This verse must be understood in reference to verse 45 and to the Old Testament text quoted there. In the immediate context Paul says that “God formed man of dust from the ground.” Good News Bible‘s “earth” is a more natural English translation.

Man: as verse 45 and verses 21-22 showed, Paul can use man in place of “Adam” (Good News Bible). Doubtless he was thinking of the Hebrew word that is the same for both man and “Adam.” However, a literal translation such as that of Revised Standard Version creates problems for the reader, since the second man more naturally refers to Cain than to Christ (see Gen 4.1). Good News Bible‘s “the second Adam,” meaning “the second type of man” or “the founder of a new human race,” brings out the sense. Second in this context means the same as “last” in verse 45.

In both halves of the verse, Good News Bible‘s “came” is implied. Paul is thinking of the origins of Adam and Christ, not of movement from a particular place.

After the second man many Greek manuscripts add “the Lord.” However, modern translations are based on the shorter text, which is that of the UBS Greek New Testament.

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 .