does it better than Crowe does in the first three paragraphs:
So, there's his aim, rather, there are his aims. How does he go about it? Here's the Table of Contents to give you a look at how he's approaching his arguments (yeah, I'm quoting a lot here, but you try to tackle this book in a blog post rather than a dozen or so page review and see how easy it is):
This is primarily an exegetical work -- dealing with the text of the Gospels directly. But Crowe leans upon historical and systematic theology as well (especially in Chapter 8). Outside of Chapter 5, he's primarily dealing with the Synoptics -- but not exclusively. It is not impossible to read for the dedicated layman -- I've read more difficult works in the last few months, but it's not something you can skim with profit. There are issues that I'm not sure I understand the purpose of addressing, as I'm not aware of all of the academic controversies he's addressing, but even when you don't understand everything about those portions of the book, you can still gain from working through them.
I learned a lot. I thought about passages in a way I haven't before -- seeing things in a new light, or at least a different light. I really don't have a lot to say about this particular book -- primarily I just wanted to post about it to maybe get a reader or two to look at it that might not have otherwise. I loved it, even when I had to work a little harder than usual to get what he was saying, it was worth it. This is the kind of thing the Church needs more of.
This is written from a Confessionally Reformed perspective, but not necessarily for the Confessionally Reformed any more than other Evangelical/Evangelical-ish readers. Although, the Reformed will be more used to thinking in some of the categories he uses than others (as Crowe indicates late in this interview).
This is not an easy read, this is not a quick read, but it is a good read (why do I feel like Lewis' Mr. Beaver now?). This is theology that will lead to doxology -- as well as more theological and doxological reflection and study. I wasn't sure what I expected to get out of this book, but Crowe delivered it and more. I'm not doing a good job summing things up here, just get this book and read it (as well as all the books Crowe writes that you can afford, I'm pretty sure I never got around to posting about his book on the General Epistles which was almost as good as this one (and easier to read)).
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
I just don't know how to sum up this book succinctly honestly. After a few attempts that are best never seen by anyone, I decided that no one does it better than Crowe does in the first three paragraphs:
What is the purpose and significance of the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospels? At one level, this may seem like an obvious question. The Gospels are all about Jesus. Moreover, given the structure of each of the four Gospels, it is difficult to miss the central role played by the Passion Narratives. And yet there is much more in the Gospels beyond the Passion Narratives. Jesus is amazingly active. He preaches, heals, exorcises, prays, rebukes, forgives, calls, authorizes, confounds, challenges, rejoices, weeps, blesses, curses, prophesies, and more. In addition, he consistently draws attention to himself as he does these things.
And then there are the Christmas stories (that is, the infancy narratives). These are among the more familiar parts of the Gospels in today’s culture. But what is the relationship between the infancy narratives and salvation? Jesus appears to be quite passive lying in the manger as he is adored by shepherds, and we do not find him to be very active when the magi come and prostrate themselves before him in Matthew 2. But can we look even to the infancy of Jesus and say that Jesus was somehow already beginning to accomplish something of significance? To ask this question is to lead us back to the driving question of this volume, since Jesus did not bypass infancy, childhood, adolescence, or adulthood on his way to the cross. Why? What was it about the life of Jesus that was necessary for salvation—from the manger to the cross and everything in between? Do the Evangelists themselves give us any indications that this is a question they have in view as they write their Gospels? I will argue that they do.
In this volume I will argue that we find a shared perspective among the diversity of the four Gospels that the obedient life of Jesus—in its entirety—is vicarious and salvific in character. More specifically, I will argue that Jesus is portrayed in the Gospels as the last Adam whose obedience is necessary for God’s people to experience the blessings of salvation. In pursuit of this thesis, I will consider what the Gospels themselves say about the lifelong obedience of Jesus, which concomitantly involves considering how Jesus’s life and ministry are related to his passion. By concentrating on the Gospels I do not intend to imply that these are the only documents in the New Testament that speak to this issue. I do believe, however, that a focus on the Gospels qua Gospels is important because of the way they narrate the life of Jesus, and because their testimony to the significance of Jesus’s life for salvation has often not been given sufficient attention. Thus a sub-aim of this book is to help us read and interpret the Gospels theologically.
So, there's his aim, rather, there are his aims. How does he go about it? Here's the Table of Contents to give you a look at how he's approaching his arguments (yeah, I'm quoting a lot here, but you try to tackle this book in a blog post rather than a dozen or so page review and see how easy it is):
1. A Tale of Two Adams in the History of Interpretation
2. The Last Adam and the Son of Man in the Gospels
3. The Last Adam as the Obedient Son of God
4. The Last Adam and the Fulfillment of Scripture
5. The Glory of the Last Adam in the Gospel of John
6. The Last Adam and the Kingdom of Righteousness
7. The Death and Resurrection of the Last Adam
8. The Last Adam and Salvation: Theological Synthesis and Conclusions
This is primarily an exegetical work -- dealing with the text of the Gospels directly. But Crowe leans upon historical and systematic theology as well (especially in Chapter 8). Outside of Chapter 5, he's primarily dealing with the Synoptics -- but not exclusively. It is not impossible to read for the dedicated layman -- I've read more difficult works in the last few months, but it's not something you can skim with profit. There are issues that I'm not sure I understand the purpose of addressing, as I'm not aware of all of the academic controversies he's addressing, but even when you don't understand everything about those portions of the book, you can still gain from working through them.
I learned a lot. I thought about passages in a way I haven't before -- seeing things in a new light, or at least a different light. I really don't have a lot to say about this particular book -- primarily I just wanted to post about it to maybe get a reader or two to look at it that might not have otherwise. I loved it, even when I had to work a little harder than usual to get what he was saying, it was worth it. This is the kind of thing the Church needs more of.
This is written from a Confessionally Reformed perspective, but not necessarily for the Confessionally Reformed any more than other Evangelical/Evangelical-ish readers. Although, the Reformed will be more used to thinking in some of the categories he uses than others (as Crowe indicates late in this interview).
This is not an easy read, this is not a quick read, but it is a good read (why do I feel like Lewis' Mr. Beaver now?). This is theology that will lead to doxology -- as well as more theological and doxological reflection and study. I wasn't sure what I expected to get out of this book, but Crowe delivered it and more. I'm not doing a good job summing things up here, just get this book and read it (as well as all the books Crowe writes that you can afford, I'm pretty sure I never got around to posting about his book on the General Epistles which was almost as good as this one (and easier to read)).
March 16, 2025
Solid book. The meat was very good and helpful but I felt like the book could have been much shorter. Crowe repeated himself more than was necessary and I felt that some points were overly belabored. Yet, he demonstrates that Jesus' life as presented in the Gospels is just as necessary for our salvation as his death and resurrection. This is a helpful reminder amid the emphasis on the later two. In fact, this helps clarify why the author's of the Gospels spend time talking about Jesus' ministry at all. While I don't think there was anything major in here that I hadn't already read/heard, Crowe brings things together in a helpful way. This book is also very helpful for thinking about how to preach on the Gospels, specifically the miracles of Jesus.
December 24, 2024
Really solid. If you’re not heavily invested in the subject, this one is probably going to be a little too much. Crowe’s work is actually very easy to follow, but the biblical citations and footnotes are legion (a great thing!), and thus it would be easy for the casual reader to get bogged down. For students of the gospels and especially those who want to grow in preaching a fully-orbed gospel, this is absolutely a resource you would be wise to invest in.
In short, Crowe’s thesis is that salvation, while not *less* than the Cross, is far more than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Said another way, it is not simply Christ’s death which is “imputed” to us but also *his life*. Thus stated, the obedience of Jesus Christ - as second Adam, true Israel, Son of Man, Son of God, the Abrahamic offspring and Davidic King, the Messiah! - is *absolutely essential* for our salvation. Jesus’ entire life is one of suffering, one of filial obedience, one of kingly representation reversing the curse of Sin and Death, all done out of love for the Father (and derivatively, for us).
If your grasp of the gospel lacks a deep sense of how Christ’s entire life is the bedrock of our salvation - one unified work which cannot splintered into that which is more or less necessary for our redemption - then this is the book for you. And again, the footnotes and biblical citations are about as valuable as anything here. An abundance of riches!
In short, Crowe’s thesis is that salvation, while not *less* than the Cross, is far more than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Said another way, it is not simply Christ’s death which is “imputed” to us but also *his life*. Thus stated, the obedience of Jesus Christ - as second Adam, true Israel, Son of Man, Son of God, the Abrahamic offspring and Davidic King, the Messiah! - is *absolutely essential* for our salvation. Jesus’ entire life is one of suffering, one of filial obedience, one of kingly representation reversing the curse of Sin and Death, all done out of love for the Father (and derivatively, for us).
If your grasp of the gospel lacks a deep sense of how Christ’s entire life is the bedrock of our salvation - one unified work which cannot splintered into that which is more or less necessary for our redemption - then this is the book for you. And again, the footnotes and biblical citations are about as valuable as anything here. An abundance of riches!
February 24, 2025
Very helpful to better understand the importance of the obedience of Christ. He argues that there is one united obedience that has passive and active dimensions to it. Jesus’s obedience is crucially important for salvation to be possible and we should not lose sight of it.
June 20, 2025
A very good biblical-theological defense of the active obedience of Christ. At times felt repetitive/ long-winded, but nonetheless an excellent work all around.
May 20, 2017
[Review originally posted on Overthinking Christian]
At the outset it must be said that The Last Adam (Baker, 2017) is an academic book. If you're not fond of many footnotes then this may not be for you. But if you are into academic books on the New Testament, then I would recommend this book as a superb resource for sermons, papers, or just for your own personal study of the Bible.
In the first chapter Brandon D. Crowe (associate professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary) touches on what recent scholarship has been saying about the concept of the obedience of Jesus in the gospels. He interacts briefly with Scot McKnight's The King Jesus Gospel and Darrel Bock's Recovering the Real Lost Gospel (both were published around the same time), noting that both have to do with the necessity of "understand[ing] the message pertaining to the work of Christ more holistically in a way that considers more than just the cross" (p. 4). Fast forward to chapter three where the author digs deep into the accounts of Jesus' baptism and temptation, drawing parallels between these accounts and Deuteronomy 6-8 (I found this section very interesting).
Throughout its entirety The Last Adam exemplifies balance and good scholarship, as well as attentiveness to the conversation in modern scholarship.
Crowe writes that "I do think [Michael] Bird, Moltmann, Wright, McKnight, and others are correct that the life of Jesus is not always emphasized in theological discourse. Nevertheless, we can find wisdom from previous generations that will help is today understand and articulate the saving significance of Jesus's life and ministry in the Gospels" (p. 5). He, like any good New Testament scholar, is anti-Marcionism, writing that "Israel's story as we find it in Scripture must provide our framework for understanding Jesus's actions, and those actions must be understood in the context of each Gospel's narrative structure."
*I received my copy for free from Baker in exchange for an honest review
At the outset it must be said that The Last Adam (Baker, 2017) is an academic book. If you're not fond of many footnotes then this may not be for you. But if you are into academic books on the New Testament, then I would recommend this book as a superb resource for sermons, papers, or just for your own personal study of the Bible.
In the first chapter Brandon D. Crowe (associate professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary) touches on what recent scholarship has been saying about the concept of the obedience of Jesus in the gospels. He interacts briefly with Scot McKnight's The King Jesus Gospel and Darrel Bock's Recovering the Real Lost Gospel (both were published around the same time), noting that both have to do with the necessity of "understand[ing] the message pertaining to the work of Christ more holistically in a way that considers more than just the cross" (p. 4). Fast forward to chapter three where the author digs deep into the accounts of Jesus' baptism and temptation, drawing parallels between these accounts and Deuteronomy 6-8 (I found this section very interesting).
Throughout its entirety The Last Adam exemplifies balance and good scholarship, as well as attentiveness to the conversation in modern scholarship.
Crowe writes that "I do think [Michael] Bird, Moltmann, Wright, McKnight, and others are correct that the life of Jesus is not always emphasized in theological discourse. Nevertheless, we can find wisdom from previous generations that will help is today understand and articulate the saving significance of Jesus's life and ministry in the Gospels" (p. 5). He, like any good New Testament scholar, is anti-Marcionism, writing that "Israel's story as we find it in Scripture must provide our framework for understanding Jesus's actions, and those actions must be understood in the context of each Gospel's narrative structure."
*I received my copy for free from Baker in exchange for an honest review
August 1, 2017
A solid argument for the necessity of Christ's obedience for the accomplishment of salvation. In particular, the author shows numerous ways in which the gospels portray Jesus as the last Adam. Slightly weakened by digressions in the argument to deal with various scholarly discussions of particular texts.
September 10, 2018
Outstanding
October 27, 2018
Love it because it tells me about Jesus
September 19, 2017
I agreed, from the very outset, with both components of Brandon D. Crowe's argument: (1) that the Gospels contain strains of an Adam Christology (though of course not to the exclusion of a divine Christology), wherein Jesus is presented as an Adam figure; and (2) that, therefore, the entire obedient life of Jesus is part and parcel of the saving work he did, as the Gospels present it.
Both of those theses already rang quite true to me before Crowe attempted to make the case for them; but, in spite of the loud plaudits he received from many biblical scholars and theologians, I have to admit that I found his case so sloppy that it made me less convinced of his first thesis (though not the second) than I was when I started!
Rather than carefully comb through any one of the Gospels to build his case, he skipped around, scarcely devoting any energy to actually spelling out his demonstration of Adamic imagery, motifs, and themes before flitting to the next thing. Crowe has a fine premise and conclusion; but, although he does have plenty of good material on the theme of Christ's obedient life, he let me down on his prior thesis.
Both of those theses already rang quite true to me before Crowe attempted to make the case for them; but, in spite of the loud plaudits he received from many biblical scholars and theologians, I have to admit that I found his case so sloppy that it made me less convinced of his first thesis (though not the second) than I was when I started!
Rather than carefully comb through any one of the Gospels to build his case, he skipped around, scarcely devoting any energy to actually spelling out his demonstration of Adamic imagery, motifs, and themes before flitting to the next thing. Crowe has a fine premise and conclusion; but, although he does have plenty of good material on the theme of Christ's obedient life, he let me down on his prior thesis.
June 8, 2025
4.7 stars. Excellent work and brilliantly written. Brandon Crowe proves he’s a master exegete and theologian. He’s a bit assumptive at times and a little long winded at points but he knows how to keep such dense material so impeccably organized. I aspire to write like him.
Read
May 30, 2021Uh. I did not realize this was an academic book when requesting it for Christmas.
No idea what was said. Still finished it tho.
No idea what was said. Still finished it tho.
December 31, 2023
Great treatment of Adam’s role in the theology of the gospels. Very insightful and edifying.
February 10, 2017
For the longest, my understanding of the Gospel did more than center on the cross. I had no concept of much beyond passion week and the resurrection and, for that reason, I really did not have much of an understanding the passion week or the resurrection. Some Reformed teachers were influential in my life regarding a greater understanding of the Gospel narrative as a whole, but it was McKnight's 'King Jesus Gospel' as well as some of N.T. Wright's essays that helped me understand the life of Jesus as more than a prologue to the passion. Brandon Crowe's new volume has taken my willingness and desire to see these truths and armed them with the exegesis and theology, particularly as it relates to Christ as the second Adam and the benefits of his perfect obedience.
Crowe's point that the life of Christ was vicarious and necessary for salvation was a truth I readily affirmed from my salvation on. However, the nuanced depth of this truth is that which I am still seeking to fully understand. Crowe highlights how:
* Jesus is identified as the second or last Adam whoe "obedience overcomes the disobedience of the first"
* "The Gospels present Jesus as the last Adam in various ways, including in the temptation narratives, by means of the role of the Holy Spirit, and through the Son of Man imagery"
* The Sonship of Jesus has "numerous implications" including: "Jesus’s filial identity relates Jesus to Israel, the typological son of God"; the Sonship of Jesus relates him to "the first covenantal son of God," Adam; and "in light of these canonical links, Jesus’s sonship strongly emphasizes his obedience."
* In the Gospel of John, Jesus is "portrayed as the obedient Son who was always working and always doing the will of his Father, accomplishing salvation for those who believe" and this work must be "viewed as a unity, which means his life and death are both necessary for the perfect completion of his work."
* Since the kingdom of God is one of righteousness, Crowe points out that the work of Jesus necessary to inaugurate that kingdom must be completed by a "righteous king." "Jesus’s power is corollary to his holiness and includes his binding of the strong man, by which he overcomes the sin of Adam."
* and more.
Crowe rightly points out that his volume cannot exhaust the topic he covers, and I will not try to exhaustively cover it (or his book even) here in a book review. I will have to return to this volume again, and the good thing is that I am looking forward to it. Crowe has contributed a great volume to the study of Christology that will be of benefit to pastors, scholars, and believers alike.
Review Copy provided.
Crowe's point that the life of Christ was vicarious and necessary for salvation was a truth I readily affirmed from my salvation on. However, the nuanced depth of this truth is that which I am still seeking to fully understand. Crowe highlights how:
* Jesus is identified as the second or last Adam whoe "obedience overcomes the disobedience of the first"
* "The Gospels present Jesus as the last Adam in various ways, including in the temptation narratives, by means of the role of the Holy Spirit, and through the Son of Man imagery"
* The Sonship of Jesus has "numerous implications" including: "Jesus’s filial identity relates Jesus to Israel, the typological son of God"; the Sonship of Jesus relates him to "the first covenantal son of God," Adam; and "in light of these canonical links, Jesus’s sonship strongly emphasizes his obedience."
* In the Gospel of John, Jesus is "portrayed as the obedient Son who was always working and always doing the will of his Father, accomplishing salvation for those who believe" and this work must be "viewed as a unity, which means his life and death are both necessary for the perfect completion of his work."
* Since the kingdom of God is one of righteousness, Crowe points out that the work of Jesus necessary to inaugurate that kingdom must be completed by a "righteous king." "Jesus’s power is corollary to his holiness and includes his binding of the strong man, by which he overcomes the sin of Adam."
* and more.
Crowe rightly points out that his volume cannot exhaust the topic he covers, and I will not try to exhaustively cover it (or his book even) here in a book review. I will have to return to this volume again, and the good thing is that I am looking forward to it. Crowe has contributed a great volume to the study of Christology that will be of benefit to pastors, scholars, and believers alike.
Review Copy provided.
February 16, 2017
This is an excellent book arguing that in the gospels Jesus' activity and obedience fits the pattern of being a 'second/Last Adam' figure. Jesus' humanity and his activity as a human being is important for the gospels. Jesus offers up filial obedience to the Father as the representative man for the people of God. He fulfills the pattern established in Adam, Israel, and the Davidic kingship in the Old Testament. Crowe traces these features through attention to the fulfillment of Scripture in the gospel and along the way gives attention to aspects particular to each of the gospels. From this second Adam perspective he recounts familiar events of Jesus' baptism, temptation, and driving out demons to show how Jesus fulfills this Adamic obedience. He also shows from Matthew how righteousness is Jesus' fulfilling covenant faithfulness (hesed). The last chapter brings together some theological conclusions.
Crowe pays careful attention to the text of Scripture and paints a larger picture for how we should view Jesus' activity in the gospels. At times he incorporates insights from Reformed theology without letting be impose on the details of Scripture itself.
This is worth a read.
Crowe pays careful attention to the text of Scripture and paints a larger picture for how we should view Jesus' activity in the gospels. At times he incorporates insights from Reformed theology without letting be impose on the details of Scripture itself.
This is worth a read.
April 17, 2017
I really struggled between two and three stars in this review. For starters, the title of the book is terrible. The subtitle is accurate enough, but there is little discussion here about what it means for Christ to be the "last Adam." And as far as a "theology" of Jesus' obedience in the Gospels, well, isn't it kind of obvious? So why the book (and why did I bother reading it?).
I guess I was expecting more federalism, or covenantal headship. But like I mentioned, that important topic gets quite short shrift. There are a few decent discussions in the book, primarily concerning Jesus' baptism and temptation (although Crowe does a good job of obscuring his conclusions). Another strong area concerned Jesus' binding of the strong man, especially seen as a reversal of Adam's primal sin. Crowe's discussion of John's Gospel was also decent--it's an easy topic to find throughout the Gospel, though, and Crowe didn't add much to what anyone would see from a quick read.
Oh, and his footnotes were good too. Very thorough . . .
I guess I was expecting more federalism, or covenantal headship. But like I mentioned, that important topic gets quite short shrift. There are a few decent discussions in the book, primarily concerning Jesus' baptism and temptation (although Crowe does a good job of obscuring his conclusions). Another strong area concerned Jesus' binding of the strong man, especially seen as a reversal of Adam's primal sin. Crowe's discussion of John's Gospel was also decent--it's an easy topic to find throughout the Gospel, though, and Crowe didn't add much to what anyone would see from a quick read.
Oh, and his footnotes were good too. Very thorough . . .
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