1. Paul
and Apocalyptic: A functional approach
About 50 years ago
Schweitzer in his book , “The mysticism of Paul the
Apostle’ spoke about rightly understanding Paul within the Jewish and Christian apocalyptic set up. John
Gager, asks us to investigate the function of, ‘ End –time
language’ in St Paul.
The author wants to go
a step further top move into functional analysis that anthropologists have done
in their study about modern, ‘
Millenarian’ movements.
Millenerian or Eschatologiacal
beliefs operate within specific social settings. To
understand it we need to know the dynamics of that culture. The same thing can mean different in other cultures.
It is normally the
revelations received by one person that slowly moves into a movement. Eschatological
beliefs introduce
innovations in any traditional society.
Participants in the
mileninarian movements are generally people or groups
who have experienced oppression and rejection in their attempt to social power. The medium for change in
these movements in symbolic.
Generally the apocalyptic literature agrees following characteristics.
ü Secrets have been revealed to author or the prophet.
ü These secrets will have to do with cosmic transformations that will
take place soon; time to separate this age and the age to come.
ü Judgment is a dominating theme
ü Apocalyptic universe is characterized by –cosmic duality of heaven and
earth/age and age to come/elect and the world.
2.
Two
ages, two societies: 1 Thessalonians
Most apocalyptic
document among Pauline letters is second Thessalonians. But there are doubts about its authenticity.
That letter clearly shows us how Paul uses apocalyptic idea for social change.
The opening
thanksgiving, (v 7-10) creates a judgment theophany. Its primary theme is the
vindication of the oppressed Christians and the punishment of oppressors.
v.11: Calls to be good
and faithful.
v. 6-15 gives the idea of the community: Those who do not work,
will not eat. There is also a mention that all who do not believed the truth but approve wickedness
will be judged at the end.
1 Thes 1,9 reminds
people of how they turned to God, from Idols. Reminders are a apocalyptic literature technique.
The correlation of the
three dualities –Heaven and Earth/ Age and Age to
come /Worshippers of the living God and idolaters.
There are also signs of
the conflict between the Jewish and the gentile Christians.
In 1 Thessalonians
3:2-4 uses the Jewish eschatological
notion that says the suffering of the righteous before the destined time.
Expectation of suffering was part of the catechism in the Pauline churches.
Apocalyptic literature tries to provide answer to the suffering experienced at
the time.
“Christ was crucified and was raised”,
Paul’s apocalyptic, often used phrase, that gives hope and solidarity to the
suffering.
The most apocalyptic passage: 2 thessalonians
4:13- 5:11
Here Paul presents 3
bits of apocalyptic tradition
- The
saying of the lord 4:15-17 – that draws a verbal picture of extraordinary
events, “ when the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the voice of
an archangel with the trumpet of
God, shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall arise first
- The
saying about the coming of the day of the Lord, “ like a
thief in the night”( 5,2)which we find also later in the
synoptic gospels , in revelation and in 2 Peter
- The
admonition to “ watch” to the sons of light, who are distinguished from the sons of
darkness.( 5, 4-8)
These
are cited basically to make meaning of the death of some members of the
community. These are in response to the problem of – absence of God’s grace of
the prematurely dead.
The
threat of final judgment is to
maintain an acceptable behaviour.
3.
The
end as a warrant for the new: Galatians
The
emphasis in Galatians is on the fulfillment of the
eschatological hopes.
Paul
writes to the churches in Galatia to deal with the acute crisis with the authority. He insists the
proclaimers of another gospel as false, for there can be no other gospel than
the one preached before.
Paul
looked at things differently. Asking the gentile Christians for circumcision
will be a step backward, equivalent tot the
return to paganism (4,8-11). It will be a disobedience to the new
order established by the Messiah’s coming.
Paul stresses that his innovation is not based
merely on human authority but was received by revelation. (1,12)
We
find a comparison with the Qumran sect. that group had withdrawn from the main
institutions of Judaism, to establish community of the new covenant.
They
were led by priests, who regarded themselves as the priest of the new temple.
More radical innovations of the Pauline Christians,
supported by the claim that the Messiah has already come. Unlike in the
other cases, ( abiding by strict law) here the insistence is on unity of Jews and gentiles.
- The future as
restraint on Enthusiasm: 1 Corinthians
Corinthian
correspondence is rich in eschatological and even especially apocalyptic
language.
Read
from the pages ( pg 698)
“ already you are filled! Already
you have become rich! Without us you have become kings!And would that you did
reign,so that we might share the rule with you”
This
helps us to know one major problem faced by the letter. The problem between the
- “realized eschatology and the futurist eschatology”
of Paul the realized eschatologists of Corinth tries to show that they are
superior, to those who are still after the things of the world/ flesh. Thus Paul
, uses the futurist language to show the present imperfection.
Here
Paul uses eschatological language to restrain innovation and to counsel
stability and order.
If
we look at the social consequences intended by the Paul’s diverse use of
apocalyptic in diverse situations, we see much greater consistency. His major
concern in his letters has been solidarity and stability of congregations.
Use of the apocalyptic language of that support and solidarity differs with the
nature and source of the threat to the community perceived by Paul and his
fellow workers.
Conclusion:
Apocalyptic
view held by Pauline groups was complex. Some functions these served are:
·
To emphasize and legitimize the
boundaries between Christianity and other religions.
·
To enhance internal solidarity.
·
To provide sanctions for normative
behaviour.
·
To warrant innovations over against the Jewish
norms and structures from where Christianity emerged.
·
To resist the deviant behaviour that
went to the disruption of Christian community.
·
To legitimize the leadership of Paul and
his followers against challenges
·
To justify the radical interpretation of
scripture and tradition.
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