Thursday Scholarly Notes
8/7/25
Kelly, J.N.D. (1978). "Chapter 17: The Christian Hope." (pp. 459-489). Harper: San Francisco. (Personal Library)
Kelly observes that from the earliest time Christians had attempted to understand the claim that Christ had fulfilled Israel's hope but that there was some sort of final fulfillment yet to come (Kelly 1978, p. 459). He briefly visits the concept, often purported in the scholarly community, that the eschatological hope from the apostolic age was replaced by a view of God's enduring kingdom on earth. Though second century authors show an interest in the ongoing earthly life, they do not abandon the earlier hope (Kelly 1978, p. 460).
As with many doctrinal concepts, Kelly finds that the earliest Christians had views which could fit into categories but which were not fully articulated or interconnected. "Four chief moments dominate the eschatological expectation of early Christian theology - the return of Christ, known as the Parousia, the resurrection, the judgment, and the catastrophic ending of the present world-order" (Kelly 1978, p. 462).
After about the middle of the second century, Kelly finds that Christian apologists and theologians begin expanding on the basic eschatological themes mentioned earlier (Kelly 1978, p. 465). The teachers felt it necessary to lay out reasons for their confessions of faith. Christianity was not the same as pagan philosophy or Gnostic thought. The apologists sought to make this distinction clear. The importance of the flesh and the bodily resurrection is a frequent emphasis (Kelly 1978, p. 467-468).
In an important way, the eschatological hope of the Christian includes receiving "deification" (Kelly 1978, p. 469, his word). Participation in God's nature and immortality is part of every Chrsitian's future. In Tatian's view, this is part of being restored to the original state of humanity (Kelly 1978, p. 470). Origen took the resurrection as the point of restoration for fallen man (Kelly 1978, p. 472). In the end of the world he looked for a final and definitive judgment which will include God's wrath on all evil.
The literal resurrection of the body remained central to eschatological hope among the later Latin and Greek Fathers (Kelly 1978, p. 474). Kelly does note a movement in opposition to Origen, critical of the "radical dualism" of the body and soul, and Origen's concept of the resurrection restoring "the 'bodily form', not the body as such" (Kelly 1978, p. 475). The difficulty which persisted through the period was that of 'form" versus the resurrection of the actual identical human body.
The coming of the Lord for judgment, the parousia, precedes the resurrection. This was an important concept to the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries (Kelly 1978, p. 479). The literal interpretation of the Millennium tended to fall out of favor. A variety of allegorical explanations of the final events took the place of teaching a literal millennium. There was broad agreement that a literal judgment would eventually happen, but the timing of a millennial reign of Christ was not clear. The question of the soul's experience after death was a matter of uncertainty (Kelly 1978, p. 482). The time of judgment and the place of souls prior to the resurrection is unclear. The eternal punishment of the wicked was generally agreed upon. There was, however, a significant question as to whether the righteous suffer correction for their sins after death and before the final judgment (Kelly 1978, p. 484).
The nature of the everlasting life in the world to come was a matter of some discussion. Origen saw it in terms of understanding mysteries and finally progressing to become pure reason (Kelly 1978, p. 485). The Cappadocial Fathers saw eternity in terms of blessed friendship with one another and God, contemplation of God, and a festal mood as we are perfected in the divine attributes (Kelly 1978, p. 486). Some, especially in the west, would discuss the "many mansions" of heaven as different rewards in accord with human merits (Kelly 1978, p. 487).
8/7/25
Kelly, J.N.D. (1978). "Chapter 17: The Christian Hope." (pp. 459-489). Harper: San Francisco. (Personal Library)
Kelly observes that from the earliest time Christians had attempted to understand the claim that Christ had fulfilled Israel's hope but that there was some sort of final fulfillment yet to come (Kelly 1978, p. 459). He briefly visits the concept, often purported in the scholarly community, that the eschatological hope from the apostolic age was replaced by a view of God's enduring kingdom on earth. Though second century authors show an interest in the ongoing earthly life, they do not abandon the earlier hope (Kelly 1978, p. 460).
As with many doctrinal concepts, Kelly finds that the earliest Christians had views which could fit into categories but which were not fully articulated or interconnected. "Four chief moments dominate the eschatological expectation of early Christian theology - the return of Christ, known as the Parousia, the resurrection, the judgment, and the catastrophic ending of the present world-order" (Kelly 1978, p. 462).
After about the middle of the second century, Kelly finds that Christian apologists and theologians begin expanding on the basic eschatological themes mentioned earlier (Kelly 1978, p. 465). The teachers felt it necessary to lay out reasons for their confessions of faith. Christianity was not the same as pagan philosophy or Gnostic thought. The apologists sought to make this distinction clear. The importance of the flesh and the bodily resurrection is a frequent emphasis (Kelly 1978, p. 467-468).
In an important way, the eschatological hope of the Christian includes receiving "deification" (Kelly 1978, p. 469, his word). Participation in God's nature and immortality is part of every Chrsitian's future. In Tatian's view, this is part of being restored to the original state of humanity (Kelly 1978, p. 470). Origen took the resurrection as the point of restoration for fallen man (Kelly 1978, p. 472). In the end of the world he looked for a final and definitive judgment which will include God's wrath on all evil.
The literal resurrection of the body remained central to eschatological hope among the later Latin and Greek Fathers (Kelly 1978, p. 474). Kelly does note a movement in opposition to Origen, critical of the "radical dualism" of the body and soul, and Origen's concept of the resurrection restoring "the 'bodily form', not the body as such" (Kelly 1978, p. 475). The difficulty which persisted through the period was that of 'form" versus the resurrection of the actual identical human body.
The coming of the Lord for judgment, the parousia, precedes the resurrection. This was an important concept to the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries (Kelly 1978, p. 479). The literal interpretation of the Millennium tended to fall out of favor. A variety of allegorical explanations of the final events took the place of teaching a literal millennium. There was broad agreement that a literal judgment would eventually happen, but the timing of a millennial reign of Christ was not clear. The question of the soul's experience after death was a matter of uncertainty (Kelly 1978, p. 482). The time of judgment and the place of souls prior to the resurrection is unclear. The eternal punishment of the wicked was generally agreed upon. There was, however, a significant question as to whether the righteous suffer correction for their sins after death and before the final judgment (Kelly 1978, p. 484).
The nature of the everlasting life in the world to come was a matter of some discussion. Origen saw it in terms of understanding mysteries and finally progressing to become pure reason (Kelly 1978, p. 485). The Cappadocial Fathers saw eternity in terms of blessed friendship with one another and God, contemplation of God, and a festal mood as we are perfected in the divine attributes (Kelly 1978, p. 486). Some, especially in the west, would discuss the "many mansions" of heaven as different rewards in accord with human merits (Kelly 1978, p. 487).
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