Post by Josh on Oct 28, 2013 17:15:16 GMT -8
Scholars like NT Wright have rightly pointed out that Christians have gotten away from the biblical understanding of the afterlife when they envision heaven as a place for our disembodied souls to chill in a merely spiritual existence. They have emphasized that the Kingdom of God is now, and it began decisively during the life and death of Jesus. And, likewise, they have pointed us back to an understanding that our future inheritance is not some other world, but this one renewed.
I think for the most part this shift is corrective, as it re-roots the Christian faith in its Judeo-Christian (as opposed to Platonic) belief in the goodness of matter, physicality, and the world God created.
Some who cheer this shift, however, might find themselves now uncomfortable with some well-loved and popular Christian sayings and verses: should we still be singing "I'll fly away"? , should we be thinking of the kingdom of heaven as up in the sky, as popularized by the Jesus-movement? Should we balk at talk of the hope of a future kingdom?
I don't think so. And my reason is that though I agree with the premises in my first paragraph, even in Scripture there is some room to play with these concepts using metaphor.
For instance, and what got me thinking about this, was this little gem from Paul:
2 Timothy 4:18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Here we have from the man who often elsewhere reinforces the idea that the Kingdom has already begun and that it is here among us, another way of looking at the picture: that in some other way the kingdom is somewhere else and in the future- somewhere we can be taken to when our journey is done.
These paradoxical metaphors help reinforce that the kingdom and our resurrection is now AND not yet.
I have more to say about this, and I'd like to add some verses on both sides of the equation as I have time.
But I wanted to explain why I'm okay still singing "I'll Fly Away"
Any thoughts from just this little bit of thought?
I think for the most part this shift is corrective, as it re-roots the Christian faith in its Judeo-Christian (as opposed to Platonic) belief in the goodness of matter, physicality, and the world God created.
Some who cheer this shift, however, might find themselves now uncomfortable with some well-loved and popular Christian sayings and verses: should we still be singing "I'll fly away"? , should we be thinking of the kingdom of heaven as up in the sky, as popularized by the Jesus-movement? Should we balk at talk of the hope of a future kingdom?
I don't think so. And my reason is that though I agree with the premises in my first paragraph, even in Scripture there is some room to play with these concepts using metaphor.
For instance, and what got me thinking about this, was this little gem from Paul:
2 Timothy 4:18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Here we have from the man who often elsewhere reinforces the idea that the Kingdom has already begun and that it is here among us, another way of looking at the picture: that in some other way the kingdom is somewhere else and in the future- somewhere we can be taken to when our journey is done.
These paradoxical metaphors help reinforce that the kingdom and our resurrection is now AND not yet.
I have more to say about this, and I'd like to add some verses on both sides of the equation as I have time.
But I wanted to explain why I'm okay still singing "I'll Fly Away"
Any thoughts from just this little bit of thought?
