Friday, March 16, 2007

A More Positive View?

"Christian eschatology must be broadened out into cosmic eschatology, for otherwise it becomes a Gnostic doctrine of redemption, and is bound to teach, no longer the redemption of the world but a redemption from the world, no longer the redemption of the body but a deliverance of the soul from the body. But men and women are not aspirants for angelic status, whose home is heaven and who feel that on this earth they are in exile. They are creatures of flesh and blood. Their eschatological future is human and earthly future – ‘the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come’.”

--Jurgen Moltmann, The Coming of God

If your like me, a bit slow, you have to read Moltmann twice to really understand what he is saying...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This world is not my home. I am a creature of flesh and blood, but it's corrupted flesh and blood and I can't wait to be glorified with the Savior. We're pursuing more than angelic status because Jesus is higher than the angels (Hebrews) and we're imputed with his righteousness. I'm interested in your view of the following verses.

"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25)

"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19)

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. " (Romans 12:2)

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2)

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. " (1 John 2:15-17)

"And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world…I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours…I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:5-14)

Anonymous said...

See when you take these verses on their own, and take them away from the Bible you are painting a picture. A picture of what you want to see in the Bible.

You are looking only at a corner of the painting. But when you step back and take a look at the Bible as a whole you see a much greater picture. You see teachings for a world, a world you live in. You see prayers for us to be better, to do better, to help the people living in this world.

If your focus is not on the world, but only what's going to happen after this world, you have missed the point (as McLaren would say).

I just don't see how we can think God created a world, tells us to enjoy the world, died for this world, and yet we are to have nothing to do with it.

I think we need to stop looking up, and start looking around the corner at the people suffering.

We need to see the difference in loving a world of sin, and loving a world of people who sin.

GED Nate