Peter, Paul, and the Apocalype

"The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat..." (2 Pet. 3:10)



"Even as our brother Paul, according to the wisdom given unto him, has written unto you. In all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand..." (2 Pet. 3:16)



Taken literally these passages would seem to describe some unmistakable global, nay cosmic apocalypse. But then why, if this description was intended to be taken literally does Peter say that these things are, "Hard to understand?" Well, it should be obvious that if plain speech is said to be easily misunderstood that some sort of figuritive hyperbole is at play here and that would mean these verses never were intended to be interpreted literally.



The key to diciphering the mystery of this text is the use of the word elements coupled with the apostle's allusion to Paul's letters. Thus the logical next step for a soley biblical interpretation is to reference the Pauline epistles alluded to above, i.e. Gal. 4:3-5 & Col. 2:8,20-22.

Let us view first the passage from Galatians:

"When we were children we were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Gal.4:3-5)



Notice Paul equates their bondage under the elements of the world, with bondage under the law. For further clarification on this point let us now turn to our final passage in this study from Paul's letter to Colossae:



Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ."

"If you are dead with Christ from the elements of the world : why, as though living in the world are you subject to ordinances... after the commandments and doctrines of men?" (Col. 2:8,20-22)



With these texts seen in their biblical context the point becomes clear: the elements of the world spoken of were the Temple system of the first century and all the ordinances and sacrifices that went along with it. A casual scan of history will reveal that this world and heavens (the Temple itself as heaven on earth) were destroyed in the apocalypse of A.D. 70, as prophesied in the Olivet discourse and the book of Revelation.



Glory to the Highest,

Amen.

World Without End

The apocolyptic perceptions of the first century church must have been radically different than that which is popularized today. For how else could the Thessalonians have thought they'd missed our Lord's return? As a futurist this verse allways confounded me but the preterist interpretation salvages my respect for the nascent christians of Thessalonica. Whereas before I allways thought them silly for their worry,now though I've come to the conclusion that what they were worried had passed them by and what we fear or anticipate to come, depending on your school of thought, where either two entirely seperate events or we not they are the silly ones who have radically corrupted the true meaning of eschatology

Paul didn't, as I the futurist did when I first read this passage, say, "No, you idiots you can't miss something like that (you know sun darkened, moon bathed in blood, and all other apocalypictal speech that literalist, which I was, take out of context.) No Paul didn't act as I because he was not a futurist or literalist, to say Paul was given to hyperbole would be an understatment and he lived very much in the now, which is praeter to us and present to him,"The kingdom of God is at hand." That is why when the Thessalonians voiced their concern he'd simply assured them they had not missed it, with no rebuke to their logic. In the next few posts we will be examining the true nature of the Second Coming, and discuss the fate of earth itself. Which may be doomed in the minds and motives of men like Al Gore, Tim Lahaye, and Hollywood film makers, but as one of the simplest prayers of Christianity the "Glory Be" assures us this world will by no means pass away.
"Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning
is now
and ever shall be
world without end
amen."