The word Thus shows that Paul is now comparing his previous statements with the scriptural evidence for them.

It is written may be expressed as “it is written in the Scriptures.” See comments on 1.19.

The words first and Adam are not in the Old Testament text; Paul is inserting a little explanation in order to make a closer parallel to the last part of the sentence. The clause The first man Adam became a living being may also be translated as “God created the first man, Adam, as a living being.”

Became represents a rather general word in Greek. Good News Bible‘s “created” is possibly too technical. In any case, Paul is not stating that Christ was created by God the Father, and so “created” should not be used in the last clause.

The last Adam is identified with Christ, as in verses 21-22.

A life-giving spirit does not mean one spirit among others, or even in the case of Good News Bible‘s “life-giving Spirit,” the Holy Spirit. The difficulties of translation may be solved or avoided by an unusually literal translation: “the first human being, Adam, was made (into) a living being; but the last Adam a life-giving spirit.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .