Here are some thoughts that I'm currently working on. I'd appreciate any insights, helps, resources, or even corrections:
We know that the New Testament canon ends with the Apocalypse of John. In certain ways, the New Testament canon does not only end with an apocalypse. It is in itself an apocalyptic canon. Through the work of John Collins at Yale, we have grown in our understanding of Jewish apocalypticism. It was a genre, a sociological movement, as well as a cultural mindset. One can see an apocalyptic conscientiousness in the writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, especially from the influence of the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse of Enoch (Aramaic originals have been discovered in the Qumran library). I suggest that there is such a mindset in the New Testament, which reaches a climax with its finale in the Book of Revelation.
In light of the apocalypse as genre, Collins traces various elements that make up such literature ~ the theme of Messianism, eschatology, judgment of the wicked, the persecution, the resurrection and vindication of the elect, amongst some. These are all themes that are found in the New Testament, themes that many scholars have written on in great detail. A question to consider: is it possible that all these strands of theological and social themes so well attested and described by the New Testament authors are elements of one greater whole ~ they make up an apocalyptic mindset in the New Testament community, hence the Church. The church of Christ, then, is to be seen as an apocalyptic community and our Holy Scriptures as an apocalyptic Scriptures.
My thoughts above is not well written, nor well thought through...yet. I put it here for comments and would value any additional thoughts.
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6 comments:
this is just a test to see how these comments work.
Perhaps it would be better to view scripture as more concerned with purpose than apocalypse.
I think all Christians should be concerned with their teleology, and unlike modern and post-modern thought which tells us to find purpose within and from ourselves. Christians, then, should be rightly concerned with having a purpose outside themselves, and thus have an ultimate concern in an extrinsic finality.
I think where we often go off track is when we become obsessed with how things will be, rather than the significance of the end, the why things will be this way.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
Was-Justified!
Is-Sanctified!
Is to come-Glorified!
In hope that I've not said anything awfully heretical,
-Rob
I think these are great observations and certainly worth exploring! The NT definitely expresses an expectation and a hope for the imminent return of Jesus. I wonder if you could tell us more of your thoughts about the church as an apocalyptic community? Qumran was certainly a fascinating community, but I do not think they were the norm. They were a sect of a sect (I think) in terms of them being a strict group of Essenes. Given that the broader church in the NT had so many shapes and sizes, what does a much less regimented apocalyptic group look like? Or do you mean to look at this as more of a state of mind?
I really like guys like Driscoll who are beating the drum about Revelation in terms of how we should view Christ as a community. I think all to often we view him in terms of just the gospels which is an incomplete view of Christ. I do believe that seeing Christ in his exalted majesty and power as given us in Revelation can be encouraging for the church in an apocalyptic sense. We do know how the story ends. Our God is a warrior who will vindicate his people!
To Rob, thanks for the comment. I hope I'm doing this reply correctly. Here goes.
I would agree that Christian's should have a "teological" perspective where the goal is determined by Scripture. After all, the Westminster Confession provides that standard as the glory of God. Someone like Jay Adams has written extensively on the "telos" of preaching/teaching/counseling as the behavioral application of Scripture in the life of God's people in their continual sanctification. My suggestion is not an analysis of the goal of Scripture or even the concern of Scripture. It is more on the nature and identity of Scripture in its cultural and historical context. Since the apocalypse as a social movement and literature had their "golden days" around the time of the New Testament Church and since there are so many clear apocalyptic elements in the New Testament, can the New Testament as a whole be an extended apocalyptic literary work? In many ways, as I continue to work on this analysis, new thoughts always come in. In regards to "telos" of an apocalypse, that would need some further elaboration, but I would not think it difficult to derive. The final victory of the people of God, the coming Messiah, the resurrection of the righteous, the judgment of the wicked - all these are apocalyptic themes to give hope for the elect of God. That alone would suffice as "telos," although I wouldn't limit myself to just that.
I would be interested to know your thoughts on "telos" that Scripture is interested in.
I guess what I'm grappling with now is the description of the church as an apocalyptic community.
Would it be right to say that the church is non-apocalyptic?
I don't think so, simply because non-apocalyptic beliefs would deny an end to the present earth which is clearly false.
But would it be right to have a focus centered on the now? Regardless of what happens tomorrow, we focus more on today. Is this wrong?
How about the Church embracing an apocalyptic view of things? Does that mean her primary concern must be the end of the world?? I'd hate to think that, but I'm not sure it's right to hate that thought.
I guess the definition of apocalypse is too hazy for me. I know you probably have a definition, if you could give it that would help.
I guess apocalypticism for me is mostly associated with people with unhealthy fear, etc... where does this association come from?
An all-too-common view of apocalyptic matters is the wildly heretical and aberrant Darbyite-Scofieldian fantasy of premillennialism in all its variants. This chimerical nonsense is widely held in evangelical circles, with zany "end times" blithering routinely delivered from pulpits across the land, in the heretical offerings of religious cable telecasting (e.g. the egregious John Hagee, and in the hugely-profitable, literarily-sloppy, but wildly popular "Left Behind" book series.
Those subscribing to this inane, systematically deranged nuttiness need to obtain and read the best available expose' of its indefensible triburapturist nuttiness, namely "The End Time", by Russell Boatman. The chapter on "The Rupture of the Doctrine of the Rapture is alone worth the price of the book.
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