אבנימ

Biblical Hermeneutics Part Second Chapter 25

From the Gospel Apocalyptic Terry now proceeds logically to a discussion of Pauline eschatology. In examining Paul’s doctrine of the parousia and resurrection, he focuses primarily on 1 Thessalonians 4.13-17, and secondarily on 1 Corinthians 15.20-28, et al. In the former passage, after rehearsing its indisputable facts, the author brings us to a crucial question for the interpreter, viz. does “we, the living who remain…” imply that Paul expected his generation to witness the parousia. After fairly presenting both sides of this question, the author states that we appear to be caught on the horns of a dilemma. We must apparently either foist upon Paul’s words some artificial construction, or else concede that the apostle was mistaken in his expectations.

To address this problem the author challenges the a priori assumptions brought to the text by interpreters on both sides. Is Paul indeed referring to the end of the world and the visible return of Christ many centuries hence, or is he, as Terry affirms our Lord is in Matthew 24, dealing with the end of an age, namely the termination of Jewish aeon and its temple which would ensue before that generation had passed? Terry demonstrates that the latter would be in harmony with other Pauline eschatology, e.g. 2 Thessalonians 2.1-10. The two prerequisites of the Parousia in that passage are the great apostasy (cf. 1 Timothy 4.1-3, 2 Timothy 3.1-9, 1 John 2.18-19), and the revelation of the Man of Lawlessness. These were fulfilled, the author asserts, by the great falling away of the Jews (Matthew 24.5,11,12,24, Luke 18.8) and the accession and bloody career of the terrible Roman emperor Nero. The apocalyptic language used by Paul is of the same stripe as that used by Daniel when referring to that other antichrist, Antiochus Epiphanes. As with our Lord’s discourse in Matthew 24, the fact that Paul uses graphic terminology drawn from the apocalyptic of the Old Testament prophets militates toward understanding his words figuratively rather than literally.

In the context of this preterist view, Terry sets forth a doctrine of successive resurrections, including a partial and special resurrection on the then imminent “day of the Lord.” The resurrection of our Lord is first, and the pledge of all the rest. But there were the preliminary miracles of resurrection, like Jairus’ daughter, the Nainian widow’s son, and Lazarus. There were the many saints who rose with our Lord (Matthew 27.52-53). Terry suggests that coeval with the end of the age, i.e. the coming of the Lord in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, would be a special resurrection of martyrs and confessors. In support of this he cites 1 Corinthians 15.23, 1 Thessalonians 4.16, et al. And then at last will be the final resurrection of all the saints at the end of the world.